Effects of Natural Disasters on Population Identification in the 18th Century Korea

Youjin Lee, Institute for Legal Studies, Yonsei University

Regardless of the times, natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and volcanic eruptions are a crisis that shakes human life. Natural disasters cause climate change, resulting in lower agricultural productivity and people suffering from famine. As malnutrition persists, many people die or get sick, and fewer people are newly born. Therefore, the population record after a natural disaster is significantly different from the record immediately before it. In this article, I will investigate the impact of natural disasters on the population records remaining in 18th century Korea. In pre-modern Korea, hojeok, a household register, was compiled every three years identifying households and individuals within the jurisdiction for each administrative unit. The household register was different from the census because not all people residing in the area were identified. The amount of tax owed in the area was determined by the number of households and individuals in the administrative unit. However, it is possible to clarify changes that occurred before and after natural disasters, such as the rate of grasping population or method of consisting household by tracking individuals and households listed consecutively. Through this analysis, I will confirm how the country, which produced the household register, defined “a family” and perceived family members as a population in the crisis of a natural disaster.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 110. Korean Families in Crisis Prior-20th Century