조선간이생명보험의 재정구조와 적립금 운용(1929-1937)

Abstract

The financial structure of Joseon Postal Life Insurance had two characteristics. It was the independence of finances separated by the finances of the Japanese Government-General of Korea, and the fixed estimated interest rate that was not as flexible as bank deposits. Accordingly, the finance of Postal Insurance was a self-sufficient structure that was vulnerable to interest rate fluctuations but difficult to expect state subsidies from the Japanese Government-General of Korea. The Japanese Government-General of Korea tried to secure profits as stably as possible by incorporating about 60% of its financial expenditure from Postal Insurance into reserves. And despite the confrontation with the Ministry of Finance , it secured the right to operate reserves of Postal Insurance. Through this, the Japanese Government-General of Korea laid the foundation for utilizing Postal Insurance reserves as policy funds. From 1932 to 1934, Postal Insurance reserves were mainly operated in a public loan method, and among them, they were concentrated on projects to create self-owned farmland. The project was greatly damaged by the external shock of rising land prices, but the Japanese Government-General of Korea responded by shifting the responsibility to the province. Since then, from 1935 to 1937, the operating rate of profit had been concerned to fall due to the low-interest rate crisis. The Japanese Government-General of Korea diversified the way reserves were operated, but it was not enough, and was in a situation where it was asked to cut the scheduled interest rate due to a fall in operating returns. This article focuses on two aspects. The first aspect is the distinctiveness of insurance that divides it from finance in terms of fiscal structure. Colonial finance and insurance are similar in that they are systems in which power absorbs and manages funds, but there was a difference that the expected interest rate of insurance was fixed, unlike the floating deposit rate of finance. Therefore, insurance was vulnerable to changes in the external environment, especially low interest rates. The period covered in this article was a time when these insurance characteristics were well illustrated. The second aspect is the initiative and response method of the Japanese Government-General of Korea in the operation of Postal Insurance. The Japanese Government-General of Korea sought to secure leadership in the management of Postal Insurance reserves. In addition, the Japanese Government-General of Korea was able to respond to the external shock of rising land prices by transferring the burden to local organizations. However, in response to another external shock of low interest rates, the Governor-General of Korea was burdened with measures to cut the scheduled interest rate with the consent of subscribers, and considering that it was Postal Insurance for the middle and lower class, it was helpless to pay attention to the Japanese Imperial Assembly.