동학농민혁명기념재단 영문 Definition and Meaning

Definition

A peasant-centered revolution in which the first insurrection was meant to reform the feudal system in March 1894. In September of the same year, the second uprising was meant to protect national sovereignty from Japanese invasion.

- Article 2 of the Special Law -

Special Law on Restoration of Honor of Participants who participated in the Donghak Peasant Revolution, etc. (Article 2)

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Historical Significance

The Donghak Peasant Revolution, which took place over one year in 1894, was a large-scale uprising claimed under the banner of the eradicating injustice and corruption in the Joseon feudal society and anti-foreign forces. It began in March in Mujang, Jeolla-do as the spark caused by the Donghak-Religious Body’s organized movement of religious identity from 1892 to 1893 and the Gobu peasant uprising in January 1894.
A wide range of peasant masses participated in the Donghak ideology, which reflected the ideological views of the ruled class, and the Donghak-Religious Body, a national organization, served as a catalyst. The Gapsin Coup, Independence Association Movement and Wijeongcheoksa Movement led by the Enlightenment Party and the Volunteer Rebellion led by Confucian scholars were intended to be reformed movements from the upper class of the society, but the Donghak Peasant Revolution was a popular uprising centered on people of the lower class of the society.
It transformed from the previous sporadic protests at the county and prefecture levels to the national level, meaning from a temporary struggle to a long-running struggle. It was a revolution by a large-scale peasant mass that took place nationwide by progressively inheriting the will of the people for reform throughout society, which manifested as frequent peasant uprisings in the late Joseon Dynasty.
Frustrated by Japan's ambition for aggression, the dependence on foreign powers of the corrupt and incompetent feudal ruling class of the Joseon Dynasty, and the protection of the system of conservative Confucianism, it had a profound impact on the voluntary military protests that took place after 1894, the March 1st Independence Movement, and the anti-Japanese armed struggle. As a social reform movement and a movement to protect sovereignty, it became the basis of Korea's modernization and the national people's movement.
Although it ended as an incomplete revolution, it changed the international order in Korea and East Asia in the late 19th century and had a great influence on the process of transition from the Middle Ages to the modern era. As the mother of Action of Eulmi Righteous Army, the March 1st Movement, the April 19 Revolution, and the May 18th Gwangju Democratization Movement, it was a major event in modern national history that set the stage for modern ideologies regarding equality and liberal democracy.

History of Donghak Peasant Revolution