Black Corporation: Joseon

Having made his decision, Hyang immediately drafted a proposal and submitted it to King Sejong.

After reading Hyang’s proposal, Sejong began to question him.

“Sun-dried salt? Judging by the name and content, it seems to be making salt using the sun’s rays, but is this possible?”

“I believe it’s entirely possible. As I’ve written in the latter part, I’ve even conducted experiments.”

To convince not only Sejong but also the ministers, Hyang had attached records of the experimental process and its results.

“‘When paper soaked in brine was dried in the sun, salt remained on the paper’… How did you come up with such an idea?”

“When cleaning the research institute and Area 51, I thought of it while watching water sprinkled on the ground dry up.”

“Hmm…”

After carefully examining the report once more, Sejong looked at Hyang.

“While it could be beneficial in reducing the effort of making brine in tidal flats and cutting fuel costs, the costs of constructing facilities and labor are considerable. Weighing these pros and cons, do you really think sun-dried salt will be useful?”

“We’ll need to verify it in practice, but I believe it’s entirely possible.”

At Hyang’s assertion, Sejong brought this up at the morning assembly.

“Indeed, boiled salt requires a lot of labor and fuel. It seems there would be no loss in trying to verify this in practice.”

At Lee Jik’s statement, summarizing the ministers’ opinions, Sejong firmed his resolve.

“Since you all think so, let’s give it a try.”

***

Thus, an experimental sun-dried salt field was created on Ganghwa Island.

About two weeks after the salt field was created and seawater was drawn into the primary reservoir, the first results arrived at Gyeongbok Palace along with a report.

“I will taste it, so bring it here.”

Following Sejong’s order, a porcelain plate heaped with white salt was brought into Geunjeongjeon Hall.

Tasting a bit with his fingertip, Sejong’s expression soured.

“It’s salty, but the bitter taste is even stronger. You all taste it too.”

Following Sejong’s order, the ministers who tasted the sun-dried salt all made similar expressions to Sejong.

“Hmm…”

Having read the report that came with the sun-dried salt, Sejong fell into contemplation. No, not just Sejong, but all the ministers had similar expressions.

To their palates, accustomed to boiled salt all this time, sun-dried salt was not a good product.

The report also pointed out this issue as the most serious problem. Of course, there was a sentence following stating “It is said that the taste improves after aging for a few years to remove the bitterness,” but somehow it didn’t resonate. It was because of the bitter taste that had left such a strong first impression.

However, sun-dried salt had a powerful advantage that offset this drawback.

It was its overwhelming cost-effectiveness.

The process of producing boiled salt required skilled artisans to be involved from start to finish. Due to the wages of these artisans and fuel costs, boiled salt was quite an expensive item.

However, sun-dried salt didn’t require as many of these artisans. Sun-dried salt was a product that could be produced without any issues even with a composition of a few artisans and many unskilled workers.

“Call the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Eventually, Sejong called for Hyang.

Entering Geunjeongjeon Hall at Sejong’s summons, Hyang tasted the sun-dried salt and slightly furrowed his brow. Seeing this, Sejong spoke.

“As you can tell from tasting it, its flavor is much inferior to boiled salt. No, the saltiness isn’t less, but the bitterness is too strong. Do you still insist that we should produce and sell this?”

“Yes.”

At Hyang’s firm answer, Sejong couldn’t hide his curiosity.

“Why? No matter how precious salt is, the people will complain.”

To Sejong’s point, Hyang explained the reason.

“The very fact that salt is precious is the reason why we should produce and sell sun-dried salt. Isn’t the name ‘salt’ itself meant to mean ‘white (素) gold (金)’? Although the people’s livelihoods are gradually improving through the Reformation Plan that Your Majesty is implementing, there are still many struggling people. To allow even such people to taste salt, sun-dried salt is absolutely necessary. And this sun-dried salt will stimulate people’s desire for improvement.”

“Stimulate desire for improvement?”

At Sejong’s question, Hyang answered with a slight smile.

“Yes. What is the biggest reason people accumulate wealth? Isn’t it to live in luxury? Even if it’s just to eat better salt, people will work hard.”

At Hyang’s words, Sejong and the ministers unknowingly nodded.

‘That might be true!’

Hyang continued to emphasize the necessity of sun-dried salt.

“This sun-dried salt is not only for the struggling people who can’t even afford to buy salt properly, but we should also target those Japanese.”

“The Japanese…”

As Hyang mentioned ‘the Japanese’, Sejong pondered for a moment and then nodded.

“I see. The Japanese need to eat salt too.”

“Yes. We can’t compete with Ming, which already overflows with all kinds of salt including rock salt, but it’s not the same with the Japanese, is it? It will be a sufficient market.”

“I see.”

Nodding, Sejong asked Hyang again.

“Then we should go with a dual system of sun-dried salt and boiled salt?”

“Yes. It seems good to guide consumption so that the struggling people use sun-dried salt, while those who are somewhat better off use boiled salt.”

At Hyang’s explanation, Sejong turned to Kim Jeom.

“What do you think?”

At Sejong’s question, Kim Jeom immediately answered.

“I think it’s an excellent method, Your Majesty!”

Thus, it was concluded to produce both sun-dried salt and boiled salt.

***

As soon as one agenda was decided, Hyang, as if he had been waiting, presented another agenda.

“Since we’re on the topic of boiled salt, there’s something I’d like Your Majesty’s approval for.”

“What is it?”

As soon as Hyang’s words came out, Sejong and the ministers tensed up but soon resigned themselves.

As with the case of sun-dried salt, none of the policies Hyang presented were easy. They wanted to refuse because of this, but they had experienced that they eventually had to accept them because their effectiveness was certain.

