In this Korean name, the family name is Ham.

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, Sok-Hon Ham was selected by the Republic of Korea as a national cultural figure.

Contents

• 1 Early life
• 2 Biography
• 3 Bibliography
• 4 See also
• 5 External links

Early life

Ham was born in Pyong-an Province, currently North Korea and grew up as a Presbyterian Christian. In 1919, he joined the March 1st Movement, the beginning of Korean resistance to *anese occupation. He lost his place in Pyongyang Public High School. In 1923 he graduated from Osan High School and went to *an to study to become a teacher. There he first encountered the Non-Church movement, an indigenous *anese Christian movement that had no liturgy, sacraments or ordained clergy. It spoke out against social injustices and advocated pacifism.

Biography

• March 13, 1901: Born in North Pyong'an Province (Yong-Cheon)
• 1906: Entered a missionary school of Deok-il Elementary School
• 1914: Graduated from Deok-il Elementary School
• 1916: Graduated from Yang-shi Public Elementary School, and entered Pyongyang public high school
• 1919: After protesting against *anese colonial regime in Korea, quit Pyongyang public highschool
• 1923: Graduated from Osan high school, and went to *an to take his studies in Tokyo school of education
• 1924-1928: Studied the bible under Uchimura Kanzo with Kim Kyo-shin and Song Du-Yong
• 1928: Graduated from Tokyo school of education
• 1928-1938: Taught history and ethics at Osan highschool
• 1934: Serially published “Korean History Seen through a Will” in ‘Seong-seo Chosun’ magazine
• 1938: After protesting against *anese 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 *anese colonial regime (schemed by the *anese colonial regime)
• 1942-1943: After writing several articles against *anese colonial regime in Korea for a monthly magazine 'Seong-seo-Chosun(Bible Korea)', imprisoned at Seo-Dae-Moon prison
• 1945: Appointed as a minister of education for Northern Pyung-an province
• 1947: Imprisoned as an organizer or of a student protests against the Soviet (schemed 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 *anese 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 cons*ution to be elected again, convicted
• 1979: Nominated for Nobel peace prize by American Friends Service Committee
• 1985: Nominated again for Nobel peace prize by American Friends Service Committee
• 1987: received the first Inchon-award, given to a person who contributed in the development of press and media.
• February 4, 1989: Died in Seoul National University Hospital
• 2002: After his death, he received the “Accolade for Founding a Nation”, as a sign of recognition from the nation.

Bibliography

• Kim Sung-soo, Biography of a Korean Quaker, Ham Sok-hon, Seoul: Samin Books, 2001, 360 pp.:ISBN:978-89-87519-49-4

See also

• Christianity in Korea
• List of Korea-related topics
• List of Koreans

External links

• Ham Sok Hon Resource Page at the Library of Congress Web Archives (archived 2002-09-10)
• Queen of Suffering - A Spiritual History of Korea at archive.today (archived 2013-01-24)
• Interviews with Teacher Ham
• Korean Ham, Sok Hon website