Baekjeong

The Baekjeong (백정) were an untouchable caste in Korea, originating from some minority, nomadic groups of disputed ethnicity. In the early part of the Goryeo period (918–1392), these minorities were largely settled in fixed communities. However, the Mongol invasion left Korea in disarray and anomie and these groups became nomadic. Subgroups of the baekjeong included the chaein (才人 "entertainers") and the hwachae (禾尺) or suchae (水尺), who were primarily butchers. The baekjeong occupied specific professions like butchery, tanning, basket weaving and performing executions. During the Goryeo period, "baekjeong" was used as a neutral term to refer to the common people. From the time of the Joseon dynasty, it became an insulting title used to refer to the lowest class of society. In addition, since the Joseon dynasty, "baekjeong" has been also used to denigrate a person. In contemporary South Korea, the term is mainly associated with the meaning of a butcher and even used in the restaurants' names. According to Jeong Yakyong, one of the most distinguished scholars on the methodology of historical researches in the reign of King Jeongjo (1777-1800) and King Sunjo (1801-1834), one theory holds that they were of "Tatar" origin. The term "Tartar" seems to have been a general term for all northern peoples, Mongols, Manchurians, and so on. In his book, the origin of the baekjeong is attributed to a nomadic group from the Goryeo period known as the Yangsucheok (Hanja: 楊水尺) or Mujari (Korean: 무자리). Being an alien people, the Yangsuchuk were hardly assimilated into the general population. They were engaged in the making and selling of willow baskets. They were also proficient in slaughtering animals and had a liking for hunting. From the Goryeo Dynasty (918~1392) until the time of King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty, baekjeong was not used to refer to the lowest class of people. The Sino-Korean term baekjeong (白丁) originally meant "common people", a meaning which it retains in Chinese and Japanese.