개항기 경제 변동과 개성상인의 활동 (Economic Fluctuation and Respondence of Gaesung Merchants during the Opening of Port Era)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 역사실학회
· 수록지 정보 : 역사와 실학 / 55호 / 235 ~ 273페이지
· 저자명 : 양정필

초록

Text. During the Joseon dynasty, locally-based merchant groups were thriving, namely those based in Seoul, Gaesung and Pyeongyang. So examining the destiny of those people in the midst of new economic changes in the post-1876 era will be of substantial historic significance. Previous studies have concluded that Seoul merchants did not cope successfully against the rapid economic fluctuation of those times, whereas the existing patterns of those based in Gaesung or Pyeongyang are still lacking research to this day. Therefore, I have looked into the respondence of Gaesung merchants to such changes in the main body of this paper.
Traders in Gaesung, unlike their counterparts in Seoul, were adapting well to the new environment and their economic power was neither reduced nor dwindled. There were few factors to their success. First, they were producing red ginseng, which was an export commodity with a competitive edge. Red ginseng exports persisted during the Opening of Ports era, thereby acquiring high profit. In other words, Gaesung merchants indeed have possessed a definite source of income.
Secondly, a majority of Gaesung entrepreneurs ventured into new commercial centers. Distribution cores were shifting, and Gaesung merchants reacted swiftly to demonstrate a high level of accommodation ability to new circumstances. Furthermore, they have connected treaty ports-oriented trade structure to traditional coastal and inland trade networks so as to maintain their commercial influences.
Lastly, Japanese were actively advancing into Gaesung itself, so that local Korean merchants were forced to compete with Japanese adversaries in their own homeground. However, since Gaesung merchants held an impressive record in terms of adapting to modern economic system, they have managed to withstand the penetration of Japanese businessmen. Such situation could also be ascertained by the fact that Koreans were dominating the Gaesung market during the colonial period.
Hence, it is evident that adapting patterns of traditional merchants in post-1876 era were not identical. Those based in Gaesung went through better accommodating process than Seoul traders. Gaesung merchants with their successful records were now facing colonial period ahead to adjust and survive once more. But based on their activity during the Opening of Ports era, we can have faith in their potential in the subsequent times as well.

영어초록

Text. During the Joseon dynasty, locally-based merchant groups were thriving, namely those based in Seoul, Gaesung and Pyeongyang. So examining the destiny of those people in the midst of new economic changes in the post-1876 era will be of substantial historic significance. Previous studies have concluded that Seoul merchants did not cope successfully against the rapid economic fluctuation of those times, whereas the existing patterns of those based in Gaesung or Pyeongyang are still lacking research to this day. Therefore, I have looked into the respondence of Gaesung merchants to such changes in the main body of this paper.
Traders in Gaesung, unlike their counterparts in Seoul, were adapting well to the new environment and their economic power was neither reduced nor dwindled. There were few factors to their success. First, they were producing red ginseng, which was an export commodity with a competitive edge. Red ginseng exports persisted during the Opening of Ports era, thereby acquiring high profit. In other words, Gaesung merchants indeed have possessed a definite source of income.
Secondly, a majority of Gaesung entrepreneurs ventured into new commercial centers. Distribution cores were shifting, and Gaesung merchants reacted swiftly to demonstrate a high level of accommodation ability to new circumstances. Furthermore, they have connected treaty ports-oriented trade structure to traditional coastal and inland trade networks so as to maintain their commercial influences.
Lastly, Japanese were actively advancing into Gaesung itself, so that local Korean merchants were forced to compete with Japanese adversaries in their own homeground. However, since Gaesung merchants held an impressive record in terms of adapting to modern economic system, they have managed to withstand the penetration of Japanese businessmen. Such situation could also be ascertained by the fact that Koreans were dominating the Gaesung market during the colonial period.
Hence, it is evident that adapting patterns of traditional merchants in post-1876 era were not identical. Those based in Gaesung went through better accommodating process than Seoul traders. Gaesung merchants with their successful records were now facing colonial period ahead to adjust and survive once more. But based on their activity during the Opening of Ports era, we can have faith in their potential in the subsequent times as well.

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