[7] The religion believes in one God manifested in three persons,[8] whose earthly incarnation was the legendary king Dangun, who ruled over a Korean empire around 5000 years ago.

[2]: 193 Daejongism does not focus so much on institutions or rituals but rather on central doctrines and associated mythologies, so that it is more definable as a creed or a faith system rather than an organized religion.

[12] Central to the faith is the belief in Haneullim, the triad of Gods of Korean culture: the creator (Hanim/Hwanin), the teacher (Hanung/Hwanung) and the ruler (Dangun/Hanbaegŏm).

[15] A number of scholars believe that these books were compiled in the first two decades of the 20th century, based on visions and revelation the founder of Daejongism, Na Cheol (1863–1916), claimed to have received.

In 1994, Han Ch'angbôm presented the Daejongism "case against Christianity," claiming that the God of the Bible was "jealous and violent" and thus inherently "immoral."

After the annexation of Korea in 1910 by the Empire of Japan, the new religion was spread in Manchuria by Na, where it set up schools and social centers, and became a focus of the Korean independence movement.

[2]: 193  Na committed suicide at a shrine on Kuwolsan in 1916, saying that he had guilt over his failures and was martyring himself for the sake of his religion, God and people.

[2]: 198 A particularly controversial issue concerns the roots in Daejongism of the global physical exercise and spirituality system known as Body & Brain, Dahnhak, or Dahn Yoga, founded by Korean master of martial arts and author Ilchi Lee.

Baker states that references to Daejongism, although not made explicit, remain easy to detect for those familiar with the Korean religion.