In the Silla-era Gabae contest linked to Chuseok, women competed in weaving.
According to the historical tradition, the Gabae contest involved two teams of women who worked at weaving during a month-long competition. At the end, the losing team prepared food and entertainment for the winners. This account is commonly connected with the early historical background of Chuseok.
The story is associated with Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Later Korean tradition linked the contest to the eighth lunar month and to the seasonal celebration that became Chuseok. The account is preserved in the Samguk Sagi, a major historical chronicle compiled in the twelfth century.
Gabae should not be confused with modern competitive sports or with the folk games played during contemporary holiday gatherings. The contest’s distinctive feature is textile production: women competed over the amount of weaving completed, not over archery, horse riding, or agricultural work.