A Study on the Understanding of Kang Youwei and the Confucian Religion Movement in Modern Joseon

This study investigates how Kang Youwei and his “Confucian Religion Movement” (孔敎運動) were understood and represented in the public discourse of modern Korea, particularly through newspapers, magazines, personal writings, novels, and tongmun (通文). Although numerous studies have examined specific intellectuals influenced by Kang Youwei, the ways in which Kang Youwei was accepted by the general public during the late Joseon Dynasty and Japanese colonial period remain underexplored. Based on quantitative analysis, this study aims to shed light on the indigenous characteristics of the Confucian Religion Movement in Korea in the early 20th century. By analyzing articles from Korean newspapers and magazines between the 1890s and 1940s, this paper reveals that although Kang Youwei was frequently mentioned, most references focused on his political role in the Hundred Days’ Reform, with limited attention given to his religious initiatives. On the other hand, novelists and thinkers such as Lee Haejo (1869-1927) and Lee Seunghui (1847-1916) showed great interest in his religious activities and the Movement in their novels and personal records. Combining these two perspectives, Kang Youwei's movement did not influence the general public or intellectuals in the public sphere, but it did exert influence on certain intellectuals on an individual level. Therefore, this study suggests that the acceptance of Kang Youwei's ideas varied depending on the location, thereby highlighting the unique characteristics of the Confucian Religion Movement in Korea.