Women in Korean society. Historical notes

The implementation of Confucian learning in Korea during Choson Dynasty brought a lot of changes into Korean society. These changes mostly were reflected through changes of women’s role. Therefore extend of penetration and influence of the Confucian culture in Korea can be measured according to the alterations women’s position undergone during Choson period, particularly in the beginning and at the end of the dynasty. “Easy interaction between the sexes had been natural during the Koryo period, but the Confucian moralists at the beginning of the Choson Dynasty were convinced that this unrestrained association jeopardized the integrity of the social structure”. Therefore during five hundred years of domination in Korean society Confucian ideology have rooted deeply in all spheres of life. Only drastic changes, such as overthrow of Choson Dynasty, could bring about changes in women’s life.

 

 During the Koryo and early Choson Dynasties, it was customary for the married couple to live in the wife's parents' household. This assertion suggests that the status of women was then higher than it was later during most of the Choson Dynasty. With the implementation of Confucianism, “education for women was indoctrination” purposely inculcating the “ideals of a male-oriented society and to motivate them with the tasks of married life”. Developed in Confucian doctrine, women’s behavior was subjugated to particular patterns, which excluded any individual expression. Only imitation of those patterns were expected and valued. The whole cultural training for girls was based on preparation to the role of married women. This undermine that the main duty for women, separated from her parents, was providing a male heir for her husband's family there she occupied the lowest position. 

 She was often abused and mistreated by both her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law at least until the birth of a son that gave her some status in her husband's family. But only way that women could assume a leading role in the family was her husband’s death.

 While the sons obtain their names, usually composed of one or two Chinese characters, the girls name contained a single Korean element. Therefore girls rarely were registered in the genealogical records. Even after marriage, people call them by the name of their native village. And after having a child women was called as a mother of her son or daughter. Choson Dynasty law prohibited widows from remarrying, though a similar prohibition was not extended to widowers. Besides that it was allowed for the man to have more then one wife.
All mentioned above indicates to the low and oppressed position of women in Korean society of that time. With the upheaval of yangban system and development of merchantry, simultaneously with penetration of Christianity a number of significant social, economical and religious changes took place starting from early eighteenth century. The Confucian ideology was criticized for the lack of ability to maintain stability, strength and prosperity of the nation. By the turn of 19th century, the society was saturated with the ideas of modernization and reform, thus “the low status of women was a symbol of national backwardness, so that the raising their status through education and reform would enhance the overall level of civilization and strength; and the oppression of women was seen as a hallmark of traditional society, so that their rescue from oppressive family and social customs would signify the onset of a new society”. Thus, in 1898 formed by more then one hundred wives of intellectual aristocrats – the Ch’anyang-hoe women’s organization established first girl’s school. In submitted petition to Emperor Kojong was stated: “We women...have founded the school for the purpose of contributing to the strengthening of the nation through loyalty and patriotism.” With this petition started division of Korean women and their customs to ‘old’ – absurd, imprisoned, and subjected to husband, father, and son; and ‘new’ – enlightened, socially active, and partners with their husbands.

 Further on, at the decline of Choson Dynasty, a number of other women’s organizations were established, some as a part of a campaign to “strengthen the nation”, others as a response to the needs of education and consciousness-raising for women. The activity of these organizations gave the impetus to irreversible changes resulted in the improvement of women’s life, access to the education and ability to fight for their rights, changes which could not have been brought earlier, while male- oriented Confucian theory dominated and regulated in their interests the lives of women during Choson.

Reference:

1. Chai-Sik Chung “Korean Encounter with the Modern World”,University of California, Berkeley 1995 

2. Martina Dauchler “The Confucian Transformation of Korea”, Harvard University Press 1992 

3. Gi-Wook Shin and Michael Robinson “ Colonial Modernity in Korea”, The price of legitimacy, Harvard University Press 2001