The Fate of Local Residents around Choryang Waegwan Exchanged for 8 Nyang of Copper Coins - The Case of Prostitution on the Night of June 5, 1859 -

Abstract

Since the 17th century and until 1876, Waegwan existed only in Dongrae (Busan). Waegwan was an important code that determined the history of Korea-Japan relationship as well as that of Busan from the 17th thru 19th century. During this era, Waegwan was occupied only by Japanese men from Tsushima. Due to such spatial characteristic, cases of prostitution between Japanese men and Korean women occurred at Waegwan. The legal penalty of the two countries for those who engage in prostitution was specified in the Gyogan Agreement signed in 1711. The penalty for Korean people, in particular, was specified in Sokdaejeon(續大典) published in 1746. A woman who trades sex was penalized with 100 flogging followed by banishment, while a key figure who tempts and pimps a woman into prostitution was put to death. For Japanese people, the sentence was a lifetime banishment from Waegwan. Thus, the pimps received heavier punishment than the sex workers. This paper investigates the case of prostitution occurred in Waegwan on the night of June 5, 1859. The sex workers were Jo Geumhong(趙錦紅), Tojiro(藤次郞), and Giichiro(喜一郞). The main pimp involved in this prostitution was Kim Yongok(金用玉) and his accomplice was Yi Munju(李文周). However, the historical materials from Korea and Japan differ in details. In the Korean record, there is only reference to Tojiro and not Giichiro. It mentions that the three Korean sex workers received only 8 nyang for their service, while the Japanese record indicates that their service was traded fro 20 nyang. Such discrepancies between the records from two countries require further investigation. Records also indicate that the tree Koreans involved in this case lived in the same or nearby villages and were familiar with one another. This case of prostitution resulted in the death penalty of Kim Yongok. Yi Munju and Jo Geumhong were banished elsewhere far from their hometown. Tojiro and Giichiro were transferred to Tsushima, then banished to Sago, located at the north-east of Japan further away from Fuchu, Izuhara. There, they were put to slavery for life. Their fate changed for the amount of 8 to 20 nyang of copper coins. It was their choice that determined their fate, but their fate was also a historical product of Korea-Japan relationship and Dongrae region during the 17th thru 19th century when Waegwan existed.