Jang Il-soon

Infobox Korean name


caption=
hangul=장일순
hanja=張壹淳
rr=Jang Il-sun
mr=Chang Il-sun

Jang Il Soon (September 3, 1928 in Wonju - May 22, 1994) was a South Korean educator, social and environment activist. His pen name is Chunggang (clean water), Muwydang (wu-wei) and Ilsokja (a hulled millet). He was a spiritual supporter of poet Kim Chi-Ha who represented democratization movement in the 1970s and developed a campaign for life through Hansallim movement. In 1994 he died from stomach cancer.

From when he was young, he learned an esteem for life and calligraphy from his grandfather and Chagang Park, Ki Jung. In 1940, he graduated from Wonju elementary school and was Christened 'John' after being baptized at Won-Dong catholic church. He studied at Bae-Jae middle and high school in Seoul. After graduating he attended Seoul industry college, but was expelled from school for opposing the inauguration of a president of USA army general [Choi, sunghyun, A hulled millet Jang, il-soon.(p.23)] . At that time he met Je Woo, Choi and Shi Hyung, Choi who most influenced his life. In 1946, he entered aesthetics class, Seoul National University, quit studying and returned to his hometown during Korean War in 1950.

In 1954, he established Dae-Sung school in Wonju in order to succeed a mind of Dosan An, Chang Ho and participated in 'one world movement' comparing notes with Albert Einstein. From 1961 to 1963 he was put in Seodaemoon and Chuncheon prisons, because he advocated neutrality' peace and unification. And after being discharged from prison, he was under observation, so he did concentration of mind in calligraphy and a life in seclusion. In 1971 he joined a street demonstration for social justice and struggled against the despotism of Park, Jeong Hee with Catholic bishop Ji, Hak Soon. In 1973, he also helped start A Disaster Measure Committee for saving rural communities ruined in big floods and mine communities which ignored human rights. In 1977 he determined to change campaign of a labor and farmer into a campaign for life based on symbiosis. In 1983 he established Hansallim union and held private exhibition of six times on purpose revitalization of a life campaign in Seoul. It is a organization established in order to perform live together between rural and urban community through a organic farming and a direct transaction. It is for not only human being but also all of life and lifeless thing. In 1989 he set up a monument of Dong Hak's 2nd head Choi, Shi Hyung(Haewol) in Hojeo-myun, Wonju where was arrested by the government troops. In 1993 he published a book ' Lao-tzu Story Of Jang Il Soon' analyzed on a view of ideology for life by helping of minister Lee, Hyun Ju.

References

* Choi, sunghyun, A hulled millet Jang, il-soon.(p.23)
*Jang, ilsoon. A universe in a seed. Daegu:Nokseakpyungronsa, 1999.
*Jang, ilsoon. Lao-tzu story of Jang il-soon. Seoul:Samin, 2003.