[Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil] On the 25th, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk, successfully concluded the ‘128th Anniversary of the Donghak Peasant Revolution Armed Uprising Commemoration Ceremony’ held at the Mujang Gipoji area in Gongeum-myeon, the ‘starting point of the Donghak Peasant Revolution.’
According to the county on the 26th, the event, organized by the Gochang Donghak Peasant Revolution Memorial Association (Chairman Jin Yunsik), was attended by Lee Juchul, Deputy Governor of Gochang, the chairman and members of the Gochang County Council, members of the National Assembly, the Gochang Donghak Peasant Revolution Memorial Association, and members of the Gochang Donghak Peasant Revolution Bereaved Families Association.
The Armed Uprising Commemoration Ceremony began with a pre-ceremony parade, followed by congratulatory performances, the Nokdu Award presentation, a report on the designation process of Mujang Gipoji as a historic site, a Pansori performance of the Armed Uprising Proclamation, and concluded with the collective recitation of the four major slogans of the Donghak Peasant Revolutionary Army, thereby reexamining the historical significance of the armed uprising.
This year’s ‘15th Nokdu Award’ was presented to Professor Kim Yangsik of Cheongju University.
Professor Kim Yangsik has been recognized for his contributions to elevating the status of the Donghak Peasant Revolution through his roles since 2014 as a working member of the Committee for the Restoration of Honor of Donghak Peasant Revolution Participants and as a member of the Committee for the Registration of Donghak Peasant Revolution Records as a UNESCO Memory of the World.
In particular, his contributions have been highly evaluated, including his research on the Gochang Donghak Peasant Revolution storytelling materials in 2009, participation in the production of historical records of the Gochang Donghak Peasant Revolution in 2011, and his work on the descriptions and issues of the Armed Uprising in middle and high school textbooks in 2018, all of which have illuminated the Gochang Donghak Peasant Revolution.
Chairman Jin Yunsik said, “I hope this Armed Uprising Commemoration Ceremony was a meaningful event through which the residents could reflect on the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the significance of the armed uprising,” and added, “I hope the ceremony will develop into a nationwide event beyond Gochang-gun and Jeollabuk-do in the future.”
Meanwhile, the Donghak Peasant Revolution Armed Uprising refers to the declaration of the uprising by General Jeon Bongjun and others on March 20, lunar calendar, 1894, in Gusu Village, Gongeum-myeon, currently Gochang-gun, explaining the righteous cause of the revolution.
The Mujang Gipoji site is regarded as a historic place that, by proclaiming the proclamation, transcended the limitations of a local uprising and became the starting point of a nationwide peasant rebellion.
Gochang=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Jaegil gjg7070@asiae.co.kr
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