This study focuses on relating group participating in extant Korean mask-dance to their play contents. Korean mask-dance has been handed down at districts controled by government officers. The hereditary middle-class and the low-grade government officials and slaves who belonged to the government office participated in mask-dance in the nineteenth century. The purpose of this paper is to examine why these groups participated in mask dance and how they changed the contents. Hahoe Mask-dance handed down in Kyungsang Province is the one representative of Korean mask dances. This mask-dance was performed as the result of compromise between Poonsang Yoo nobility family and the other lower-class family. In the latter half of the Yi-dynasty the hereditary middle-class had difficulty between nobility officials and lower classes. Therefore, the hereditary middle -class tried to expand their influences on them using the mask-dance and village festivals and sacrifice rites. After all, they had to follow the lower classes's perspective. In the result, the lower classes tried to live in harmony and reconciliation with the other classes through the mask dances.

This study focuses on relating group participating in extant Korean mask-dance to their play contents. Korean mask-dance has been handed down at districts controled by government officers. The hereditary middle-class and the low-grade government officials and slaves who belonged to the government office participated in mask-dance in the nineteenth century. The purpose of this paper is to examine why these groups participated in mask dance and how they changed the contents. Hahoe Mask-dance handed down in Kyungsang Province is the one representative of Korean mask dances. This mask-dance was performed as the result of compromise between Poonsang Yoo nobility family and the other lower-class family. In the latter half of the Yi-dynasty the hereditary middle-class had difficulty between nobility officials and lower classes. Therefore, the hereditary middle -class tried to expand their influences on them using the mask-dance and village festivals and sacrifice rites. After all, they had to follow the lower classes's perspective. In the result, the lower classes tried to live in harmony and reconciliation with the other classes through the mask dances.

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