The process of forming Hoeryong trade market's order between Qing and Joseon during the Tiancong·Chongde Era(1627-1643).
Authors:   HUFS Institute of History and Culture, Kim YoungJin 
Published: June 2024

During the Tiancong era(1627-1636), the demand for a trade market in Hoeryong(會寧) by Later Jin was not merely an economic necessity but a strategic move to advance the repatriation of Warka. In contrast, Joseon, grappling with a deteriorating economic situation in the northern area, was hesitant to engage with the Hoeryong trade market. Later Jin attempted to conduct the trade market by dispatching envoys from Shenyang(瀋陽) to Hoeryong. Due to this dispatch of envoys, Joseon had to treat Later Jin personnel and provide food to their attendants.
Furthermore, the personnel dispatched to the Hoeryong trade market posed various challenges for Joseon. These challenges were often based on the prestige of having been dispatched under the orders of Hong Taiji, with even a 'fake envoy' who forged Hong Taiji's orders appearing at the Hoeryong trade market. The issue of food provision also became a point of contention. In the second year of Tiancong(1628), the two countries agreed not to provide food to merchants who accompanied them. However, in the 5th year of Tiancong(1631), a Later Jin envoy arbitrarily demanded that food be provided to its merchants, and in the 6th year of Tiancong(1632), Later Jin officially demanded that food be provided to its merchants. As a result, Joseon ended up paying not only envoys but also merchants, adding to their economic burden.
To address the economic burden caused by the Hoeryong trade market on the northern border, Joseon proposed the concept of 'envoy trade' as an alternative. This involved conducting trade by accompanying merchants on envoys traveling between the two countries, a proposal that was first made in the 5th year of Tiancong. When the two countries agreed to proceed with the envoy trade, in the 8th year of Tiancong(1634), Joseon attempted to abolish the Hoeryong trade market by using the implementation of the envoy trade as leverage. However, the 'local demand' that existed in Ningguta and other areas related to the Hoeryong trade market could not be replaced by envoy trade, leading to active opposition from Later Jin against the abolition of the Hoeryong trade market.
In the 9th year of Tiancong(1635), Joseon attempted to resolve the problems caused by the Later Jin envoys dispatched to the trade market by converting the order of the Hoeryong trade market into free trade. Hong Taiji also sympathized with the problems of dispatching envoys from Shenyang. However, in consideration of maintaining order in the trade market, Later Jin promoted the transition to a plan in which local officials of both countries mutually control the trade market.
After the 1637 Qing Invasion of Joseon, the Hoeryong trade market was reopened in the 3rd year of Chongde(1638). Qing gave an official letter from the Board of Revenue to an official in the Ningguta region and dispatched it to the Hoeryong trade market. However, the Qing did not notify Joseon of their participation in the trade market. Qing personnel incorrectly reported the documents they brought as royal edicts, causing Joseon to experience twists and turns in preparing the trade market and hosting Qing personnel. In this process, the two countries reorganized procedures related to the Hoeryong trade market. At that time, the protocol for treating Qing personnel appeared to be at the level that Later Jin tried to implement in Joseon during the Tiancong era.
Through the incident that occurred at the Hoeryong trade market in the 7th year of Chongde(1642), it can be seen that there is a situation in which Joseon has established a specific protocol for the treatment of Qing personnel dispatched to the Hoeryong trade market. However, there were also circumstances in which it was impossible to comply with the set amount of food provided due to the unfavorable economic situation in the northern region.