Joseon

Mobility of Joseon People -Royal Procession and Unexpected Exile and Drift

  • Examine the characteristics of mobility by social status of people in Joseon.
  • Examine the historical meaning of royal visits to hot springs and tombs in Joseon period, specific cases of a certain king and introduce the characteristics and changes of such visits.
  • Describe the difficulties upper-class people suffer during exile and the achievements made in the process of overcoming such difficulties.
  • Examine the order of tribute in East Asia through unexpected drift of general people and changes in international relations historically.

Mobility in Joseon Period

This lecture delves into how mobility varied among different social classes in the Joseon Dynasty, introducing the king’s royal processions, noble’s exiles, and commoners’ displacements, along with their historical meaning and characteristics.

1. The king’s mobility, despite Confucianism being the state religion, was a significant aspect of the Joseon Dynasty. Initially, it was a leisurely pursuit for the king, leveraging its legitimacy. However, it gradually transformed into a tool for strengthening royal authority. This lecture examines the frequency and purpose of king’s travels, their meaning and role in the context of time.

2. This lecture explores nobles’ difficulties due to unexpected exile and discusses how exile was handled during the Joseon Dynasty, including treatment. Using examples such as the exile of elephants and foreigners, this lecture also introduces notable places of exile like Jeju Island and Heuksando sand shares exile stories like Yakyong Jeong, highlighting their adaptation process and achievements. Finally, this lecture summarizes the pros and cons of exile and its historical meaning.

3. For commoners, unplanned displacement was usually the background of their only long-distance travel or moving abroad. Using the case of Soonduk Moon, this lecture explains the movements of commoners during the Joseon Dynasty. Specifically, it investigates how the Joseon society dealt with displaced people, the process and treatment of those who were displaced, and the meaning of their repatriation within the Joseon social order.