전덕기 全德基
Methodist pastor and independence activist at Sangdong Church who opposed the 1905 treaty and took part in the Sinminhoe and the Hague envoy plan
| Life | 1875 ~ 1914 |
| Era | 개화기~일제강점기 |
| Clan | 정선 전씨 |
Life & career
Jeon Deok-gi (1875-1914) was a Methodist pastor, independence activist and educator of the Jeongseon Jeon. Converted through the American Northern Methodist missionary Scranton, he studied at Hyeopseong Theological School and worked as an evangelist at Sangdong Methodist Church.
He is said to have campaigned against the 1905 Eulsa treaty axe in hand; in 1907 he helped found the Sinminhoe at Sangdong Church with Yi Hoe-yeong and Yi Dong-nyeong, and worked with Yi Jun on the plan to send envoys to The Hague. Arrested in the 1912 Case of the 105, he was tortured, released on medical bail and died in 1914.
Sangdong Church and the Sinminhoe
Sangdong Church was a meeting place for independence activists, and Jeon led youth work and education there. He taught at Gongok School in 1906 and joined the founding of the Sinminhoe in 1907.
Death and Commemoration
He was named Independence Activist of the Month in March 2014, and the Jeongseon Jeon association lists him as a figure who organized the Sinminhoe and anti-Japanese activity.
Grave
The Japanese authorities, fearing the grave would become a shrine for the independence movement, are said to have dug it up, cremated the remains and scattered them in the Han River. His tablet is enshrined in the memorial hall for patriots without descendants at the national cemetery (Hyeonchungwon).