How did Korean puppet plays criticize the ruling classes?

In the context of Korean performing arts, puppet plays—such as the folk play Kkoktukaksi—served as a significant vehicle for social commentary. These performances utilized satire to challenge and criticize the ruling classes, particularly the gentry, as well as depraved Buddhist monks.1

The plays typically consisted of several independent scenes that mocked the behavior and moral failings of these powerful figures. By portraying the gentry as major characters in scenarios involving domestic conflict or corruption, the puppeteers were able to expose the hypocrisy and venality of the elite to a popular audience. These themes of social criticism were shared across various traditional folk dramas, including mask plays and oral narratives like p’ansori, which similarly used satire to implicitly critique contemporary society and the established social order.12