扶餘 長亭 晋州姜氏 門中의 대종교 신앙과 민족운동

Daejonggyo Faith and National Movement by Buyeo Jangjeong Jinju Kang Clan

The Buyeo Jangjeong(扶餘 長亭) village has been inhabited by the Jinju Kang clan(晋州姜氏) since the 17th century. Almost all the traditions of the village have been handed down even till today. The village produced four elder statesmen from two generations of the same family, which is an unheard-of event in the history of Daejonggyo (大倧敎). They are Kang Seok-gi(姜錫箕) and his sons, Kang Jin-gu(姜鎭求), Kang cheol-gu(姜銕求) and Kang Yong-gu(姜鎔求). They either advocated national movement or remained as important figures for such activities in the Buyeo area under the influence of Daejonggyo . The objective of Hwasungdang (火星黨) which Seo Jin(徐震), Kang Seong-gu(姜星求) and Yu Ki-seop(柳基燮) attempted to organize in January, 1930 was to realize a communist society centering on workers and farmers. The Japanese police attempted to exaggerate the case and abuse their authority to suppress any bodies engaged in the national movement thereafter. It is, however, significant in that such activities became a catalyst triggering their communist movement in this area since the incident. In 1931, immediately after the organization of Hwasungdnag , the activists in the region organized Geumgang Pen Club (錦江文人會) which was an external body in implementing their activities for national independence. However, recognizing the limitation of the capability of the club, the leading members of Hwasungdang soon organized a communism research council(共産主義硏究協議會) in the form of secretive association. This, however, also ended without achieving any results. However, Lee Ho-cheol(李戶喆), Noh Myung-u(盧明愚), Yu Gi-seob together organized a Community Council (共産主義者協議會) keeping in mind that they should not be merely satisfied with their study of the theory of communism, but they need to put it in practice. This organization was soon detected by the Japanese police. Nevertheless, the Japanese police exaggerated this case by reporting it as the most serious left-wing or ideological struggle. The objective of such attempt was indeed to suppress further communist activists by such group just like they handled the Hwasungdang case. In addition, around May, 1933, the night school teachers in the Jangjeong village including Kang Byeong-kuk(姜秉國), Choi Jae-bong(崔在鳳) organized Chilmohoi (七眸會). This was a kind of school affairs meetings necessary to discuss school curricula, teaching methods, etc., but the Japanese police attempted to suppress the organization by treating them like a communist group. Leading members engaged in the movement included those who ran a newspaper company or pressmen or night class teachers and other teachers from ordinary schools who either received higher education or have been overseas for study. These members believed in communism and led a series of social movement activities and mostly Daejonggyo believers directly or indirectly related to the Janjeong village. In particular, it should be noted that such members had been involved in the left-wing movement during the post-liberation period.