History of the Majin Village in Jinju’s Daegok Area During the Late Joseon Period, And Conflicts Over the Village Forest

Examined in this article are the old documents that have been kept in custody of Maho-dang(磨湖堂), the head family of the Jae’ryeong Yi house at Majin(麻津), a village in Jinju city’s Daegok-myeon area, the Gyeongsang Nam-do province. All these documents show us the history of the Majin village during the Joseon period, as well as certain conflicts that broke out amongst residents over the village’s main forest(Dong’rim, 洞林), which was an important asset and focus of the residents’ very own crucial interest. The village is located at the intersection of a river and a stream, so it was always vulnerable to flooding back in the Joseon period. Naturally it was imperative for the residents to develop ways that would allow them to counteract such occurrences. After the Jae’ryeong Yi house members settled down in the village, they established a large forest that would act as a wall to protect the village from flooding. And efforts to manage such asset continued later on. Unfortunately, disagreements regarding the issue of ownership (or occupation) over the vast forest eventually led to quarrels and even fierce conflicts throughout the village, especially in the early 19th century. There were two primary issues of contention behind those conflicts, of which one provoked a legal fight over the forest that was situated in the front side of the village, while the other led to a lawsuit over the mountains located in the village’s rear. During such conflicts collateral damages also ensued, as the village forest alongside other forest areas were confiscated by the military headquarters(兵營) and damaged to a certain degree, while a wide portion of the village forest was also once annexed by the government to serve as a land to provide firewood, for no other than memorial services at royal mausoleums. In the aftermath of such conflicts, many members of the Jae’ryeong Yi house were even arrested, and spent some time in prison. These conflicts from the latter half period of Joseon left a vivid mark in the history of this village.