When Women’s Work Became a Modern Occupation: The Formation of the “Domestic Worker” Category under Japanese Colonial Rule

This paper examines the formation of the occupational category of domestic workers under Japanese colonial rule, exploring how women’s labor was transformed into and recognized as a modern profession. Conventional historical narratives often portray modernization as a process through which women “entered the world of professions.” However, in practice, women frequently worked outside the framework of typical occupations both before and after modernization. Domestic workers, who emerged as one of the representative female occupations during the colonial period, exemplify this phenomenon.<br/>The official recognition of domestic work as an occupation in sources such as national censuses was a slow and gradual process, as it was closely tied to the perception that individual employment should contribute to national production. In Korea, this categorization was introduced not as a direct reflection of social realities but rather as a response to administrative needs and colonial discourse. Analyzing cases from oral history collections reveals the distinct characteristics of domestic service as an occupation. This work was primarily performed by underage girls from rural areas, offered minimal wages, lacked clear employment terms and duties, and was defined by personal dependency rather than contractual labor―features that diverged significantly from the typical attributes of modern professions. However, rather than indicating the persistence of premodern labor structures, these characteristics should be understood as part of the particular form of modernity that women experienced under colonial rule.