『勝聰明錄』을 통해서 본 慶尙道 固城의 賑恤施策

Abstract

Relief policy is a method to help the starved people, that is, it intends national life and national economy to improve by the ruling classes. Relief policy in Choseon Dynasty period took the form that the central government charged to devise, promote, and supervise this policy, and local officials managed it. Therefore, there is a good possibility to study the administration of relief policy in a country village as a case study of an area. This thesis has the purpose to study the provincial government office and to research relief policy how to apply in the country. The document of Seong Chong Myung Rok(勝聰明錄) written by Wall-Bong(月峯) Gu Sang-Duck(具尙德) for around 36 years, as a principal data, was used in order to analysis the relief policy of Koseoung(固城) in Kyung Sang Do. Koseong had very great sea-lane, and it was the center of a port market. Also, it was not only open in the social and cultural aspect but also a very significant area in the military aspect. That made people in Koseong pay the heavy grain loan as the main part of finance management. There was few irrigation facilities to prevent drought in Koseong. Because of these factors, when having a bad harvest, the area of Koseong contained the chances to increase the starving people. The document of Seong Chong Myung Rok was recorded that the people in Koseong suffered from the grain loan, the natural disaster and famine. The contents of this document has five political measures to solve the social problems. The first way is that relief grain was distributed free of charge to people in Koseong. Actually, landowners couldn’t get profit from relief policy, but the poorest among them was indebted to this policy for a local governor’s discretion. The second, the local governor forced the rich to help the starving people. Though the dynasty government distributed the funds among the starving people, the local governor(守令) had to pay the money left for them. Since that, the rich came to be involved to the financial policy because this period's government was in need of funds. To reduce taxes was the third policy. The local governor in Koseong exempted from taxation through relief policy, and the government sent a royal secret inspector to Koseong to execute the policy. Another way was to bring up a castoff child. A private citizen was encouraged to raise the castoff child during a year of famine. This example was explained that the government permitted adopting and tried to protect the castoff child with activity. The last, there was performing a religious service as a part of overcoming․preventing famine. Such a ceremony was not only to pray but to give an opportunity to survive all critical situation by taking food of this rite. The effort to relieve the poor according to the process of communality was the mainspring of activity to win the difficulties.