[2] Daesoon thought is said to be a comprehensive system of truth representing the Great Dao of "resolution of grievances and reciprocation of gratitude into mutual beneficence".

[2] After Kang’s death in 1909, each of his main disciples, and some of his relatives, went on to establish different new religions, which in turn splintered and fragmented into rival groups, of which today the most active outside Korea is Jeung San Do, which was founded in 1974.

[6] Jo gathered a sizable number of followers and established land-reclaiming projects in the Anmyeondo and Wonsando Islands, aimed at improving the situation of his disciples.

[2] Besides the faction of Taegeukdo led by Jo Yongnae and the followers of Park, who eventually became part of Daesoon Jinrihoe, a third group should be mentioned.

Those favorable to the divinization were led by Yi Yu-jong (1936–2010), the chairperson of the Yeoju Headquarters Temple Complex, who was also accused of administrative wrongdoings by his opponents.

[2] Eventually, Yi's group experienced in turn further schisms, and Daesoon Jinrihoe split into at least five factions: one, including a large majority of Park’s followers, was opposed to his deification and remained headquartered in Yeoju, while the four main groups that were in favor of considering Park either a god or the Buddha Maitreya were headquartered respectively at the Junggok Temple in Seoul, in Pocheon, Pohang, and Goesan.

They did not come to an agreement about their doctrinal problems, but agreed to a joint management of Daejin University and of Jesaeng Hospital, one of the main components of Daesoon Jinrihoe’s health system.

In 1997, a giant Maitreya Buddha statue was enshrined in the Geumgangsan Toseong Training Temple, which had been completed in 1996 in the Geumgang Mountain area, where Park Wudang was also buried.

While the world was in a miserable situation, the Catholic missionary priest Matteo Ricci attempted the solution of the problems through the spreading of Christianity and the construction of an earthly paradise in China.

[13] Daesoon Jinrihoe followers thus believe that Kang Jeungsan (Gang Il-Sun) was Sangje, or the Supreme God, in human form.

[2] Some scholars believe that the third tenet, "resolution of grievances for mutual beneficence" (Haewon sangsaeng, 解冤相生) is the most distinctive teaching of Daesoon Jinrihoe.

[15] The itinerary of "cultivation" is depicted in Daesoon Jinrihoe’s temples through the Simudo, i.e. "ox-seeking" paintings, where the spiritual journey is described through the metaphor of seeking a white ox.

American scholar Don Baker called it the "quintessential Korean religion", arguing that Daesoon Jinrihoe is "more than the sum of its parts": not Buddhist, not Confucian, not Daoist, not inspired by Cheondoism, and not shamanistic, but all of these together and more.

[2] In addition to spiritual activities, the movement also campaigns on issues such as the environment, gender equality, reunification of Korea, and the achievement of world peace.

[20] The movement reports that over 70% of the money collected then goes to the three major activities: relief and charity, social welfare, and education, and that a total of over 660 billion won (about 560 million USD) was allocated to those fields in the 39 years between 1975 and 2013.

[2] The growth of the religion has been attributed to its ancestor worship, emphasis on self-cultivation, messianism and enlightenment, a focus on the present, and the stable system of its organization.

[4]: 78  According to Don Baker, "Daesoon doctrine also gains persuasive power from its focus on the ethical concerns that have been at the center of Korean religiosity for millennia".

[10] Jorgensen also reported that rumors of extortion and violence against opponents were common in the 1990s; the clergy were said to work without pay on the religion's projects, and be restricted to 4–5 hours of sleep a day during some of the movement’s "cultivation" practices.