"I, young Kim Koo. My young heart will not turn away from this cause. In a world where people are heaven, I too will stand on the path to protect the nation's tomorrow. ... The will of an era does not end in that era. When young hearts carry it forward, that will shall one day rise again."
The cry of young Kim Koo (1876-1949), who joined the Donghak Peasant Revolutionary Army, rang out at the 132nd Anniversary Ceremony of the Donghak Peasant Revolution held Tuesday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister Choi Hwi-young) and the Donghak Peasant Revolution Commemoration Foundation held the ceremony in the morning at the main auditorium of the National Museum of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
At the ceremony, a dramatic performance was staged based on a letter written by a Donghak Peasant Revolution participant to his mother. The performance reenacted Baekbeom Kim Koo joining the Donghak Peasant Revolutionary Army and preaching the legitimacy of the uprising as a revolution. Kim Koo is known to have entered the Donghak movement at age 18 and fought as a member of the Donghak Peasant Revolutionary Army in his hometown of Hwanghae Province.
Kim Koo's appearance at a Donghak Peasant Revolution-related event is unusual. It appears connected to the Lee Jae-myung administration's motto of "inheriting the Kim Koo spirit." Kim Koo's original name was "Chang-su," and he changed it to "Koo" in 1912 at age 36, so the performance's dialogue is not entirely accurate.
Held under the slogan "Donghak Peasant Revolution, Becoming Today's Light," the ceremony was attended by about 400 people, including descendants of Donghak Peasant Revolution participants and officials from Donghak Peasant Revolution commemorative associations nationwide. Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young read the written commemorative address on behalf of President Lee Jae-myung.
This marks the first time a sitting president has delivered a commemorative address at the Donghak Peasant Revolution ceremony since it was designated a national anniversary in 2019.
"The Donghak Peasant Revolution, which awakened the truth that the people are the foundation and masters of the nation, was the great first step of Korean democracy," President Lee said in his address. "That spirit, which has continued steadily through the Independence Revolution, the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Democratization Movement, the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light, has become the wellspring that has blossomed Korea into a model democratic nation drawing the world's attention."
He added, "The people's sovereignty government is also connected to the grand harmonious world that farmers dreamed of in 1894. The government will do its utmost to build a warm community where the people, as the true masters of the nation, enjoy their rightful rights and share the fruits of growth together."
Shin Sun-chul, chairman of the Donghak Foundation, and Jung Tan-jin, head of the bereaved families association, also presented descendant registration notices to families newly registered as "Donghak Peasant Revolution bereaved families" this year.
The registration program for Donghak Peasant Revolution participants and their descendants began in 2004. As of May 2026, 4,066 participants and 14,472 descendants have been registered. Over the past year, 631 descendants have been newly registered.
