The Silla dynasty’s period includes the earliest written references to the Gabae contest linked with Chuseok.
Gabae is described in historical accounts of Silla, an ancient Korean kingdom that existed from 57 BCE to 935 CE. According to the traditional story, women in two groups competed in weaving during a month-long contest that ended with a celebration and feast. This account is often connected with the early historical background of Chuseok.
The story appears in the Samguk Sagi, a major historical work completed in 1145 during the Goryeo period. The source was written centuries after the events it describes, so it is evidence for the tradition’s historical memory rather than a contemporary record from Silla itself.
Gabae is not the modern name of Chuseok and does not describe every present-day custom. It is an early tradition commonly discussed in explanations of the festival’s origins.