송대 해상(海商) 관리와 송상(宋商)의 ‘고려 귀화설’

Abstract

In a recent book, a record about ‘Goryeo merchants’ was found in the material of the Song Dynasty period, and a new view indicating that Goryeo sea merchants (高麗海商) were active while visiting China even when Song merchants were active was presented. In addition, the author assumed the naturalization of the Song dynasty’s shipowners termed Dogāng (都綱; 綱首, head of a merchant group) in order to prepare a rationale that enabled the activities of the Goryeo sea merchants. In order to solve the problem of the trade situation at the time that Goryeo merchants could not cross the Yellow Sea and trade in Song because the levels of shipbuilding and navigation skills of Goryeo were low at that time, the author argued that Song Dōu gangs, ship owners, became naturalized in Goryeo to change their nationality and go to Song to trade as Goryeo merchants. This paper examined whether the author’s argument as such coincides with the maritime management situation in the Song dynasty period. In the Song dynasty period, regulations were stipulated that all sea merchants who would go abroad to carry on trade should come back without fail and those who would not observe the regulations should be punished. Since Song merchants, who were engaged in foreign trade, had to faithfully follow the maritime trade regulations set by the state, their foreign naturalization was impossible in principle. Moreover, a person who became Dogāng as a ship owner could not go to Goryeo, which was paying tributes to the Khitan (Liao Dynasty), a country hostile to the Song Dynasty, to carry on trade, become naturalized, and return home. If such a thing happened even once under the Song Dynasty maritime management regulations and operating system, the Song merchant’s trade would be immediately halted. It is a well-known fact that during the Song dynasty period, many Song merchants traded in Southeast Asia including Goryeo and Japan, and some Song merchants became naturalized and engaged in local trade. However, in reality, it was done through the expedient method of falsely reporting that they had deceased to their home country after naturalization in order to increase trade efficiency. Behind it was the Song government, which did not actively investigate it and turned a blind eye for the convenience of the sea merchants, who were contributing significantly to its finance.