Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 178

178. The End of the Gyeongjang (3)

The employee emphasized the stark reality.

“What will become of you if you continue like this? Others save to buy houses, open shops, or acquire land, but what will you do as paupers? Others marry, have children, and enjoy grandchildren, but do you intend to live alone in a small rented room, clutching a bottle of *takbaeggi* [Korean rice wine] and scratching yourselves, living a miserable existence? Now that you’ve been freed from slavery and become commoners, shouldn’t you buy homes, marry, and start families!”

At the employee’s words, the former slaves nodded blankly, as if in a trance.

“Do you think it’s wise to save all your wages? Wouldn’t you lose sleep worrying about thieves? Right?”

“That’s right, sir…”

As the former slaves nodded, the *Jeonjang* [traditional Korean bank] employee raised his voice.

“So! Open an account at the *Jeonjang*! Deposit all your earnings from work into it! Only withdraw money when necessary! Then your money will grow! As you know, the *Jeonjang* is run by the government! There’s no risk of your money being stolen! Moreover, it pays interest! If you deposit one silver *nyang* [Korean currency], you’ll receive twelve *won* [smaller Korean currency] in interest per year! How fantastic is that? Go ahead and try to dig that much out of the ground! Does twelve *won* just appear?”

The former slaves shook their heads vigorously at the employee’s words. Seeing their reaction, the employee softened his tone.

“This is all a plan devised by His Majesty the King and the court, who have taken pity on you. Think about it! You became commoners thanks to the grace bestowed by His Majesty the King! Now that you’re commoners, shouldn’t you live respectable lives?”

That day, dozens of accounts were opened at the Joseon *Jeonjang* located in Gijang County.

* * *

The same events occurring in Gijang County were reported from all over Joseon.

Sejong, after reviewing the report compiled by the Ministry of Taxation, looked at his officials with a satisfied expression.

“‘Many a little makes a mickle’… Gathering the funds of those freed from slavery is creating a truly substantial sum. Moreover, securing manpower for road construction is also becoming easier.”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

“Furthermore, replenishing the workforce for the textile mills has also become easier.”

At Sejong’s words, the officials bowed their heads in agreement.

Ironically, the person who initially conceived this idea was not Hyang but Sejong himself.

* * *

After reorganizing the ‘Tax Law’ and ‘Slavery Law,’ Sejong was reviewing reports on future events when an idea suddenly struck him.

‘The wealth accumulated upon being freed from slavery seems quite significant, doesn’t it?’

Having had this thought, Sejong immediately instructed the Ministry of Taxation to estimate the total wealth that would be generated through manumission.

“More work…”

The officials of the Ministry of Taxation grumbled but dutifully followed the order.

As they calculated the estimated amount, their faces grew increasingly serious.

“This is quite a lot!”

“If this wealth is released all at once, it could cause price instability…”

The Ministry of Taxation officials wrote a report with grave expressions and submitted it to Kim Jeom.

Kim Jeom’s face also turned serious after reading the report.

“If we’re not careful, a major problem could arise.”

Kim Jeom immediately rushed to the State Council.

The State Council’s councilors also recognized the gravity of the situation and put their heads together.

“If slaves are freed all at once like this, it will definitely cause problems. There will be price issues, and also major concerns regarding crime and housing.”

“Hmm… Then should we limit the number of people who can be freed each year?”

“That’s a reasonable approach. It will also reduce the burden on the officials.”

The councilors, having reached an agreement, submitted the agenda and the State Council’s opinion on it to Sejong.

Kim Jeom felt an ominous premonition at the sight.

“What is it? This unease?”

* * *

His ominous premonition proved correct. Sejong became furious upon receiving the councilors’ report.

“Limit the number of people being freed? Are you thinking clearly! Do you believe landlords, who will clearly be desperate to reduce their tax burden, will accept this order! Moreover, do you not realize what those who have not been freed will think when they see those working right next to them being freed!”

At Sejong’s rebuke, the councilors hurriedly bowed their heads.

“Your Majesty, we are deeply sorry!”

“Our thoughts were short-sighted! Please punish us!”

Looking at the councilors and officials bowing their heads, Sejong continued.

“People, by nature, want more if they receive something. Therefore, I believe it is right to find a solution that everyone can agree on, rather than imposing restrictions. Think again and submit a revised proposal!”

At Sejong’s stern order, the officials had no choice but to bow their heads repeatedly.

* * *

Sejong did not simply issue orders to the officials. He himself repeatedly pondered the matter to find the right solution.

“Hmm… There must be a good answer…”

Sejong, rummaging through not only the policies Hyang had created but also the *Gyeongjang* [economic reform] policies he had initiated, stopped at the ‘Joseon *Jeonjang*’ section.

“Create deposit and loan accounts for ordinary people at the *Jeonjang*?”

Sejong, repeatedly reading the section, clapped his knee.

“This is it!”

The next day, Sejong shared his thoughts with his officials.

“…Therefore, let’s persuade the slaves who have been freed and become commoners as much as possible to provide manpower for the road construction sites and textile mills. This will also benefit the merchants, so they won’t be too dissatisfied.”

At Sejong’s words, the officials all nodded.

“We are in awe of Your Majesty’s insight!”

As the officials did not object, Sejong continued.

“And send officials from the *Jeonjang* to the locations where manumission is confirmed to absorb as much of the wealth brought out by those who have been freed into the *Jeonjang* as possible. Anyway, according to the *Gyeongjang* progress, we are supposed to create deposit and loan accounts for ordinary people at the *Jeonjang*, aren’t we?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

“So, let’s have those being freed this time create accounts! Then others will see that and follow suit, opening accounts at the *Jeonjang*. What do you think?”

