The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
  • World Expo 2030
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
  • Hangzhou Asian Games
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    N. Korea holds politburo meeting to discuss Kim-Putin summit: KCNA

  • 3

    Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight

  • 5

    BTS member Suga begins mandatory military service

  • 7

    Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors

  • 9

    Gender equality minister nominee in hot seat over remarks on abortion

  • 11

    Yoon says arms deal between N. Korea, Russia would be 'direct provocation' against S. Korea

  • 13

    US striving to stop NK's potential weapons support to Russia 'wherever we can': Blinken

  • 15

    Honey-dipped cookie to represent 'K-desserts' at global food expo in Germany

  • 17

    Top court upholds life sentence for woman over drowning husband for insurance money

  • 19

    From friend to foe: NK athletes of 2018 joint Korean teams return as rivals to S. Korea

  • 2

    30 people purchased 8,000 homes: data

  • 4

    BTS defies K-pop's 'seven-year curse'

  • 6

    National Assembly passes motion to arrest DPK chief

  • 8

    Seoul invites ambassadors to introduce new halal foods in Korea

  • 10

    Rights experts from 17 countries demand release of North Korean escapees in China

  • 12

    Aespa's VR concert to hit theaters Oct. 25

  • 14

    S. Korea condemns Russia, seeks to mend ties with China

  • 16

    COVID-19 deaths hit record high in Korea for 2022

  • 18

    KG Mobility seeks breakthrough in Europe

  • 20

    National Assembly passes arrest motion against opposition leader

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Opinion
  • Yun Byung-se
  • Kim Won-soo
  • Ahn Ho-young
  • Kim Sang-woo
  • Lee Kyung-hwa
  • Mitch Shin
  • Peter S. Kim
  • Daniel Shin
  • Jeon Su-mi
  • Jang Daul
  • Song Kyung-jin
  • Park Jung-won
  • Cho Hee-kyoung
  • Park Chong-hoon
  • Kim Sung-woo
  • Donald Kirk
  • John Burton
  • Robert D. Atkinson
  • Mark Peterson
  • Eugene Lee
  • Rushan Ziatdinov
  • Lee Jong-eun
  • Chyung Eun-ju and Joel Cho
  • Bernhard J. Seliger
  • Imran Khalid
  • Troy Stangarone
  • Jason Lim
  • Casey Lartigue, Jr.
  • Bernard Rowan
  • Steven L. Shields
  • Deauwand Myers
  • John J. Metzler
  • Andrew Hammond
  • Sandip Kumar Mishra
Sat, September 23, 2023 | 00:51
Mark Peterson
Confucianization in family trees
Posted : 2019-01-15 17:25
Updated : 2019-01-15 17:32
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link

By Mark Peterson

Korea has known Confucianism for over 1,500 years. But Confucianism in Korea was not always the same kind of Confucianism. Social practices changed over time: Initially Confucianism was adopted and adapted to fit Korean society of the Silla period (beginning roughly in the 4th century), but later, Confucianism conformed to the texts on ritual and social behavior and transformed into a totally orthodox ― or as one of my readers likes to say ― "fundamentalist" style of Confucianism.

The tipping point came in the late 17th century when, due perhaps to population pressures, and perhaps because of forever reading the texts and making excuses for not conforming, and perhaps due to the fall of the Ming Dynasty, Korea's "older brother," Korea accepted a thorough-going, orthodox form of Confucianism.

Last week I showed two examples of jokbo ― the typical Korean printed genealogical tables ― showing how they were radically different in organization and in representation of their society in early and late Joseon. Today I want to address a special form of genealogical chart that was used, but fell out of use as Korea became "patrilineal" ― or in Korean, when they developed the "bugye" system. Some like to call this "patriarchy."

In early Joseon, kinship was "bilateral," meaning a person recognized both sides of his genetic inheritance, the mother's side and the father's side. Later, of course, it became all "father's side" ― the bugye system. Or as some anthropologists say, a system in which the only people that count are "men related to men through men." That is patrilineality, the opposite of bilaterality. There was never any matrilineality in Korea.

As an indication of bilaterality, and the reckoning of kinship in the early and middle Joseon periods, they created family trees ― much like what we mean in the West when we use the term. Here is an example of one:
A "palgojodo" family tree

The "trunk" of the tree is the individual whose ancestry is listed above him. In the second section from the bottom are the father and mother. In the next section up are the two sets of grandparents. Then the four sets of great grandparents, and in the top section are the eight sets of great-great-grandparents. Thus the name of the chart in Korean is not "family tree" but rather "a chart of the eight great-great-grandparents ― palgojodo.

This kind of chart was common until the 18th century. As mentioned in previous articles, inheritances were divided equally between sons and daughters, ancestral ceremonies were conducted by sons and daughters ― and the ancestors honored were "bilateral" ― on both sides of the family. The whole point of such charts is to keep track of who should be honored in the Confucian ancestor ceremonies.

Yes, Confucianism existed in Korea before the orthodoxy revolution at the end of the 17th century. But it was very different before ― where this kind of chart was in common use. Later, after the late 17th century, Confucianism became Chinese style ― patrilineal. And no longer would the palgojodo, the evidence of bilateral kinship, be found in Korea.


Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah.


 
miguel
Top 10 Stories
1Scientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlightScientists find green way to turn CO2 into fuel with sunlight
2Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors
3Opposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on TuesdayOpposition party in turmoil as leader could be arrested on Tuesday
4Saudi Arabia celebrates 93rd National DaySaudi Arabia celebrates 93rd National Day
5Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales Korea boosts subsidies to rev up falling EV sales
6Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry Foreign employees rewarded for contribution to Korea's shipbuilding industry
7Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI Lawmakers want to grill business tycoons over decision to rejoin FKI
8'Songpyeon' for low-income families 'Songpyeon' for low-income families
9Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater Gov't reviews changing description of Fukushima wastewater
10Big insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterestedBig insurers up for sale, but financial conglomerates appear disinterested
Top 5 Entertainment News
1BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo BLACKPINK's contract renewal still in limbo
2[INTERVIEW] Virtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels INTERVIEWVirtual K-pop group MAVE: is more than just pretty pixels
3Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape Hebrew University students travel to Korea to explore musical landscape
4[INTERVIEW] 'Cobweb' director questions meaning of cinema INTERVIEW'Cobweb' director questions meaning of cinema
5[INTERVIEW] Seoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea INTERVIEWSeoul's increased art market momentum brings Sotheby's back to Korea
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group