earticle

영어

Korean society bears its welfare problems derived from late marriages trend, low birthrates, and an aging society as there have been social changes due to the globalization and the discussions on multicultural family are on the rise. Under these circumstances, I have approached in historical folklore method to the marriage encouragement policy of traditional society, particularly articles related to traditional wedding ceremony and family welfare from legal conducts of Gyeonggukdaejeon.
As a result, the premodern culture of wedding ceremony which was different from that of the present time was not only a spontaneous practice by family/kinship as well as individuals. In case of being past maximum marriageable age of 30 set as a national norm due to the poverty, there had been government subsidies, honja(婚資), aiding the head of a family. In addition, there had been restrictions on the number of torches for lighting in the evening of the wedding
ceremony and size of wedding present foods even to the family of wealthy noble men. When there were conflicts between wedding ceremony and the process of funeral ceremony, which was pivot ritual of norm of yegyohwa(禮敎化), the priority was given to the funeral ceremony to observe the social discipline.
While books were published and circulated for health, sanitation, and antenatal training under government leadership in Joseon dynasty, there were national supports in the formation and development of families and marriage encouragement by legal conducts of Gyeonggukdaejeon, thus the dissolution of family were controlled. In other words, the governing ideology of yegyohwa was realized. The social welfare policy of Joseon dynasty was in succession to the laws of Goryeo dynasty and was enforced yechi(禮治) under government leadership to realize the society of yegyohwa.