Heungsadan (興士團) is a national movement organization founded by Dosan Ahn Chang-ho (安昌浩) in San Francisco, United States, on May 13, 1913. Heungsadan traces its roots to the Gongnip Hyeophoe and the Sinminhoe, a secret society for national salvation, and the Cheongnyeon Hakuhoe under the Sinminhoe was the predecessor of Heungsadan.
From its founding until the liberation period, Heungsadan provided the ideological foundation for the restoration of the nation and the building of a new country, and it fulfilled its mission of national independence through organized financial support for the independence movement and the training of leaders. Its ultimate goal was to cultivate the strength of the nation for national revival. To build that strength, it held that people must undergo training in character, unity, and democratic citizenship through joint training (同盟修練), and that all citizens must have a sense of ownership of the national society.
It also argued that every citizen, to become a sound individual, should be armed with four spirits. ① Musil (務實): a term first used in the section titled ‘On Practicality as the Essence of Self-Cultivation’ (論務實爲修己之要) in Gyeongmong Yogyeol (擊蒙要訣) written by Yulgok (栗谷); it is a movement to be truthful and a movement not to tell lies. ② Yeokhaeng (力行): meaning to strive to act, it teaches the importance of practice. ③ Chung-ui (忠義): when facing things or affairs, one should devote sincerity, and when dealing with people, one should treat them with faithfulness and trust. ④ Yonggam (勇敢): it refers to the courage to advance upon seeing what is right and not to retreat upon seeing injustice.
During the Japanese colonial period, Heungsadan and its members were implicated in the Anak Incident, the 105 Men Incident, the March 1st Movement, the Dongwu Association Incident, and others, and some were imprisoned. They took part in the independence movement directly and indirectly. In 1926, they founded the monthly magazine Dongwang (東光), and continued publication up to 40 issues until 1933. The Sinhan Minbo (新韓民報), founded in 1912, was also operated by Heungsadan and played a role in civic education and enlightenment. In 1949, the headquarters was moved back to the domestic territory and the American headquarters was renamed the American Committee. Until the May 16 military coup of 1961, it devoted itself to social education through the “Friday Lecture Series” and the magazine Saebyeok (새벽).
The organization's symbol is the wild goose (bird).
History
Background
The Cheongnyeon Hakuhoe, established in August 1909 as a youth movement organization under the Sinminhoe, was dissolved after the loss of national sovereignty in August 1910. However, the ideology of awakening and instilling the Joseon spirit (朝鮮魂) in young people was inherited by Heungsadan. The Cheongnyeon Hakuhoe adopted Musil, Yeokhaeng, Jagang, Chungsil, Geungmyeon, Jeongje, and Yonggam as its principles, and to put them into practice, it conducted joint training in virtue, physical health, and intellect (the three types of education) by performing at least one such exercise every day, thereby training people to build the strength of the community. Choe Nam-seon served as central general affairs director and managed the Cheongnyeon Hakuhoe, but the whole process was in fact carried out under the vision and close guidance and supervision of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho.
Japanese Colonial Period
On May 13, 1913, in San Francisco, six people, including Ahn Chang-ho, Ha Sang-ok, Jeong Won-do, Kang Yeong-so, Hong Eon, and Yang Ju-eun, held a founding preparatory meeting with Pastor Yi Dae-wi officiating, and elected Ahn Chang-ho as the plenipotentiary committee member. On December 20 of that year, a founding committee (chaired by Hong Eon) was formed with Hong Eon (Gyeonggi Province), Yeom Man-seok (Gangwon Province), Min Chan-ho (Hwanghae Province), Song Jong-ik (Gyeongsang Province), Kang Yeong-so (Pyeongan Province), Kim Jong-rim (Hamgyong Province), and Jeong Won-do (Jeolla Province). In July 1914, Jo Byeong-ok was selected as representative of Chungcheong Province, completing the selection of representatives for the eight provinces, although Kim Hang-ju (Hwanghae Province) and Kim Hong-gyun (Pyeongan Province) later replaced some of them.
