淸末 駐韓 商務署 組織과 그 位相

Abstract

The objective of the present study is to explain the Chinese Commercial Affair Office in Korea and the historical genealogy and status of Chinese Commercial Affair Office in Late Qing Dynasty. Previous researches on the Commissioner of Trade before the Sino Japanese War have concentrated on Yuan Shi Kai who stayed in Chosun as the General Commissioner of Negotiation and Trade. Furthermore, because they were focused on Yuan Shi Kai’s policies for intervening in Chosun, they could not make systematic research on Chinese Commercial Affair Office in Korea, namely, on members of Commissioners of Trade and the operation of the Commercial Affair Office, in particular, personnel, organization etc. Thus, the present study is distinguished from previous researches in that we inquired into the historical genealogy and status of the Commissioner of Trade and Chinese Commercial Affair Office in Late Qing Dynasty. Specifically, we examined the status of the Commissioner of Trade and Chinese Commercial Affair Office during the period of Chen Shu Tang who came to Korea as the General Commissioner of Trade in 1883 and Yuan Shi Kai, the General Commissioner of Negotiation and Trade who succeeded Chen Shu Tang and returned to China with the outbreak of the Sino Japanese War. For this study, we analyzed materials on the history of Korea China relationship during the port opening period and particularly “Cheongan(淸案)” and “Historical Records on the China Japan Korea Relationship in the Late Qing Dynasty(淸季中日韓關係史料).” According to Article 1 and 2 of the Regulations for Maritime and Overland Trade between Chinese and Korean Subjects agreed on between Korea and China in September, 1882, China could send Commissioners of Trade to Chosun. Commissioners of Trade were consular diplomatic envoys dispatched to each open port in Chosun including Hanseong, to which Superintendent of Northern Trade (Peiyang Tach’en) Li Hong Zhang was dispatched. The King of Chosun could also send Commissioners of Trade (Jujindaewon), which were consular diplomatic envoys, to Tianjin in China. Chinese Commissioners of Trade in Chosun could excercise consular jurisdiction on Chinese in Korea but Korean Commissioners of Trade in China could not exercise it on Koreans in China. In this sense, the appointment and authority of Commissioners of Trade were unequal between the two countries. This stipulated that the Chinese Commissioners of Trade dispatched to Korea were different from diplomatic envoys from other countries. Li Hong Zhang submitted ‘Regulations for Commercial Affairs in Chosun(辦理朝鮮商務章程)’ that provided the personnel, term of office, status and wage of Commissioners of Trade in June, 1883. In addition, Chen Shu Tang was dispatched to Chosun under the title of General Commissioner of Trade. During the period of Chen Shu Tang, the Commercial Affair Office in Korea was operated by the Regulations for Commercial Affairs in Chosun. Li Hong Zhang raised a question on Chen Shu Tang’s role related not to ‘commercial affairs’ but to ‘negotiation.’ Yuan Shi Kai, who succeeded Chen Shu Tang, was dispatched to Chosun as the General Commissioner of Negotiation and Trade. Different from Chen Shu Tang’s, his title containing ‘Negotiation’ meant his authority to supervise Chosun’s diplomacy, and therefore, his status was equivalent to ‘Supervisor (Gamguk, 監國).’ Fittingly for his title, Yuan Shi Kai made efforts to acquire concessions in Chosun and reinforced the suzerain power through active intervention in Chosun’s domestic and diplomatic affairs. Yuan Shi Kai increased the personnel of the Commercial Affair Office in Korea and expanded the size of the Commercial Affair Office in Hanseong. While Chen Shu Tang was deposed before his three years’ term expired, Yuan Shi Kai won the Li Hong Zhang’s full confidence. With Li Hong Zhang’s absolute confidence, Yuan Shi Kai’s influence in Chosun was reinforced and as a result the size of the Commercial Affair Office was also expanded considerably. This is a good illustration showing the status of the Chinese Commercial Affair Office in Korea during the period of Yuan Shi Kai.