전북 지역 동학농민혁명 참여자의 사회적 구조와 특성— 동학농민혁명참여자명예회복심의위원회 DB의 실증 분석

Abstract

This study empirically analyzes the social structure and regional characteristics of the participants in the Donghak Peasant Revolution in Jeonbuk Province, utilizing the official database established by the Committee for the Restoration of Honor of Donghak Peasant Revolution Participants. Unlike previous studies that have primarily focused on ideological aspects or leadership-centered narratives, this research quantitatively examines specific variables such as age, occupation, region, and personal status changes in order to elucidate the social foundations and organizational structure of the revolution. The analysis reveals that 86.4% of the 868 participants from Jeonbuk Province were men in their twenties to forties, indicating that the core actors were not merely peasants but socially mobilized groups equipped with resources and leadership capacities. The spatial distribution of participants shows a strong concentration in the southwestern areas, including Jeongeup, Mujang, and Namwon, reflecting the overlap between the Donghak religious networks and local communal organizations. These findings demonstrate that the Donghak Peasant Revolution was a collective movement rooted in community solidarity and organized mobilization. Beyond simple statistical aggregation, this study interprets the quantitative results through a social-historical lens, highlighting how the local class structure and everyday life were integrated into the revolutionary process. While acknowledging the limitations of the current database, this paper underscores the methodological potential of using state-constructed datasets for historical research. Future studies should incorporate qualitative materials and spatial analyses to reconstruct the organizational networks and regional diffusion of the Donghak Peasant forces in greater depth.