Kisaeng

Kisaeng, also called ginyeo, were enslaved women from outcast or enslaved families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of upper class. First emerging in the Goryeo dynasty, were officially sanctioned by the state and employed in various public functions. While many worked in royal courts, others were stationed throughout the provinces.
Trained in music, dance, poetry, and prose, kisaeng were often highly educated and skilled in the fine arts. Despite their low social status, they were respected as cultured artists. In addition to entertainment, some were assigned duties in medicine and needlework.
hold an important place in the traditional cultural memory of the Joseon dynasty. Although most individual have faded from history, a few are remembered for their talents, intelligence, or loyalty. The most renowned among them is Hwang Jini, a celebrated 16th-century kisaeng known for her poetry and wit.

Social position

Throughout the Goryeo and Joseon periods, held the status of, the lowest in society. They shared this status with other entertainers, as well as butchers and slaves. Status was hereditary, so the children of a were also of status, and daughters automatically became as well. Beginning in the Goryeo period, the governing offices in each district kept a registry of, to ensure thorough oversight. The same practice was followed for conscripted slaves. could only be released from their position if a hefty price was paid to the government; this could only be done by a wealthy patron, typically a high government official.
Many were skilled in poetry, and numerous composed by have survived. These often reflect themes of heartache and parting, similar to poems composed by scholars in exile. In addition, some of the most famous poems were composed to persuade prominent scholars to spend the night. The style later came to be associated with women, while women of status focused on the form.
attached to a local government office were known as, and their status was differentiated from that of the common slaves also attached to the office. They were separately entered on the census rolls. The were regarded as of significantly higher status than the slaves, although technically they were all of rank.
Though they were of low social class, the held a unique role in ancient Korea's society, and were respected for their career as educated artists and writers. For this reason, they were sometimes spoken of as "possessing the body of the lower class but the mind of the aristocrat" and as having a "paradoxical identity as a socially despised yet popularly acclaimed artist". Not all engaged in prostitution as different groups or tiers of had different educations and roles. Numerous accounts report individual as specializing specifically in arts, music, poetry, and conversation skills.

Career

The career of most was very short, generally peaking at age 16 or 17, and over by age 22. Only a few were able to maintain their business for very long beyond this time. It may be for this reason that the training institutes accepted entrants as young as eight. All were obliged by law to retire at age 50. The best prospect most had for long-term support was through becoming the concubine of a patron. However, even this was not an option unless their patron first purchased them from the state, which few men of the Joseon period could afford. Thus, most former went on to work in or manage a local tavern.
In the later period of Joseon, a three-tiered system developed. The highest tier was occupied by who sang and danced at upper-class feasts. were not permitted to entertain after they turned 30. However, they could continue working in other duties, such as dressmaking and medicine, until the age of 50. They received guests only by choice. The of each district, who was the leader of the, took charge of discipline and training new.
of the lowest tier were called . The were forbidden to perform the songs and dances of the. The three-tiered system, like other aspects of Joseon class division, broke down in the late 19th century.
In the course of their careers, some were able to amass considerable personal wealth. However, these were the exception. were required to meet their expenses, including food, clothes, and makeup, out of their own personal funds.

Becoming a

Women entered the class through various paths. Some were the daughters of, who inherited their mother's status. Others were sold into the class by families who could not afford to support them. Most such families were of rank, but sometimes poor families of higher status sold their children in this fashion. On occasion, even women from the aristocracy were made, usually because they had violated the strict sexual mores of the Joseon period.
As were skilled workers from the beginning, the government took an early interest in ensuring correct education. This first emerged with the establishment of, training institutes for palace during the Goryeo period. During the Joseon period, this became further codified, with instruction focusing on music and dance.
In the three-tiered system of later Joseon, more specialized training schools were established for of the first tier. The course of study lasted three years and covered poetry, dance, music, and art. The most advanced such school was located in Pyongyang. This system continued well into the Japanese colonial period, during which time the schools training were known as .