Ahn Chang-ho, Yi Kwang-su, Chang Ri-uk, Chu Yo-han, Chu Yo-sop, Kim Dong-won, Cho Byeong-ok, and Ahn Byong-wook were the representative figures of Heungsadan. Members of Heungsadan were directly and indirectly involved in the Anak Incident, the 105 Men Incident, the March 1st Movement, and the Suyang Dongwuhoe Incident, contributing to the independence movement.
Heungsadan devoted itself not only to completing its mission of national independence through organized financial support for the independence movement and the training of leaders, but also actively supported the social activities, rights protection, media activities, and community unity and social activities of Korean residents in the United States. Heungsadan's branches spread to California, San Francisco, Hawaii, and Philadelphia in the United States, and also to places where Korean residents settled, such as Canada and Mexico. In 1919, the Heungsadan Far East Branch (in Shanghai, China) was founded, and in 1922, the Joseon Chapter of the Heungsadan Far East Branch was organized by Yi Kwang-su and others. As supporting organizations for the Joseon Chapter of Heungsadan, the Dongwu Club was organized by Kim Dong-won, and the Suyang Dongmaenghoe was organized by Yi Kwang-su. The Suyang Dongmaenghoe and the Dongwu Club later merged and were reorganized as the Suyang Dongwuhoe, but it was dissolved following the Suyang Dongwuhoe Incident in 1937.
After Liberation
After liberation, in 1948, the headquarters was moved to the domestic territory and the organization was reorganized. Chang Ri-uk, Ahn Byong-wook, Kim Dong-won, Chu Yo-han, Chu Yo-sop, and Cho Byeong-ok were the major figures of Heungsadan. The current headquarters is located in Daehak-ro, Seoul. It published the magazine Saebyeok, actively supported the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea in 1948, and after the new government was established, it carried out social reform movements and educational projects based on high school, university, and youth academy organizations, and it directed or participated in various political and social activities, including scholarship programs and media monitoring activities. To date, the number of members produced has reached 100,000.
Present
The growth of civil society in the 1990s demanded participatory movements of ordinary citizens, and Heungsadan responded by carrying out three major civic movements: the national unification movement (1997), the transparent society movement (2001), and the education movement (2002), as well as grassroots civic movements in local communities. On May 13, 2013, on the 100th anniversary of its founding, under the banner “100 years for the nation, 100 years toward the world,” it proclaimed the Heungsadan Vision, looking ahead to the next 100 years and pursuing sustainable Heungsadan movements. In addition to these civic movements, it entrusts and operates 24 youth facilities nationwide, including volunteer centers, youth centers, and training centers.
Past Leadership
Past Chairpersons
- Ahn Chang-ho 1913 ~
- Song Jong-ik
- Kwak Rim-dae 1929 ~
- Kim Seong-gwon
- Yi Am
- Han Si-dae
- ?
- ?
- ?
- Yi Yong-seol 1967 ~
- ?
- Yi Dae-wi
- Paik Nak-joon
- Park Won-seon
- Choi Hee-song ~ 1980
- Kim Ju-heung 1980 ~ 1983
- Seo Young-hoon 1 January 1983 ~
- Ahn Byong-wook
- ?
- Ahn Gi-yeong ? ~ January 1995
- Kim Jong-rim January 1995 ~ 21 December 1996
- Kim Jong-rim 21 December 1996 ~ 9 January 1999
- Yi Dae-hyeong 9 January 1999 ~
- Kim So-seon
- Gu Chi-mo 18 October 2006 ~ February 2007
- Park In-ju February 2007 ~ December 2008
- Ban Jae-cheol January 2009 ~ December 2010
- Ban Jae-cheol January 2011 ~ December 2013
- Yi Yun-bae January 2014 ~ December 2016
- Ryu Jong-yeol January 2017 ~ December 2019
- Park Man-gyu January 2020 ~ December 2022
- Jo Seong-du January 2023 ~ December 2025
- Kim Jeon-seung January 2026 ~ present
Past Presidents
Movement Headquarters
Heungsadan operates the Movement Headquarters for National Unification, the Transparent Society Movement Headquarters, and the Education Movement Headquarters as the “Heungsadan Three Major Movements.”
