조선 제철업 육성을 둘러싼 정책조율과정과 청진제철소 건설(1935~45)

Abstract

This study analyzed the construction process of the Cheongjin steel factory of the Nippon Steel Corporation that initiated the development of the steel industry in Joseon and the largest construction project of the steel factory, which had begun in earnest from advances of big Japanese capital during the wartime period. Through this, the study confirmed the detailed process of the Joseon iron industry's promotion by imperialist Japan during the wartime and presented several propositions of new problems. Firstly, the manufacturing structure of the steel industry, which involved Japan-steel materials and Joseon-pig iron, was not propelled as a policy from the start. This structure resulted from the limitations of the Yen-bloc economic powers. The direction of the Joseon steel factory's promotion, having been planned originally by the Japanese Government-General of Joseon, was an integrated iron-steel factory, and this has been confirmed as the empire's policy through a long confrontation with the Japanese government and adjustment process. However, the limitations of the mobilization of supplies in the Yen-bloc became apparent at the beginning of the wartime period and had deepened the resource shortage. The construction of the steel factory thus had to be curtailed and changed. The result was the construction of an incomplete steel factory which could produce pig iron only. Next, for the advancement of research on industrialization during the period of Japanese imperialism, it is imperative to examine the national power known until now as “Japanese imperialism” and detailing it further. This means that reexamination on the 'united accomplishment from military, government, and people' has been submitted as a natural precondition through recent studies on the national policy's execution during the wartime period. There were many differences of opinions in the process of the steel factory's construction between each behavioral subject within the national power known commonly as “Japanese imperialism.” Also, civilian enterprises did not give up its pursuit of profits, and thus they were engaged in controversy. The complicated power structure among colonial authority, central government, the military, government, and civilian enterprises required confrontations during a long time and adjustments, and thus delayed national projects crucially. Lastly, we present a suggestive point on the position and roles of the Japanese Government-General in Joseon related to industrialization in Joseon. The Cheongjin Steel Factory's construction was propelled strongly as a symbolic project of industrialization in the 1930s that was led by Japanese Government-General in Joseon. However, the character of the project degenerated after entering the wartime period. It had been transformed into a national wartime project to execute the empire's war from project for Joseon's industrialization. Also, the initiative of the Japanese Government- General in Joseon was weakened in proportion to the change in its character. In actuality, the supply of resources required for industrialization depended on Japan, frustration derived from the fact that material mobilization plans and reinforcement of central economic government in Japan centering on the Planning Board that drafted expansion plans of the productivity weakened the initiative of the Japanese Government-General in Joseon. The construction process of Cheongjin Still Factory that was activated in earnest after 1941 shows these features well. Eventually, the construction process not only disclosed limitations of the Yen-bloc economy but also exposed limitations in the power of colonial authorities at the same time.