Birthplace of Jeungsan Kang Il-sun

About this place

This site is the birthplace of Jeungsan (甑山) Kang Il-sun (姜一淳, 1871–1909), the founder of a Korean indigenous religion of the late Joseon period. The birthplace in Shinwol-ri's Shinsong Village is a settlement of the Jinju Kang clan, and his pen name Jeungsan (甑山, Steamer Mountain) derives from the mountain Sirusan (甑山, literally 'steamer mountain') at the back of the village. The era in which Jeungsan was active was one of external crises as weaker nations suffered under imperialist exploitation, and internally, the people of this land endured suffering under the corrupt rule of the governing class. From childhood Jeungsan was warm-natured and exceptionally intelligent, and so compassionate that he would not harm even the smallest insect. Having witnessed the failure of the Donghak Peasant Movement early on, he traveled throughout the country from 1897 for three years, observing the miserable and bleak reality of the people. Seeing that the only way to overcome the chaos of a world fallen into moral disorder was to reform the order of heaven and earth anew, he performed the Heavenly-Earthly Works (Cheongji Gongsa) for nine years from 1901 to 1909, disseminating the truth of Haewon Sangsaeng (解冤相生, 'Resolving Grievances and Mutual Prosperity'). He advocated sangsaeng (mutual prosperity), respect for humanity (injon), and peace. His teachings deeply influenced the national religions and independence movements of the Japanese colonial period, including Mugeukdo and Bocheonggyo. Recent scholarly research confirmed this location (lot 436) as Jeungsan's birthplace, and it was designated a Jeongeup City Local Cultural Heritage in 2021 and selected as a Jeonbuk Special Autonomous Province Religious Cultural Heritage (No. 1) in 2024.