The Baekui People, Myth and Truth: A Historical Look at the Korean People and White Clothes

What layered history lies behind the powerful symbol of the ‘Baekui People’?

• The Korean people’s white clothing customs in ancient Chinese records
• The real reason the Joseon dynasty banned white clothes
• How the ‘Baekui People’ became a symbol of resistance
• Two common misconceptions about white clothes and the truth behind them

The Image of the ‘Baekui People’ in Our Minds

‘Baekui Minjok (白衣民族)’—this nickname we use for ourselves has become a powerful symbol embodying purity, innocence, and an indomitable spirit of resistance. Like the chorus in the military song “The Fluttering Taegeukgi” that says, “We are the Baekui people, descendants of Dangun,” this image has deeply permeated our national identity.

But beyond this romantic image, we must ask: Did all our ancestors really wear only white clothes? Was this choice a unique aesthetic preference, a profound spiritual belief, an economic necessity due to lack of dyes, or a political expression of resistance against oppression?

In conclusion, the story of white clothing is not a simple fact but a complex, layered historical narrative. The term ‘Baekui Minjok’ itself is a relatively modern concept born in a specific political context. This article traces the journey of white clothing through historical records—from ancient sources to colonial propaganda—to explore the more subtle and fascinating truths hidden between myth and reality.

Chapter 1: The First Appearance of White Clothes in Ancient Texts

The Earliest Record: The White Clothes Revered by Buyeo

The oldest record of the Korean people’s white clothing custom surprisingly comes not from our own records but from ancient Chinese historical texts. The “Records of the Three Kingdoms” (Sanguozhi) by Chen Shou, compiled around the 3rd century, particularly the “Wei Shu Dongyi Zhuan” (Book of Wei, Eastern Barbarians), is the most crucial source testifying to our ancestors’ love of white clothes.

The Buyeo section contains the following detailed description:

“在國衣尙白, 白布大袂, 袍·袴, 履革鞜”

This can be interpreted as: “When in the country, they revered white clothes, wearing wide-sleeved robes and pants made of white cloth, and leather shoes.” This is not a vague impression but a detailed description of clothing style and material, indicating that the Buyeo people’s preference for white clothes was a distinct cultural trait noticeable to outsiders.

The Love of White Clothes Continued into Silla

As time passed into the Silla period, this tendency continued. Later Chinese histories compiled during the Tang dynasty, such as the “Book of Sui” and the “Northern History,” also paid attention to Silla people’s clothing. These texts include the key phrase “服色尙素”, meaning “they revered simplicity (white) in clothing color.”

Here, ‘素’ (so) refers to the natural color of undyed silk or hemp fabric. The “Book of Sui” goes further, explicitly stating that “the clothing color reveres white light,” clearly indicating the Silla people’s preference for white.

The Spiritual Roots: Why White?

This choice by ancient people was no coincidence. It was rooted deeply in spiritual and religious beliefs.

1. Sun Worship: Scholars like Choi Nam-seon argued that for ancient Koreans, white symbolized sacred light and the sun itself.
2. Ritual Ceremonies: Participants, including officiants, in sacred sky worship ceremonies wore white clothes. The offerings also included white rice cakes and white liquor, emphasizing the religious importance of this color.
3. Purity and Cleanliness: Records describing Goguryeo people as “clean and pure” and Byeonhan people wearing “clean clothes” show that the values of purity and cleanliness symbolized by white were widely shared in society.

Thus, historical records from outsiders objectively prove that the Korean people’s preference for white clothing was more than an aesthetic choice; it was a core cultural feature defining ancient social identity.

Chapter 2: The Court’s Color Regulations vs. The People’s White Clothes

Delving deeper into history reveals an intriguing paradox. On one hand, the state tried to maintain social order through strict color regulations; on the other, the people stubbornly clung to white clothes.

The War Against White Clothes: Centuries of Prohibition Orders

Silla’s bone-rank system strictly distinguished clothing colors by status: purple, scarlet, blue, and yellow. During Goryeo and Joseon, officials wore court robes of different colors according to rank. Color was power and status.

However, most commoners wore white clothes, and the term ‘Baekui’ became synonymous with commoners without official rank. This ‘clothing conflict’ between the state and the people led to centuries of ‘white clothing prohibition orders.’

King Gongmin of Goryeo tried to ban white clothes based on yin-yang and five elements theory, and the Joseon dynasty systematically suppressed white clothing. King Yeongjo lamented, “Eastern people have revered white since ancient times, and even laws cannot change this custom.”

Attempts Bound to Fail

However, these state efforts repeatedly failed. People stubbornly insisted on white clothes due to deep spiritual ties like sun worship, economic realities that made dyes expensive, and the practicality of washing with ash water.

