19世紀 後半 政局의 動向과 市廛政策 －高宗 즉위년(1863)~高宗 31년(1894) 貢市人 詢瘼을 중심으로－ = Political situation and the government’s Shijeon(市廛) policy in the latter half period of the 19th century－Examination of the Practice of “Taking care of the problems of Proxy Taxpayers and Market merchants(貢市人詢瘼)” in 1863-1894, during King Gojong(高宗)’s reign－

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

During the reign of King Yeongjo in the Joseon period’s latter half, the so-called “Gong/Shi-in Sunmak(貢市人詢瘼)” practice, in which the King would hear the problems and plights of Proxy taxpayers, Gye-in figures and market merchants every year, began. Whenever the king ordered the practice for the year to be commenced, among the Bibyeon-sa office’s Jejo figures the “Gongshi Dangsang” would round up all of them, lead them to the palace and provide them with a royal audience. And when it was all over, the king would order Bibyeon-sa to look over what was said, and then report back to the king. Later the king, after examining Bibyeon-sa’s report, would issue orders to solve some problems for them, or decide not to do anything at all.
When the Bibyeon-sa office was absorbed into the United Euijeong-bu council this issue which had been supervised by the Bibyeon-sa office was also newly placed under the jurisdiction of the United Euijeong-bu council. It was so designated for the first time in 「Bunjang Jeolmok」 which was declared in the first year of King Gojong’s reign, and in 「Euijeong-bu Chetong Yeon’hyeok Byeoldan」 which was declared the next year established(“Chaha”) the Dangsang official of the Bibyeon-sa office as a Dangsang figure of the Euijeong-bu as well, rendering the Dangsang official in charge of this issue (“Gongshi Dangsang”) also included in the Euijeong-bu Dangsang group. According to the < Euijeong-bu > chapter’s “Gongshi” section of 『Yukjeon Jo’rye』 from King Gojong’s 4th year, the United Euijeong-bu council was once again dictated to oversee this issue, and the Gongshi Dangsang figure (as part of the Euijeong-bu Dangsang group) was put in charge of rounding up the appealers.
There were certain situations unfolding in the early years of King Gojong’s reign that affected the market, such as the Gyeongbok-gung palace renovation, ban on the import of Western cotton, production of the Dangbaek-jeon coin, the launch of the “Munse” taxation, and the circulation of “cheongjeon[淸錢=Hojeon] currency,” etc. If we compare the market situation of the time with situations described in either 『Yukjeon Jo’rye』’s ‘Kakjeon(各廛, individual shops)’ section or the earlier 『Man’gi Yoram』’s references to individual shops, we can detect certain increase in one Jeon unit and two Bun’yeok units, but the overall situation did not change that much.
During the time when Dae’weon-gun was in control of the government, the ‘Gong/Shi-in Sunmak’ practice continued to maintain the “Shinhae-year Tong’gong” rules established by King Jeongjo, as well as other principles dictated(“Iljeong”) through the “Jeong’yu Gyeol’cheo” order and the “Byeong’oh-year Tong’gong” rules from the reign of King Heonjong. The authorities were sympathetic to the market merchants’ appeal asking for the elimination of the problems that were being caused by Dogo figures and Nanjeon shops, and tried to come up with solutions, but were not so accommodating to the request of the reinstatement of the “Geum-Nanjeon-gweon(禁亂廛權)” practice, so they remained firm on upholding previously established principles. In the meantime, the request for compensation (regarding deficits caused by some items’ elevated price), and the establishment of exclusive rights and a Geum-Nanjeon-gweon reinstatement only for import items, were not that well received either.
