This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Writing and grammar a little confusing, more context and copyedits needed. Some references missing page numbers. Please help improve this article if you can. (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Donghak Peasant Revolution
Part of 19th-century peasant rebellions in Korea
Date 11 January 1894 – 25 December 1895 Location Joseon Result Suppressed Start of the First Sino-Japanese War
Belligerents
Joseon  Qing dynasty	Donghak	Japan
Commanders and leaders
King Gojong Queen Min Yi Yongtae Hong Gye-hun Yi Hakseung Gu Sangjo Seong Hayeong Jang Yongjin Yi Gidong Yi Gyutae Guangxu Emperor Li Hongzhang Ye Zhichao Wei Rugui Ma Yukun	Jeon Bongjun Kim Gae-nam Son Hwajung Choe Gyeongseon Kim Deokmyeong Choe Sihyeong Son Byong-hi	Emperor Meiji Yamagata Aritomo Itō Sukeyuki Kawakami Soroku Nogi Maresuke Colonel Moriya Lieutenant Suzuku
Strength
3,000–50,000 Korean soldiers	15,000–300,000 Southern Jeob rebels 10,000–300,000 Northern Jeob rebels	500–3,000 Japanese soldiers
Casualties and losses
6,000 Korean soldiers killed	Tens to hundreds of thousands killed from both Jeobs	200 Japanese soldiers killed

The Donghak Peasant Revolution^[a] (Korean: 동학농민혁명) was a peasant revolt that took place between 11 January 1894 and 25 December 1895 in Korea. The peasants were primarily followers of Donghak, a Neo-Confucian movement that rejected Western technology and ideals.

The Revolution began in the province of Gobu-gun. In the early 1890s, Jo Byeong-gap [ko], nominated magistrate of the gun in 1892, enforced harsh, oppressive policies upon the local peasant population. Correspondingly, in March 1894, a group of peasants led by Jeon Bong-jun and Kim Gae-nam began an uprising against local authorities. The initial revolt was suppressed under Yi Yong-tae, and Jeon Bong-jun fled to nearby Taein. Jeon gathered an army in Mount Paektu and recaptured Gobu in April. The rebels then defeated governmental forces in the Battle of Hwangtojae and the Battle of the Hwangryong River. Jeon then captured Jeonju Fortress and fought in a siege against Hong Gye-hun's government forces. In May, the rebels agreed on a truce through the Treaty of Jeonju [ko]. However, an unstable peace continued throughout the summer.

The alarmed government requested the Qing dynasty for military intervention, to which the Qing responded with a deployment of 2,700 soldiers. Japan, angered that the Qing government had not informed Japan before the intervention (as promised in the Convention of Tientsin), started the First Sino-Japanese War.^[1] The war resulted in an expulsion of Chinese influence in Korea and also signaled an end to the Self-Strengthening Movement in China itself.

Growing Japanese dominance in the Korean Peninsula caused anxiety amongst the rebels. From September to October, the Southern and Northern leaders negotiated the plans for the future in Samrye. On 12 October, a coalition army of Northern and Southern Jeobs was formed, and the army, numbering 25,000~200,000 (records differ), attacked Gongju. After several battles, the rebel army was decisively defeated in the Battle of Ugeumchi, and the rebels were again overthrown in the Battle of Taein. Hostility continued deep into the spring of 1895. The rebel leaders were captured in various locations in the Honam Region, and most were executed by a mass hanging in March.

Background

During the late 19th century, Korean society faced various social problems such as inequality, corruption, and excessive taxation. These problems later sparked a series of peasant-led rebellions,^[2] which began with the Gwanseo Peasant War. These events weakened the Joseon government and undermined its control over various regions of Korea outside of Hanseong.^[3]

Founding of Donghak

Various secret societies formed, apart from the rebellions, including the Salbangye, 'Association of the Killers of the Yangban (aristocrats),' the Saljugye, 'Association of the Killers of the (slave's) masters,' the Salryakgye, 'Association of Killers and robbers,' the Geomgye, 'Sword association,' the Judogye, 'Association of the drunk,' the Yudan, 'League of Wanderers', and the Nokrimdang, 'Group of the Green Woods' (Nokrimdang were 'noble thieves,' who stole from the rich and gave to the poor).^[4]

In this turbulent age, the Donghak religion was formed. Its founder, Choe Je-u, described the founding of the religion, which Choe Sihyeong, the second Donghak leader, later transcribed:

By 1860, I heard rumours that the people of the West worship God, care not for wealth, conquer the world, build temples, and spread their faith. I was wondering whether I, too, could do such a thing. On an April day, my mind was unnerved, and my body trembled... Suddenly, a voice could be heard. I rose and asked who he was.

