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7. Foreign Trade and Interpreter Officials

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7. Foreign Trade and Interpreter Officials 7. FOREIGN TRADE AND INTERPRETER OFFICIALS Kim Kyung-ran The Richest Man in Seoul Master Heo lived in Mukjeokgol at the foot of Mount Nam. He was content just to read books, while his wife barely eked out a living by selling embroi- dery. One day, his wife, crying from pangs of hunger, said to him, “Husband, you’ve never even taken the civil service examination, so why are you even bothering with such reading?…If you don’t like to be a craftsman or a mer- chant, how about trying to become a thief?” Thus, Master Heo had no choice but to put down his books and go outside, but looking around, he knew no one. He went to Jongno Intersection and asked each vendor he met, “Hello, who is the richest person in Seoul?” In good time, someone mentioned the name of Mr. Byeon. Master Heo finally found Mr. Byeon’s home. Upon meet- ing him, he said, “My family is poor, and I’d like to try something. I’ve come to borrow a large amount of money.” Mr. Byeon said, “Okay” and promptly gave him the money. But Master Heo just left without saying a word of thanks. This passage is taken from Bak Jiwon’s (1737–1805) ‘The Tale of Master Heo,’ a story about a fallen yangban who seeks the richest man in Seoul to acquire the capital to start a business. Who was this Mr. Byeon, who lent a huge sum of money to a pathetic-looking scholar without giving it a sec- ond thought? Though ‘The Tale of Master Heo’ is a work of fiction, Bak’s novels are thought to be a faithful reflection of their time. Since the main characters within the story were portrayed realistically, it is possible that they were based on actual people, especially the character who was the ‘richest person in Seoul.’ He seems to have been based on Byeon Seungeop, an interpreter official (yeokgwan) who lived during the reign of Sukjong (r. 1674–1720). Byeon Seungeop (1623–1709) was an interpreter of Japanese. He belonged to the jungin class whose status was lower than that of the yang- ban but higher than that of commoners. They were generally lower-level functionaries who specialized in technical fields such as medicine, law, astronomy, and geography, as well as interpreting. Byeon was from a famous interpreter family; his father was Byeon Eungseong, and five of his siblings also were translators. The family seems to have become wealthy during his father’s generation, and by the time Byeon Seungeop grew up, <UN> <UN> 106 kim kyung-ran they were regarded as one of the richest families in Seoul. When Byeon’s wife died in 1696, he caused a stir by lacquering her face – something that was done only for kings. To quell the outcry, he paid hundreds of thou- sands of gold coins to high-ranking officials at court. Toward the end of his life, when his money lending amounted to 500,000 nyang of silver, he began to give money away so that his descendants would not suffer any trouble because of his loans. These facts provide a glimpse into the extent of Byeon Seungeop’s wealth. How was it possible for an interpreter like Byeon Seungeop to become one of the richest people in Seoul with a fortune greater than that of the most successful merchants? The answer can be found in the nature of trade during the Joseon period and the special trading rights enjoyed by interpreters. Trade in the Joseon Period International trade in the early Joseon era was mainly conducted through the tributary system. The term ‘tributary system’ refers to the unique struc- ture of diplomatic relations in pre-modern East Asia. Countries neighbor- ing China regularly sent envoys to China to present tribute goods to the emperor. In return for tribute, China bestowed gifts on them. Through the exchange of tribute and gifts, China’s neighbors satisfied their need for trade. Ming China established relations with neighboring countries based on the principles of sadae (serving the great) and gyorin (neighborly friendship) by granting them investiture. The only exchange it would per- mit was the officially sanctioned trade conducted by governments through the tribute system. Thus, the level of trade among the East Asian coun- tries, in terms of both frequency and volume, was relatively low. The nature of trade in the region began to change in the sixteenth cen- tury. China adopted a silver-based currency system, and commerce and industry developed, leading to the production of goods such as silk, cot- ton, and ceramics. Also, earlier European geographic discoveries brought European merchants to China and led to the spread of Chinese goods even to Europe. With the expansion of markets and the growth of non-official trade, China could no longer cling to the tribute-based trade system. Another turning point in East Asian trade was the outbreak of the Imjin War in 1592. From the year 1593, in the midst of the war with Japan, Joseon conducted trade with China at Junggang (Nanja Island in the Amnok River) to obtain warhorses and supplies for famine relief. Due to severe <UN> <UN>.
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