Ultimately, top-down state orders could not overcome the bottom-up cultural customs deeply rooted in the people’s lives. This is strong evidence of the persistent vitality of cultural customs rooted in the lives of the people. Though not a conscious political struggle, the people neutralized state policies simply by maintaining their ways. I see here the prototype of quiet but most effective cultural resistance against state coercion.

Chapter 3: White Clothes Reborn as the Color of Resistance

The Japanese colonial period was a decisive turning point that fundamentally and permanently changed the meaning of white clothes. The Japanese Governor-General launched a massive “Color Promotion Movement” as part of their policy to eradicate Korean culture.

Campaigns of Violence and Humiliation

Where Joseon’s bans were legal decrees, Japan’s methods were far more violent and humiliating.

• Propaganda and Stigmatization: The Governor-General and pro-Japanese media disparaged white clothes as “unsanitary,” “uneconomical,” and even “ghost clothes,” branding Korean culture as uncivilized.
• Physical Violence: The most notorious acts were police or collaborators forcibly splashing ink on people wearing white clothes in public markets. This was public humiliation and an assault on national pride.
• Administrative Pressure: People wearing white were sometimes denied access to government offices, and officials were forced to wear colored clothes to “set an example.”

Backlash: Rising as a Symbol of Resistance

However, this harsh repression had the opposite effect. White clothes, once a simple cultural preference, rapidly became a powerful symbol of national identity and anti-colonial spirit. Wearing white clothes became more than personal taste—it became a quiet but firm expression of resistance against foreign attempts to erase our culture.

This popular resistance was strengthened by nationalist intellectuals like Choi Nam-seon, who actively used and spread the term ‘Baekui Minjok’ as a powerful symbol. Finally, the sea of white-clad crowds in the March 1st Movement permanently engraved this symbol in the hearts of the entire nation.

Ironically, the Japanese Governor-General’s attempts to eliminate the white clothing custom instead catalyzed the forging of the strong, political national symbol we know today.

Chapter 4: Rethinking the Common Beliefs about the ‘Baekui People’

Myth 1: “They couldn’t afford dyeing because they were poor”

This is the most widespread belief but a simplistic explanation that does not align with historical facts.

• Counterargument: Korea has long had sophisticated dyeing techniques. The Song dynasty record “Gyerimji” praised Goryeo’s dyeing skills, especially the beauty of red and purple.
• Truth: Brilliant white was also a luxury requiring significant labor and resources (e.g., grains for bleaching). Maintaining clean white clothes symbolized wealth and diligence, opposite to the idea of poverty. Commoners mostly wore undyed hemp or cotton in natural colors, closer to ‘sosek’ (plain color).

Myth 2: Colonial Gaze and the “Beauty of Sorrow”

Japanese folk art scholar Yanagi Muneyoshi greatly influenced the explanation of Korean aesthetics. He saw the beauty in Korean white porcelain and white clothes as stemming from the nation’s tragic history of ‘han’ (resentment) and sorrow.

• Critical Analysis: While Yanagi’s contributions to preserving Korean cultural heritage are acknowledged, his aesthetic theory remains limited by “sympathetic orientalism.” It reduces an entire nation’s aesthetics to a single emotion of “sorrow,” overlooking other aspects like joy, strength, and sacredness. Ultimately, this perspective objectifies Korea as passive and tragic, unconsciously reinforcing colonial views that strip political agency.

The Real Truth: Diverse Images in Genre Paintings

The strongest rebuttal to this one-sided interpretation is found in late Joseon genre paintings.

Most commoners in Kim Hong-do’s paintings wear simple white, natural, or pale greenish clothes. In contrast, Shin Yun-bok’s paintings of gisaeng and aristocrats show vivid red, yellow, and blue skirts and jackets, displaying a colorful clothing culture.

These two artists’ works decisively prove that ‘Baekui Minjok’ does not literally mean everyone wore white clothes. Clothing varied greatly by status, gender, occupation, and situation. True history lies in understanding this rich diversity of meanings.

Conclusion: Beyond the Constructed Symbol of the Baekui People

The image of the ‘Baekui People’ is a powerful symbol but not a universal historical fact. It is a multi-layered concept overlaid and recreated through time.

• Beginning: White clothes originated from ancient spiritual preferences venerating light and the sky.
• Conflict: Later, it became a cultural preference and quiet resistance against ruling class bans aimed at controlling social order.
• Completion: Finally, under foreign oppression seeking to erase it, white clothing was forged into a political symbol embodying national identity.

Ultimately, the story of white clothes is a microcosm of the Korean people’s history—preserving ancient traditions, resisting authority, and building a strong identity through struggle. The truth of the ‘Baekui People’ is not a single black-and-white photo from the past but a dynamic narrative exploring what white meant to the people living through those times.

Do you know other stories about the ‘Baekui People’? Please share your thoughts in the comments.