"Do not fear nor be scared! The people of the world call me Hanulnim. How do you not know me?" Said Hanul. I asked the reason he had appeared to me. "...I made you in this world so that you could teach my holy word to the people. Do not doubt my word!" Hanulnim replied. "Do you seek to teach the people with Christianity?" I asked again. "No. I have a magical talisman... use this talisman and save the people from disease, and use this book to teach the people to venerate me!"^[5]

Donghak was a mixture of various religions. Its core tenets and beliefs (monotheism, sacred books, organized religion) are similar to Christianity. Choe himself said that "the meanings are the same; only the words are different".^[6][7] The Donghak conversion rite, in which hundreds of people gathered in an open place and knelt before a cup of clean water, was partly influenced by the Christian baptism ritual.^[8]

However, many direct influences were from shamanism and folk beliefs. Witnesses record that Choe Je-u participated in animistic rituals to mountain deities. His chants and the Sword Dance were also derived from shamanism.^[9][10]

Certain beliefs were unique to Donghak. Choe Je-u said that "All humans are Hanulnim". Choe promoted human equality and created certain ideologies, such as the belief that the world was a cycle of 5,000 years (Jeoncheon and Hucheon) and that this cycle was ending to make way for a new world.^[11] This made Donghak potentially dangerous to the Joseon Dynasty, which banned the religion and executed Choe in 1864 for 'Tricking and Lying to the Foolish People.'^[12]

Nevertheless, Donghak spread across Gyeongsang Province by the 1870s, causing the need for a better organization. Donghak was organized into 'Jeob' and 'Po.' A 'Jeobju' administered a 'Jeob.' ^[b] For example, Jeon Bong-jun, the leader of the revolution, was Jeobju of Gobu. Under a Jeobju was a 'Myeonjeobju.' In large towns (such as Taein or Jeonju) were a 'Great Jeobju,' as Kim Gae-nam was the Great Jeobju of Taein. Various Jeobs were organized into a 'Po,' and a 'Poju' led a Po. The 'Gyoju,' at the time Choe Sihyeong, led the whole Donghak religion.^[13]

Yi Pil-je's Revolt

In 1871, Yi Pil-je, Jeobju of Yeonghae, revolted using the Donghak infrastructure. The revolt failed but proved that Donghak was dangerous to the feudalistic Korean society.^[14]

Yi Pil-je's Revolt seriously undermined Donghak in Gyeongsang Province, causing Choe Sihyeong to spread the religion to the populous provinces of Chungcheong and Jeolla. Choe wandered around these two provinces, spreading Donghak. Son Hwa-jung [ko] was one of the first to convert in 1881, and he converted Jeon in 1891. Son Byong-hi was converted in 1882 by Choe, as did Kim Gae-nam in 1890.^[15][16] As seen below, he claimed conversion in 1891.

Gyojo Shinwon movement

By the 1890s, Donghak believers began a petition to overturn the 1863 Choe Je-u's execution charges. The religion was split by this time into the 'Northern Jeob' and the 'Southern Jeob.' Seo Inju, leader of the Southern Jeob, asked Choe Sihyeong, the Gyoju, for a petition. Choe did not answer the request, presumably remembering the effects of Yi Pil-je's Revolt on Donghak in Gyeongsang.^[17] Seo Inju and the Southern Jeob independently held a petition to free imprisoned Donghak believers and to restore the honor of Choe Je-u, which was not easily granted. In November 1892, Jeon Bong-jun led the Samrye Petition, petitioning for:

