A Study on the Establishment of Companies and the Economic-Social Movements of Inland Brokers(Gaek-ju, 客主) on Gunsan in the Period of Korean Empire

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This study aims to examine the establishment of companies and the economic-social movements of brokers(Gaek-ju, 客主) on Gunsan in the period of Korean Empire.BR Gunsan and Okgu which had the representative inlets in the Geum River Estuary, became the important market in the late period of Chosun Dynasty. And the inland brokers(Gaek-ju, 客主) on these regions expanded the commercial boundary and seized the center of commerce. They also collected the commercial tax.BR The opening of Gunsan in 1899 was the result of the measures that the Korean Empire government took in order to promote the commerce and expand the Imperial estate. The government also protected and encouraged the commerce so that the commercial activity of inland brokers expanded greatly. In this background the organization of inland brokers such as the commercial companies(Yeongheungsa, 永興社 and Changseongsa. 昌盛社) displayed many activities positively. There is no doubt that a few inland brokers and small brokers took a defiant attitude toward these commercial companies. But these companies seized the commercial power on Gunsan and Okgu as the the Imperial House hold supported them.BR After the Russo-Japanese war. the commercial pursuits of inland brokers on these regions was going to shrink. Japanese Imperialism captured the right of finance, then under the mask of financial arrangement deprived Korean merchants of a great amount of capital, abolished Korean bill system. As Japanese Imperialism precedeed, the Japanese merchants on Gunsan firmly grasped but Korean brokers on Gunsan was excluded from commercial structure.BR The plunder of Japanese merchants on Gunsan strengthenning their commercial, Korean brokers on these regions endeavored to unify the divided companies and modernize the organization. And they inaugurated the economic-social movements. Especially, they participateded in the Movement to redeem the national debs (Gukchaebosangundong, 國債報償運動). Also many inland brokers of them established the modern trading company(Hosangkwansanghoe, 湖商館商會) in order to protect the commercial power.BR After the compulsory occupation in 1910, Japanese Imperialism enforced the Company Law, the Market Regulation, the Chamber of Commerce Law. Therefore Korean brokers on Gunsan as many Korean brokers on the other regions could not realize the modern company system. But their efforts influenced the national movements on Gusan under the rule of Japanese Imperialism.