HOME





Sangmin
''Sangmin'' (), short for ''p'yŏngsangjimin'' (), is a Korean-language term for commoners of the Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ... period (1392–1897). Synonyms for the term include ''sŏin'' (), ''sangin'' (), ''yangmin'' (), ''p'yŏngmin'' (), and ''p'yŏngin'' (). ''Sangmin'' was also sometimes used to describe innocent people, in contrast to criminals. History The term ''sangmin'' was used as an informal or legal designation depending on the time period. It refers to everyone who is not of noble background. In the latter half of the 17th century, a two-class system called ''yangch'ŏnje'' () was enacted, and ''sangmin'' made the lower class. However, ''sangmin'' were still de facto divided into various subgroups. ''Sangmin'' were systemically disad ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Chungin
The ''jungin'' or ''chungin'' () were the upper middle class of the Joseon Dynasty in medieval and early modern Korean society. The name "jungin" directly means "middle people". This privileged class of commoners consisted of a small group of petty bureaucrats and other highly educated skilled workers whose technical and administrative skills enabled the '' yangban'' and the royal family to rule the lower classes. ''Jungin'' were the lifeblood of the Korean Confucian agrarian bureaucracy, on whom the upper classes depended on to maintain their vice-like hold on the people. Their traditions and habits are the forerunners of the modern Korean administrative systems in both North and South Korea. Professions and roles in the society In dynastic Korea, particularly during the Joseon period, the ''jungin'' were lower than the '' yangban'' aristocracy but above the lower middle and working class commoners in social status. They included highly educated government-employed speci ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Yangban
The ''yangban'' () were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry of dynastic Korea during the Joseon period. The ''yangban'' were mainly composed of highly educated civil officials and military officers—landed or unlanded aristocrats who individually exemplified the Korean Confucian form of a " scholarly official". They were largely government administrators and bureaucrats who oversaw medieval and early modern Korea's traditional agrarian bureaucracy until the end of the dynasty in 1897. In a broader sense, an office holder's family and descendants, as well as country families who claimed such descent, were socially accepted as ''yangban''. In contemporary Korean language, the term ''yangban'' can be used either as a compliment or insult. Etymology ''Yangban'' literally means "two branches" of administration: ''munban'' () which comprises civil administrators and ''muban'' () which comprises martial office holders. The term yangban first appeared sometime during late ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Joseon
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul. The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the rivers of Yalu River, Amnok and Tumen River, Tuman through the subjugation of the Jurchen people, Jurchens. During its 500-year duration, Joseon encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucianism, Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society. Neo-Confucianism was installed as the new state's ideology. Korean Buddhism, Buddhism was accordingly discouraged, and occasionally Buddhists faced persecution. Joseon consolidated its effective rule over the Korean peninsula and saw the he ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


National Institute Of Korean History
The National Institute of Korean History (NIKH; ) is a South Korean government organization in charge of researching, collecting, compiling, and promoting materials related to Korean history. It was established as the Office of National History () in March 1946, one year after the liberation of Korea. It changed its name to the current form in 1949. Description It is located in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. As a branch of the Ministry of Education, the NIKH certifies and supervises drafts of history textbooks used in middle and high schools. It conducts educational programs for government officials and teachers of elementary, middle, and high schools. It also operates a school to train competent translators of historical documents written in classical Chinese and pre-modern Japanese. The NIKH holds and supervises the Korean History Proficiency Test four times a year, and sponsors the annual Korean History Competition among middle and high school students. The NIKH has establi ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Encyclopedia Of Korean Culture
The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. It was originally published as physical books from 1991 to 2001. There is now an online version of the encyclopedia that continues to be updated. Overview On September 25, 1979, a presidential order (No. 9628; ) was issued to begin work on compiling a national encyclopedia. Work began on compiling the encyclopedia on March 18, 1980. It began publishing books in 1991. The encyclopedia's first version was completed, with 28 volumes, in 1995. It continued to be revised beginning in 1996. In 2001, the digital edition EncyKorea was published on CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains computer data storage, data computers can read, but not write or erase. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold b ... and DVD. It launched an online version in 20 ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Academy Of Korean Studies
The Academy of Korean Studies (AKS; ) is a South Korean research and educational institute focusing on Korean studies. It was established on June 22, 1978, by the Ministry of Education & Science Technology. Works Journals *'' Korea Journal'' *''Review of Korean Studies'' *''Korean Studies Quarterly'' The following journals are not published by the AKS, but are often incorrectly assumed to be: *'' Korean Studies'', Hawaii *'' The Journal of Korean Studies'', Seattle *'' Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' *'' Acta Koreana'' See also * List of national universities in South Korea * List of universities and colleges in South Korea * Education in Korea References External links * * Introducing research institutesat the Korean History On-line (한국역사정보통합시스템) (archived) Bundang 1978 establishments in South Korea Universities and colleges in Gyeonggi Province Research institutes in South Korea Social science research institutes Educational instit ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Gwageo
The () or ''kwagŏ'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) periods of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge of the Chinese classics. The form of writing varied from literature to proposals on management of the state. Technical subjects were also tested to appoint experts on medicine, interpretation, accounting, law etc. These were the primary route for most people to achieve positions in the bureaucracy. Based on the Imperial examination, civil service examinations of imperial China, the first arose in Unified Silla, gained importance in Goryeo, and were the centerpiece of most education in the Joseon dynasty. The tutelage provided at the ''hyanggyo'', ''seowon'', and Sungkyunkwan was aimed primarily at preparing students for the and their subsequent career in government service. Under Joseon law, high office was closed to those who were not c ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

