The Chosŏnwangjo-sillok (朝鮮王朝實錄, 조선왕조실록, Annals of the Choson Dynasty, 1413-1865) tells the story of the wrath of King Sukjong (肅宗, 숙종, 1661-1720, r.1674-1720). On December 13, 1684, the king was enraged because several retainers made requests for leniency when a chipyong, Chong Chae-son (索書號, 정재선) was on the verge of being sentenced to death for murder.
Chipyong (砥平, 지평, government civil servant), was not a high rank, but those in the position were important enough that they could even impeach a minister. Chong was a promising official in his 30s who rose to that post just 3 years after passing the state examination. Chong was accused of murder because of chuno (推奴, 추노), the duty of catching runaway slaves and returning them to their masters. In 1683, as a member of the group that hauled in slaves, in the process of arresting two slaves he caught two other slaves and a civilian. He beat them with a stick while he was drunk and ended up killing them. After a heated discussion about abuse of public authority, Chong was barely spared his life and banished.
King Sukjong repeatedly regretted not having sentenced Chong to death. Twenty-four years later, in 1708, he lamented that the application of the law was not fair. “Ever since Chong Chae-son there have been no records of noblemen being sentenced to death for murder. Does this mean noblemen are not committing crimes because they are afraid of the law, or that the law is afraid to approach them?” he asked.
The last episode of the popular KBS 2TV drama Chuno has been aired last March 25. The drama is set in the 16th century during the reign of King Injo (仁祖, 인조, 1595-1649, r.1623-1649), but records of slave hunting actually continue throughout the 500 years of the Choson Dynasty (大朝鮮國, 대조선국, 1392-1910), say that arrest and return of escaped slaves was a key factor in maintaining class order at the time. During the reign of King Hyojong (孝宗, 효종, 1619-1659, r.1649-1659), confusion was caused in the class system because of the back-to-back Japanese invasion of 1592-1598 (壬辰倭亂, 임진왜란) and the two Manchu wars of 1627 and 1636 (丁卯胡亂, 정묘호란, 1627; 丙子胡亂, 병자호란, 1636), and that is when specialised slave bounty found its best time.
However, there were drawbacks to allowing the profession. King Chongjo (正祖, 정조, 1752-1800, r.1776-1800) abolished the law and said about slaves, “They are the same as animals because they are bought and sold considering family and age, and are like land because their sons and grandsons are divided here and there. They have no place to go between Heaven and Earth because they cannot marry aristocrats and are hardly considered people. Is it reasonable that the heavens made people like this? I have endless of pity for them.”
The more one looks into records related to catching slaves the more one appreciate that even in an age where differences of status and class were considered natural, there were rulers who thought hard about the equal application of human rights and the law. It is no coincidence that the 18th century Choson Dynasty was a period of cultural revival.
Chipyong (砥平, 지평, government civil servant), was not a high rank, but those in the position were important enough that they could even impeach a minister. Chong was a promising official in his 30s who rose to that post just 3 years after passing the state examination. Chong was accused of murder because of chuno (推奴, 추노), the duty of catching runaway slaves and returning them to their masters. In 1683, as a member of the group that hauled in slaves, in the process of arresting two slaves he caught two other slaves and a civilian. He beat them with a stick while he was drunk and ended up killing them. After a heated discussion about abuse of public authority, Chong was barely spared his life and banished.
King Sukjong repeatedly regretted not having sentenced Chong to death. Twenty-four years later, in 1708, he lamented that the application of the law was not fair. “Ever since Chong Chae-son there have been no records of noblemen being sentenced to death for murder. Does this mean noblemen are not committing crimes because they are afraid of the law, or that the law is afraid to approach them?” he asked.
The last episode of the popular KBS 2TV drama Chuno has been aired last March 25. The drama is set in the 16th century during the reign of King Injo (仁祖, 인조, 1595-1649, r.1623-1649), but records of slave hunting actually continue throughout the 500 years of the Choson Dynasty (大朝鮮國, 대조선국, 1392-1910), say that arrest and return of escaped slaves was a key factor in maintaining class order at the time. During the reign of King Hyojong (孝宗, 효종, 1619-1659, r.1649-1659), confusion was caused in the class system because of the back-to-back Japanese invasion of 1592-1598 (壬辰倭亂, 임진왜란) and the two Manchu wars of 1627 and 1636 (丁卯胡亂, 정묘호란, 1627; 丙子胡亂, 병자호란, 1636), and that is when specialised slave bounty found its best time.
However, there were drawbacks to allowing the profession. King Chongjo (正祖, 정조, 1752-1800, r.1776-1800) abolished the law and said about slaves, “They are the same as animals because they are bought and sold considering family and age, and are like land because their sons and grandsons are divided here and there. They have no place to go between Heaven and Earth because they cannot marry aristocrats and are hardly considered people. Is it reasonable that the heavens made people like this? I have endless of pity for them.”
The more one looks into records related to catching slaves the more one appreciate that even in an age where differences of status and class were considered natural, there were rulers who thought hard about the equal application of human rights and the law. It is no coincidence that the 18th century Choson Dynasty was a period of cultural revival.
Giorgio Olivotto
Seoul, Korea
August 15, 2010
Seoul, Korea
August 15, 2010
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento