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Establishment and Management of Joseon Steel Co. during the Pacific War(1941~1945)

  • The Review of Korean History
  • 2010, (100), pp.783-824
  • Publisher : The Historical Society Of Korea
  • Research Area : Humanities > History

Bae Suk Man 1

1고려대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study analyzed established processes of Joseon Steel Co. having been materialized from 1941. Through this analysis, the study tried to look into development status of the steel industry propelled by imperialist Japan during war basis period. Also, this study paid attention to conflicts of opinions and adjusting processes between Planning Board and the military, Government General of Joseon and economic authorities in Japanese government. While entering in 1940s, developing features of the steel industry from imperialist Japan has been changed. In case of latter half of 1930s, Government General of Joseon requested the necessity of steel industry’s development strongly to their mother country Japan focusing on constructions such as Cheongjin Steel or Seongjin Steel etc. as a part of colony industrialization. On the other hand, existing positive attitudes of the Government General were been withered, and they adhered to prudent stances in the constructing process of Joseon Steel Co. at 1940s. According to this, there appeared different aspects from inner national power of imperialist Japan differently from Cheongjin Steel construction at 1930s. The reason was that the Planning Board led constructions of steel mills after getting supports from the military, but a structure of requesting substantial reduction on the plans from Government General of Joseon has been established together with Department of Commerce and Ministry of Finance in Japanese government. In final, the construction of Joseon Steel Co. has been decided as reducing the plans same as demands of General Government of Joseon and economic authorities of Japanese government. Attitude changes of the Government General was originated from the structure that cannot but depend on resource’s sourcing power of their mother country ultimately. It was because weakness of sourcing powers from Japan having been started owing to establishing war basis caused delays and deadlocks of large- scale steel mill’s constructions that were begun at the latter half of 1930s, and thus its burdens have been transferred to Joseon economy. In contrast, central economic authorities in Japan kept economic policy’s stances of home centrism invariably even in entering into 1940 by giving priority to economical efficiency, and there were rather strengthened aspects owing to lack of resources. Consensus between central economic authorities of Japan and Government General of Joseon surrounding Joseon Steel was happened in these backgrounds. However, this prudent attitude based on realistic situations of Government General of Joseon was not able to be kept while the Pacific War was begun in earnest. The reason was derived from a fact that any restraining influences on the Joseon Steel’s transforming into uneconomical and more logistic factory such as producing small-furnace steel and bullet steel for logistics were not displayed. Constructive processes of Joseon Steel Co. during the Pacific War could be said as exposing limitations of Government General of Joseon more realistically as a colony authority related to the colony industrialization.

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