Assemblyman Min Hyung-bae: "The Second Donghak Peasant Movement Should Be Recognized as an Independence Movement"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Claims have been raised to award independence movement honors to participants of the Second Donghak Peasant Revolution, including General Jeon Bong-jun.

Min Hyung-bae, a member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Gwangsan A), stated on the 15th that the Second Donghak Peasant Revolution was an independence movement against Japanese colonial rule, and therefore General Jeon Bong-jun and others should be honored.

Currently, the Gap-O Uprising (August 1894) and the Eulmi Uprising (1895) are recognized as independence movements, but the Second Donghak Peasant Revolution (September 1894), which occurred between them, is not.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs holds the position that “there is no consensus among scholars regarding the independence movement nature of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, so currently no awards are given to independence patriots.”

Assemblyman Min said, “Since 1978, historians have defined the Second Donghak Peasant Revolution as an anti-Japanese independence movement,” adding, “All eight high school Korean history textbooks currently define it as an ‘anti-Japanese national salvation struggle’ and ‘anti-foreign intervention struggle.’”

He continued, “Since related laws such as the Independence Patriots Act and the Donghak Peasant Revolution Special Act explicitly state it as an independence movement, General Jeon Bong-jun and others who participated in the Second Donghak Peasant Revolution should promptly be included in the independence patriots honors,” emphasizing, “The awarding of honors is a restoration of the dignity of patriotic ancestors who resisted Japanese colonial rule and a correction of history.”

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