Westerners Testify Joseon's Living Standards

 How did Westerners see the standard of living reflecting various conditions such as the natural environment, ethnicity, educational enthusiasm, and industrial conditions? Some pointed out that all citizens except the privileged are in an amazing level of poverty, but Westerners generally agreed that the lives of Koreans are stable. What drew attention as an impressive sight of the relative stability of life was that there were few poor people like beggars. This was commonly pointed out by Westerners with extensive Joseon experience, including Mrs. Carls, Gale, McKinsey, and Mrs. Underwood. According to Gale, there were no beggars in Joseon, and the only places where beggars were located were around foreign settlements. Mrs. Underwood says that compared to the poorest in London and New York, there is no one in Seoul who is naked or hungry. According to McKinsey's observation while traveling in Chungcheong Province after the righteous army, the lives of rural people were more bereaved than those of Seoul. While the people of Seoul were lazy, rural farmers were diligent and faithful, so there is no problem in cultivating their own land and making a living unless there is a famine. In his view, the living conditions of Koreans outside of Seoul were better than those of British people outside London. To borrow Carls' expression, "People were poor, but they didn't seem to be in need at all." The stability of life is said to be seen in the practice of being stingy and favorable to hospitality. In Joseon, it is said that hospitality is considered a sacred duty of everyone. Whether you know it or not, it is not only a shame to refuse to feed those who come at dinner, but it is also considered a great mistake, and it also provides bed for travelers who come at night. Therefore, it is said that a person who is not suspicious can travel from end to end of the Korean Peninsula while being treated kindly without any money. The stability of life was found to be the stability of order. Bishop read Joseon's public sentiment from his experience of staying in a small alley in Gaesong. She seemed so moved by the fact that she was able to lie with her arms stretched out without anxiety in a room with no doors locked and no locks on it was a fragile woman alone. Order was maintained not only in the city but also in the countryside. According to a Russian military officer, he was staying in a very remote village with no government office, but order has never been destroyed anywhere. Peace and tranquility dominated everywhere. <<The Korean Pavilion of Westerners in the late 19th century and early 20th century>> Jeong Yeon-tae (an associate professor of humanities at Catholic University) ;; read and upload the article by Haet. I guess the people were starving like North Korea these days at the end of the Joseon Dynasty. Although Joseon's commerce and industry are lagging behind, the overall standard of living of the people is said to be good. Although Joseon later collapsed due to the power politics, it managed to endure 500 years because it did not starve the people at least.