The Chosun Ilbo
''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ), also known as ''The Chosun Daily,'' is a Korean-language newspaper of record for South Korea and among the oldest active newspapers in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, ''The'' ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations was established in 1993. ''The'' ''Chosun Ilbo'' and its subsidiary company, Digital Chosun, operate the ''Chosun.com'' news website, which also publishes news in English, Chinese, and Japanese. History The Chosun Ilbo Establishment Union was created in September 1919. ''The'' ''Chosun Ilbo'' newspaper was founded on 5 March 1920 by Sin Sogu with the financial support of the Daejong Business Association. Cho Jin-Tae, the vice-chairman of the Daejong Business Association was appointed the first President of the newspaper in 1920. However, as the Business Association failed to pay promised finances, the relationship between the Association and ''The Chosun Ilbo'' broke down ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Cheonmin
''Cheonmin'' (), or "vulgar commoners", were the lowest caste of commoners in dynastical Korea. They abounded during the Goryeo (918–1392) and Joseon (1392–1897) periods of Korea's agrarian bureaucracy. Social class system In the caste system in Korea, this social class was largely hereditary and based on certain professions considered "unclean" by the upper classes. This list of unclean professions included butchers, shamans, shoemakers, metalworkers, prostitutes, magicians, sorcerers, jail-keepers, and performers (like the '' kisaeng''). '' Nobi'' (slaves) were servants taken from the cheonmin class to serve '' yangban'' (aristocracy) and royalty, but like slaves, they were considered the property of their owners and could be given away to other high-ranking people. '' Kisaeng'', female entertainers for ''yangban'', were in this class, educated but not respected by others in society. The hereditary nature of the caste system bred institutionalized discrimination and pr ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Baekjeong
The ''baekjeong'' () were an untouchable caste in Korea, originating from some minority, nomadic groups of disputed ethnicity. Today, the word simply means a butcher. In the early part of the Goryeo period (918–1392), these minorities were largely settled in fixed communities. However, the Mongol invasion left Korea in disarray and anomie and these groups became nomadic. Subgroups of the ''baekjeong'' included the ( "entertainers") and the () or (), who were primarily butchers. The ''baekjeong'' occupied specific professions like butchery, tanning, basket weaving and performing executions. During the Goryeo period, "baekjeong" was used as a neutral term to refer to the common people. From the time of the Joseon dynasty, it became an insulting title used to refer to the lowest class of society. In addition, since the Joseon dynasty, "baekjeong" has been also used to denigrate a person. In contemporary South Korea, the term is mainly associated with the meaning of a butcher a ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Nobi
''Nobi'' were members of the slave class during the Korean dynasties of Goryeo and Joseon. Legally, they held the lowest rank in medieval Korean society. ''Nobi'' were considered property or personal property, chattel, and could be bought, sold, or gifted. Classification The ''nobi'' were socially indistinct from freemen other than the ruling ''yangban'' class, and some possessed property rights, legal entities and civil rights. Hence, some scholars argue that it is inappropriate to call them "slaves", while some scholars describe them as serfs. Furthermore, the Korean word for an actual slave, in the European and American meaning, is ''noye'', not ''nobi''. Some ''nobi'' owned their own ''nobi''. History Some people became ''nobi'' as legal punishment for committing a crime or failing to pay a debt. However, some people voluntarily became ''nobi'' in order to escape crushing poverty during poor harvests and famines. Household ''nobi'' served as personal retainers and dom ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Korean Caste System
Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in the Korean language Places * Korean Peninsula, a peninsula in East Asia **North Korea **South Korea Other uses *Korean Air, flag carrier and the largest airline of South Korea See also *Korean War, 1950-present war between North Korea and South Korea; ceasefire since 1953 *Names of Korea, various country names used in international contexts *History of Korea The Lower Paleolithic era on the Korean Peninsula and in Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago. Christopher J. Norton, "The Current State of Korean Paleoanthropology", (2000), ''Journal of Human Evolution'', 38: 803–825. The earl ..., the history of Korea up to 1945 * {{disambiguation Language and nationality disambiguation pages ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]