개항기 일본 상인의 울릉도 침탈과 염상 김두원 사건

Abstract

This study re-examines the commercial situation in Ulleungdo at thetime of the opening of Korean ports through the salt merchant KimDuwon’s whereabouts in Wonsan. There was a method by which woodin Ulleungdo went to salt producers on the Gyeongsang Province coastand was purchased there for return to Ulleungdo to be sold for storage. In addition, commercial groups in Ulleungdo were formed in a multi-layerstructure through Japanese. Koreans also participated in thesecommercial transactions. In conclusion, it may be stated that productsfrom this area went to other areas on a large scale. Also, in business transactions the problem of how to view theactions of Japanese merchants was examined. Since the development ofUlleungdo, Koreans considered Japanese residence there to be illegal,and the commercial acts by Japanese people, too, were consideredillegal. However, there were no means to prevent Japanese commercialacts, and the people living in Ulleungdo, who depended upon Japanesefor their transportation, were forced to endure plunder by Japanese. In particular, immediately preceding Imperial Order No. 41, whichstipulated relations with Ulleungdo in September 1900, both countrieshad sharp discussions on the problem of expelling Japanese people from Ulleungdo. At the time, the Japanese side asserted that Japanesecommercial acts were done at the request of people living in Ulleungdoand thus requested that the Korean side impose a tariff. In reply to theJapanese assertion, the Korean government stated that Japanesecommercial acts were in violation of the treaty. Of course, the reasonthat the Japanese side pushed forward with such commercial acts wasnot for the Japanese people who went to Ulleungdo, but rather to hold adominant position in the confrontation with Russia. This was alsoindirectly related to the background in which Japanese sought toplunder the right to possess Dokdo.