Gang Il-sun

Gang Il-Sun (1871–1909), also known as Jeungsan Kang Il-sun and known to his followers as JeungSan SangJeNim, is the founder of a religion that lead to the Korean religions Jeung San Do and Daesoon Jinrihoe. He was born what is now called Sinwol-ri, Deokcheon-myeon, Jeongeup-si, North Jeolla province of Korea. Jeung San Do, like Korean new religions (sinheung jonggyo, literally, "newly emerged religions") in general is a syncretism of Buddhism (Bul-gyo), Confucianism (Yu-gyo), Taoism (Do-gyo), certain elements borrowed from Christianity (Gidok-gyo) and an underlying Korean shamanism (Musok-Sinang).

Donghak

In 1860 Choe Je-u, concerned about the growing influence of the West, the increasing Japanese presence in Joseon, widespread corruption in government and established religion and abuse of power by the yangban (aristocratic social class), alleged he had a vision of SangJe (Shang-ti in Chinese). Choe Je-u became the founder of the Donghak (Eastern Learning) movement, the prototype of many subsequent Korean syncretistic new religions. Donghak culminated in the unsuccessful Donghak Rebellion of 1894, which was fueled by a combination of religious fervor centering on the millennial visions of a coming messiah and Seoul's high taxes on rice. Central to Choe Je-u’s teachings was a belief in Hu-Cheon Gaebyeok, the Great Opening (Gaebyeok) of the Later Heaven (Hu-Cheon), the new age paradise of Donghak and later of Gang Il-sun’s millenarian vision.

Donghak Promise

SangJe allegedly promised Choe Je-u that He would soon incarnate in this world to initiate a New Age. Gang Il-sun was believed by his followers to have been the fulfillment of the Donghak Promise, the incarnation of SangJe prophesied by Choe Je-u. The religion of Gang Il-sun, on whose teachings JeungSanDo is based, arose in large measure from the Donghak movement.

External links

• Jeung San Do - English homepage
• The Dojeon - English