1. Do not ban Donghak.
2. Expel all Western missionaries and merchants.
3. Kill corrupt officials.^[18]

In December, there was another petition in the market of Boeun. Many Southern Jeob believers thought they should march into Seoul and petition before the king, but Choe Sihyeong finally quelled the Boeun petition, instead penning a letter to King Gojong:^[19]

We... are determined to follow this new doctrine (Donghak) only because we want people to reform themselves, to be loyal to their king, to show filial piety to their parents, to respect their teachers, and to show friendship to their fellow men.^[20]

In response, Gojong ordered the Northern messengers to "go to your homes. If you do, I may grant your plea". Meanwhile, Seo Inju and the Southern Jeob were threatening Westerners and Japanese with bodily harm, saying, "If you do not flee by March the seventh, we shall all kill you. You are causing injustice in a foreign land." This was attached to American, French, and Japanese legations, Christian churches and schools, and districts with a large number of foreigners taking residence.^[21]

Jeon Bong-jun, meanwhile, led his followers into Boeun, which became the most violent and revolutionary petition in the Gyojo Shinwon Movement. His followers all wore blue clothes with red gloves. About 80,000 believers, with the flags "Expel Westerners and Japanese," gathered in the market and built an earthen fortress. Revolutionary thoughts include, "In other countries, the people hold councils and decide upon the government. This petition is like that. Why suppress it?"^[22] formed. The petition was also more extreme. The requests were:

• Reclaim the honour of founder Choe Je-u.
• Cease the persecution of Donghak believers.
• Chase away colonial powers.
• Cease all imports of foreign merchandise, wear cotton, and use necessities made in Korea.
• Dispose of the Min family of oligarchical power.
• Lower taxes.
• Ban the inflation-causing Dangojeon coin.
• Stop illegal taxation.^[23]

Northern Jeob leaders, such as Choe Sihyeong and Son Byong-hi, feared that the government would execute Donghak believers and stopped the petition within three days. Jeon Bong-jun returned to Gobu.^[24]

Gobu Revolt

This section is in list format but may read better as prose. You can help by converting this section, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (July 2023)

The rebellion's immediate cause was the conduct of Jo Byeong-gap [ko], the ruling official of Gobu. After his capture, Jeon gave a detailed account of Jo's misdeeds:

• He built the Manseokbo Reservoir under the existing Min Reservoir (now Yedeung Reservoir). He took water taxes from the peasants, two sacks of rice for using the upper reservoir, and a sack of rice for using the lower reservoir. He collected seven hundred sacks of rice in total.
• He promised peasants who farmed abandoned land would be exempt from taxes for five years, but he forced them to pay taxes in the autumn of 1893.
• He fined affluent peasants for dubious crimes, including 'infidelity,' 'lack of harmony,' 'adultery,' and 'needless talents,' by which he collected 20,000 nyang (nyang a unit of Korean currency, equivalent to seventy US dollars, making 20,000 nyang comparable 1.4 million U.S. dollars^[25]).
• He taxed a thousand nyang (the equivalent of 700 thousand US dollars) to build a monument to his father, Jo Hugyun, who had been the magistrate of Taein.
• To send sacks of rice to the government, he sent only sacks of spoiled rice to Seoul, taking unspoiled sacks for himself.
• While he was building the reservoir, he heedlessly cut down trees centuries old and did not give any wages to the workers.^[26][27]

Of these, the construction of the Manseokbo reservoir caused the most fury. Yedeung Reservoir had caused the Baedeul fields to not suffer from starvation ever since Yedeung was built. However, the construction of the new reservoir blocked creeks in the region, causing widespread damage through flooding.^[27]

Donghak believers and angered peasants began forming a rebel army. They used the Sabal Tongmun, whose names were written around a circular cone to form a circle. The Sabal Tongmun made the leader of the writers unclear (because it was impossible to know who had signed their name first). On 10 January 1894, a thousand rebels gathered in an abandoned horse ranch. Splitting into two armies, they destroyed three of the four gates of Gobu and occupied the government office. Jo fled Gobu to Jeonju (he was exiled after the war ended and returned from his exile to become a judge).^[28]

