조선후기 京主人 役價의 증대와 경주인의 위상 변화

Abstract

This paper reexamines the characteristics of Gyeong-juin, which have been reviewed in terms of commercial history, in terms of bureaucrats and wealth administration. Previous studies have explained that in the late Joseon Dynasty, Gyeong-juin caused strong resistance from farmers and small product producers by generating predatory profits through exclusive commercial activities and loan sharking. However, Gyeong-juin had to pay the taxes of each town on behalf of the local officials and the expenses of local scholars to stay in Seoul. Considering this, I think there are areas where the role and status of Gyeong-juin should be reevaluated. Although the wages of Gyeong-juin were included in the Daedong-tax with the enactment of the Daedongbeop, the roles imposed on Gyeong-juin went beyond the liaison task between the central and local regions. The Gyeong-juin of each province, staying in Seoul, had to meet the complex and diverse demands of the new local official, the central officials, and the local scholars who were connected to them. In principle, the expenses that Gyeong-juin spent while performing the role had to pay for compensation by local , but it was not easy for the Gyeong-juin to get back them in the absence of a separate local financial resource. As a result, the Gyeong-juin earned intermediate profits by paying local taxes instead and increased interest income through the usury. The central government cracked down on Gyeong-juin who caused the problem with the usury, while strictly warning the government offices that invaded the Gyeong-juin excessively, allowing the Gyeong-juin to continue serving in bureaucratic and tax administrations. In short, despite the fact that the middle exploitation of Gyeong-juin has been steadily pointed out since the peasants’ uprising, the Gyeong-juin were able to survive until the early 20th century because they were indispensable to the bureaucratic administration system of the Joseon Dynasty.