p. 245 | Slavery in Corea

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 22, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 16.

Slavery in Corea.

THE following interesting extract is from a letter written by an American missionary in Corea:—

“On the 5th inst. [February], that is on the second day of the Corean new year, His Majesty issued an edict abolishing slavery in his kingdom. The decree reads that the guild which furnishes slaves to the Government be abolished, as well as the slaves connected with the various royal palaces. The books and lists of slaves held by the masters must be burned. Henceforth there can be no slaves in Corea save those who voluntarily, because of poverty or otherwise, sell themselves into bondage; but the children of all such are free-born. This seems to be the gist of the law, though ‘lawyers’ here, as in other places, are inclined to put their own interpretation on it. It is safe to say that the backbone of slavery in Corea is broken; and this noble act of her ruler places him side by side with our own Lincoln, and Alexander III. of Russia. His course is the more to be admired because there were no Garrisons and Phillipses to arouse public sentiment (no such thing exists) on the subject. The king plainly states that his predecessor, who reigned about 1820, thought to alleviate the sufferings of the slaves, and he now congratulates himself on being able to give them freedom. This emancipation proclamation will draw the people to their king. It is estimated that upward of half the population of the kingdom are slaves. Of this number many, because of ill-treatment or other reasons, have deserted their masters, fled to the country, and are successful farmers or tradesmen. The system as it was, enabled the son, or any male descendant of the family of the old master, to seize the property of any slave or his descendants who were at any time connected with the family. Couple this with the well-known laziness, haughtiness, and cruelty of the average slave-master, and the evil of slavery in Corea must have been very great.”