• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.68 no.2
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• pp.79-105
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• 2016

This study aimed to understand the pre-capitalistic distributional system in association with politics and economics by examining the distributional system between 1876 (the opening of a port era) and 1910. The study revealed that the distributional system reflected the political and economic characteristics and changes of the pre-capitalistic society. The examination indicated the following implications and questions. First, we need a new narrative of Chosun's distributional system before the period of Japanese occupation. Chosun's distributional system can be identified as a self sufficient system (Hwan-gok). Second, most social welfare literature discuss private self sufficient system such as Gye or Hwang-Yak as the distributional system in the pre-modern Chosun; however, this does not accurately explain the system of Chosun society. Implication of such findings are discussed.