古代의 「博士」

Paksa(Hakase) in Ancient Korea and Japan

This paper tries to clarify the meaning of paksa or hakase in ancient Korea and Japan. In Kokuryo the paksa usually meant a professor of the royal university. Buddhist monks who performed various functions could have been employed as professors at the royal university. In Paekche the paksa was the name of the government post which specialized in art and technology. There were many Chinese paksa who immigrated to Paekche after the fall of Taebang and Nakrang Provinces, and they were integrated into the national bureaucracy in the 6th century. In Silla the paksa was appointed for various purposes, and they were distinguished from artisans by their specialty in dealing with large construction projects and gold and copper alloy. Extant sources show that no paksa served as an artisan. There are few epigraphical data showing clearly the role played by the paksa.