Flashback: the Gabo Reform (Joseon Dynasty)

Before becoming the Korean empire, the Korean peninsula was under the rule of the feudal system in the Joseon Dynasty. In an uprising called the "Gabo Reform" (named for the year in which it occurred, 1984, according to the Chinese Stems-and-branches calendar), a people's rebellion similar to those that occurred in Western Europe, the commoners and peasants successfully overthrew the traditional hierarchy, abolished slavery, and established several institutions that would contribute to a more democratic society. Similar reforms continued through the start of the 20th century, until Korea was forcefully annexed by the Japanese Empire. Some historians believe that the reforms taking place during this period were influenced by the Meiji Reform that had taken place in Japan. Regardless of the presence of Japanese ideology, the movements comprising the Gabo Reform moved the country greatly in the path toward modernization, a process that was furthered, albeit forcefully, during the Japanese Occupation period.

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