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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

Retiree's Donghak Passion Leads to Book by German Literature Scholar

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • An 80-year-old scholar of German literature has published a book compiling his writings on Donghak, a Korean religious and social movement.
  • The scholar, Jeong Ji-chang, discovered his family's connection to Donghak after retirement, prompting a deep dive into the movement's history and philosophy.
  • The book explores Donghak's core concept of 'Gaebyeok' (revolution/creation) and its influence on Korean literature and culture, drawing parallels with other philosophical and religious movements.

For decades, Jeong Ji-chang, an 80-year-old scholar of German literature, kept a family secret buried: his ancestors were involved in Donghak, a 19th-century Korean religious and social movement.

Upon retiring from his professorship at Yeungnam University, Jeong, now a senior advisor to the Asia Peace and Life Association, delved into the history of Donghak, a subject that had been taboo for his family for generations. His research culminated in the book 'Gaebyeok Thought and Korean Literature: How the Dream of Gaebyeok Became Literature.'

Even after 100 years, it remained a forbidden area that all elders in the family would hush up.

— Jeong Ji-changExplaining why he only learned about his family's Donghak connection after retirement.

The book is structured into four parts, showcasing Jeong's 15-year dedication to understanding Donghak. The first section examines the movement's central concept of 'Gaebyeok,' or revolution and creation. It analyzes the ideas of scholar Paik Nak-chung and discusses the 'transformative centrism' he proposed, linking it to the 'founding theory' of Won Buddhism's second patriarch, Song Kyu.

Continuing foolish and reckless experiments and explorations for a better life, even in the vast ocean of nothingness surrounding us.

— Ernst Bloch (quoted by Jeong Ji-chang)Jeong Ji-chang uses this quote from the philosopher Ernst Bloch to explain why he, as a latecomer to Donghak studies, feels compelled to publish his book.

Jeong's work also explores how Donghak has been depicted in literature. He reviews the works of poet Paik Mu-san and novelist Ahn Sam-hwan, highlighting Ahn's 2024 novel 'What Happened in Weimar?' for its detailed portrayal of the October Uprising in Yeongcheon, a historical event brought to life through the story of a Donghak follower and his family.

The third part investigates the cultural enlightenment movement led by Donghak adherents in the 1920s, focusing on figures like Lee Don-hwa and Bang Jeong-hwan. The final section includes Jeong's personal reflections on Donghak, featuring his travels and his analysis of Donghak's influence on writer Kwon Jeong-saeng's novel 'Hantijae Sky.' Jeong concludes that the novel's underlying spirit stems from Donghak philosophy, particularly evident in passages where characters treat all people, regardless of status, as divine beings.

Reading literary works and writing about them is a challenge toward a warmer world and a freer life, that is, toward the dream of Gaebyeok.

— Jeong Ji-changDescribing his motivation for writing and his belief in the transformative power of literature.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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