Hwangtohyeon Battlefield, Jeongeup

This was the site of a major battle during the Donghak Peasant Revolution, at which the peasant army decisively defeated government troops. The Donghak peasants first rose up in 1893 against the misrule of Jo Byeong-gap, magistrate of Gobu, and in January of the following year, 1894, they attacked the Gobu government office. The peasant army disbanded after about ten days, but when the official sent by the government to resolve the affair placed the blame on the peasants and suppressed them, the peasants rose again under the command of Jeon Bong-jun, this time proclaiming the aims of protecting the nation and securing the people (bogukanmin) and eliminating tyranny and rescuing the people (jepokgumin). Having occupied the Gobu government office, the peasant army advanced to Baeksan, a hill commanding a view over the surrounding granary plains, and on hearing the news the governor of Jeonju sent government troops to stop them. The two forces confronted each other at Hwangtohyeon in Jeongeup, where the peasant army launched a night raid and inflicted a heavy defeat on the government troops. Emboldened by their victory at Hwangtohyeon, the peasant army extended its influence into the surrounding areas of Jeongeup, Heungdeok, Gochang and Mujang, and went on to take control of Jeonju itself. They released prisoners who had been unjustly imprisoned, seized weapons, and advanced on Mujang to rescue around forty followers of Donghak. It was here that Jeon Bong-jun issued a proclamation setting out the significance of the Donghak movement. The victory at Hwangtohyeon became the turning point that greatly expanded the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Although the movement was later brought to an end by defeat at the hands of government and Japanese forces at the Battle of Ugeumchi, the spirit of reform and national self-determination it displayed had a great influence on the subsequent development of the Korean independence movement. The name was changed from Hwangtohyeon Battlefield Site to Hwangtohyeon Battlefield, Jeongeup (notified 28 July 2011).

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jeongeup, Jeonbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적