1930년대 중후반 일제의 수리조합 정책을 통한 농촌통제 강화

Abstract

While the land improvement project had been implemented during the rice production increase plan in the 1920s, many irrigation associations were founded all over the colonial country. Japanese imperialists and large farmers pushed forward the project by assuring the yield increase, the small farmers of the local area opposed the project by insisting it is the unnecessary project. The project of irrigation association, which had raised the social conflicts from the process of foundation, emerged as social issue since its foundation. Absence of careful business feasibility review, and additional construction had brought the project cost increase. Because the profit estimated from the foundation of irrigation association was not obtained, there were ‘bad irrigation associations’ without the capability to repay even the association bond. At last, with the suspension of the rice production increase plan, the project of irrigation associations was also discontinued. Reorganization of bad irrigation association was the essential task for the agricultural production increase of Japanese imperialism. Irrigation association reorganization policy was made with the promotion of rural promotion movement of Japanese imperialism. Rural Promotion Movement, which started in 1932, had prepared war footing with the aim of agricultural output increase under the slogan of “Life business repay nation”. And the irrigation association reorganization was carried out accordingly. The purpose of the irrigation association reorganization policy was to stabilize the rural economy by promoting the ‘rehabilitation’ of the association and to establish a system of war rice increase based on it. As an organization that can control the target association to be reorganized, the rehabilitation irrigation association union was created and the agricultural production capability increase was sought through thorough management and supervision. The role of the association was further emphasized as it was transformed into a war footing. It was urgent for the Japanese imperialists, who provoked the Sino-Japanese War and converted to the wartime system, to secure war rice. It has provided the basis by strengthening the control over the association through the rehabilitation irrigation association. In addition, at the end of the Japanese colonial rule, it also played a role to control the idea of farmers by cooperating with promising rural elite.