Note/ Preface to the book

Chapter 1: "Little Giant" Becomes the Eye of the Typhoon

World powers rush to Joseon/ Mismanagement and corruption lead to rebellions/ The ruling class remains unsettled even after the Imjin and Manchu invasions/ The Donghak Peasant Revolution and the Jeongmyeong ideology

Chapter 2: The Roots of Korean Popular Resistance

Who are the people? / The true nature of the people / The people's movement in the Goryeo Dynasty / The common people's class and popular power in the Joseon Dynasty / The challenge of the righteous thief Im Kkeok-jeong /
Peasant militias that rose up during the Imji War / Hong Gyeong-rae's resistance of the Seoto people / The people's rebellion that swept the three southern provinces / The people's will of the Donghak Peasant Revolution

Chapter 3 Birth and Growth

The turbulent life of a couple preparing to become 'heroes' / Conflicting birthplaces / Unfortunate family background, the deaths of father and wife / Sharp eyes, keen observation

Chapter 4: The Unfortunate Years of Youth

Father was from a wealthy family in the province/ Father, beaten to death/ Father and son worked together in the pharmaceutical business/ Married to Song, then died, and remarried

Chapter 5: Outstanding Peasant Uprising Leaders in History

Revolutionary theory and peasant uprisings / Peasant revolts in China / Peasant revolts in Europe / Peasant revolts in Korea / Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, who caused the first peasant uprising in China / Where were the nobles when Adam plowed the field and Eve weaved / If there is a passage about slavery in the Bible, prove it / How could the offspring of kings and ministers be separate?

Chapter 6: Choi Je-woo suddenly appears, holding the Donghak flag.

The essence of Donghak ideology / Sicheonju / Innaecheon / The birth story of Donghak founder Choi Je-u / Mystical experiences in the process of seeking the truth / Experiences of transcendent existence beyond self-consciousness / The idea of ​​the creation of heaven in a new national religion / The philosophy and ideological meaning of the creation of heaven / Haewol Choi Si-hyeong, succession to the second leader of Donghak

Chapter 7: Encountering the Donghak Revolution

Is ideology a cloud? / The process of coming into contact with Donghak / He was a Donghak disciple and a follower / Seems to have been influenced by Jeong Yak-yong / A scholar who made a living through learning

Chapter 8: Qing-Japanese Relations during the Donghak Peasant Revolution

The Qing-Japan conflict surrounding Joseon / The Qing's call for troops / The dispatch of Qing troops / Public opinion and dispatch of troops for Japan's invasion of Korea / Japanese newspapers fanning the flames of Joseon invasion

Chapter 9: Occupying the High-ranking Official's Office

With the people's deep trust, at the center of the revolution/ Peasants suffering from corruption became revolutionary forces/ Donghak? Docham? Secrets captured the hearts of farmers/ Cho Si-hyeong expanded his influence by touring Honam/ Revealed the crimes of the corrupt Jo Byeong-gap/ Focused on secret organizations and propaganda activities through Sabal Tongmun/ An Hak-sa Lee Yong-tae's corruption fueled the peasant uprising

Chapter 10: Raising the Torch of the Citizens of Jebokgu

The second uprising of the peasant army in white clothes/ The flames of revolution ignited in the armed forces/ The revolutionary army formed ranks, wielding the five-color flag/ The uprising was announced by a bowl-shaped letter/ Hong Gye-hun emerged as the leader of the Donghak Peasant Revolutionary Army/ Hong Gye-hun was appointed as the Yanghochotosa

Chapter 11: The Bloody Battle of Hwangtohyeon

The Battle of Hwangtohyeon, a Bloody Battle / Who Attacked First / The Most Brilliant Battle of the Donghak Peasant Revolution

Chapter 12: Taking Over Jeonju Castle, the Heart of Honam

The attack on Jeongeup was a prelude to the capture of Jeonju. Victory in the Battle of Hwangryongchon. Finally, entry into Jeonju Castle. Prisoners released and relief provided to the poor. Jeonju Castle was captured a month after the uprising.

Chapter 13: Jeonju Gunpowder, Qing and Japanese armies advance

A request for troops was sent to the Qing Dynasty. After much deliberation, the decision was made to withdraw troops. Following the Qing troops, uninvited Japanese troops were also dispatched.

