(Translation) 1801年 龍山書院 首奴 禹發 自賣明文

Original Script

Classical Chinese	English
嘉慶六年辛酉二月二日龍山書院首奴禹介處明文 右明文事段矣亦多有院債而勢無報 償之道故不得已自己所生女件里進年十歲 二所生女件里德年七歲合二口身乙價折錢文 拾七兩儀數捧上爲遣右院前永永放賣 爲去乎日後若有雜談是去等持此文記 告官卞正事 父先岩外 證庫直龍奉 筆執色金萬九	(translation)

Translation

Student 1 : (Irina)

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• Discussion Questions:

In Korean texts Chinese characters are used for units of measurement, but often Korean units do not correspond to Chinese. Is there a reliable source for checking Korean units of quantity, length, and so on?

Student 2 : (Write your name)

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Student 3 : (Write your name)

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Student 4 : (Jong Woo Park)

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Education and sacrificial rite are known to be the main functions of the private academies (sǒwǒn). In this document, Mr. Sǒn could not repay a debt that he had borrowed from the academy so he sold out his two daughters to the academy. What might be the social and economic functions of sǒwǒn in local society? How did sǒwǒn affect the life of the commoners or slaves at that time?

Student 5 : (Kanghun Ahn)

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1) Was there any standard as to how to calculate the price of slaves in Choson Korea?

2) To what extent were the Sowons in charge of loaning system in late Choson? Didn't it bring about any disputes (or problems) in Choson society? (If so, are there any sources (e.g. pleas, appeals) for that?)

Student 6 : (Hu Jing)

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Q-4. We can learned from the Document 4 that Jongnam was sold from a yangban family to a slave family. How would his fate would have been changed? Even though they were both called nobi, was there any different between yangban slaves and slave slaves?

Q-3. In my impression, the "slaves" should have been in a low status both socially and economically. But how Park Geumson, a private "slave", could own a land? How was the economical statue of the Joseon "slaves"? Were the public "slaves" also allowed to own their land?

Student 7 : King Kwong Wong

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1. For Document no.2: since the document does not specify that the two daughters were sold as slaves, what was the status of the daughters after the transaction? Were they slaves or remained as commoners?
2. For Document no.4: since the document was signed by Madame Kim and witnessed by (possibly) her relatives, would this be the case that Madame Kim managed her husband's family property as the widow of the deceased Yun Sahoe, considering that none of the Yun was represented?

Student 8 : (Write your name)

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Student 9 : 마틴

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1. In Document 4, a horse is traded for a person. The quality of the horse is measured by its teeth(age), the worth of the slave is also decided by his age. We have seen before some categories employed to judge the worth of slaves (dumb, young, able, old). How about other characteristics or skills of the slaves? (strong, easily sick, can weave, likes to run away...etc.) Are there cases like this, or is a slave just a slave?

2. In Document 2, two daugthers are sold to an academy, in later Choson academies often served as the "unofficial" center of their respective localities. Considering that all public slaves are manumitted in the same year as the trade is conducted, how can we view this document?

Student 10 : (YoungSuk)

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Document 2:

Student 11 : (Write your name)

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Student 12 : (Write your name)

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Student 13 : (Write your name)

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Student 14 : (Write your name)

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• Discussion Questions: 1. What roles does the state play in these documents? 2. How does the state contribute toward the endurance of "slavery" in Joseon society?