Daily life

As slaves of the government, the lives of were closely regulated. They were overseen by the officer in charge of, known as the hojang. The hojang was also in charge of maintaining the register, and ensuring that none of the district's had fled. were required to answer the requests of patrons, unless they had previously notified the hojang. The of the district were expected to appear for inspection twice a month and also when a new official arrived in the area. In addition, they were required to report for continuing education, usually focused on music and dance. The frequency and content of this training varied from region to region.
However, the detailed affairs of the were not directly overseen by the state. Order was kept within each gyobang, which might include some tens of, by the haengsu, those of the highest tier. When problems arose between a and a client, or when charges of criminal conduct were made against a, the haengsu usually took the leading role in resolving the situation.
In addition, most had a gibu, or " husband", who provided protection and economic support, such as buying them valuable things or granting them social status in return for entertainment. Most gibu were former soldiers, government enforcers, or servants of the royal household. At times, there was friction between would-be customers and possessive gibu, although the gibu was not the 's husband and had no legal claim to her. The role of the gibu changed over time; at first, many in government service had no such patron. However, by the late Joseon dynasty, the gibu system was more or less universal.
In the Joseon dynasty, houses were typically located near the center of a town, often close to the marketplace. They were laid out to create a welcoming effect; in many cases, a location was chosen with a fine view, and the area around the house would be landscaped with ornamental pools and plantings.

Politics and diplomacy

played a number of important political roles, as servants of the state and in their own right.
Thanks to their frequenting the taverns and guest-houses of the town, were often among the most knowledgeable on local affairs. For this reason, they were at times a key source of intelligence. It was through information supplied by that the rebel army of Hong Gyeong-nae was able to easily take the fortress of Jongju in the early 19th century.
When cities fell, as many of Korea's cities did during the 1592–1598 Japanese invasions of Korea, were often made to entertain the generals of the victorious army. Some of Korea's most famous, including Nongae of Jinju, are remembered today for their bravery in killing or attempting to kill leaders of the imperial Japanese army.
Some were also active in the Korean independence movements of the early 20th century. In this they resembled other women of Joseon, who often took a leading role in the independence struggle. Aengmu, a of Daegu, was a major donor to the National Debt Repayment Movement in the early 20th century. Some fifty of Jinju took part in a demonstration as part of the March 1st Movement in 1919.

Regional differences

seem to have been relatively few in number, at the most a few thousand. They were spread throughout the country, with a few hundred in the larger centers and smaller numbers in the hyeon villages. They were also found in the "stations" and inns which provided food and shelter to travelers along the country's arterial roads, such as the Great Yeongnam Road.
The number and characteristics of the varied greatly from region to region. During the Joseon period, the city with the most by far was Seoul, then called Hanseong, with perhaps 1000. Many of these worked for the court, and helped to fill the vast number of trained entertainers needed for grand festivals. Beautiful or talented were often taken from the provinces to Seoul. The required training for in Seoul was regular and very strict, with inattentive sent home.
There were also large numbers of in the old capitals of Kaesong and Pyongyang. The of Pyongyang were noted for their high level of skill and beauty. The school of Pyongyang was one of the country's most advanced, and continued operating until late in the colonial period. The of Pyongyang were also known for their ability to recite the kwan san yung ma, a song by the 18th-century composer Sin Kwangsu.
Other large concentrations existed around military camps, particularly along the northern border. For instance, in the time of Sejong the Great in the 15th century, there were some sixty attached to the army base at Yongbyon. In these areas, essentially filled the role of wives for the army and their role was commensurately more focused on domestic tasks than entertainment.
The of other regions also maintained distinctive local identities. The of Jinju were particularly adept at the Geommu, a traditional sword dance. Those of Jeju were known for their equestrian prowess. In many cases, the noted skills of a region's corresponded with some other local claim to fame. The of the Gwandong region on the east coast, home to many famous sights including Mount Kumgang, memorized the gwan dong byeol gok, a poem recounting their region's scenery. Those of the Honam region in the southwest were trained in pansori, while those of the seonbi city Andong could recite the Great Learning by heart.