• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.1
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• pp.67-77
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• 2019

This study tried to evaluate the official Korea Red Ginseng(Hongsam) trade in 19th century. The Hongsam trade activities of the 19th century also show that the collected amount of Posam taxes (Hongsam taxes) alone outweigh the amount of cost spent during the same time period to launch tributary actions. It is quite obvious that the Chosun dynasty, supported by the developed techniques of ginseng cultivation and preservation methods, managed to stop the silver leaks while also stimulating the domestic commerce, handicraft business and mining operations, by exporting Hongsam to China and importing raw material and other finished products in return. The Chosun government also managed to secure considerable amount of marginal profit which at times mounted to almost 2 hundred thousand Nyangs of silver during the latter half of the 19th century thanks to this Hongsam trade activities, and accumulated the hoof-shaped pieces of silver ingot at the office of Ministry of Taxation. Even under the mostly undesirable political environment featuring unjustified deeds of the powerful houses, the commercial activities were being strongly maintained, and the transactions conducted by merchants of the Gaeseong, Euiju areas and the capital city were prospering.