漢城銀行의 經營權, 大株主 구성 추이와 日本人銀行化 과정

Abstract

The Hansŏng Bank can be regarded as an ideal case study in terms of the types of banks owned by Koreans under colonial capitalism. The Hansŏng Bank was established in 1897 as a normal bank, and quickly showed signs of having the possibility of becoming the basis of the national economy. However, from 1903 onwards it was used as a subsidiary of the Daiichi Bank, its largest shareholder. After 1906, the Residency－General became the main actor involved in the control of the Hansŏng Bank. During the 1910s, or from the signing of the Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty onwards, the Hansŏng Bank enjoyed its heyday as it rapidly grew to become an ‘aristocratic bank.’ The bank was subsequently the target of a boycott during the March 1st Movement. However, its standing as a good example of the Government－General of Chosŏn’s policy with regards to the establishment of banks, and the fact that the Office of Yi Royal-Family(李王職) was its largest shareholder, ensured that the bank could overcome the crisis. However, the reputation of the Hansŏng Bank as an ‘aristocratic bank’ started to fade in the aftermath of its recapitalization in January 1920 and of its increased taking on of the characteristics of a Japanese bank. The golden era of the Hansŏng Bank came to an end during the 1920s as it faced a management crisis amidst epochal events such as the Great Depression and the Great Tokyo Earthquake of September 1, 1923. The Government－General of Chosŏn decided to turn the Hansŏng Bank into a bank managed by the Japanese. At the end of 1925, Tsutsumi Nagaichi was appointed as the CEO and granted exclusive management rights of the bank. In March 1928, the Hansŏng Bank became a subsidiary of the Chosen Industrial Bank.