한말·일제강점 초기 개성 홍삼제조장의 변천과 의미

Abstract

This study examines the transformation and significance of Gaseong ginseng manufacturing plants from the late Joseon period to the early colonial period. The history of red ginseng manufacturing evolved from private steaming facilities authorized by the government during the Joseon Dynasty, to a government-operated joint manufacturing plant under the Department of the Royal Household from 1899 to 1908, and eventually to a newly constructed red ginseng manufacturing plant under the Japanese colonial rule in 1909. In the late Joseon period, the red ginseng manufacturing process under the Department of the Royal Household included washing, steaming, kiln drying, sun drying, drying in a dedicated room, finishing, and packaging. Under Japanese colonial rule, the process was streamlined to washing, drying (in a kiln and drying room), sun drying, finishing, and packaging. The newly constructed red ginseng manufacturing plant introduced three significant changes: first, the steps of collecting, washing, and storing fresh ginseng, previously done outdoors, were moved inside wooden buildings; second, key processes such as steaming and drying were mechanized using mechanical steam methods; and third, various tests were conducted to enhance production efficiency. Japanese investment in the red ginseng manufacturing plant led to lower production costs and increased output. In the 1910s, revenue from the ginseng industry constituted a significant portion of the regular budget, accounting for 40% of the income from government-operated and government-owned properties, and showed a greater revenue increase compared to other tax items. As a result, the new construction and equipment investments in the Gaeseong red ginseng manufacturing plant during the early colonial period clearly reflected Japan’s intention to finance its colonial rule through monopoly profits from red ginseng, a key financial resource on the Korean Peninsula.