조선 후기 貢價의 체계와 추이

초록

The prices of tribute items were very stable from around 1750 when Tribute Institution was consolidated until the middle of the 19th century. Not only the primary tribute prices(元貢價) but also the secondary tribute prices(別貿價) were officially fixed. And they have scarcely changed over time. Both the primary and secondary tribute prices changed within a 5% level respectively during the period from the 1810s to the 1860s. The state endeavored for an efficient adjustment of tribute prices only in limited extent. The secondary tribute prices were rather closer to the primary tribute prices than the market prices. In this regard, the tribute prices formed an independent price category distinct from the market price. The primary tribute prices of the same items seldom differed each other in case that the same items were dedicated to royal family in various ways, or both to royal family(供上) and to government(各貢). However, they often differed each other in case that the same items were dedicated to government in various ways. This tribute price disparity can be explained by supply prices, different purposes of use, and the autonomy of respective tribute procuring offices' accounts. The fact that the primary tribute prices of the same items often differed between provincial offices(各道廳) under Seonhyecheong (宣惠廳) exhibits the lack of efforts to increase fiscal efficiency. The secondary tribute prices of the same items also often differed each other, depending on their procuring agents. The different tribute prices for the same items not only reflected supply costs, but also revealed the weak integrating power of Seoul market and the state's insufficient effort and will for fiscal efficiency.  The primary tribute prices are estimated to have been around 1.7 times the secondary tribute prices of the same items and a nearly threefold higher than their market prices, where the secondary tribute prices are approximately 1.7 times the market prices. The state, consumer of tribute goods, calculated the tribute prices, considering their market values. Because tribute purchasing agents, namely the tribute merchants(貢人) were officially designated, and prices for tribute items were officially fixed, the tribute prices deviated from their market values. The higher-than-market prices of tribute items reflected the corvée labor burden of tribute merchants, the cost of their procurement and delivery, and even appropriate merchant profits. Although we suggest several reasons for the fact that such high tribute prices had remained over two centuries, the state can not be relived from a criticism that it was short of efforts to increase the efficiency of tribute procurement. The state could not reduce cost by flexible coordination of tribute prices to correspond to market prices and thereby it could not shut out privilege seeking activities of tribute merchants. However, it had maintained stable procurement institution of government purchase goods with a small nuisance to the people for a long time. The faithful Confucian state Chosŏn chose stability and egalitarianism over efficiency for its policy goal.  Notwithstanding the fact that the state paid the tribute prices much more than the market value, the relationship between state and tribute merchants was reciprocal for economic transaction and the tribute merchants must have paid market prices for purchasing tribute items. Nevertheless, the application of officially fixed prices which were much higher than their market prices in a massive procurement of tribute items restrained further market deepening.

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