Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 367

367. Stagnation – Stillness in Motion (1)

Thus, Joseon, having entered a period of stagnation, was busily running amidst its own peace.

Many merchant ships diligently traveled between Shandong in Ming China and Jemulpo [modern-day Incheon, South Korea], and in Dongnae [present-day Busan], merchant ships busily traveled to and from Joseon trading posts in Tsushima and even the Japanese mainland.

And from Mokpo, merchant ships traveled to the territories of Ouchi [a powerful feudal clan in western Japan] and Won Do-jin (源道鎭, 澁川滿賴) [also known as Shibukawa Mitsuyori, a Japanese figure who allied with Joseon]. The merchant ships coming from Ouchi were filled with raw silver ore, and the ships coming from Won Do-jin’s territory were filled with cotton.

Won Do-jin, in alliance with Ouchi, was able to recapture his lost territory by attacking the Shoni clan.

Having recovered his territory, Won Do-jin accepted Joseon’s proposal to cultivate cotton in order to cover the war expenses he had incurred and to raise funds to rebuild his territory.

And, starting this year, a commercially significant amount of cotton began to enter Joseon.

This cotton, imported from Japan, was transformed into cotton cloth by Joseon merchants and sold to Ming China, the Jurchens [a Tungistic people who later founded the Qing dynasty], Japan, and even as far as Arabia and Europe.

This became the reason for the saying in Europe, ‘The wool of Florence, the cotton of Joseon.’

* * *

In this process, the Mokpo Naval Base began to evolve from a simple military port to a trading port.

Challenger-class battleships regularly traveled between Alexandria and Mokpo, and merchant ships belonging to the Mansur Merchant Guild also bustled about.

In addition, merchant ships from Ryukyu [Okinawa] and Siam (暹羅, Thailand), having heard the rumors, also visited the Mokpo Naval Base.

What stood out in this process were the merchant ships from Siam, specifically the Siam-Khok Kingdom (暹羅斛國).

It was a country that had been visited once during the reign of Taejo [the founder of the Joseon dynasty], but it was not engaged in trade because it was thought that there would be no particular profit. (Note 1)

Thailand’s main products were sappanwood and agarwood logs and resins.

Sappanwood was used as a raw material for red or purple dyes, agarwood logs were used to make incense, and its resin was used as a material for fragrances and medicines.

Until now, they had mainly been obtained through intermediary trade through Ming merchants, but direct trade was established as Siam sent merchant ships directly.

These foreign merchant ships visiting Joseon were good prey for pirates. However, at least the pirates approaching within two days’ distance from Joseon and Kyushu were nowhere to be found.

That area was within the sphere of influence of the Haeung-class high-speed battleships.

Therefore, pirates looked for opportunities outside that sphere of influence. However, the captains operating the merchant ships were also not to be trifled with.

They moved together, timed to coincide with the departure of Joseon’s Challenger-class battleships.

As long as the Challenger-class battleships were present, the pirates could not recklessly attack the merchant ships.

* * *

While the West and South Seas of Joseon were bustling like this, the East Sea region of Joseon was relatively quiet.

In Dongbing Port, built in Dongbing Bay (冬氷灣) – formerly known as Vladivostok before Hyang intervened – Challenger-class battleships and Haeung-class battleships were built using timber harvested from the nearby coniferous forests.

The coniferous trees in the vicinity were ideal materials for shipbuilding because their wood was hard and dense.

In addition, most of the trees grew straight, making them ideal for building materials.

Soon, the newly built Challenger-class battleships and Haeung-class battleships were first tasked with transporting timber to Wonsan.

In this process, Joseon recorded another ‘world first’.

-The first country in the world to start a ‘systematic’ afforestation project.

“Although the scale of that coniferous forest is enormous, it will soon come to an end if it is indiscriminately logged. Therefore, healthy seedlings must be grown to fill the cleared areas. This is for our posterity, so it must never be done carelessly.”

According to Sejong’s order – although Hyang laid the groundwork – a systematic afforestation project was started.

Afforestation projects were not non-existent before Sejong.

