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영어

The purpose of this study is to examine the activities of teacher Lee Gang-ho in the era of modern reformation and look into the actual status of modern education in Korea and how the subjects of education coped with it in the circumstances. During late Chosun, the government intended to found Sohakgyo (elementary schools) grounded on Heunghak tradition. But in the situation that the budgets for education were not enough, Ehukhak activities could not be any help substantially. In the circumstances, the teachers faced a lot of hardships in founding and operating schools. Lee Gang-ho founded his own school and was appointed as a teacher of Gyeongju Gungongrip Sohakgyo. Striving to allow students to get higher education, he got dismissed from Wonsanhang Gongrip Sohakgyo. Although he built Jinmyeonguisuk using his own property, it came to be closed for Okgugamri, and he faced the threat of being deprived of the school property. After having that experience, he also suggested the government to provide public education based on an autonomous education system. To cope with the situation of national sovereignty in crisis, he founded Daea Hakgyo and tried to save the school through the local residents’ autonomy of education. But he ended up being into trouble again. Lee Gang-ho did show us through his own life the fact that modern education in Korea grew with all the restless sacrifices and struggles of the subjects of education.