Damo (Korea)

For other uses, see Damo (disambiguation).

Damo (Literally translated as "Tea Lady"), is a class of servants in Joseon Korea that is lower than slaves in their overall rankings in society. Their main responsibility is to serve tea to the gentries. Damos are also kept in the castle, and work as attendants in various departments.

Some historical records have indicated that in certain times, Damos were used as police officer to investigate crime, mostly for adultery and other crimes involving women, where male investigators cannot ask questions about the case without causing embarrassment. They were required to be "no taller than 150 centimenters, weigh around 40-45 kilograms, be very agile, flexible, and even withstand large quantities of alcohol without getting drunk."

This unique institution was the main inspiration for the 2003 Korean miniseries Damo, which in turn was based on Bang Hak-gi's manhwa Damo Nam-soon.