식민 해역도시 부산과 서적 유통 연구―1930년대 국정교과서 판매권 분쟁을 중심으로―

Abstract

This study examines the role of Japanese-managed bookstores and the sales network in the construction of academic knowledge, focusing on the colonial city of Busan as it transformed into a commercial hub in Northeast Asia during the expansion of the Japanese Empire. Specifically, this study analyzes the contemporary significance of the book distribution system in Busan, a port city, before and after the formation of the Chosun Book Association in 1921 to prevent excessive competition between bookstores, as well as the disputes between bookstores over the right to sell national textbooks in the early 1930s. As a result, Hakbundang Bookstore's advertisements in the early 1910s focused on national textbooks, school supplies, and bookstore guides. However, by the late 1910s, new lists began to appear in large numbers. In the 1920s, while advertisements from Japanese bookstores, including Hakubundo Bookstore, significantly decreased, there was a notable increase in advertisements promoting bookstore start-ups and side businesses. In addition, during the 1930s, the dispute between Hakbundang Bookstore and Busan Bookstore over the right to sell state-run textbooks was resolved when Hakbundang Bookstore agreed to handle only elementary school textbooks. Although operating profits decreased somewhat as a result, Hakbundang Bookstore leveraged its close relationship with the Ministry of Education, the Governor-General's Office of Joseon, and schools in Busan. This situation can be seen as an opportunity for the bookstore to reorganize its sales network.