Chapter 14: Peasant Autonomy: Establishment of Community Centers in 53 Counties

After the Jeonju Peace Treaty, efforts were made to establish a military headquarters/ As a government-private joint institution for reforming corrupt governments/ As the peasant army's misconduct worsened/ A unity meeting was held to establish a military headquarters in Namwon/ Unarmed, he entered Naju Castle to negotiate/ He became active as the ruler of Honam/ He exercised leadership in ruling the peasant army

Chapter 15: The Second Uprising: Destroy the Japanese Army

The North-South Joint Sewing Agreement in Samrye / From Corruption Reform to Anti-Foreign Struggle / 100,000 Troops Raise Flags of War / Japanese Army Massacres Donghak Peasant Army Everywhere / The Japanese Army's Spider-Web Intelligence Network

Chapter 16: Japanese troops massacre 300,000 Donghak Peasant soldiers

Atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers armed with modern weapons / Armed with Snyder and Murata rifles / The Japanese army's massacre of the Donghak Peasant Revolutionary Army / Atrocities committed by pro-Japanese military forces who committed fratricide

Chapter 17: The Peasant Army's Battle of Sisan and Blood? Battle of Ugeumchi

A battle that changed the course of world history/ 20,000 soldiers reduced to 500/ Battle of Mokcheon Seongsan Mountain/ Donghak Peasant Army, pushed back in battle

Chapter 18: A Person Who Becomes a Road Even Where the Road Ends

The Reformers' Frustration and Their Informers/ Captured in Sunchang after a Comrade's Information/ Farmers Blinded by the Huge Bounty/ Unwavering Despite the Death Sentence/ Cut My Head at Jongno Intersection

Chapter 19: Was there a secret agreement with Daewongun?

Whether there was a secret agreement or cooperation with Daewongun/ Daewongun may have reached out/ Daewongun may have tried to use Daewongun/ Confucian scholars' anti-Donghak movement

Chapter 20: Folk Songs and True Songs of the Donghak Revolution

The meaning of 'Gabose', containing expectations and frustrations about Jeon Bong-jun, is contained in [Sae Taryeong] and [Farmer's Song].

supplement
Jeon Bong-jun's public prosecution/Jeon Bong-jun's verdict/Donghak Peasant Revolution Diary/Jeon Bong-jun's chronology/Jeon Bong-jun's pictorial

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I kicked out the seat of an ordinary person
An epic poem dedicated to the souls of those who died as leaders of the people's revolution.

Among the people with extraordinary births and circumstances who appear in history books, Jeon Bong-jun stands out as a revolutionary figure.
Like most peasants in the late Joseon Dynasty, he grew up as a commoner who accepted a life of poverty and hardship as his fate, not receiving much attention. However, he eventually became a leader of the Donghak Peasant Revolution, the pinnacle of modern Korean people's history, and a progressive social politician who advocated a political system that represented the interests of the people in the late Joseon Dynasty who were suffering under the evils of sedo politics and the threat of imperialism. In this sense, Jeon Bong-jun is a figure with an appeal that allows us to feel the power of the people anew.
The recently published biography of Jeon Bong-jun, titled "Nokdu Jeon Bong-jun," is a book that covers the transformation of Jeon Bong-jun's life. It depicts with surprising insight the process by which an ordinary rural intellectual in the late Joseon Dynasty rose to become a renowned general of the people who led the Donghak Peasant Revolution, the pinnacle of modern Korean people's history.
The author of this book chooses to first deal with Jeon Bong-jun's remarkable transformation, thereby developing his interests without being greatly restricted by controversies that historical materials and existing research materials have not been able to fully resolve (such as Jeon Bong-jun's relationship with Daewongun and his relationship with General Kim Gae-nam). In particular, Jeon Bong-jun, who lived a life like most peasants of his time but faced the harsh reality of Joseon and sought a way to protect the country and its people in order to realize a better world, joined Donghak to find that way, and to him, who judged that the only way to save the country and serve the people was through a struggle against feudalism and foreign powers, Donghak, which emphasized people-first principles and the subjectivity of Eastern thought, must have seemed like a spiritual pillar and a source of collective activities based on peasants.

This book shows how the Donghak Peasant Revolution, led by Jeon Bong-jun from its outbreak in Gobu in 1894 until his execution in March of the following year, emerged as a pivotal moment in the history of this land in the late 19th century.
If we examine the proclamations and official documents issued by Jeon Bong-jun as the supreme commander of the Donghak Peasant Army throughout the war, which lasted approximately one year and four months, including the periods of skirmishes and armistices, and pay particular attention to the activities of the peasant army he commanded, focusing on the establishment and operation of the headquarters after the signing of the Jeonju Treaty, we can see that the Donghak Peasant Army cannot be dismissed as mere "resistance" against the ruling class and foreign powers of the time.
Readers should reflect on Jeon Bong-jun's statement that "when central government offices are established throughout the country and competent 'republicans' take over government, the peasant army will return to their livelihood (agriculture) and faithfully fulfill their duties" to gauge the answer to the question of what visions the Donghak Peasant Revolution held for our modern history beyond resistance and what specific social and economic directions the peasants were aiming for.
Furthermore, it is a lyrical biography that transcends the framework of existing historical materials and existing academic research results and incorporates several poems and other literary works, so you can get the feeling of reading a volume of heroic poetry rather than a rigid history book.

Today, we live in an era that closely resembles the time when Jeon Bong-jun, a commoner, rose up and became the leader of the Donghak Peasant Army.
Overcoming division and foreign powers remains a pressing challenge of our time.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who, while perhaps not a hero or a great patriot, is struggling to find a vision for our society while facing the reality of our time.