조선시대 정혼에 관한 연구

Abstract

A Study on the Betrothal System in Joseon Dynasty * Professor, College of Law, Soongsil University. Seong Sook, Kim* This article is made on the betrothal system in the period of Joseon Dynasty with particular focus placed on the articles from the Joseon Dynastic Annals. Characteristics of the betrothal system in this period were that it was regarded as the precondition for marriage and required formative conditions of marriage letter, wedding presents and ornaments. Also, betrothal was acknowledged to have the same effect as quasi-marriage. That is, the right age for betrothal, the prescription of Daemyeongyul that the person who became engaged to one person cannot be betrothed again or the statute of Gyeonggukdaejeon were not thoroughly observed and there were many instances in which people became betrothed again. Also, in relations to the effect of annulment of betrothal, it was found that, in reality, the prescription of Daemyeongyul that remarriage to another person shall be annulled and the woman shall be in principle returned back to the former husband was not observed entirely. It was because even the king found this regulation on the remarriage of women irrational and acknowledged that it forced women to return back to their former husbands. It can be regarded that the betrothal system was carried out without significant changes over time during the era of Joseon Dynasty.