Jangseong County Successfully Holds Victory Commemoration Ceremony for Jangseong Donghak Peasant Revolution Army

Published 31 May.2023 14:49(KST)

Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 31st that the ‘129th Anniversary Jangseong Donghak Peasant Revolution Army Victory Commemoration Ceremony’ was successfully concluded on the 26th.

Jangseong-gun, Jeollanam-do successfully held the '129th Anniversary Jangseong Donghak Peasant Revolution Army Victory Commemoration Ceremony' on the 26th.
[Photo by Jangseong-gun]

Hosted by Jeollanam-do and Jangseong-gun and organized by the Jangseong Donghak Peasant Revolution Memorial Association, the event was attended by about 300 people including the families of Donghak soldiers, Shin Soon-cheol, chairman of the Donghak Peasant Revolution Foundation, local residents, officials, Moon Geum-ju, Vice Governor of Jeollanam-do, Kim Han-jong, Jangseong County Governor, Lee Gae-ho, member of the National Assembly, and Ko Jae-jin, chairman of the Jangseong County Council.

Hwangryong Jeon-jeok (No. 356, Sinhori, Hwangryong-myeon), registered as National Historic Site No. 406, is the fierce battleground of the ‘Hwangryong Battle’ fought between the Donghak Peasant Revolution Army and government troops in 1894.

Against the government troops armed with modern weapons such as rifles and artillery, the Donghak army, wielding bamboo spears and jangtae, achieved a great victory, laying the foundation for the later capture of Jeonju Fortress. Jangtae is a defensive weapon made by weaving bamboo into a cylindrical shape.

Currently, a park commemorating the victory of the Hwangryong Battle has been established here. The Victory Monument, shaped like a bamboo spear, especially draws attention.

The county participates in inheriting the Donghak spirit by supporting the budget for the annual victory commemoration ceremony held at Hwangryong Jeon-jeok.

At this year’s ceremony, the ‘Reform of Abolishing Corrupt Practices’?a reform proposal presented by the Donghak Peasant Army?was read aloud and recited in poetry, followed by a traditional Korean opera reenacting the Hwangryong Battle, receiving enthusiastic applause.

There was also a time to celebrate the inscription of the Donghak Peasant Revolution records as a ‘2023 UNESCO Memory of the World’ heritage.

County Governor Kim Han-jong said, “We must always remember our proud history imbued with the noble spirit of the Donghak pioneers,” adding, “Embodying the Donghak banner that ‘People are Heaven’ in county administration, we will serve the residents as the owners, and strive even harder for the harmony of the residents and the development of Jangseong.”