갑오개혁 이후 지방사회의 노동력 동원을 둘러싼 현안과 갈등 - 경상북도 김산군 사례를 중심으로 -

Abstract

This paper focuses on the issues and conflicts related to labor mobilization in the local communities after the tax system reform during the Gabo Reform in 1894. Was labor “paid” as a tax or “purchased” with finance? According to preliminary studies, labor mobilization, especially for the construction of infrastructure in the state, shifted from payment to employment in line with the trend of monetary tax payment in the late Joseon Dynasty. When constructing infrastructure in counties (gun in Korean), a specific amount of labor was assigned and mobilized based on the number of households registered in each administrative unit (myeon-ri in Korean). The distribution of labor in detail within an administrative unit followed the decisions of a consensus. This custom continued after the Gabo Reform when a tax on labor stopped. On the other hand, the labor mobilization in local infrastructure construction became institutionally recognized as local administration. From 1896 to 1897, in Gimsan-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, a certain amount of construction - the repair of bridges, roads, and water facilities - was assigned to each administrative unit. Consensus bodies such as myeonjung and dongjung determined the details of mobilizing labor for the projects. This method was in line with the tax practice called tax allocation-joint payment since the 19th century. Mobilizing labor was more efficient than purchasing labor in the market. First, construction in the region proceeded in the summer every year and was of the scale appropriate for the county. Second, labor mobilization did not cost much for the county since it was handled by myeon-ri. However, since the consensus bodies did not have the authority and power to resolve the conflict internally, people filed a suit about the conflict in mobilizing labor from administrative units to the county governor. Sadly, his interest was only in finishing the projects, and he was passive in mobilizing public power to solve the conflicts in the local community.