He educated the members in anti-Japanese awareness and the doctrines of Daejonggyo, but was unable to take direct military action due to lack of weapons.

Rather than fighting by force, he focused on spiritual education on the doctrines of Daejonggyo teaching young comrades the national spirit and Chinese classics.

[3] In March 1919 , he and Gyehwa (桂和) reorganized the Junggwangdan into Korean Justice Corps (대한정의단(大韓正義團)) in order to become more active in the independence movement.

Their goal was armed struggle, but at first they were only conducting military training, but in response to Kim Jwa-jin, they reorganized themselves into a combat posture, recruited members, and purchased weapons with the help of the Czech Legion, giving them the appearance of an independent army.

[3][2] In August, the Korean Justice Corps was reorganized and developed into an anti-Japanese organization with an armed independence army and a military government with an executive branch that took the entire region of North Jiandao as its administrative district.

While working with Hyeon Cheon-muk, Kim Jwa-jin, Kim Gyu-sik, Lee Jang-nyeong, and Lee Beom-seok on military training, purchasing weapons, protecting the rights and interests of the Korean People's Association, mass negotiation, and planning a strategy for anti-Japanese struggle, in December he temporarily moved to Shanghai.

[2] They established an information network in various places, maintained local security based on donations from Daejonggyo believers and military funds raised by Hamgyeong residents, and was responsible for recruiting new soldiers and importing weapons.

[3] He was elected their president and he organized three battalions with 3,500 men and, in an attempt to wage an anti-Japanese war again, moved them to Russia for military aid.

The mobilized Russian troops launched indiscriminate attacks against them inciting the Free City Incident causing the lives many young soldiers.

Dealt a fatal blow, he felt the weight of his responsibility as the leader of the independence army and ultimately chose to end his life the following day.

On August 27, he traveled into the depths of the mountain forest and left behind these words: "As the day fades and the road becomes impassable, where shall humanity find its path?