Trade And Transformation In Korea, 1876-1945

Exploring the interaction among system, state, and society, this book illuminates the social and economic history of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century colonial Korea. Dennis McNamara argues that transformation within and trade abroad, led by rice exports, spurred Korea’s shift from isolation to inclusion in a modern regional system. In his chronicle of the bustling grain export center of Inchon, the author draws an engaging portrait of leading Korean brokers and their efforts to maintain autonomy while cooperating with Japanese grain millers.McNamara argues that Korean precedents of enterprise and guild association, coupled with Japanese colonial patterns of accommodation, fostered the emergence of modern Korean business. By focusing especially on the role of rice brokers and millers as important agents of change, this study advances our understanding of the formation of the Korean business community and offers valuable insights into the trade history of one of the world’s leading export nations.