Hopae

Hopae were identification tags carried by Koreans during the Joseon period, recording the bearer's name, place of birth, status and residence. The tags consist of the person's name, birthdate, and where they were born. The hopae system helped the government in tax collection and retrieving runaway slaves. thumb|Hopae made in the late Joseon Dynasty

==History== Certain military officials were required to wear hopae in 1391 (imitating a similar practice by the Yuan dynasty) and its further implementation was continually raised by the Joseon government from 1398. The use of hopae was finally mandated for all males under 16 in 1413 under King Taejong. The desire to control migration was cited as a major reason behind the system in the edict which established the hopae law. However, it was abandoned only three years later in 1416, after the completion of the new household registry; this may have been because the hopae were no longer necessary after the completion of the registry, or the opposition which commoners demonstrated to the requirement of carrying hopae.