The Choson
Dynasty, otherwise known as the Yi Dynasty, was
Korea's last dynasty. Founded by Yi Songgye in 1392, the Choson Dynasty lasted for over five hundred years. In 1910, the dynasty officially ended with the annexation of Korea by
Japan. The Chosôn Dynasty is commonly regarded as the last
traditional kingdom before the
onslaught of
modern culture.
The Chosôn Dynasty had a varied and
complex social fabric that kept centuries of Korean
tradition intact. At the very top of this social
hierarchy were the yangban who could be loosely classified as those who were
eligible for high ranking
government service due to passing civil service
exams. They formed the elite of Choson society. The term 'yangban' was used to denote the dual role that the yanban had in both the
military and
civil service. Yet, a dichotomy between yangban families who specialized in between the munkwa, or civil service exam, and those who took the mukwa, or military exam, became pronounced.
Under the yangban, were the class of translators,
scientists,
doctors, translators, administrative
clerks, and so on. These, chungin formed the backbone of the
bureaucracy with their technical expertise. These officials passed examinations on technical subjects known as the chapkwa.
And then there are the
commoners whose rank and file comprised tenant
farmers, craftsmen, and
free laborers. They formed the bulk of the
population. At the bottom of the social hierarchy were the ch'ônmin or "base" people.
Slaves, butchers, prostitutes, and other
entertainers formed this class. Slaves were
emancipated in the 19th
century.
Of course, these classifications are not
rigid and
formal. The changing times of the late Chosôn dynasty and economic activity allowed some fluidity between the classes. Many yangban families fell into
poverty, while other commoners amassed great
wealth and even began to buy themselves into social ranking. Chosôn social structure is fraught with difficult questions ranging from the
progeny of
concubines to the status of women in the Chosôn dynasty.
The ideology of 'sadae-juûi,' or 'Serving the Great,' was instrumental in shaping both Korea's political
foreign policy and arguably Korea's
cultural identity. 'Sadae-juûi' sought basically to pay tribute to
China accordingly. Korea's position in the relationship was in
theory reduced to
vassal status (in relative position but not in
function). During the course of approximately 500 years of the Chosôn dynasty's history, many aspects of Chinese culture, such as
Confucianism, and so on, were adopted or adapted into Korean society.
Chosôn Korea ushered in a period of rapid
development in Confucianism. The government of Chosôn began an anti-
Buddhist policy based on to the social and cultural changes affected by Confucianism. Most notably, Buddhist
monks were ousted from political power, Buddhist
property was confiscated, and the construction and holding of land outside highly populated areas, such as the capital, were highly regulated.
Chinese Confucian rites, called 'ye,' reached into almost every part of Chosôn's
aristocratic
elite. The lifestyle and behavior of Chosôn's
elite were prescribed in painfully minute detail, and included all facets of life:
court procedures, ceremonies, customs, language, music, and all principles governing
human interaction.
The School of I, also known as Sôngnihak (moral and natural law) became the
dominant branch of Confucianism during the Chosôn dynasty. This was essentially a theory of
spiritual monism and that an all pervasive force was behind the universe called the
Supreme Ultimate (T'aegûk) which is further divided into two relative opposites, the
yin and yang.
Neo-Confucianism was primarily concerned with the regulation and harmonization of human relations through moral and ethical principles, as opposed to
orthodox Confucianism which sometimes delved into
metaphysical problems, such as the
origin and nature of the
universe,
yet left the average
scholar hanging when it came to practical explanations on how to live a good life.
Civil and military
officials were chosen from the yangban class via the
examination system. Of course, anyone was able to take the examination tests. However, only yangban had the
educational opportunities to be able to pass the tests. There were two levels for exams: the lower level (or licentiate) and the higher level (or
erudite). The lower level was divided into two classes: the Classics Licentiate Examination which tested the applicants on the Four Books and Five
Classics of Confucian
literature, and the Literary Licentiate Examination which tested the applicants in
poetry,
rhyme prose,
documentary prose, and
problem essay.
Claiming to have an
ancestor of yangban ranking is a common practice in Korea today. Everyone talks of belonging to a yangban
heritage. The prestige of being accorded the yangban status stems from role of the yangban during the Choson dynasty.
The term yangban centered around those who served in the, "officialdom, but included a large number of the social elite whose ties to the government bureaucracy were quite
distant. The yangban comprised the
educated class as well. While there may have been literate members of society outside their ranks, such as
Buddhist monks, available evidence suggests that their numbers were few, and their
influence weak. Thus, the yangban dominated the major portal to power: "the examination system" (Hejtmanek p.70).
What was so great about being a yangban? The yangban were exempt from
taxes and military duty. Also, they could only be tried by a special tribunal. One way of guaranteeing their
special status was to publish their genealogies. The Andong Kim began to publish their chokbo during the 15th century . The
publishing and promulgation of these genealogies became widespread during the 16th and 17th century. This reflected the consolidation of the yangban into distinct
family units that were structured patrilineally. Yet, not all yangban were centered around the officialdom. The local yangban, a sort of countryside
gentry, was very
popular. Weary scholars would retire to the countryside to write and
reflect.
Han'gul, or "Great Letters", is what the korean alphabet is called today. At the time of its invention by King Sejong (1418-1450), it was known as ch'ng'm, or "
Correct Sounds". It was invented in 1443, but was formally proclamed in 1446 under the name, Hunmin ch'ng'm (Correct Sounds to Instruct the People). Originally, the
alphabet consisted of twenty-eight letters -- made up of seventeen
consonants and 11
vowels. It is often considered one of the greatest achievements of the Chosôn Dynasty.
Chosôn saw many great works of
literature. Sô Kô-jông compiled the Anthology of Korean Literature, selections of past Korean
authors from poetry to prose. He also wrote An Author's Trivia. O Suk- kwôn penned his A Korean Storyteller's Miscellany (P'aegwan chapki). Works of this kind are considered to be an important source of Korea's rich
oral traditions. It was also during the Chosôn dynasty in which p'ansori, the recitation of folk tales through
song, became popular as a way to make tradition formerly restricted to educated elite more accessible to and enjoyable for the
commoner class. Other authors include Kim Si-sûp, a disenfranchised yangban who begins to write
satire critiquing the yangban class, and through the written word, points his finger at a number of social problems. "The Tale of Ch'un-hyang," and "The Tale of Sim- ch'ông," are both classics in the genre of Korean folk tales. By the Chosôn dynasty when p'ansori had become popular, these tales were often performed by a p'ansori singer and a
drum accompaniment for the
delight of the entire
village.
Sources: 'Korean Culture' magazine, The Sourcebook of Korean Civilization, USC Berkley's Korean History Project, The reaserch and knowledge of Amanda Jung Ae Byun, Chung Lee, Daniel Donghan Kim, Min Kyung Ku and Phillip Shinichi Pepper.