A Study on the existence aspect of the elderly in the Joseon Dynasty

조선시대 노인(老人)의 존재양상 - 연령과 신분을 중심으로 -

The elderly in the Joseon Dynasty consistently attracted attention from the national herb as objects of social respect. Based on the Confucian ideology, the old man was considered to be a receiving body, since he was a person with complete character as a man. The elderly, who have the character of being a slave, transcended their status, and both the souls and the people were transcended beyond their identities and attributes and became objects of respect. The perception of the elderly is divided by age. The persons who are 50 years old and start to be in physical decline were regarded as senior citizens. However, this was just mentioned as an inflection point between the prime of manhood and senior citizens and was not defined as the elderly. As a public duty called a national work ends when they are 60 years old, the age is truly the lowest limit of senior citizens who are applicable to all the social beings. However, because their public duties end when they are 60 years old and they were regarded as general members of society, special benefits were not granted to them. In the caste system and bureaucratic society, senior citizens' treatment were differently done by age. For the senior citizens who are 70 years old, various benefits were just granted to high government officials. Bokho(復戶) and Seojeong were first given to them. And the retirement age of government officials was not specially set. It was done in the way to treat Jonno with exceptional respect by Chisa(致仕: regular retirement). It is the most respectful treatment given to high government officials and ministers. For the senior citizens who are 80 years old, Yangnoyeon(養老宴) was held for both of Yangmin and Cheonmin as an measure to treat them considerately. In addition, official ranks(官品) with social value were allowed by giving them Noinjik (老人職). Official ranks given to Seoin and Cheonin were the best Jonno(尊老) policy. However, the Jonno policy related to senior citizens was different according to position and official ranks as follows: Kings were subjected to social treatment when they were 60 years old. High government officials and royal relatives of the senior grade of the second court rank were subjected to social treatment when they were 70 years old. And general Seoin and slaves were subjected to social treatment when they were respectively 80 and 90 years old. Senior citizens were individually supported. However, social value was granted because the nation supervised it. As Bokho and Sijeong were assigned according to position and official ranks and kinds of things were different, the social limit was clearly shown. Social order was put above the ideology called Jonno thought. However, Jonno acts by age and position did not stay at the individual level and the nation took care of the senior citizens who are the members of society in various ways based on Jonno thought. Society tried to take care of the senior citizens who had difficulties in their activities because of being in physical decline. The nation increased the existence value of the senior citizens by giving things(賜物) including chairs, rice, meat, and ice economically, exoneration(免罪), the reduction system, and wergild legally, and Noinjik called Gaja(加資) socially to them and changing them to the members of society. Yangnoyeon and Gaja held targeting people of every class by transcending position and official ranks make the point that the senior citizens who are more than 80 years old are subject to social jonno clear. That is, the senior citizens were subject to respect for the elderly as the persons who were socially respected transcending their position when they got to be 80 years old.

조선시대 노인은 육체적 변화와 더불어 10년을 단위로 하는 연령별로 사회적 처우가 달랐다. 우선 유교 이념에서 노인은 군자로서의 완성된 성품을 지닌 자로서 여전히 수신해야 하는 존재였다. 군자로서의 성품을 지녔기에 존로와 경로는 신분과 관품을 초월해서 이루어졌다. 노인은 육체적 쇠약이 시작되는 50세부터로 보았지만 이는 장년과 노인의 변곡점을 언급한 것일 뿐 노인을 규정한 것은 아니다. 노인은 국역이라는 사회적 의무가 해제되는 60세는 모든 사회적 존재에게 해당되는 명실상부한 노인의 하한 연령이다. 그러나 60세는 사회적 의무가 해제될 뿐 여전히 노인은 일반 사회구성원으로 간주되었기에 특별한 혜택이 부여되지는 않았다. 신분제와 관료제 사회에서 노인의 우대는 연령별로 다르게 시행되었다. 70세는 고관에게만 다양한 혜택이 주어졌는데, 복호와 시정을 처음으로 제공했다. 또한 관료의 정년은 특별히 정해지지 않고 스스로 물러나는 치사(致仕)에 의해 존로를 예우하는 방식으로 거행되었다. 고관과 대신에게 주어진 최상의 예우라 하겠다. 80세는 양천 모두에게 노인을 우대하는 조치로 양로연을 베풀었다. 더불어 노인직을 수여함으로써 사회적 가치가 부여된 관품(官品)을 허용했다. 서인과 천인에게조차 허용된 관품은 최상의 존로(尊老)정책이었다고 하겠다. 그러나 노인 관련 존로정책은 신분과 관품에 따라 왕은 60세부터, 정2품 고관, 종친 등은 70세, 일반 서인은 80세, 노비는 90세에 사회적 예우의 대상이 되었다. 노인 봉양은 개인적으로 실시하면 되지만 국가가 이를 주관했기에 사회적 가치를 부여한 것이다. 신분과 관품에 따라 복호와 시정을 배정하고, 사물의 종류를 달리함으로써 당시 사회적 한계가 분명히 드러났다. 존로 사상이라는 이념보다는 신분과 관품이라는 사회적 질서가 우선시 된 것이다. 그러나 연령별, 신분별 존로 행위는 개인적 차원에 그치지 않고 국가가 사회의 구성원인 노인을 존로사상에 입각해 다양한 방법으로 양로했다. 육체적 쇠약으로 인해 활동이 여의치 않은 이들을 사회가 양로코자 했다. 경제적으로는 의자, 쌀, 고기, 얼음 등의 사물(賜物)을 통해, 법적으로는 면죄(免罪)와 감경과 속죄금 등으로, 사회적으로는 가자(加資)라는 노인직 수여를 통해 관료제 사회의 구성원으로 치환함으로써 그 존재 가치를 높였다. 신분과 관품을 초월하여 모든 계층을 대상으로 실시된 양로연과 가자는 80세 이상이 사회적 존로의 대상임을 분명히 한다. 즉 80세에 이르면 노인은 신분을 초월하여 사회적으로 존경받는 노인으로서 경로의 대상이 되었다.