R&D Project (PID2020-116910GB-I00)

Project title: The Road to Freedom in the Joseon Period in Korea: Slavery and Abolitionism in the East Asian Context.

Acronym: ASIA-SLAVES

Principal Investigator: Aurelia Martín Casares

Context of the project

The present ASIA-SLAVES is an R+D+i project of the National Plan 2020 granted by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, attached to the Department of Historical Sciences – East Asian Studies Area of the University of Malaga. The main objective of the project is to investigate the processes of perpetuation and subsequent abolition of slavery in Korea during the Joseon period.

In contrast to slavery by war (prisoners of war), by trade (the slave trade) or by birth, typical of Europe and its colonies, the main mode of acquisition of slaves in Korea until the Kabo Reform of 1894 was debt (indebtedness could involve the sale of one’s children or oneself). In addition, Korean slavery has particularities that do not exist in the Western context, such as gisaeng (female slaves dedicated to the entertainment of men). In addition, revealing the role of these women from a gender perspective is also of interest to the feminist studies movement in South Korea, which is currently experiencing a boom in universities.

This project has a clearly international vocation, and is immersed in international thematic networks on slavery. Our intention is to consolidate our team as an international leader in Asian slavery studies at a global level and to contribute to the maximum dissemination of this project.