개항장 원산과 일본 상인의 이주

Abstract

Wonsan was the second open port in Chosun. As a good port of Donghae, were able to obtain fish products, and it was a key point where agricultural products from Hamheung Plain and minerals from Gangwon Province could be traded at once. In the early days of Wonsan's opening, few Japanese wanted to move to this place, where the climate and terrain were low. It was not a good condition for the Japanese to grow economically, because as merchants of the Qing Dynasty held commercial power until the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. However, as Wonsan became a the center of operations in the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese in Wonsan were able to grow. The open port areas of Wonsan included Japanese residents’zones where lots of public agencies, financial institutions and autonomous bodies and early established in order to provide a variety of perks to the Japanese immigrants so that they could do economic activities without inconvenience and develop as capitalists in Chosun. Japanese people who developed as upper-class capitalists working in Wonsan had some aspects in common. First, they had already had commercial experiences before getting into the open port areas with thorough plans. Second, some of them who engaged in trading or brokerage business that tended to be very profitable from the onset were more successful. Third, they more often ran trading businesses, brokerage ones and the stores of miscellaneous goods to be a bigger capitalist. Fourth, they acquired rights and interests by actively collaborating with the Japanese military during the Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War. Third, they set up their networks in order to firmly establish their position as upper-class capitalists by organizing a trade association or a chamber of commerce. Sixth, they got successors to maintain or expand their business keeping in connection with Chosun even after have been successful in the country. They were also willing to settle in Chosun by opening their offices in many places of the country in an effort to diversify their business.