For a week, the rebels destroyed prisons and freed innocent prisoners, armed themselves with weapons from the local armory, punished corrupt officials who had been captured, returned taxed and fined property to original owners, and destroyed Manseokbo Reservoir.^[29] However, the crisis ended when Jo was replaced by Park Won-myeong, who convinced the rebels to disband.^[30]

First revolt

Jeon and Kim went south to Mujang, where they met Son Hwa-jung. The rebels organized adequately in Mujang, and on 20 March, the 4,000 rebels of Mujang turned towards Mount Baek, Gobu. While camped in Mount Baek, the army grew to tens of thousands. Choe Deokyeong's 300 peasants joined them from the north. Here, the aphorism came: "When sitting, a white mountain; when standing, a bamboo mountain." (rebels mostly wore white and used bamboo spears. The term may have appeared earlier, however, as Mount Juk, meaning 'bamboo mountain,' could only be seen when standing, as it was covered by smaller Mount Baek, 'white mountain.') On 22 March, the rebels destroyed the reservoir and burned down governmental offices and storage.^[31]

The rebels camped for four days in Gobu, and new rebels joined them daily. After making Jeon Bong-jun the leader and Kim Gae-nam and Son Hwa-Jung as generals, the rebels occupied Taein (1 April) and Buan (4 April). The leaders also ordered the rebels to follow the four guidelines:

1. Do not kill the innocent, and refrain from eating farm animals.
2. Open the Hucheon through loyalty and piety and appease the people.
3. Defeat every single barbarian of Japan and purify the holy land.
4. Drive the army into Seoul and kill every member of the Min family.^[32]

The rebels also "did not seek alcohol and women and did not smoke tobacco."^{[33][full citation needed]} They did not forcefully take food but paid for them in money.^[34]

Battle of Hwangtojae

The government sent Yi Gyeonghyo to quell the rebellion and made an emergency army of 700 soldiers and 600 merchants. The 10,000 rebels lured governmental forces into Hwangto Pass. In the dawn of April the 7th, the governmental soldiers charged into the rebel camp but found it empty. Soldiers were in chaos. Suddenly, the rebels, moving under the cover of fog, emerged from the mountains and attacked the governmental forces, killing a thousand soldiers. Most of the rebels were unharmed in the thus concluded Battle of Hwangtojae.^[12]

Battle of Hwangryong River

By 17 April, however, Jeon turned south to Yeonggwang, where Hong Gyehun's governmental troops were waiting. Jeon attempted to lure the troops to Jangseong, and General Yi Hakseung chased after them. Yi Hakseung attacked while the rebels were camped on the Hwangryong River, eating lunch. The rebel leader Yi Bangeon envisioned a new strategy. The rebels fled to the mountains, then ran downhill, rolling thousands of Jangtae, or chicken cages. The Jangtae blocked most bullets, thus rendering the government's superior weapons useless. Moreover, Jeon placed the rebel army so that they would divide Yi Hakseung's troops into three separate divisions. Yi Hakseung ordered the troops to use their cannons. Still, they did not work because the pro-rebel villagers had put water inside the cannons (following the incident, rumours spread throughout the government forces that a ghost had destroyed the cannons). More than 300 governmental forces but only two rebels died in the Battle of Hwangryong River.^[35][36]

Siege of Jeonju Fortress

After the Hwangryong, a royal messenger brought bribes to quell the rebellion to Jeon. Jeon killed the messenger but took the needed money. Jeon then turned north and occupied Jeonju, the largest city in Jeolla province. not choosing to take Naju to the south. Hong Gyehun quickly returned north, beginning the Siege of Jeonju Fortress.^[37][38]

Meanwhile, on 29 April, the administrator of Jeonju, Kim Mun-hyeon, appeared in Gongju and told the government of the fall of Jeonju. Unable to control the rebellion, the government of Joseon formally requested military assistance from Japan and China. On 3 May, 1,500 Qing Dynasty forces appeared in Incheon. The same day, 6,000 Japanese forces landed in Incheon. The Japanese inquired why the Qing had not notified the Japanese government by the Convention of Tientsin, and soon caused the First Sino-Japanese War.^[1][39]

