Representation of Wonhyo (617–686) in Modern Korean Buddhist Society

This paper examines the background and aspects of the modern rediscovery of Wonhyo (617–686). Since the late 19th century, Wonhyo rapidly gained attention and was re-evaluated by Korean and Japanese Buddhists and intellectuals in the context of rapid changes in the society and the Buddhist community of that time. Wonhyo began to be characterized as a heroic figure, a source of national pride, a progressive-minded reformer, a symbol of T’ong Pulgyo, a warrior monk, and an ideological founder of Jogye order. Namely, under Japanese colonial rule, Wonhyo began to regain fame as a person who represented the ideology and culture of the nation rather than as a monk who realized the ultimate truths of Buddhism. Eminent elite monks and intellectuals built Wonhyo’s characteristics into a usable image and spread it through newspapers, journals, books, and speeches. Such images of Wonhyo have been constantly reproduced and disseminated by influential figures of Korean society up to this day; consequently, the general public has largely accepted these fixed images of Wonhyo as a historical fact without question. However, in fact, the fictitious elements and the national consciousness in the modern images of Wonhyo that are not actually found in hagiographical and historical accounts cannot be overlooked.