In the 5th year of King Gojong’s reign, Euijeong-bu council ruled(“裁處”) over cases concerning proxy taxpayers, Gye-in figures and market merchants, but right before hearing their problems the Gongshi Dangsang figures in charge were frequently reassigned to other duties and replaced by others. Regarding a fire accident that broke out in King Gojong’s 6th year, the council had the issue reported to the king’s father Dae’weon-gun(Dae’weon-gun’s instructions were issued in the form of “Dae’weon-wi Bunbu” or “Dae’weon-wi Jeong’ryeong”), which shows us that the council was wielding a considerable amount of power then. Gojong was still young and was not directly involved in governance just yet, so he let the council to do so. Then when he became 22 in his 10th year in reign, he began to take over the matter.
Ever since, Yi Chwe-eung (who was a Naecheok figure and also a royal family member), Min Chi-sang and Min Gyeom-ho (from the Yeoheung Min house, which was also the In-law family of Gojong), Kim Bo-hyeon and Kim Jae-hyeon (from the Gwangsan Kim house), and Kim Byeong-shi and Kim Byeong-guk (from the Andong Kim house), were all assigned to important posts such as Prime Ministers, Jeongbu Dangsang figures, the Hojo Minister, Gongshi Dangsang posts, and the Pyeongshi-seo office’s Jejo seat. In the 11th year of Gojong’s reign, the Cheongjeon(淸錢) coin was abolished. Yeong’eui-jeong Councilor Yi Yu-weon, Wu’eui-jeong Councilor Park Gyu-su and Financial Minister Kim Se-gyun were concerned about what to do with all the now devalued Cheongjeon currency while fearing that the budget of the central government and the “Hojo” Ministry of Finance would dry out with only the Sangpyeong-jeon coins left to be used. The situation worsened when a huge draught struck Joseon in Gojong’s 13th year, draining the central budget further, and rendered the central government unable to pay the proxy taxpayers, Gye-in figures and market merchants the next year. In Gojong’s 15th year, Wu’eui-jeong Councilor Kim Byeong-guk diverted 40 thousand Rent-rice from the Sachang depository to the Hojo Ministry of Finance, securing it as part of the central budget and tried to solve the aforementioned payment problem. And Gojong also tried to fix the problem by using Naetang-geum(內帑金) properties of the royal family. But the budgetary shortage was massive, and enough resource to pay for the military, clerks and proxy taxpayers & market merchants was never secured.
This prompted the merchants to affiliate themselves with the ‘governmental translaters’ in an effort to generate profit elsewhere.
In Gojong’s 19th year in reign, and after the Imo-year military revolt, according to the treaty signed between Joseon and Qing (the Jocheong Sangmin Suryuk Muyeok Jangjeong[朝淸商民水陸貿易章程]), the Qing merchants ― who had been operating mainly in the open ports ― were newly allowed to approach and operate in regions near the capital. And in the next year, merchants from other countries ― including Japan ― were allowed to do so as well. Not only the Joseon merchants in the capital’s central marketplace, but also Joseon merchants throughout the country, were all exposed to a situation in which they would have to engage in free competitions with foreign counterparts. And in Gojong’s 20th year, the Hyemin Gongguk(惠商公局) office was opened, and began to supervise ― and support ― the Bobusang merchants’ operations. This was an attempt on the government’s part to form a political and economic alliance with a commercial force other than the Central marketplace’s merchants.
In 1886, the 23rd year of Gojong’s reign, commodity prices continued to skyrocket, and the merchants were suffering severe deficits, as the payments from the government were nowhere near adequate levels and sometimes were never made at all. The merchants were literally going bankruptcy, and their deteriorated status prevented them from purchasing necessary items which they would have to sell to customers or provide the government with. In the end, the Central marketplace lost its most primary function of offering vital items to the government. And in 1894, the 31st year of Gojong’s reign, because of the Gabo-year “reform”(甲午更張) the Six Main Shops(“Yug’eui’jeon”) lost its exclusive rights (Geum-Nanjeon-gweon) as well. This marked the final abolition of the last remaining right of such kind, which had been spared from the 1791’s “Shinhae-year Tong’gong” order. A five centuries-old traditional right, enjoyed by the Central marketplace’s Six main shops, was finally taken away.