The Independence Movement and Life of Cho Heon-young, Doctor of Korean Medicine

This study examines the life of Cho Heon-young from the perspective of the independence movement, focusing on his role as a representative figure of Korean national movements during the Japanese colonial period and post-liberation era, as well as his significant contributions to the development of traditional Korean medicine. Born into a righteous army family and educated at Waseda University, Cho Heon-young consistently participated in anti-Japanese activities over an extended period, serving as president of the Korean Students Association in Japan, founding president of the Tokyo branch of the Singan-hoe, participating in the Korean Language Society movement, and refusing to adopt Japanese names (sōshi-kaimei). After liberation, he contributed to the founding of the Republic of Korea by serving as a member of the Constitutional Assembly and the second National Assembly, while also participating in the Special Committee for the Investigation of Anti-National Activities. The significance of this research lies in expanding the scholarly horizon by reexamining Cho Heon-young from the perspective of an “independence activist” who contributed to nation-building, rather than merely as a “traditional medicine practitioner” as he has been primarily treated in the field of traditional Korean medical history. A comprehensive review of existing literature reveals that while research on Cho Heon-young's medical philosophy and clinical practice as a traditional Korean medicine doctor is well-established, this has paradoxically limited scholarly discussion of Cho Heon-young to the field of traditional medical history alone. Furthermore, compared to independence activists from modern medical backgrounds, traditional medicine practitioners who participated in independence movements lack well-documented statistics regarding their achievements and life histories at the academic and professional association levels. Therefore, this study aims to contribute, albeit modestly, to discovering more traditional medicine practitioners involved in independence movements and promoting public awareness of their contributions. This research aims to demonstrate that Cho Heon-young was an exemplary intellectual who dedicated himself to national independence and cultural pride, transcending the boundaries of political, academic, and cultural spheres throughout his lifetime.