한말 일제하 경성의 은행가 조진태·백완혁 연구

A Study on Bankers of Seoul during the Period of the Great Korean Empire and Japanese Colonialism : with the Focus on Korean Bourgeoisie Formation

This essay discusses the first generation of Korean Bourgeoise by examining the cases of Cho Jin-t’ae and Paek Wan-hyǒk, prominent bankers in the time of late Imperial Korea through Japanese colonialism. Cho and Paek, originally merchants in Seoul, worked as the executives and stockholders of Taehan Ch’ǒnil Bank which was institutionalized as part of financial reform by Kwangmu regime and especially Cho served as executive of central bank which Kwangmu regime tried to establish in 1903. They did their works as bankers in the financial reform of the regime with other merchants in Seoul, Kaesǒng and Inch’ǒn. This constituted the process where traditional merchants in dependency upon Chosǒn dynasty transformed themselves into bourgeoise by participating in the conservative modernization initiated by the state. Japanese imperialism, occupying Korea after the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war, hurried to re-organize the financial and monetary practices to its benefit. Monetary reform project(貨幣整理事業) collapsed Korean monetary and financial system which was based upon nickel coin(白銅貨). Faced with this situation, Cho and Paek initiated the organization of Kyǒngsǒng Commercial Chamber while participating in the colonial financial system established by Japanese imperialism. Their practice remained unchanged also in the colonial days, which took it much to form good relation with the political power. That is, they solidified their good relations with powerful pro-Japanese politicians and Japanese. This tells us that the colonial modernization was based upon the legacies of Kwangmu Reform.