근대 지방경제단체의 형성(1876-1916)

Dongrae Chamber of Commerce was established in 1908, and it is since 1907 that Dongrae appeared among the merchants organization. Dongrae Chamber of Commerce not only played its basic role of protecting Korean merchants' interest, but also actively mediated disputes between foreign merchants and local merchants. On the other hand, Busan Chamber of Commerce, the Japanese' economic association, was established in 1879. It was the first board of trade in the Korea. In accordance with the attempt of the Japanese government to colonize Korea, the role of the Busan Japanese Chamber of Commerce was not limited only to the fundamental commercial and industrial issues. After Japan's colonization of Korea, Japan tried to integrate the previously ethnically divided Chamber of Commerce. In 1916 Korean Chamber of Commerce and Japanese Chamber of Commerce were merged. The number of the Korean merchants who obtained the membership was merely 5% in 1918. In Busan where Japan's infiltration took place the earliest and widest, the integrated Chamber of Commerce completely fell into the Japanese' hands. The reason why the opposition by the Koreans was less severe than it was in other regions should probably be related to the power of Japanese merchants in Busan.