| Choe Je-u | |
 Portrait of Choe Je-u | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 최제우 |
| Hanja | 崔濟愚 |
| Revised Romanization | Choe Jeu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'oe Cheu |
| Art name | |
| Hangul | 수운 |
| Hanja | 水雲 |
| Revised Romanization | Su-un |
| McCune–Reischauer | Su-un |
Choe Je-u (Korean: 최제우; Hanja: 崔濟愚; 18 December 1824 – 15 April 1864), art name Su-un (수운; 水雲), was a Korean religious leader. He was the founder of Donghak,[1] a religious movement which was empathetic to the hardships of the minjung (the marginalized people of Korea), opposed Catholicism and its association with western imperialism,[2] and offered an alternative to orthodox Neo-Confucianism.
He combined Korean shamanism, Daoism, Buddhism and spiritual Neo-Confucianism in an "original school of thought"[3] that valued rebellion and anti-government thought until 1864.[4] He did not have a concrete nationalistic or anti-feudal agenda,[5] rather: "His vision was religious, and his mission was to remind his countrymen that strength lay in reviving traditional values."[6] Nevertheless, Joseon authorities confused his teachings with Catholicism; [7] and he was executed in 1864 for allegedly preaching heretical and dangerous teachings.[8]
His birth-name was Choe Je-seon ("save and proclaim"). During his childhood, he was also called Bok-sul ("blissfully happy"). He took the name Je-u ("saviour of the ignorant") in 1859. His disciples called him Su-un ("water cloud"), which was the name he used for his writings, and also called him Daesinsa, the great teacher.[9] His pen name Su-un is used hereafter.
- ^ Kim & Yoon 2007, pp. 55–57.
- ^ Shin 1979, pp. 17–18.
- ^ Park 2016, p. 82.
- ^ A Handbook of Korea (9th ed.). Seoul: Korean Overseas Culture and Information Service. December 1993. pp. 142–143. ISBN 978-1-56591-022-5.
- ^ Kallander 2013, p. XX.
- ^ Shin 1979, p. 18.
- ^ Kallander 2013, p. 81.
- ^ Kim & Yoon 2007, p. 56.
- ^ Beirne 2019, p. 5.