‘조선의 전기왕’ 오구라 다케노스케(小倉武之助)와 조선사회

Abstract

In this paper, Ogura Dakenosuke(小倉武之助), a powerful capitalist in Daegu, was focused on. Ogura was from a collapsed yet influential family of Chiba(千葉縣), and owned the strongest capital of academic career, namely, graduation from the law department, Tokyo Imperial University. Compared to ‘the bare-hand group’(一旗組), who came over to Chosun dreaming of ‘becoming wealthy overnight’, he was a reliable and verifiable person who had graduated from the Imperial University. Using his human network of the law department including seniors, juniors and classmates in the key posts of the colonial government organization, such as the Japanese Government-General of Korea, Chosun Bank, Siksan Bank, and the Oriental Development Company, Ogura could take over an advantageous position for enterprise activities in Chosun by obtaining the right of electricity business, merging electricity companies, gaining a subsidy, and borrowing funds. He can be said to have been a typical case of ‘Gwangyeongyuchak(官經癒着)’, a corrupt relationship between political and business circles in Chosun. Ogura exerted his absolute influence on the local community(Daegu). Settled down in Daegu during the Russo-Japanese War, Ogura accumulated wealth through real estate business and high interest loan business in a short time, and dominated the economic circles of Daegu by establishing an electricity company, a securities company and an investment company and by going into financial business. While successively filling various posts including a Daegu Council member, a Gyeongbuk Province Council member, the president of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the president of Daegu Mindan for a long time, he made an effort to develop the city and the region by forming parks and playing a leading role in the movements to attract a regiment(聯隊) head office, a medical professional school, a corporation, Jongyeonbangjeok(鐘淵紡績) factories, an airfield and others. With the powerful influence which couldn't be compared to Japanese in other areas of Chosun, Ogura could incapacitate ‘the movement to make electricity manged by the city government’ in Daegu.