Kisaeng (Korean: 기생; Hanja: 妓生; RR: Gisaeng), also called ginyeo (기녀; 妓女), were enslaved women from outcast or enslaved families who were trained to be courtesans, providing artistic entertainment and conversation to men of upper class. First emerging in Goryeo dynasty. kisaeng were officially sanctioned by the state and employed in various public functions. While many worked in royal courts, others were stationed throughout the provinces.

Trained in music, dance, poetry, and prose, kisaeng were often highly educated and skilled in the fine arts. Despite their low social status, they were respected as cultured artists. In addition to entertainment, some were assigned duties in medicine and needlework.

Kisaeng hold an important place in the traditional cultural memory of the Joseon dynasty. Although most individual kisaeng have faded from history, a few are remembered for their talents, intelligence, or loyalty. The most renowned among them is Hwang Jini, a celebrated 16th-century kisaeng known for her poetry and wit.

Throughout the Goryeo and Joseon periods, kisaeng held the status of cheonmin, the lowest in society. They shared this status with other entertainers, as well as butchers and slaves. Status was hereditary, so the children of a kisaeng were also of cheonmin status, and daughters automatically became kisaeng as well. Beginning in the Goryeo period, the governing offices in each district kept a registry of kisaeng, to ensure thorough oversight. The same practice was followed for conscripted slaves. Kisaeng could only be released from their position if a hefty price was paid to the government; this could only be done by a wealthy patron, typically a high government official.

Many kisaeng were skilled in poetry, and numerous sijo composed by kisaeng have survived. These often reflect themes of heartache and parting, similar to poems composed by scholars in exile. In addition, some of the most famous kisaeng poems were composed to persuade prominent scholars to spend the night. The sijo style later came to be associated with kisaeng women, while women of yangban status focused on the gasa form.

Kisaeng attached to a local government office were known as gwan-gi, and their status was differentiated from that of the common slaves also attached to the office. They were separately entered on the census rolls. The kisaeng were regarded as of significantly higher status than the slaves, although technically they were all of cheonmin rank.

Though they were of low social class, the kisaeng held a unique role in ancient Korea's society, and were respected for their career as educated artists and writers. For this reason, they were sometimes spoken of as "possessing the body of the lower class but the mind of the aristocrat" and as having a "paradoxical identity as a socially despised yet popularly (unofficially) acclaimed artist". Not all kisaeng engaged in prostitution as different groups or tiers of kisaeng had different educations and roles. Numerous accounts report individual kisaeng as specializing specifically in arts, music, poetry, and conversation skills.

The career of most kisaeng was very short, generally peaking at age 16 or 17, and over by age 22. Only a few kisaeng were able to maintain their business for very long beyond this time. It may be for this reason that the kisaeng training institutes accepted entrants as young as eight. All kisaeng were obliged by law to retire at age 50. The best prospect most kisaeng had for long-term support was through becoming the concubine of a patron. However, even this was not an option unless their patron first purchased them from the state, which few men of the Joseon period could afford. Thus, most former kisaeng went on to work in or manage a local tavern.