The policy of the disabled in the Joseon Dynasty

 "Political preferential treatment for the disabled in the Joseon Dynasty" Korean literature scholar Chung Chang-kwon, a visiting professor at Korea University, will present a paper at an academic conference hosted by the Korean Society of Social History at Hallym University from the 22nd to the 23rd. According to Professor Jeong's thesis, Recognition of Persons with Disabilities in Joseon, people with disabilities in the traditional era were called "the Abolition," "the Residual," and "the Poisoner." The types of disabilities were also diverse, including so-called blind, one-legged, lame, sitting, hunch, dwarf, uncheong, deaf, and mute. In addition, mental disorders such as madness and epilepsy were also accepted as disorders. In the traditional era, the policy of the disabled was to support families. If the family was unable to support the disabled, village communities such as relatives and neighbors provided support. However, the government did not just sit on its hands against the disabled. During the reign of King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty, people with disabilities were exempted from taxes, additional services, and miscellaneous services. Instead of imposing punishment, they were given in place of Vero and excluded from the system of association. In particular, the governments of Goryeo and Joseon ordered visually impaired people to participate in social activities by arranging jobs such as fortune telling, reading (Memorizing Buddhist scriptures), and musicians. King Taejong of the Joseon Dynasty formed a blind organization called Myeongtongsi to support the activities of the blind. In Myeongtong-si, blind people gathered once every first and fifteenth day of every month to pray for the safety of the country by memorizing the scriptures, and held a rain ritual during drought. In the country, slaves were provided to Myeongtong-si, and rice and bees were given as rewards to the blind. Some of the visually impaired entered the country's music museum, Jangakwon, and were in charge of playing musical instruments. Among the blind people engaged in fortune telling, they also entered the government office called "Myeong Science" belonging to the coronavirus. As such, people with disabilities in the traditional era were not greatly discriminated against or alienated because of their disabilities. In the case of a nobleman, he was able to rise to a high government post through the past. Heo Jo, a politician of the early Joseon Dynasty, suffered from rickets and bent his back, but he was Myeongjae-sang, who climbed to the left-wing after passing through Ijo and Yejo Panseo. Cho Sung-ki, who lived in the 17th century, fell from a horse when he was 20 and became a spinal disabled person, but became a great scholar and left a collection of poems, "Jolsujaejip," and a novel "The Record of Changseongam." There are also many disabled poets, painters, and musicians. During King Jeongjo's reign, the poet Jang Hon was lame, but he became an official of the royal court's printing shop, Gaminso, and corrected the books given by the king. He left 20 books of "Bidanjip" as a collection of writings. In addition, it is said that Kim Seong-chim and Hong, who were visually impaired couples in the late Joseon Dynasty, wrote poems well inside and outside, and there was a law in governing the family and educating children. Choi Buk, who lost one of his eyesight, is a representative painter for the disabled, while Ivan, Kim Bok-san, Jung Bum, Kim Un-ran, and Baek Ok are among the musicians. Professor Chung Chang-kwon said, "Until the mid-Joseon Period, we were not exclusive to the disabled," adding, "The perception of the disabled seems to have retreated through the late Joseon Dynasty and modern times." Unlike today, Professor Jeong argues that in the traditional era, if ability is allowed, they did not care about disability and maintained an independent life.