Jeonbuk State has become the first provincial-level government in South Korea to pay an allowance to descendants of participants in the 1894 Donghak Peasant Revolution, a decision that has drawn both support and objections.
The province said on the 25th that it will provide 1.2 million won per person annually to 723 descendants who have lived in the province for at least one year, under a local ordinance on support for Donghak Peasant Revolution commemoration projects.
Recipients are children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who have been officially recognized and registered as descendants under the Special Act on Restoring the Honor of Participants in the Donghak Peasant Revolution. They live mainly in Jeonju, Jeongeup, Imsil, Iksan and Buan.
The budget for this year totals 868 million won, split between the province and its cities and counties at a ratio of three to seven.
Applications will be accepted from the 4th to the 22nd of next month at community service centers in the towns, townships and neighborhoods where the descendants live. Payments are scheduled for November and December, though the exact timing may vary somewhat depending on conditions in each city and county.
The introduction of the allowance was not without controversy. Supporters argued that Jeonbuk, where the Donghak Peasant Revolution first broke out, should take the lead in restoring the honor of the descendants. Opponents countered that the same logic would require identifying and compensating the descendants of victims of the 1592 Japanese invasion, as well as those of the Hong Gyeong-rae rebellion, the Mangi-Mangsoi rebellion and the Manjeok rebellion.
Some local governments also pushed back. Iksan submitted an objection to the province last year, saying it was not realistic to identify all descendants of participants from 131 years ago and that the move could invite demands for allowances tied to other historical events. The city has since changed its position in favor, citing the historical significance of the Donghak Peasant Revolution and the intent of honoring the descendants.
Jeonbuk Governor Lee Won-taek said the allowance is a meaningful start toward elevating the honor of the participants and passing on their cause to later generations, adding that the province will continue working to secure appropriate recognition at the national level.
