Kim Gae-nam
donghak Revolution leader (1853–1895)
Kim Gae-nam (Korean: 김개남; 1853–1895) was a prominent figure in the Donghak Peasant Revolution in the late 19th century, and he served as the head of the Honam Changwi Office and other positions within the Donghak religious sect. He converted to Donghak around 1890 and played a significant role during the Samrye and Boeun gatherings, which led to his recognition as a leader. When the Donghak Peasant Revolution broke out in 1894, he assumed the position of the overall commander and became the central figure of the Donghak Peasant Army. During the northward advance after the Second Uprising, the Battle of Cheongju took place, and Kim Gaenam suffered a major defeat there. He was subsequently arrested and executed in January 1895.
Early life
Kim Gae-nam was born in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, Joseon. His family's ancestral home was Dogang. His given name was Kim Youngju (金永疇), and he used the courtesy names Giseon (箕先) and Gibum (箕範). After getting married, he became a teacher at a village school in Imsil. In 1873, at the age of 21, he first heard Choi Je-u's teachings and developed an interest in Donghak.
The public source identifies “Kim Gae-nam” as donghak Revolution leader (1853–1895). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Gae-nam, donghak and Revolution.
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The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q12586875. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1853, 1895, 1890 and 1894.
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This entry incorporates text from “Kim Gae-nam” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.