Efforts had been made to preserve forestry resources since the Three Kingdoms period [57 BCE – 668 CE]. It was an artificial afforestation area called Imsu (林藪). (Note 2)

However, Sejong’s policy was given the title of ‘world’s first’ because it was the first to publicly declare that its purpose was the preservation of resources.

* * *

Thus, the East Sea was quite calm, except for the active movement between Dongbing Port and Wonsan.

Other than the Haeung-class battleships patrolling near Muryung Island (武陵島, Ulleungdo) and Usan Island (于山島, Dokdo) (Note 3) to prevent the entry of Japanese fishermen or Japanese pirates, the only regular ship was the one traveling to Daeseol Island (大雪島) – Hokkaido in the history before Hyang intervened.

Exploring the north and east of it was temporarily suspended due to a lack of personnel.

“First of all, let’s focus on completely integrating Daeseol Island into Joseon’s territory.”

With a face full of regret, Sejong came to a conclusion, and no officials opposed it.

* * *

There was considerable controversy before the name Daeseol Island was given.

The first name nominated was ‘Apwaedo (壓倭島)’, which Heo Jo insisted on.

The name was given with the meaning of ‘suppressing the heads of the Japanese,’ but soon other officials expressed their disapproval.

“It’s a striking name, but it presents many diplomatic problems. Let’s use another name.”

“Do we have to be so mindful of those Japanese bastards?”

“Isn’t it because they’re not the kind of guys who will just sit still and take it!”

“Heo-eo~. Are we now having to be mindful of the Japanese bastards!”

“The time will come when we have to correct their behavior, but let’s not give them an excuse!”

After such a fierce debate, Sejong came to a conclusion.

“I don’t like the Japanese either, but there are many Japanese who maintain good relations with our Joseon, so I think it’s better to avoid names that are too provocative.”

According to Sejong’s decision, the island was named ‘Daeseol Island’ as a kind of appeasement policy.

* * *

In order to completely integrate Daeseol Island into Joseon’s territory, Joseon chose ‘monopoly stores’.

The indigenous Ainu people living on Daeseol Island were in a situation where everything was lacking.

It was impossible to meet all their needs with only hunting, gathering, and primitive agriculture.

Therefore, the monopoly stores located in the Joseon residential area were a dream place for the Ainu people.

The official dispatched from Joseon told the Ainu who could communicate through writing about the conditions for using the monopoly store.

-It can be used if you become a Joseon citizen.

-What does it mean to become a Joseon citizen?

-It means obeying His Majesty the King and following the laws of Joseon.

-Are there any other conditions?

-Customs that violate etiquette are prohibited.

-I’ll talk to my clan.

Through this process, a small number of Ainu people gradually became naturalized as Joseon citizens.

Identity passes were issued to the Ainu people who were naturalized in Joseon, and many amusing things happened in this process.

It was in the process of recording the names of the Ainu people.

It was not easy to transliterate names made in the unique Ainu language into Chinese characters.

* * *

Anyway, the absorption of the Ainu people through the monopoly store was proceeding smoothly.

This was because the other Ainu people began to naturalize to Joseon after seeing that the naturalized Ainu people were not harmed and were free to use the monopoly store.

Hyang, who heard the report next to Sejong, smiled mischievously in his room and muttered.

“Economic incentives are more effective than moral governance…. It’s not for nothing that the Chinese call it ‘the capitalism of all evils’.”

* * *

What the Ainu people bought at the monopoly store were not luxury goods, but necessities such as cloth, grain, salt, and sugar.

In the process of obtaining these necessities, the Ainu people experienced a strong culture shock, and the item that caused the shock was salt.

“I’d like to buy some salt…”

When an Ainu person who visited the monopoly store revealed his business in clumsy Joseon language, the manager of the monopoly store asked a question.

“You want to buy salt? What kind of salt?”

At the manager’s question, the Ainu person asked back with a bewildered expression.

“What kind of salt?”

Seeing the Ainu person’s expression, the manager guided him to one side.

The manager moved to a counter on one side and asked again, stretching out his arm.

“What kind of salt do you want?”

“Eh?”

The Ainu person blinked his wide eyes and looked at the scene in front of him again.

There were at least 10 kinds of salt, each with a different color. Looking at such an Ainu person, the manager continued.

