Periodic markets of the later Choson dynasty had undergone fundamental changes during the late Chosun dynasty and Japanese colony period. This paper aims to analyse the spatial distributions and changes of the periodic markets in the middle stream of ...
Periodic markets of the later Choson dynasty had undergone fundamental changes during the late Chosun dynasty and Japanese colony period. This paper aims to analyse the spatial distributions and changes of the periodic markets in the middle stream of Han-River in this era in the use of the survey of documentary records and fieldwork. Before the early 1910s, long distance transportation was made by riverboats, short distance transportation was done by porters and pack animals. Because goods such as rice, soybean and salt were very heavy and needed long distance transport, they were mainly transported by riverboats. Accordingly, riverports on the shore of river played important roles in exporting and importing goods as nodes of long distance transportation. The opening of railroad Seoul-Busan, the construction of new roads(Sinjakno) of 1910s and the use of oxcarts produced striking changes in the spatial distribution and hierarchy structure of periodic markets. These changes also had influence on the outflow and inflow of goods in the middle stream of Han-River. In the part of outflow of goods, it seems that the line linking Icheon city-Yongin city-Anseong city played a role in making the boundaries of the marketing areas between goods trams ported by the rail road Seoul-Busan and goods done by Han River river boats. Anseong, Osan and Suwon periodic markets located around railroad stations occupied the higher positions than those of other regions in the hierarchial structure of periodic markets. Their marketing areas could nearly overwhelm those of riverports located in the middle stream region of Han River and extend to the middle stream region of Han River as a result of decrease of transport cost through using of oxcarts and railroads. the opening of railroad Suwon-Yeoju(Suryoson) and railroad Cheonan-Janghowon(Cheonjangson) brought about changes of the structure of long distance trade again. In a part of outflow of goods, it seems that as a result of the new opening of their railroads periodic markets around railroads seized a large portion of the marketing area of the southern part of Yoju and Ichon area and therefore made extreme change in rivershipping of Han River. In the inflow part of goods, goods transported by riverboats from the downstream of Han River before the opening of railroad were imported directly from railroad stations. Accordingly, rivershipping and riverports declined. And because goods were imported by way of great periodic markets and supplied to small periodic markets and consumers before the opening of railroad, but supplied from railroad stations to small periodic markets and consumers after the opening of railroad. The volume of turnover of such great periodic markets as Anseong, Osan and Suwon periodic markets therefore declined. On the other hand, because Yangpyong area had not been yet included within the sphere of influence of railroad until 1930s, it heavily depended on rivershipping of Han River as before. But the opening of railroad Seoul-Wonju(Jungangson) brought about decline of rivershipping in Yangpyong and Wonju area.