Birthplace of General Jeon Bong-jun

About this place

This is the birthplace of General Jeon Bong-jun, the central figure and leader of the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Born on December 3, 1855 at 63 Jungnim-ri, Gochang-eup, Dangchon Village, as the son of Jeon Jang-hyeok, who ran a village school (seodang), he lived here until around the age of 13. At the time there were a village school, an inner quarters, and a men's quarters, but all were destroyed during the Donghak Peasant Revolution. Because of his small stature of only about five cheok, he earned the nickname "Nokdu (mung bean)," and thus came to be known as "General Nokdu." The Donghak Peasant Revolution led by General Jeon Bong-jun was a national movement opposing the plunder and oppression by feudal ruling forces, and a movement to safeguard national sovereignty against imperialist foreign invasion; it became the fuse for the Gabo Reforms and was the first popular uprising to raise high the banner of "serving the nation and bringing peace to the people (boguk anmin)." The birthplace of Jeon Bong-jun has been recognized for its value as the symbolic place where the supreme leader who planned and led the Donghak Peasant Revolution—the greatest revolutionary event in Korean history—was born and spent his childhood, and it has been designated a Monument of Jeollabuk-do.