Slavery in Korea

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Slavery in Korea existed for thousands of years, until the 20th century. The practice of slavery in modern-day South Korea is now illegal, though illegal forms of slavery such as human trafficking still exist in the country, with thousands thought to be enslaved.[1] In North Korea, slavery is still practiced by the country's regime.[2][3]

History of slavery in Korea

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Slavery in Korea has existed since before the Silla period (approximately 2,000 years ago).[4][5][6] Slavery went into decline around the 10th century, but came back in the late Koryo period (when Korea also experienced a number of slave rebellions).[4] The slave caste, known as nobi (also described as serfs[7]), was quite large. In 1690 nobi were estimated to account for over a third (37%) of the Korean society,[8] (though in those centuries it might have varied widely between that number and as low as 10%[4]) and slavery has been described as "very important in medieval Korea, probably more important than in any other East Asian country".[9] Population growth,[9] numerous escaped slaves,[4] and changes to the agricultural economy led to the decline in the number of nobi to about 1.5% by 1858.[8] A policy of gradual emancipation was put in place in 1775,[9] and starting in 1801, the government begun freeing its own slaves.[4] The hereditary nobi system was abolished around 1886[4] or 1887,[8] (sources vary on specific date) and the rest of the nobi system was abolished with the Gabo Reform of 1894[10] or in 1895[4] (again, sources vary). However, slavery did not completely disappear in Korea until 1930, during Imperial Japanese rule.[5][11]

During the Imperial Japanese occupation of Korea around World War II, some Koreans were used in forced labor by the Imperial Japanese, in conditions which have been compared to slavery.[11][12] These included women forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II, known as "comfort women".[11][12]

Modern slavery in Korea

Although slavery is now de jure illegal in all countries,[13][14] de facto practices akin to it continue today in many places throughout the world.[15][16][17][18]

Slavery in South Korea

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Some instances of labor abuse have been compared in recent media reports to slavery, particularly with regards to employment of people with disabilities on South Korean salt farms.[19][20][21]

In terms of people in modern slavery in absolute numbers South Korea ranked 128th in the 2014 Global Slavery Index, with some 93,700 people estimated to be enslaved.[2]

Slavery in North Korea

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

A United Nations report listed slavery among the crimes against humanity occurring in North Korea.[3] North Korea ranked 63rd in the 2014 Global Slavery Index, with some 108,200 people estimated to be enslaved.[2]

See also

References

  1. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Further reading

  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., PhD dissertation
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found., A.B. Thesis
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Vinton, C. C. "Slavery and Feudalism in Korea," Korean Repository, II (1895), 366–372

External links