경주 부호 崔浚의 생애와 독립운동 (The life and Independence Movement of Gyeongju Millionaire Choi Joon)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국독립운동사연구소
· 수록지 정보 : 한국독립운동사연구 / 45호 / 277 ~ 307페이지
· 저자명 : 권대웅

초록

崔浚(1884~1970)은 조선왕조 말기의 전환기에 태어나 한말·일제강점의 격동과 수난기를 살았다. 그는 9대 진사와 12대 만석의 재산을 누린 경주 교동의 속칭 ‘崔富者’집의 장손으로 태어났다. 그는 가문의 경제력을 독립운동에 바친 만석꾼의 마지막 주인이었으며, 노불리스 오블리제를 실천한 독립운동가였다.
최준은 청년기 국권회복을 위한 구국운동으로 교육진흥과 식산흥업에 관심을 가졌다. 나아가 1910년 이후 민족운동으로서 독립운동, 기업 활동 및 경제운동, 그리고 문화운동에 참여하였다.
그의 독립운동단체 참여와 후원 활동은 매우 광범위하고 다양하였다. 그는 조선국권회복단의 단원과 광복회의 재무부장을 역임하면서 독립운동을 재정적으로 후원하였다. 그는 셋째 아우 浣을 상해 대한민국임시정부의 재무위원으로 파견하였고, 국내·외에서 전개된 독립운동을 지원하여 다수의 사건에 연루되었다.
그는 기업인으로서 백산무역의 사장으로 많은 기업의 설립과 경영에 참여하였다. 그는 기업 활동을 통해서 독립운동 단체에 참여하고 독립운동가들을 후원하였고, 언론·교육·문화사업에 관심을 기울였다.
1928년 1월 백산무역의 파산으로 조선식산은행으로부터 모든 재산을 압류당하고 말았다. 표면적으로는 상거래에서 물건 값을 회수하지 못한 것이 이유였지만, 실제로는 독립운동자금의 지원 규모가 방대했기 때문이었다.
최준은 조선총독부의 회유와 압박에 대응하여 일정하게 타협하기도 했다. 이것은 독립운동과 기업 활동을 동시에 펼쳐야만 했던 그의 한계이기도 했다. 그러므로 부호 최준은 독립운동의 투쟁성에 있어서 일정한 한계를 가질 수밖에 없었다.

영어초록

Choi Joon (July 27, 1884 ~ Oct. 13, 1970) was born in the transitional period of the end of the Joseon Dynasty and has lived the tumultuous period of the Japanese occupation. He was born as the first son in the family of Gyeongju Choi millionaire, who has produced Jinsa(a person who has passed the primary state examination only in the Joseon Dynasty) for nine generations and been a millionaire for twelve generations. He was the last host of the Choi millionaire who had contributed the economic power of his family to the independence movement, and was a man of national movement who has practiced the noblesse oblige.
In his youth, Choi Joon was interested in the education development and industry promotion as a save-the-nation movement for the restoration of its sovereignty. And he, after 1910, participated in the independence movement, corporate activities, economic movement, and cultural movement as a national movement.
His participation in and support for the independence movement organizations were extensive and various. He supported the independence movement financially while he served as a member of the Chosun Sovereignty Restoration Association and a treasurer of Kwangbokhae. He dispatched his third brother Wan to the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai as a member of financial affairs, and has been involved in various activities by supporting independence movement both inside and outside of the country.
As a businessman and the president of Baeksan Trade, he took part in various foundation and management of many businesses. He participated in the independence movement organizations and supported independence activists through his business activities.
He had interest in the businesses of the press, education and culture as a part of cultural movement, and has been interest in the nurturing of national culture.
His property was attached by the Chosun Siksan Bank as the result of bankruptcy of Baeksan Trade in January, 1928. It was partly because he did could not collect money for goods in the trade, but it actually was because his support for the independence movement was extensive.
Choi Joon sometimes took a compromising attitude toward the conciliation and pressure of the Japanese Government-General of Korea, which was his limit in which he had to do both independence movement and business activity. Therefore, the millionaire Choi Joon was obliged to have limit to some extent in his militancy.

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