The officials, pondering Sejong’s words, nodded one by one.

“That is truly a brilliant idea!”

“If it goes well, the court will be able to secure more funds and stabilize market prices!”

The officials unanimously approved Sejong’s plan.

Meanwhile, Hyang, upon hearing this news, widened his eyes and could not hide his surprise.

“Did Father come up with this idea? Perhaps… Is Father also…?”

Hyang, continuing his thoughts with a questioning expression, soon shook his head.

“Stop it, stop it. You’ll be wrong if you guess.”

In any case, although he thought it was a good method, Hyang judged that it was slightly lacking. In the end, Hyang decided to subtly add some MSG [a metaphor for adding a little something extra to improve it] and visited Sejong.

“What brings you here?”

“I saw the plan that Father put forward regarding the manumission of slaves this time. It was truly a brilliant idea.”

“I worked hard on it.”

“I am sorry to ask, but may I add a little something to it?”

“You?”

Sejong, pausing for a moment at Hyang’s words, soon nodded.

“Nothing has gone wrong because you intervened. Good. I allow it.”

As Sejong’s permission was granted, Hyang immediately shared his thoughts.

“If those who have been freed create accounts, have the merchants deposit the wages paid to the workers directly into these accounts.”

“Deposit directly?”

“Yes. After all, the payments to the merchants are made by the Ministry of Taxation through the *Jeonjang*. Therefore, if we order the merchants to create a list recording the names and accounts of the workers, and deposit directly into the workers’ accounts based on this, there will be no need to do the work twice, and tax evasion can be minimized.”

“Hmm…”

Sejong, pondering Hyang’s words, soon nodded.

“That’s right! That would be good!”

In this way, the first instance of a worker’s salary being directly deposited into a bank was created.

* * *

Hyang’s MSG did not end there.

Hyang continued his explanation in a meeting between Sejong and his officials.

“If we simply force them to create accounts, there may be resistance.”

“That’s true.”

“They may even feel like they are being robbed.”

At Hyang’s point, Sejong and the officials nodded. Hyang, taking a moment to clear his throat, continued.

“Therefore, the employees of the *Jeonjang* must persuade those who have been freed to create accounts.”

“Persuade? That’s not an easy task.”

At Sejong’s point, Hyang nodded.

“That’s right. Therefore, we must target their most vulnerable points.”

Hyang borrowed an advertisement from a 21st-century bank to create the art of persuasion.

It was the method that the *Jeonjang* employee in Gijang County used to captivate the freed slaves.

Sejong and the officials, watching Hyang’s demonstration, stared blankly at him. After a while, the officials, still with blank faces, looked at Sejong.

“Your Majesty, we must also create accounts.”

“I had the same thought.”

Sejong and the officials, having confirmed the effectiveness, accepted Hyang’s proposal without a word.

Once the method was decided, the employees who would be in charge of the work at the *Jeonjangs* across the country were summoned to Hanseong [old name for Seoul].

Hyang once again showed the ‘art of persuasion’ to the employees who were dragged to the Donggung Palace [Crown Prince’s residence].

And that day, the employees of the *Jeonjang* created accounts in their own names at the *Jeonjang*.

* * *

“Anyway… it is certain that the officials of the Ministry of Taxation and the employees of the *Jeonjang* who were in charge of this work performed their duties admirably. Therefore, order the promised rewards to be paid.”

At Sejong’s order, the officials bowed their heads again.

“We obey the command!”

In this way, Sejong gained another ‘world’s first’ title.

-The first person in the world to use a formal incentive system.

Of course, there was a system of rewarding meritorious deeds on the battlefield in the past, but he became the first person to officially use a reward system in general administrative tasks, not just war.

* * *

As spring of Gyeongsul year arrived amid these large and small commotions, nationwide road construction began.

At the news that road paving construction connecting the entire Joseon was underway, young people who had been freed and left the countryside, and those who could not find jobs in the cities, gathered at the construction site.

These were not the only ones. A considerable number of farmers from nearby villages where construction was taking place also visited the site.

The reason why farmers visited the construction site was because of the transplanting method [a method of planting rice seedlings].

As mentioned before, one of the biggest advantages of the transplanting method was that it required less labor.

Except for the time of rice planting and harvesting, the transplanting method did not require many people.

Therefore, farmers who were idle for even a month or two entered the construction site with the intention of doing a side job.

It wasn’t just farmers. As peddlers and *deulbyeongyi* [traveling entertainers] who learned that those participating in the construction received wages regularly every month gathered around the site, a small market was created.

As these things overlapped, more and more Joseon people were engaged in economic activities in fields other than agriculture.

* * *

If large-scale manumission was one axis that brought about the great migration of Joseon’s population, the other axis was the enormous amount of fields that had become state-owned land through the ‘Giyu Rebellion.’

-The court is looking for those who will cultivate the confiscated fields this time. Priority is given to those who are commoners and have families.

-The rent for state-owned fields is 30%, the same as for *gungbangjeon* [land owned by the royal family], and the tax rate imposed on tenant farmers follows the law.

The tenant farmers who saw the court’s proclamation rose up in excitement.

“30%! The rent for the land I’m cultivating now is 50%!”

“Are there any state-owned fields around here?”

“Is that even a question? I have to go even if it’s a thousand-mile road if I can get a tenancy!”

In the end, many tenant farmers began to move away from where they had been living in order to obtain a tenancy of state-owned fields.