19세기말 서울 동막 객주의 미곡 거래 - 金相敏 집안의 장부 『日記』와 『長冊』 분석을 중심으로 -

Abstract

This article examines the rice transactions of brokers [gaekju] operating on the banks of the Han River in late nineteenth century Seoul through an examination of the account books, Ilgi (1894~1899) and Jangchaek (1889~1899), of the Seoul Dongmak broker family of Kim Sangmin. Several important discoveries can be drawn from this study. First, the rice carrying methods of the Seoul Dongmak brokers in the late nineteenth century were similar to those in the early twentieth century. The shipping industry utilized the modern shipping distinction of shipper versus shipowner, and boats departed with high frequency from the producer areas for Seoul with freight charges fixed for each unit of cargo. Also, the shipper could change his transacting broker whenever he wished. Second, the brokers situated on the banks of the Han River received rice coming from about 40 locations across the country, including Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Hwanghae, and Jeolla provinces. The brokers continuously adjusted their prices based on the area of production (shipping point of origin), quality (grade, time in storage, condition of packaging), and the supply and demand situation. The price mechanism was fully operating. These brokers separated their rice product based on production area and quality and attached a distinct name to each product, which was recorded in the account books and used for transactions. In late nineteenth century locales like Mapo, Dongmak, and Seogang, diverse brands of rice came from around the country and were traded freely. As market prices for each rice brand were established, these locales functioned like a type of grain exchange. Consequently, the argument that the transport, storage, and distribution system of rice completely collapsed or that inter-regional rice transactions and the national-scale rice market disintegrated in the latter half of the nineteenth century needs to be reconsidered.