Son Byong-hi

Son Byong-hi (Korean: 손병희; 8 April 1861 – 19 May 1922) was a Korean religious leader and independence activist. His religious name was Uiam. He was the third leader of Donghak, an indigenous religious movement founded from 1860 to 1864.

The founder of Donghak, Choe Je-u (religious name Su-un), and the second leader, Choe Sihyeong (religious name Haewol), had both been executed. Haewol, Son's mentor and predecessor, was involved in a peasant revolt in 1894 (referred to as the Donghak Peasant Revolution) and he was executed in connection with that in 1898. Thereafter, Son assumed leadership of Donghak but was forced to flee to Japan in March 1901. He was accompanied by his brother and chief lieutenant Yi Yong-gu.

In Japan, Son studied modern western ways which had been adopted by the Japanese after the Meiji Restoration. Up to that point Donghak was highly traditional, opposed to modernization and foreign intervention in Korea. Son pivoted from that world view by embracing modernization and accepting help from Japan to achieve that goal.

In 1902, Yi returned to Korea. At Son's direction, Yi founded political organizations which promoted modernization and aid to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. Yi eventually went so far as to call for Japan to take over Korea's affairs.

In any event, after Japan forced Korea to become its protectorate, Son began to distance Donghak from Japanese affiliation. Son renamed Donghak as Cheondogyo (Ch'ŏndogyo, Religion of the Heavenly Way) on 1 December 1905. In September1906, he excommunicated Yi, who went on to form another branch of Donghak.

In 1910 Japan annexed Korea. As Japanese rule became more harsh, Koreans became restive. Finally on March 1, 1919, a mass demonstration calling for Korean independence was held. Cheondogyo, Christian and Buddhist religious leaders were at the forefront. Son read the Declaration of Independence, which he had been the first to sign. The demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the Japanese. Son was arrested, became ill in prison, was released, and died at home in 1922.