This article is to explore the decline of a gill net fishing(자망어업) carried out in the pollack fishing of Hamkyeongnamdo which had been typical of Korean fishing industry under Japanese imperialism. Korean fishing people had developed a gill net fishing by themselves, inheriting conventional types such as Geomang(거망) and Soojomang(수조망). However, gill net fishing had been declined by the emerging Soojomang fishing of motor boat, which Japanese fishing industrialists led to since 1925. Though the emergence of motor boat implied the departure of modern fishing industry, the main movers toward their transformation were largely Japanese fishing industrialists, not Korean fishermen. In 1925, the marine office of Japanese government-general in Chosun authorized Soojomnag fishing of motorboat by Japanese fishing industrialists, and encouraged it. This brought out the dispute with Korean gill net fishermen, and after all Japanese Soojomang fishing industrialists became grasped the initiative over the pollack fishing spot in Hamkeyongnamdo. Thus, Korean fishermen had been brought to crisis, and their attempts to turn over to a gill net fishing of motor boat were unsuccessful because of the lack of finances and the regulations of Japanese government-general. After 1930, the Great Depressions and the consequent penetration into fishing villages by financial capital accelerated the decline of Korean fishing people and led to their subordination to Japanese fishing industrialists. Consequently, motor boats which had threaded their way through the pollack fishing spot in Hamkyeongdo, were both symbolic of modern fishing industry and an indicator that illustrated the decline of Korean fishing people. It can be said that this was another case which showed the dualism inherent in Korean modern and contemporary history, ‘the modernity’ and ‘the coloniality.’

This article is to explore the decline of a gill net fishing(자망어업) carried out in the pollack fishing of Hamkyeongnamdo which had been typical of Korean fishing industry under Japanese imperialism. Korean fishing people had developed a gill net fishing by themselves, inheriting conventional types such as Geomang(거망) and Soojomang(수조망). However, gill net fishing had been declined by the emerging Soojomang fishing of motor boat, which Japanese fishing industrialists led to since 1925. Though the emergence of motor boat implied the departure of modern fishing industry, the main movers toward their transformation were largely Japanese fishing industrialists, not Korean fishermen. In 1925, the marine office of Japanese government-general in Chosun authorized Soojomnag fishing of motorboat by Japanese fishing industrialists, and encouraged it. This brought out the dispute with Korean gill net fishermen, and after all Japanese Soojomang fishing industrialists became grasped the initiative over the pollack fishing spot in Hamkeyongnamdo. Thus, Korean fishermen had been brought to crisis, and their attempts to turn over to a gill net fishing of motor boat were unsuccessful because of the lack of finances and the regulations of Japanese government-general. After 1930, the Great Depressions and the consequent penetration into fishing villages by financial capital accelerated the decline of Korean fishing people and led to their subordination to Japanese fishing industrialists. Consequently, motor boats which had threaded their way through the pollack fishing spot in Hamkyeongdo, were both symbolic of modern fishing industry and an indicator that illustrated the decline of Korean fishing people. It can be said that this was another case which showed the dualism inherent in Korean modern and contemporary history, ‘the modernity’ and ‘the coloniality.’

Hamkeongnamdo, Pollack fishing industry, Gill net fishing, Soojomang fishing of Motor boat, Dispute over a fishing spot