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Baekjeong
Korean untouchable caste / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The baekjeong (Korean: 백정) were an untouchable caste in Korea,[1] originating from some minority, nomadic groups of disputed ethnicity. In the early part of the Goryeo period (918–1392), these minorities were largely settled in fixed communities.[1] However, the Mongol invasion left Korea in disarray and anomie and these groups became nomadic.[1] Subgroups of the baekjeong included the chaein (才人 "entertainers") and the hwachae (禾尺) or suchae (水尺),[2] who were primarily butchers. The baekjeong occupied specific professions like butchery, tanning, basket weaving and performing executions.[1] During the Goryeo period, "baekjeong" was used as a neutral term to refer to the common people.[3] From the time of the Joseon dynasty, it became an insulting title used to refer to the lowest class of society.[4] In addition, since the Joseon dynasty, "baekjeong" has been also used to denigrate a person.[5][6] In contemporary South Korea, the term is mainly associated with the meaning of a butcher and even used in the restaurants' names.[7][8]
Baekjeong | |
![]() A masked person acting as a baekjeong butcher in a play | |
Korean name | |
---|---|
Hangul | 백정 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Baekjeong |
McCune–Reischauer | Paekchŏng |