류성룡의 경세관과 구국책 - 경제정책평가를 중심으로

Abstract

This article illuminates Ryu Seong-ryong's statecraft idea and crisis management with a view to interpreting its implications for economic policies today. This article studies Ryu Seong-ryong’s statecraft policies as w ell as his methods of crisis management with a view to interpreting their implications for the economic policies of the present-day. It is noteworthy that Ryu Seong-ryong's method of crisis management had already emphasized the roles of the individuals, corporations, and the state (government), roughly 200 years before Adam Smith developed the various concepts of the economy in The Wealth of Nations. Given the limitations of the Joseon state, when the government unilaterally led the economy, Ryu Seong-ryong’s economic strategy of creating national wealth by incentivizing private actors to participate in the market seems strikingly advanced. In summary, this article argues that Ryu’s financial management skills and principles can add to our understanding of tax management today. In addition, Ryu’s plan to revitalize trade through Joseon’s network with China is resonant with the theory of comparative advantage, which has far-reaching implications for those who are interested in the management of trade policies today.