The purpose of this study is to examine how Kim Gaenam, a native of the Taein’s noble family, grew up as a leader of Donghak and to explore his historical status as a religious leader and the meaning. The contents of this study are as follows. Kim Gaenam was from Dogang Kim clan, a representative family of Taein, and lived as a village school teacher in Imsil at the age of 21. According to 『Cheondogyo Imsil History』, Choi Sihyung, the second founder of Donghak, preached for 35 days in March 1873 when Kim Gaenam lived in Imsil. During this period, Kim Gaenam accepted the doctrine of Donghak through Choi Sihyung’s sermons and served as the leader of Donghak army in 1894. The people of Joseon who accepted Donghak experienced equality within the religious system of Donghak, and especially the slaves who entered Donghak experienced equality in their daily lives. This collective dream for equality, which longed for a New Era, justified their violence. Kim Gae-nam’s wish for the accomplishment of a new era was unfulfilled due to Japan’s military intervention. As the leadership of the Donghak-army collapsed, the religious system was reorganized to prevent the spread of negative perceptions of Kim Gaenam who used violence. Accordingly, Son Byung-hee, the third founder, reorganized the identity of Donghak and renamed it Cheondogyo. In the process, Donghak’s spirit of resistance to the existing order and system has weakened. Cheondogyo led the March 1st Movement in 1919 put the principles of popularization, unification, and nonviolence to the forefront. In this way, Kim Gaenam’s status as the leader of Donghak, who led the revolution and war, was weakened by the nonviolent and peaceful policy of Cheondogyo. In 1873 at the age of 21, Confucian scholar Kim Kibeom, at the age of 21, dreaming of a new era and world was executed the 41-year-old in 1894 as Donghak’s leader.