14∼18세기 중국-조선의 민간무역과 商人

Abstract

The bilateral trade between China and Korea was led by the states of the two countries in the period of the 14th – 18th centuries. The trade consisted of two parts: the state-run trade, or official trade, which included the tribute trade, envoy trade, government purchase and sales, etc., and private trade, or non-official trade, was run by common merchants. Subjected to the government policies and other factors, private trade was restricted usually and even forbidden sometimes. In particular, the Korean trade was under the strict control of the Chinese government, partly because of the Chinese maritime prohibition police against the Japanese pirates which was rampant in the period. Even so, however, many private merchants, using the room to the extent permitted by the state policies, plied between China and Korea and carried out their commercial activities of various types. Some of them were even engaged in smuggling and other illegal trade. This private trade was important in the East Asian international trade. It in particular played a significant role in the Sino-Korean trade, which strengthened economic links between the two countries. Through combing out and analyzing historical materials from different sources, this article will focus on the practical performance in the Sino-Korean private trade in this period and the fates of these merchants who were working in this trade. Since few works have been done in this subject in previous scholarship, this study will be important to our understanding of the history of economic relations in East Asia.