Yangban
Yangban were the elite of Choson Korea (1392–1910), with characteristics of a hereditary aristocracy. The term originated in the Koryo dynasty (918–1392) and indicated the two ranks of officials, civil (tongban) and military (soban). Later it came to denote officeholders and their families and, thus, to indicate social status.
Only about 10 percent of the population, yangban monopolized the political process, economic wealth, and Confucian learning. This learning played a central part in yangban culture, as did government position, but since yangban status was not legally defined, a clear delineation is difficult. However, basic criteria were: a clear line of descent documented through a genealogy (chokpo), a distinguished ancestor, a clear geographic area within which such a status was recognized, close marriage ties with other persons of reputable lineage, and a special way of life.
As yangban were exempted from corvée labor and military service, the late Choson period, especially the nineteenth century, saw an increase in people claiming yangban status. This period also saw an erosion of local yangban authority and a clear distinction between nationally powerful lineages (polyol), local lineages without government positions (hyangban), and ruined yangban (chanban).
Even though yangban today have lost their political and economic monopoly through educational and land reforms, modernization, and urbanization, in South Korea there is still a strong awareness of yangban ancestry, and descendants of respected families exert a strong influence, especially locally.
Further Reading
Deuchler, Martina. (1992) The Confucian Transformation of Korea: A Study of Society and Ideology. Cambridge, MA: Council on East Asian Studies, Harvard University.
Duncan, John. (2000) The Origins of the Choson Dynasty. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Palais, James. (1996) Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions: Yu Hyongwon and the Late Choson Dynasty. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
——. (1984) "Confucianism and the Aristocratic/Bureaucratic Balance in Korea." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 44: 427–468.
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