미군정기 中央經濟委員會(1946~1948)의 조직과 활동

The Organization and Activities of the National Economic Board(1946∼1948) under the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea

The National Economic Board(NEB) was the top legislative organ which supervised an economic policy and a national budget of the South Korea under the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK). The NEB had a highest authority over an economic policy of the South Korea. It deliberated various national issues and suggested advices about the issues to the Governor of USAMGIK. The organization of the NEB and the changes of its system can be a specific case of a typical reorganization process of an administrative organization in USAMGIK and ‘the Koreanization policy’ of USAMGIK. Therefore, the analysis of the NEB will provide us a clue that will help us to understand an economic policy of USAMGIK and to examine conditions of national administration of USAMGIK. This study aims to elucidate a nature of the NEB and its economic policies by analyzing circumstances surrounding the establishment and organization of the NEB as well as its activities. The NEB replaced the Planning Section of the Secretariat of the Japanese colonial government in Korea and the ministry of secretariat of USAMGIK. The NEB supervised an economic policy of USAMGIK as the ‘supreme agency’ in the government. The NEB had a great influence on various economic issues of the South Korea. The fact that the NEB deliberated a national budget and budgets of departments in the government proves that the NEB had the highest authority on economic issues in USAMGIK. It had a bigger influence on deliberation of a national budget than the South Korea Interim Legislation Assembly(SKILA) did. SKILA was the legislature at the time. The goal of an economic policy of the NEB was to help USAMGIK administration and to stabilize the South Korean society. For example, the NEB made and conducted an inflation control policy to accomplish the goal above. All economic policies which were made and conducted by the NEB were based on the same goal. A trade policy was conducted to make up for a shortage of materials. A wage policy was focused on ‘hold the line policy’ which was conducted to control the amount of currency in circulation. When the wage policy caused a public conflict, the NEB conducted a wage control policy to resolve a conflict. A mining policy which was closely related to a domestic production didn’t aim to increase and actual production. The NEB collected and arranged statistical data about economic issues of the South Korea in consideration of an economic relation between the South Korea and the United States after USAMGIK hand over the power to the South Korean government. Conduct of said works was also related to an establishment of economic policies of USAMGIK but it was mainly to help the South Korean government establish its own economic policies after USAMGIK hand over the power.