Treaty of Jeonju

On 7 May, Kim Hak-jin, the new administrator of Jeonju, ordered Hong to make peace with the rebels. The rebels, suffering from lack of food, accepted.^[c] This came to be called the Treaty of Jeonju (全州和約)^[40] or Jeonju Truce. Hong accepted twelve rebel requests:^[41][42][43]

1. Accept the Donghak religion.
2. Punish corrupt officials.
3. Punish those who became illegally rich.
4. Punish corrupt Yangban and Seonbi.
5. Free all slaves.
6. Free the Cheonmin class, and cease the branding of butchers.
7. Legalize the remarriage of widows.
8. Lower taxes.
9. Pick politicians based on qualities, not families.
10. Punish those who cooperate with the Empire of Japan.
11. Illegalize debts.
12. Give their land to all peasants.

Following the truce, the rebels climbed out of the fortress using ladders, and Hong entered the empty fortress.^[44][45]

Both sides celebrated their 'victory'. Hong held a feast with his soldiers inside Jeonju Fortress, while the rebels sang the Geomgyeol, a Donghak religious hymn which begins:

Good times, good times, these are good times. These are the best times to come. What must be done if not to use the Thousand Dragons Blade. ^[46]

Summer of 1894

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Donghak Peasant Revolution" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The summer of 1894 was marked by rebel rule over most of Southwest Korea. Jeon Bong-jun established the Jeollajwaudo Daedoso (Great Capital of the Two Jeolla Provinces) in Jeonju and built Jibgangso in most towns. In Naju, Namwon, and Unbong, however, the rebels met fierce resistance from landowners. Jeon had not subdued these southern cities, as he went north after the Battle of the Hwangryong. Choe Gyeong-seon [ko] attacked Naju with 3,000 rebels, and the landowners of Naju began to fortify Naju against rebel attacks. Jeon met the Naju landowners and convinced them to allow Jibgangso construction in Naju. However, Naju was still not under complete rebel control and later became the center of rebel persecution. In Namwon, Kim Kaenam also battled landowners with 3,000 rebels, took the fortress, and hanged Kim Yongheon, the anti-rebel leader. Unbong surrendered at the sight of the rebels.^[47] Remaining Jibgangso include Daechang High School in Yecheon, Jinnam Office in Yeosu, Geumseong Office in Naju, Mujang Hall in Mujang (preserved by Mujang magistrates as a historical relic), and Yeosan Office in Yeosan (now a town hall).

The Jeobju of the town and his assistant, the Jeobsa, administered a Jibgangso agency. Under the Jeobju were the Seogi, the Seongchal, the Jibsa, the Posa, and the Dongmong. For deciding on matters, there was a council, with the Jeobjang and Jeobsa at its head, who voted on town matters. Yi Yihwa sees this as a rudimentary democracy.^[48]

Among the Seogi, Seongchal, the Jibsa, and the Dongmong, the Seogi were scribes who kept records of the activities and decisions of the Jibgangso. They also reprinted orders and publications from the rebel leaders, displayed them on marketplaces, and gave them to the people. Most Seogi were progressive Yangban, as the scribes had to have literacy.

Meanwhile, the Seongchal were town police who administered the law and reported corrupt officials or Yangban to the Dongmong and Posa. Most Seongchal were killed in the Second Revolt.

Dongmong were young men who were arrested, imprisoned, or even flogged those reported by the Seongchal. They also had a powerful hatred for Yangban, often castrating them and using Yangban women to light candles or pour water. Dongmong also led to a curious marriage practice called 'three-day marriage.' Dongmong, searching for partners, hung white scarves on the door of the house of a Yangban who had an unmarried daughter. This meant that the daughter had to marry the Dongmong. To escape the forced marriage, fathers often found another suitable young man and made the daughter marry him within three days in secret. By November, three-day marriage had become so prevalent that the only virgins left were girls under fourteen years of age.^[49] Posa, tiger hunters who served effectively as soldiers, cooperated with the Seongchal and Dongmong to fight against the Yangban resistance.

