최시형 崔時亨
Religious leader who, as the second leader of Donghak, established its organization and scriptures
| Life | 1827 ~ 1898 |
| Era | 조선 후기~근대(동학) |
| Clan | 경주 최씨 |
Life & career
His given name was Gyeongsang and his pen name Haewol. He entered the Donghak faith in 1861 and received the transmission of the Way from the founder Choe Je-u, becoming the second leader of the religion.
Traveling in secret from place to place to evade government persecution, he reorganized the church's administrative structure (the Yugim system) and published the Donggyeong daejeon and the Yongdam yusa, containing the founder's teachings, thereby establishing the doctrine and scriptures of Donghak. He widely preached ideas of respect for humanity, such as "sain yeocheon" (serving people as one serves Heaven).
He led the church during the Donghak Peasant Revolution of 1894, and was arrested and executed in 1898.
Grave
His grave is located in Jurok-ri, Geumsa-myeon, Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province.
Descendants
His sons included Choe Dong-hui, who later worked as an independence activist.