“If you’re simply looking for a salty taste, you can buy the cheapest solar salt over there, and if you want a more refined taste, you can buy this bay salt. From the most basic Cheongjayeom (淸炙鹽) [clear roasted salt] to Yageom (藥鹽) [medicinal salt], which is put into porridge to feed patients with stomachaches or colds. What do you want?”

The Ainu person was just opening and closing his mouth at the manager’s explanation and the spectacle in front of him.

* * *

The fact that Joseon’s bay salt has become so diverse was also due to Hyang’s ‘Deokjil’ [a Korean slang term referring to obsessive enthusiasm or deep knowledge about a particular subject, often used in a positive way to describe someone who is very passionate and knowledgeable about something].

In the early days of his reign, Sejong was determined to change all private salt (사염) to public salt (공염) and was strongly promoting this.

This was because the profits that the salt makers were making while selling salt, which was one of the things necessary for people to live, were enormous.

Therefore, it was to secure finances by converting private salt to public salt.

Naturally, the salt makers (염장) resisted fiercely.

Many salt makers ran away from the designated workplaces and frequently made and sold salt secretly.

However, Sejong steadily promoted public salt.

Hyang, who was watching this scene from the side, had to worry with a troubled face.

“It’s a cliché, but I’m also reluctant to use solar salt.”

When he lived as Jin-ho in the 21st century, Jin-ho’s house used refined salt and rock salt.

Refined salt was used when making kimchi, and rock salt was used for other dishes.

When Jin-ho asked why, Jin-ho’s mother smiled shyly and said the reason.

“Well? I don’t feel good about solar salt these days? There’s been a lot of talk about salt farm slaves for a while, right?”

Perhaps because of that, Hyang felt a considerable aversion to solar salt, both when he lived as Jin-ho and now as Hyang.

“But bay salt also has many problems…”

According to what Hyang found out, bay salt was being made all over the coast of Joseon.

In the West and South Seas, bay salt was made by trapping seawater in tidal flats and then boiling the brine (鹹水) [salty water], which was made by mixing the evaporated tidal flat soil with seawater again to increase the salinity, and in the East Sea, bay salt was made by simply mixing seawater from the sea with soil or sand, going through a similar process, and then boiling it.

The problem was that the method using tidal flat soil was difficult to get rid of impurities.

In particular, in the case of the West Sea, the impurities increased and the salinity decreased as the water from the Yellow River flowed in, making it a labor-intensive product.

However, the East Sea was freer from the problem of impurities.

If you go out by boat for just 1 gak (about 15 minutes), you can fill it with clear seawater.

No, even if you don’t go out by boat, you can get clear and highly saline seawater everywhere if you go out a little bit.

The biggest problem with bay salt from the East Sea was that it had to cross the Baekdu-daegan Mountains [the main mountain range of the Korean Peninsula] to be sold in a large market.

Naturally, the transportation cost was added, so the price was bound to be expensive, and in other regions, only those with spare money bought and used bay salt from the East Sea.

“There are many problems, but I still prefer bay salt. If we use coal, we can solve the fuel problem. Of course, if we consider cost-effectiveness, solar salt is overwhelmingly superior…”

Hyang trailed off as if he didn’t like something.

“This cost-effectiveness is bothering me…. Should we go with a two-track approach again? Oh! We can have solar salt made by a suitable person and then sell it as an ultra-low-priced product to the really struggling people, and sell it to Japan or other places to make money. With the money we earn, we can focus on bay salt…. As a mid-to-high-end product. Yes…. This would be good.”

Hyang, who had made a plan to make solar salt and sell it overseas, and then devote himself to bay salt with that money, smiled with satisfaction.

The truth was that Hyang liked bay salt more because there were more things to ‘Deokjil’ about than solar salt.

* * *

Note 1) Historical consideration of exchanges with Thailand before and after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty. Jo Heung-guk. Assistant Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Pusan ​​National University.

Note 2) Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Forestry item.

http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Index?contents_id=E0047546

Note 3) This data was used as the basis for referring to Usan Island as Dokdo.

The Truth of Dokdo. Dokdo Comprehensive Research Institute, Sejong University.

http://www.dokdoandeastasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/독도의-진실-1_우산국과-우산도.pdf