오방 최흥종의 생애와 민족운동

Abstract

In the article, I studied Choi, Heung-jong’s national movement during the time of the Korean Empire, Japanese colonial rule and the Korean liberation. It is known that he was the lowest raking policeman during the time of the Korean Empire, and supported the Righteous Army, and actively participated in the National Debt Compensation Movement. During the time of Japanese colonial rule, he took part in the national movement like the 1919 Independence Movement, social movements (a labor movement, a peasant movement, a youth movement and an education reform movement) and a movement led by Shinganhoi (an anti-Japanese organization) and paid lots of attention to relief activities for the sick and the poor. During the time of Korean liberation, he contributed to the national foundation movement and was selected as the chairman of the national foundation preparatory committee in Jeollanamdo. He played the role of an arbitrator between the nationalist party and the socialist party during the time of Japanese colonial rule. Even though he contacted government officials of the Japanese Government General of Korea and pro-Japanese community leaders, he was never embroiled in a pro-Japanese dispute. And he did not comply with the visits to the shrine as a Christian. As he gained the confidence of the right and left wing bringing them together, he could assume a heavy responsibility of many organizations even in the political situation at the time of the Korean liberation. Thus, he is an important figure that can not be omitted to understand modern and contemporary history of Gwangjoo area. But there was little research on him in learned circles of history and there were lots of things to be examined again even in well-known matters about him. Especially, lots of his activities during the time of the Korean Empire should be clarified.