대한제국의 식산흥업정책과 상공업기구

Abstract

What role has Korea's policy of production increase and industrial promotion played in its modern economic development? It is necessary to understand this positively. For example, between 1897 and 1910, Korea had national-right characteristics based on policies led by the government and the royal family rather than comprador characteristics shown in the modernization process in the 1880s and the cases immediately after King Gojong's fleeing to the Russian legation for protection. However, it was not easy to move forward modernization under the circumstances where the traditional economic structure still firmly existed. There were characteristics that free management by general merchants and industrialists was extremely limited and economical conditions were not completely matured. Moreover, Western powers which had made profitable conditions for themselves through political and diplomatic interventions began deeply penetrating into major industrial sectors such as constructing railroads and operating mines with trading capital. Therefore, it was actually difficult for private Korean traders to create and maintain basic industries dominantly. After all, the Korean government and the royal family have inevitably come to serve as the main body to deal with this issue. Still, the government's mid- and long-term projects did not conduct the railroad and mining businesses efficiently. Japan was dominating the logistics and transportation system through the shipping business. Despite these difficulties, Korea's efforts to open railroads, develop national resources and foster and promote modern commerce and industry achieved no small outcomes. The policy of production increase and industrial promotion in the period from 1897 to 1910 pushed forward modernization for the purpose of the national prosperity and defense, although Korea fell down to being a quasi-colony through its war with Russia in 1904-1905 and failed to accomplish the final outcomes of the master plan. However, we cannot simply assess the policy of production increase and industrial promotion in this period was unsuccessful only by interpretation based on the results, since there are historic meanings that the Korean government and the royal family have affirmatively responded to the outright economic invasion by the imperialist capital until 1904 at least and showed an active will power for economic modernization by its own strength with independent position.