Abstrakt
The premodern Korean legal system was greatly influenced by China because of its geographical and historical proximity. The Kingdom of Joseon, since its establishment in 1392, adopted the Ming dynasty's administrative and legal framework which over centuries developed into its particular form.
This also included the system of Five Punishments. During the Ming Era, this framework evolved into a significant scale of more than thirty degrees of physical penalties punishing all kinds of criminal activities.
The penal system of the Great Ming Code in both China and Korea was therefore based on these Five Punishments that stipulated the basis for criminal law. This presentation which is based on the output of my Master's research aims to initiate you into the penal system of the Kingdom of Joseon and its development.
I will present the Five Punishments in their full scale, describing all five degrees of each punishment with Joseon's characteristic differences and how they evolved over the centuries. I will also describe how the above-mentioned sanctions were executed and compare them with its Chinese predecessor.
Furthermore, this contribution will also detail the Ten Abominations, offenses considered the most abhorrent and threatening to the civilized society.