Choe Je-u

Choe Je-u
Portrait of Choe Je-u
Korean name
Hangul	최제우
Hanja	崔濟愚
Revised Romanization	Choe Je-u
McCune–Reischauer	Ch'oe Che-u
Art name
Hangul	수운
Hanja	水雲
Revised Romanization	Su-un
McCune–Reischauer	Su-un

Choe Je-u (Korean: 최제우; Hanja: 崔濟愚; 18 December 1824 – 15 April 1864), art name Su-un (수운; 水雲), was a Korean religious leader. He was the founder of Donghak,^[1] a religious movement which was empathetic to the hardships of the minjung (the marginalized people of Korea), opposed Catholicism and its association with western imperialism,^[2] and offered an alternative to orthodox Neo-Confucianism.

He combined Korean shamanism, Daoism, Buddhism and spiritual Neo-Confucianism in an “original school of thought”^[3] that valued rebellion and anti-government thought until 1864.^[4] He did not have a concrete nationalistic or anti-feudal agenda,^[5] rather: “His vision was religious, and his mission was to remind his countrymen that strength lay in reviving traditional values.”^[6] Nevertheless, Joseon authorities confused his teachings with Catholicism; ^[7] and he was executed in 1864 for allegedly preaching heretical and dangerous teachings.^[8]

His birth-name was Choe Je-seon ("save and proclaim"). During his childhood, he was also called Bok-sul ("blissfully happy"). He took the name Je-u ("saviour of the ignorant") in 1859. His disciples called him Su-un ("water cloud"), which was the name he used for his writings, and also called him Daesinsa, the great teacher.^[9] His pen name Su-un is used hereafter.