National Unification Movement Headquarters
The Heungsadan National Unification Movement Headquarters, also known as Heungmintong, was the first of the three major movement headquarters, established in 1997.1 It is a unification movement organization that hosts the Korea-China Youth Friendship Culture Festival together with Joseonjok youth living in China and South Korean youth, and conducts unification academies, unification forums, and other programs.
Transparent Society Movement Headquarters
Starting in May 1999 as the Heungsadan Anti-Corruption Transparent Society Committee, this civic movement organization aims at an anti-corruption and clean integrity movement. Following the words of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, “Even in death, do not be false,” it carries out a transparent society movement that seeks to make our society a clean one based on the values of honesty, fairness, public interest, and openness. It conducts policy activities, including anti-corruption legislation that meets international standards (such as the Kim Young-ran Act), and educational activities to instill a sense of integrity in public officials, citizens, and young people.2
Education Movement Headquarters
The Heungsadan Education Movement Headquarters, launched in 2002, has as its tasks, aimed at the goal of nurturing healthy youth, the establishment of a democratic education system, listening to the opinions of the youth generation, and practicing character education. In 2005, a current teacher serving on the operating committee of the Education Movement Headquarters exposed the actual conditions of Iljinhoe, a violent group within schools.3
Affiliated Institutions
Dosan Academy
From the late 1950s, concerns that Heungsadan was aging, along with calls for the necessity of a youth movement, began to emerge. In 1956, at the annual conference, Chu Yo-han declared in his opening address that the time had come to hand the baton to the new generation of young people, and the movement to establish an academy began in earnest. The youth department, organized in 1948, was divided in 1956, a separate high school student association was founded, and ways to revitalize the youth department were sought. Amid this, Heungsadan, which had entered a new phase with the April 19 Revolution, launched a large-scale publicity campaign and reconstruction work.
Following the “Organizational and Operational Guidelines of the Cell” enacted on September 1, 1963, it was decided to establish local branch organizations, a youth academy, a college student academy, a high school student academy, a middle school student academy, and a boys' academy. Accordingly, on August 25, 1963, the Youth Academy held its founding general meeting in the headquarters auditorium, and then on August 31, the Seoul College Student Academy, and on September 13, the Seoul High School Student Academy were founded. Subsequently, the Busan Branch was founded on October 5, 1963, and the Seoul Branch on October 6, followed by academies and branches in Incheon (1964.1), Daegu (1964.9), Gwangju (1965.9), Daejeon (1966.3), Cheongju (1966.6), Wonju (1966.5), Jeonju (1967.11), Jinju (1967.11), Yeosu (1968.9), and Jeju (1968.10). Although there were some differences depending on the region, in most cases the academies were founded earlier than the branches, and afterward, for a long time, the life of the organization in local areas was actually sustained by the academies. Based on the spirit and thought of the national teacher Dosan Ahn Chang-ho, the academy movement was succeeded on June 3, 1989, by the establishment of the “Dosan Academy Institute” affiliated with Heungsadan, which aimed to study and practice tasks necessary for national and social development, including the unification issue, in order to contribute to the development of Korean society. On July 19, 2000, it was registered with the Ministry of Government Administration as the “Dosan Academy Corporation,” and continues to this day.4
Over the years, it has steadily carried out academic and policy research, social education and leadership training, and publicity and publishing projects. In particular, by awakening the spirit of Dosan among the leadership figures who move Korean society, it has established itself as a gathering of leaders who guide the intellectual community. Currently, the Dosan Academy operates the Breakfast Seminar, the Smart Society Leaders Forum, the CEO Coaching Forum, and others.
Main projects
- Projects to cultivate a democratic civic consciousness
- Projects to practice and disseminate the spirit of Dosan Ahn Chang-ho
- Policy research projects related to national and social development
- Holding debates and lectures
- Publication of newsletters and publishing projects
- Other projects necessary to achieve the corporation's purpose
Footnotes