The rebels referred to their cause as the Dongdo (another name for 'Donghak') and their army as the Dongdo Euibyeong, the "Righteous army of Donghak." Rebels called themselves 'Hajeob,' after the lowest Donghak initiate, and called any other person, even children, 'Jeobjang,' a rendering of Jeobju.

Second revolt

While the First Sino-Japanese War raged on, Japanese troops occupied Seoul and made a pro-Japanese government there. Before the Battle of Pyongyang, Jeon's strategy seemed to crush the fleeing Japanese from the South while the Chinese soldiers chased them from the North. However, his prediction was proved wrong, with a major Chinese defeat in Pyongyang. Jeon decided he should defeat the Japanese by taking control of Korea and severing Japanese supply lines. However, he knew he would have to get the support of the Northern Jeob, who commanded all Donghak outside Jibgangso-controlled areas.^[50]

Choe Sihyeong was staunchly anti-rebel, as he feared that a large-scale rebellion based on the Donghak religion would end with the destruction of Donghak. The Northern Jeob had to fight against the largely Southern Jeob rebels to escape persecution. Here is an excerpt of his words:

The government does not know the difference between medicine (Northern) and poison (Southern). They will burn the stones (Southern) and the jade (Northern)... Hence, we must prove our allegiance to the king by conquering the South.^[51]

Samrye Council

On 14 September, Northern and Southern leaders gathered in Samrye. It is said that Jeon rode a white horse in this meeting.^[52] The Northern flags said 'Conquer the South,' while Southern ones said 'Conquer the Foreigners' or 'Protect the Nation.' After a month of negotiations, on 12 October, Choe Sihyeong finally cried out to the Northern Jeob: "Shall we die while seated?".^[2]

The Northern leader, Son Byong-hi, led 10,000–100,000 Northern Jeob followers as the General of the Northern Jeob. Jeon also led 12,000–100,000 Southerners as the General of the Southern Jeob (most recent estimates give a total army of about 50,000). However, Kim Kaenam was absent; he led 5,000 rebels in an attack on Cheongju. Together, they marched north to Gongju, the capital of Chungcheong Province. As they marched, Jeon said:

We shall not eat dogs or chicken. The meat of a dog weakens and maddens us, and we are born from the power of Mount Gyeryong, the Rooster Dragon mountain. Eating chicken shall weaken that power.^[26]

Battle of Ugeumchi

Although the army had started with 40,000 rebels, when they camped at Non Stream, 12 kilometers south of Gongju, the army was 10,000; peasants joined them as they marched. There were also 50 Chinese soldiers, who had fled from the Sino-Japanese War. Inside the Fortress of Gongju were perhaps 3,000 governmental forces led by Gu Sangjo, Seong Hayeong, Jang Yongjin, and Yi Gidong, and some 400 Japanese soldiers led by Colonel Moriya.^[53]

The Donghak army's strategy was to surround Gongju from Buyeo and Nonsan. On 23 October, a rebel battalion took Yiyin and Hyopyo, four kilometers south of Gongju.^[54][55]

On 24 and 25 October, the Battle of Ung Pass, or Ungchi, occurred between rebels and a coalition army of Japanese soldiers, governmental forces, and anti-rebel guerrillas. Ungchi was a pass that led straight to Gongju, a crucial location for the rebels. However, the rebels were not able to take Ungchi. Most were armed with only bows and arrows, spears, swords, and seventeenth-century-style muskets, which could not defeat the coalition's superior firepower. The Northern Jeob experienced severe casualties in Ungchi because they lacked proper training in war.^[54][56]

The rebels retreated south to Nonsan. Jeon and Son decided to capture Gongju through a different pass: Ugeum Pass, or Ugeumchi.^[54]

On 8 November, two battalions lured governmental forces so that the major rebel forces would not meet a large governmental army in Ugeumchi.^[57] At 3:00 in the afternoon, the rebels concentrated the governmental forces in Yiyin and Hyopyo, where 10,000 rebels were. The other 200,000 rebels were crossing Ugeumchi. However, they encountered a Japanese battalion of 280 soldiers. The Japanese gathered the Korean forces into Ugeumchi. After a night passed, the two armies clashed in Ugeumchi at the dawn of 9 November.^[57]

