조선중기 제주유민의 발생과 대책

Abstract

The Migration of the Jeju people occurred in the mid-Chosun period between the 15th and 17th centuries when Chosun's centralized government was being consolidated. The migration of residents occurs when a government is unable to control political and economic adversities in society. Though the development of such movements appear to progress mildly, the ramifications they have on society as a whole are tremendous. For this reason, the Chosun government expressed grave concerns about this development and deliberated on measures to stabilize the disturbance. Given the significance of the issues of the Jeju Migrants and the government's subsequent decision to forbid the residents to go outside Jeju Island, the study on them in connection with the political, social and economic situations of the time has not been sufficient. Accordingly, this study is aimed at closely examining the government's policy toward the migration of the Jeju people in tandem with the contributing factors to the migration and the realities of the migrants. As the central government's administrative power reached as far as Jeju, Jeju underwent a transitional period. In consequence, Jeju came under a dual discrepant ruling structure. This rule was provided by the local magistrates sent from the central government and wealthy landowners based in the region. In addition, the people were in constant fear and terror as a result of the incessant invasions of Japanese pirate raiders committing murder, arson and plundering. The combination of such political realities contributed to the development of the Jeju migrants. The socio-economic circumstances at that time are also attributed to adding to sufferings on the people. On top of the heightened levies from the central government, various taxes, particularly the excessive tribute tax and corvee labor obligations weighed heavily on them. Coupled with frequently occurring natural disasters, leading to lean harvests, the people were unable to stand the onerous burdens and took up lives of wandering. They ended up mostly in the coastal regions in Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces and advanced as far as Harangdo in China. They were separately called 'Dumoo-ak', 'Dudok-yaj;' and 'Pojak-in' because their clothing, customs and language were different from those of other provinces. These migrants can be classified into three groups: The first are those who settled in a region, serving their duties as residents; the second are those who settled in a region as part of naval forces with their skills in building ships and sailing gaining recognition; and the third are those who moved from place to place with no fixed abode, turning into vagabonds. Although the Chosun government was aware of the political and economic importance of Jeju Island, they lacked the will and consciousness to improve Jeju's situation institutionally. On the contrary, they beefed up their control on the Jeju islanders and continued to exploit the people. Eventually, though the policy to prevent the Jeju people from leaving the island might have been an effective measure in dealing with the migration matter, this hugely oppressive policy had the effect of isolating the inhabitants of Jeju from other regions for about 200 years, having substantial repercussions on the society and the culture of Jeju.