순천기독면려청년회 활동과 순천청년회

Abstract

This paper looked into the youth movement in Suncheon during the first half of the 1920s, focusing on organizing Suncheon Gidok Myeonrye Cheongnyeonhoe (Young People’s Society of Christian Endeavor in Suncheon) and its activities and personal relationship between the Suncheon Gidok Myeonrye Cheongnyeonhoe and Suncheon Cheongnyeonhoe (Young People’s Society in Suncheon). This research can contribute to understanding how persons who were active in the above organizations engaged in political and social movements in the conflict between the left and right wing after Korean liberation. The Suncheon Gidok Myeonrye Cheongnyeonhoe was organized on October 15, 1918 during the growth of Suncheon Eup Church (Church in the town of Suncheon). It was created in the considerably early period on the national level and stayed in existence during the beginning stage. In the early 1920s, the Suncheon Gidok Myeonrye Cheongnyeonhoe renewed its organization and unfolded activities around evangelism and an enlightenment campaign. Suncheon Cheongnyeonhoe led the youth movement in Suncheon with the Suncheon Gidok Myeonrye Cheongnyeonhoe. These organizations were a social movement in the Suncheon area, having close ties to each other in terms of personal organization or activities. However, their relationship began to collapse around the year 1923. The Suncheon Cheongnyeonhoe changed its organizational line embracing socialism and it triggered rearrangement of both organizations’ relationship. Members who participated in the youth movement in the Suncheon area in the 1920s emerged as leading figures of each camp during the conflict of the left and right wings after the liberation. Kim Yang Soo, Park Yeong Jin, Han Tae Seon and other members joined in the right wing camp. Lee Chang Soo, who moved his activity base to the Yeosoo area, was one of the representative figures in the left wing. Lee Yeong Min or Kim Gi Soo, who did not join the staff of Suncheon Gidok Myeonrye Cheongnyeonhoe - active in Suncheon Cheongnyeonhoe, took part in the Suncheon People’s Committee.