Ham Seok-heon (13 March 1901 – 4 February 1989) was a notable figure in the
Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) movement in
Korea, and was nicknamed the "
Gandhi of Korea." Ham was an important
Asian voice for
human rights and non-violence during the 20th century, despite numerous imprisonments for his convictions. He was a
Quaker who concluded that all religions are on common ground in terms of human beings, a view shared by many Quakers.
He encouraged peace and democracy and promoted non-violence movement known as “seed idea” (ssi-al sasang), consistently present in his books Korean History Seen through a Will published in 1948, Human Revolution in 1961, History and People in 1964, and Queen of Suffering: a spiritual history of Korea edited in 1985. He was also a poet and wrote about 120 poems such as “Song of the West Wind” written in 1983.
In 2000, Ham was selected by the Republic of Korea as a national cultural figure.
Early life
Ham was born in Pyongan Province, currently North Korea and grew up as a Presbyterian. In 1919, he joined the March 1st Movement, the beginning of Korean resistance to the Japanese occupation. He lost his place in Pyongyang Public High School. In 1923 he graduated from Osan High School and went to Japan to study to become a teacher. There he first encountered the Non-Church movement, an indigenous Japanese Christian movement that had no liturgy, sacraments or ordained clergy. He spoke out against social injustices and advocated pacifism.
1906: Entered a missionary school of Deokil Elementary School
1914: Graduated from Deokil Elementary School
1916: Graduated from Yangshi Public Elementary School and entered Pyongyang public high school
1919: After protesting against Japanese colonial regime in Korea, quit Pyongyang public high school
1923: Graduated from Osan high school and went to Japan to study education in Tokyo
1924–1928: Studied the bible under
Uchimura Kanzo with Kim Gyoshin and Song Duyong
1928: Graduated from Tokyo School of Education
1928–1938: Taught history and ethics at Osan high school
1934: Published “Korean History Seen through a Will” in Seongseo Joseon magazine
1938: After protesting against Japanese colonial regime in Korea, quit working as a teacher at Osan highschool
1940–1941: After working at Songsan agricultural&educational school, imprisoned as a protester against the Japanese colonial regime (schemed by the Japanese colonial regime)
1942–1943: After writing several articles against Japanese colonial regime in Korea for a monthly magazine Seongseo Joseon (Bible and Korea)', imprisoned at the Seodaemun prison
1945: Appointed as a minister of education for Northern Pyongan province
1947: Imprisoned as an organizer of a student protests against the Soviet (framed by the Soviet)
1956: He criticized social and political problems in an editorial paper, Sasang-gye.
1958: Imprisoned for writing an article “Must be a Thinking People to Live” which criticizes the autocratic regime and began his religious career as the Korean representative of Quaker.
1961–1963: Studied at the Quaker schools
Pendle Hill in the US and
Woodbrooke in Britain.
1963: Protested against General
Park Chung Hee becoming to run for the presidency
1965: Protested against Japanese regime and president
Park Chung Hee for their attempt for an alliance
1974: After protesting against President
Park Chung Hee for his attempt to change the constitution to be elected again, convicted