조선후기 양반층의 토지소유규모 변화

Abstract

This study empirically analyzes the trend changes in the land ownership during 1590~1900 Joseon Korea. In order to do so,the old documents of transactions of lands in the Kyungsang (southeastern of Korea) and Cheonla (southwestern) areas were gathered to build the long run series of land prices, land ownership, and the land scale for transaction. These documents were very valuable in that they were consistent, and continuous for the same land location, and total 1,810 cases of transactions were examined. The ratio of bought lands/sold lands was 1.47 for the Yangban (the elites), implying that their lands had increased 47%, compared to the previously owned lands during 1590~1900. Meanwhile, that ratio of the Chungin (the middle class) was 0.20, indicating that the lands had been reduced by 80% for the sample periods. The ratios of the bought/sold lands were 0.68 and 0.62 for the Sangmin (the commerers), and the Nobi (the slaves). This tells that their lands had decreased 32% and 38% for each class. The others such as Seowon, seemed to increase their lands at the fastest rate by 87% for the same sample period. Seowon was the academy and clan institutes where the Elites made in order to keep their power and social order strong. Most of these lands were purchased by the Seowon mainly during for the 19th century. After all, the elites and the Seowon tended to have increased their land ownership, while the Chungin and the Sangmin had sold out their lands during the 16th~19th century Joseon Korea. Thus, This period of the 16th~19th century could be defined as a periods where the land ownership between the classes was polarized toward the accumulation or dis-accumulation. The land ownership for the Nobi (the slaves)started to be dis-cumulated heavily in the Cheonla area from the mid 17th century, although the land ownership for the other classes begun to be polarized after the late 17th century.