Innaecheon (人乃天) is the core ideology of Donghak (東學), meaning ‘man is heaven’.
Championed by its founder, Choi Je-u (1824-1864), it emphasizes that all humans possess a divine essence akin to heaven (God). This was a revolutionary idea that negated the discriminatory social hierarchy of the time and advocated for human equality and dignity.
This ideology is not merely a product of the modern era but has deep historical roots, tracing back to the same context as Korea’s traditional concepts of the ‘Heavenly Descendant Ideology’ (Cheonsasaseang) and the ‘Hongik Ingan’ (benefiting all humanity) spirit, which have been passed down since the Gojoseon period.