Cha’ Kyŏng-sŏk

Korean religious leader

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

Cha Kyong-sok was a prominent Korean religious leader who became the leader of the Poch'ongyo religion after its founder, Kang Il-sun. Poch'ongyo, also known as Humch'igyo, is an indigenous Korean religion centered on the worship of Okhwangsangje, the "Great Lord of Heaven." The religion emphasizes principles such as one mind, coexistence, forgiveness, and conquering disease. Cha Kyong-sok also introduced Confucian influences, promoting benevolence and righteousness. He was imprisoned by the Japanese during the March 1 independence movement but later escaped and re-established the religion as Pohwagyo, which was then registered as Poch'ongyo.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Poch’ŏngyo
…religion was subsequently assumed by Cha’ Kyŏng-sŏk, an early associate of Kang. During the March 1 independence movement of 1919, Cha’ and 30,000 of the religion’s adherents were imprisoned by the Japanese. Cha’ escaped two years later and established Pohwagyo (“Religion of Universal Enlightenment”), which was registered with the government…
Read More
…religion was subsequently assumed by Cha’ Kyŏng-sŏk, an early associate of Kang. During the March 1 independence movement of 1919, Cha’ and 30,000 of the religion’s adherents were imprisoned by the Japanese. Cha’ escaped two years later and established Pohwagyo (“Religion of Universal Enlightenment”), which was registered with the government…
Read More