고려 충선왕 ‧ 원 무종의 재정운용 및 ‘정책공유’

Abstract

In the 1300s, Goryeo dynasty and the Mongol Yuan empire were both facing monetary difficulties, and were in dire need of exploring new avenues to increase financial revenue. Both of them were forced to abandon prior policies, take new initiatives in their dealings with tax sources, and aggressively pursue them for taxation. In the process, both King Chungseon-wang and Yuan Emperor Wu-tsung(Qayishan) exhibited policies with either similar appearances in details or at least similar perspectives regarding financial resources. King Chungseon-wang tried to protect commercial transactions in the market by banning other entities' wrongful commandeering of commercial items, by elevating the status of the officials in charge of monitoring market activities and by weakening potential perpetrators by putting them under other offices' jurisdiction. He also initiated government's monopoly on salt, and secured a vast new income. And he actively promoted the policy of manufacturing textile goods to invest them in foreign trades. He also resurrected the Shikmok Dogam office, a council from the Goryeo's past which was in charge of overseeing legal orders and protocol matters, to have it oversee issues related to his revenue-expanding policy. In the end, he initiated a social relief program with huge amount of resources obtained by his policy. At the same time, Emperor Wu-tsung increased certification taxes related to commercial transactions in order to enhance the government's revenue, expanded the government's salt monopoly by ordering more productions throughout various regions of the empire, and wilfully reengaged in Ortaq trades which were frowned upon by former emperor Temur. He also resurrected the Shang-shu Sheng office which had once replaced Chung-shu Sheng(Central Secretariat) during the Qubilai period and oversaw taxation and trades, and he reformed the monetary system, claiming to provide the public with convenient usage of paper money. Chungseon-wang befriended Qayishan and Ayurbarwada(later Jen-tsung) brothers when he was dethroned and staying in Yuan(since 1298 through 1307), and served also as a guide for them. They are known to have been very close to each other. Such relationship would have led to many discussions regarding several aspects of governing, and such exchanges in their youth could have been one of the reasons why both countries came to display a similar series of financial policies in the 1300s, when Chungseon-wang and Qayishan(Wu-tsung) both ascended to the throne. The level of similarity makes one think that both Yuan and Goryeo in this time period actually 'shared' details of certain financial policies, and from such details, we can recognize the nature of companionship that existed between both countries in this time period.