Confucian Statecraft and Korean Institutions. Yu Hyongwon and the Late Choson Dynasty - James B. Palais

NEW SCHOOLS 193

This idea contradicted his previous statement about preserving schools as sep-
arate loci for egalitarian treatment, but it was consistent with his refusal to per-
mit slaves any access at all to the school system. Slaves, however, could be used
to perform the menial functions in the school including the preparation of food
in the dining hallJ5 Yu's concept of progressive reform was to regularize slave
service in the schools by attaching their residential land (provided in his new
land distribution scheme) to the school, exempting them from taxes and mili-
tary service, and providing them with regular salaries.?6 He hoped that by the
eventual establishment of the kongj()n (public land) system of state ownership
and allotments he could insulate both the schools and the slaves from private
manipulation.
He hoped also to put an end to the practice of well-to-do families donating
land and slaves to schools in return for obtaining student status for their sons
without their passing the school qualification examinations so that they could
gain exemption from labor and military service taxes. He sought to do this by
setting quotas of school slaves (pogye) and providing them with legal exemp-
tions from taxes and military service, a temporary measure that could be elim-
inated once his national land system were adopted. In addition, the duties of the
school slaves were to be limited to service for the school to prevent them from
being exploited for private purposes by students.?7
Yu was particularly distressed by the arrogant behavior of the slaves at the
contemporary National Academy. So prestigious was the National Academy that
the students and aspirants for examination success willingly subjected them-
selves to the rude and discourteous behavior of the academy slaves.

Not only do the [academy slaves) pull people by the arm, choke them by the

neck, and strip them of their coats and pants, but they also burst into homes and

take away family property, the same as if they were stealing it. This is because

the scholars in their pursuit of benefit have no shame. On the contrary, they

regard it as an honor [to be manhandled by the academy slaves]. What kind of

behavior is this ... ?7X

Of course, as Yu pointed out, once the examination system were abolished
and replaced by a recommendation system, all reason for these practices would
cease (because the National Academy would no longer ease the path to exami-
nation success). Until that time, however, the government had to enforce regu-
lations requiring slaves to show respect for their betters.
Instead of advocating an end to the use of slave labor in the schools, he argued
that if the state fulfilled its duty to provide slave labor in the schools (instead of
depending on private donations), this kind of corruption would be precluded.?9
In a similar vein, his regulations prohibited students from using school slaves
for private errands or from arbitrarily punishing slaves for perceived misconduct. 80
The only modification of existing status discrimination against slaves in schools
was elimination of the distinction in the titles of musicians between those of