Jeon placed his army so the rebels stretched sixteen kilometers from Panchi to Mount Bonghwang. Jeon was at the center of this line, surrounded by flags and riding his white horse. The government forces defended the sides (Hyopyo, Ungchi, Mount Bonghwang) while the Japanese were stationed in Ugeumchi proper. At 10:00 am, the rebels charged at Ugeumchi.^[57]

Because of their weak weapons, they were unable to cross Ugeumchi. The Japanese used cannons and rifles and had proper military training. Although small groups of rebels crossed the 'death line' more than forty times, they were all shot down. After one charge at the Japanese, only 10,000 of the original 200,000 rebels were left. After the following charge, there were 3,000 rebels left. When the rebels finally retreated on 10 November, only 500 out of an army of 200,000 remained.^[57]

Meanwhile, in Hyopyo, the 10,000 rebels captured various peaks, but the Japanese instantly reinforced them whenever the governmental forces seemed to break. By 10 November, both armies retreated to Nonsan. The Battle of Ugeumchi was over. A spectator of the battle expressed the battle:

And we finally destroyed the thieving raiders... It was as if the stars themselves were falling from the sky, and the autumn leaves were being scattered on the lands.^[22]

Retreat from Gongju

Jeon and his 500 remaining rebels retreat south from Gongju while the allied forces of the Joseon Army and the Imperial Japanese Army pursue them. They arrived in Nonsan to rendezvous with the other Donghak peasants defeated by government and Japanese troops. But they were defeated and forced back to Jeonju Fortress to gather an army of 8,000 rebels. However, they abandoned the fort because of the lack of supplies and retreated to Wonpyeong and Taein, the rebel center, to reorganize their army.

On 25 November, the Japanese caught up with the rebels and camped in Mount Gumi. Despite rebel strategic superiority, the Japanese firepower annihilated both the rebels and the city of Taein. A historian, Park Eunsik, recorded "nothing left in Taein for 40 kilometers". Forty civilian houses, along with perhaps 400 rebels, were killed.^[58]

After the Battle of Taein, on 28 November 1894, Jeon formally dissolved the Donghak Army. The rebels cried: "We thought Jeon Nokdu (Jeon's nickname) would save us, but now we are all going to die." Jeon answered: "War is a game of luck. Why is it that you blame me?".^[59] He then dressed up as a peasant and headed east.^{[citation needed]}

Battles outside the main front

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Donghak Peasant Revolution" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Jeolla

Jeolla Province was the revolution's center, completely seized by the rebels. They formed the core of the Anti-Japanese Frontier and often aided Gyeongsang and Chungcheong rebels. Kim Inbae of Gwangyang and Yi Bangeon of Jangheung formed the core of South Jeolla rebels.^{[citation needed]}

Namwon and Unbong

Namwon and Unbong were ruled by Kim Gae-nam's rebels. However, Kim Gae-nam had gone to attack Cheongju far to the north, and in his absence, the governmental soldiers attacked Namwon. On 13 November, the rebels were driven away from the outskirts of Namwon in a small battle. The 3,000 rebels fled to Namwon Fortress. Jo Byeongho, the governmental leader, led 2,000 soldiers armed with modern weapons to besiege Namwon. Although the fortress was bombed and shelled, the rebels did not come out. Finally, the governmental troops stacked hay around the east, west, and south walls and burned the hay. The wooden doors burned along, and the rebels fled through the north door. Hundreds of rebels were killed in the Siege of Namwon.^[60]

Jindo

In Jindo, the third largest island of Korea (after Jeju and Geoje), Na Chihyeon of Naju converted the population to Donghak in January 1892. After the fall of Jeonju Fortress, the Jindo magistrate Yi Heuiseung (who, like Jo, built two monuments to himself^[61]) fled. However, Confucian scholars maintained order on the island through an army called Suseonggun. Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Donghak_Peasant_Rebellion
Text je dostupný za podmienok Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0 Unported; prípadne za ďalších podmienok. Podrobnejšie informácie nájdete na stránke Podmienky použitia.