Slavery in Korea

Slavery in Korea existed in various forms from its origins in antiquity over 2,000 years ago to its gradual abolition in the late Joseon period, beginning in the 18th century and culminating in 1894. Quotes Our state’s slave law is ancient, and the scholar-officials depend on [slaves] to survive ... Slaves are the hands and feet of the literati. Yang Sŏng-ji, The Veritable Record of King Sejo’s Reign (18 June 1468) In fact, it is in the oriental state of Korea that we find one of the most extraordinary cases of economic dependence on slaves among all peoples and all periods. Large-scale slavery flourished there for over a thousand years up to the nineteenth century. For several centuries the service population was proportionately higher than the one in the U.S. South at its peak of dependence on slavery in the nineteenth century. Orlando Patterson, Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1982), viii External links Category:Korea Korea