전통사회에서 화리(花利·禾利)에 관한 관습

This study examines the customary practices surrounding the traditional legal term Hwaryi (花利·禾利). Hwaryi was a customary phenomenon associated with the use of farmland. According to interpretations in the early Joseon Dynasty, as found in the Dae Myeong Ruling Direct Commentary(大明律直解), Hwaryi was regarded as a form of "interest." However, it is more appropriate to interpret Hwaryi not as "interest" but as "crops" derived from farmland. During the late Joseon Dynasty, Hwaryi came to be recognized in two forms: as "crops" produced from farmland and as part of tenancy relationships, representing the "compensation for the right to cultivate farmland." While Hwaryi practices were widely observed among the general population, organizations such as Donggye(洞契) and Hyangyak(鄕約) in the 17th century sought to prohibit Hwaryi, considering it a form of illegal activity. This trend continued during the Korean Empire, where government authorities likewise classified Hwaryi as an unlawful practice and sought to ban it. In civil judgements during the late Joseon Dynasty, Hwaryi customs were classified into several forms: (1) Hwaryi as "crops" derived from farmland, (2) Hwaryi as "compensation for the use of cultivation rights," distinct from land ownership, (3) “pledged Hwaryi(典當花利)”, where cultivation rights were pledged as collateral, and (4) Hwaryi interpreted as "interest." Among these, forms (1) and (2) represent customs commonly observed during the Joseon Dynasty and the modern Korean period. In contrast, form (3) became more prominent during the Korean Empire. The Hwaryi practices that village organizations, such as Hyangyak (鄕約) and Donggye (洞契), sought to prohibit in the 17th century, and that the government of the modern Korean period aimed to abolish through directives and decrees, were characterized by a strong resemblance to "premium".