조선시대 사회규율과 신체 미의식에 관한 고찰: 유교적 신체관을 중심으로 한 K-뷰티와의 연계성 분석

초록

This study aims to analyze the influence of social discipline in the Joseon Dynasty on the formation of bodily aesthetics. In particular, it examines how the view of the body and aesthetic standards shaped around Confucian ideology affected individuals’ perceptions of appearance and methods of bodily management. To this end, the study analyzes legal institutions, ritual studies, and literary materials from the Joseon period. The findings indicate that bodily aesthetics in the Joseon Dynasty were not merely concerned with external beauty, but were closely associated with ethical values that reflected morality and inner cultivation. This aesthetic consciousness was also related to the Confucian view of the body, which regarded the body as something received from one’s parents and therefore prohibited its damage or alteration. In addition, different aesthetic standards were established according to gender. Women were expected to embody chastity, modesty, and elegance, whereas men and the ruling class were required to display frugality, dignity, and moral refinement. Furthermore, social class distinctions were expressed through clothing, colors, ornaments, and the degree of cosmetic use, thereby transforming the body into a symbolic medium that revealed one’s social status and moral character. These historical aesthetic values can be understood as having been inherited in contemporary K-beauty, particularly in its emphasis on naturalness, clear and neat skin, restrained colors, and an elegant image.

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