1930년대 전반 조선 미곡정책과 재조선일본인의 식민자본 ― ‘조선미곡창고주식회사’를 중심으로 ―

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to reveal the relationship between rice policy and Colonial Capital power of Japanese in Joseon in the first half of 1930s. A subject of analysis for this purpose is the establishment and expansion of Joseon Granary Corporation which were established as part of the rice policy in Joseon in 1930s. The previous studies on this topic tend to overlook the role and the interests of Japanese businessmen in Joseon who conducted the rice policy at that time. However, the relationship between the rice policy and the Japanese businessmen in Joseon was a crux of a problem on this topic. ‘Rice Granary Plan on Joseon’, which was the primary rice policy of those days, was to resolve the crisis of rice price in Japan. Also, the Japanese businessmen in Joseon had desired to export rice from Joseon to Japan more efficiently. Establishing ‘Joseon Granary Corporation’ was the effectual way to fulfill both requirements. While this corporation was being prepared, especially specifying the capital scale and the sphere of business, there were some compromise and adjustments between the Japanese Ministry of Finance and the promoters of the corporation consisted of majority of Japanese businessmen. Although this corporation confronted with the poor business results at first, it overcame the difficulty by being subsidized from Government-General of Joseon and Japanese Government. The significance of the successful management of this corporation was not just on the contribution to the resolution of crisis of rice price in Japan. It was also meaningful because it helped to expand advantages of the promoters who were also the stockholders of the corporation. In other words, achieving the rice policy as a conductor spontaneously accompanied the benefit for the both promoters and stockholders of the corporation. They were circularly connected and interdependent relationship.