A Study on the Establishment Process and Approval Date of the Hanseong Gisaeng Association, The Beginning of Modern Gisaeng System : Focusing on Japanese Records (1908-1910 Documents of Japanese Resident-General)

This study closely analyzed existing research, including various claims and counterclaims regarding the approval date of the Hanseong Gisaeng Association. Then, this study focused on Japanese records, including “Records of Gisaeng and Changgi,” to clarify the establishment process and approval date of the Hanseong Gisaeng Association in 1908. First, the “Gisaeng Association” was established under the instruction of the Japanese Resident-General, led by the Gisaeng husbands. Bangsong Song (2003) claimed that “Although the Hanseong Gisaeng Association may have been established under the instruction of the Japanese Resident-General, it served as the model and foundation of numerous Gisaeng associations that appeared rapidly in Gyeongseong and other regions in the 1910s.” Second, the Hanseong Gisaeng Association was Korea’s first association of Gisaeng and the origin of Gisaeng association. It was officially licensed on December 23, 1908, and related details are found only in the article, [Approval of Petition for Gisaeng Association], dated December 23, 1908, in the [Korean Empire Newspapers]. Third, in the modern Gisaeng system, each Gisaeng had to go through close investigation and thorough screening, including demonstration of artistic skills, addresses and names of their mentors, and signatures from family, relatives, and the association, to obtain a Gisaeng license. Those who falsely claimed to be Gisaeng without a license or sufficient skill were subject to severe legal penalties, including detention or fines. Lastly, this study is distinguished from previous research by focusing on the documents written in Japanese by officials of the Resident-General Police Department that ordered the establishment of the Gisaeng Association. This study is also the first to report the approval date of the Hanseong Gisaeng Association in the academic community and the second academic paper dedicated to the topic of Hanseong Gisaeng Association.