Long-Term Patterns of Seasonality of Mortality in Korea from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century

Abstract

Owing to the increased concern about climate change, the issue of seasonality of mortality has been significant in the field of demography. As scholars have attempted to discover better data on longevity and population and to find advanced methodologies for applying to their incomplete and biased data, they have paid attention to trace the long-term patterns of seasonality of mortality. Such efforts influence this study to draw the long-term patterns of seasonality of mortality in Korea, where the population data such as genealogies and household registers are superior to other East Asian countries. In this study, the authors endeavor to find the characteristics of the mortality pattern in Korea through a comparison with other countries and to determine which factors have an effect on the long-term mortality in Korea using a genealogy covering the seventeenth to twentieth centuries. Ultimately, the authors attempt to answer the study questions from the findings of this research by analyzing the cultural factors and systematic approach such as the fiscal distribution system by the Chosŏn government.