“Salt can only be obtained through government monopoly stores anyway. Then, how about gathering salt makers from all over Joseon in one area?”

“Gather them in one area?”

“Yes, if we gather salt makers in one area and have them produce, it will be easier to manage production, storage, and transportation. Also, we can create jobs for people by creating a salt production complex in areas where people are struggling due to harsher environments compared to other regions.”

“Hmm…”

Mulling over Hyang’s words, Sejong asked him.

“Gangwon Province would be good, wouldn’t it?”

“I recommend Gangwon Province and Hamgil Province. Both regions have harsh environments, making people’s livelihoods difficult. Moreover, they are close to coal mines, making fuel supply easy.”

At Hyang’s words, Sejong started to make various calculations.

‘Not bad.’

When it came to harshness, Gangwon Province was second to none.

Gangwon Province was the first place where news of starvation deaths was heard when there was a bad harvest.

Hamgil Province was in a similar situation.

Finally, Sejong made a decision.

“The Crown Prince’s plan seems good, so devise policies based on this.”

“I receive your command!”

***

Following Sejong’s decision, salt makers from all over Joseon moved to Gangwon Province and Hamgil Province.

“There’s no space to make salt fields…”

The salt makers were perplexed by the East Sea’s environment, different from the West Sea and South Sea with their wide tidal flats, but they soon adapted.

It wasn’t unfamiliar to make salt by directly boiling seawater.

In addition, Hyang created and distributed new tools for roasting salt.

The new tools Hyang created were a wide, flat pot made of steel and a rake powered by animal strength.

When large jars filled with clear seawater from the East Sea were poured into the pot, the artisans lit fires in the furnace. The fuel used to boil the seawater in the pot was anthracite coal. Although it was difficult to light at first, once properly lit, anthracite provided strong heat. And true to its name of “smokeless”, it produced little smoke.

When the seawater began to boil in the wide, flat pot with a diameter of almost 3 meters, the artisans tied an ox, horse, or donkey to a large cogwheel in the yard to move it.

As the cogwheel turned, the power transmitted through the connected axis began to slowly turn the rake.

Salt crystals gathered along the slowly turning rake, and the artisans collected this salt and moved it to the drying room.

Through these tools created and distributed by Hyang, the productivity of boiled salt also began to increase greatly.

***

While monopolizing salt through government monopoly stores, Sejong abolished the public salt system. Although sales were through a single channel of government monopoly stores, the salt makers held the right to set prices. And to prevent misunderstandings between the monopoly stores and salt makers, trademark registration followed.

Salt makers registered trademarks individually or in groups, set prices, and then supplied to the monopoly stores.

Although there were various trademarks, all products were the same clear boiled salt, so the quality was similar, and the prices were also similar.

Therefore, after some time passed, salt makers who were pondering how to gain more profit began to appear.

“No matter how much I, an ignorant person, think…”

Unable to find a suitable answer no matter how much they thought, the salt makers blamed their own hard heads and sought out officials – connections made during the supply process – with whom they had built friendships.

“You want to earn more money?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmm…”

Most of the officials who received inquiries from the salt makers gave similar answers.

“Wouldn’t the orthodox way be to make the salt pans a bit bigger?”

“Aren’t salt pans money-eating monsters, sir? And if everyone increases their size, the price of salt will become cheaper.”

“It’s not easy…”

The officials, who were contemplating with troubled faces, soon found a method.

“I’ll ask His Highness the Crown Prince.”

At the officials’ words, the salt makers turned pale.

“What? His Highness the Crown Prince? Won’t we be punished for being presumptuous, us lowly people? No! It’s fine!”

At the salt makers’ reaction, the officials smiled slightly and soothed them.

“If it’s His Highness, he’ll probably be pleased and find it interesting.”

“Really?”

When the salt makers asked with dubious faces, the officials trailed off.

“Probably…?”

***

Receiving the salt makers’ petition through the officials, Hyang smiled with satisfaction.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for!”

Hyang immediately wrote an answer and sent it back with the officials.

The officials who received the answer from Hyang gathered the artisans.

“His Highness the Crown Prince has given an answer. Let’s see… His Highness wrote, ‘Give boiled salt a unique character.’ “

“A unique character?”

“That’s right. He said you could mix things that are good for people or that help with flavor into the salt. He even gave an example. Pine flower salt?”

“Aha!”

The artisans immediately understood the official’s words.

When salt was roasted while pine pollen was flying, the pollen mixed in. This created a salt with a sweet flavor, which could be sold at a higher price than ordinary boiled salt.

“That’s right! Thank you, sir!”

“Don’t thank me, thank His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Yes. Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

***

Thus, the salt makers began to make all sorts of attempts to increase added value.

They added pine pollen collected when pine flowers were flying, or added mugwort or minced garlic when boiling seawater.

The salt made this way began to sell at higher prices due to its unique flavor.

Encouraged by these positive results, the salt makers made even bolder attempts, such as roasting salt with water boiled with medicinal ingredients prescribed for common ailments like stomachaches or colds.

The boiled salts released into the market through this process became popular. It became commonplace for even the poorest households to have at least a little of this functional salt.

As a result, by the end of the Reformation Plan, there were over 10 different types of boiled salt.

And these functional salts became a big hit not only in Joseon but also in Ming and Japan.

“Bravo!”

It was such a big hit that Kim Jeom, upon receiving the report, unknowingly shouted “Bravo!”

***

Note 1) The etymology of ‘salt’ (소금). Jungbu Maeil Newspaper. 2003.12.01.

http://www.jbnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=95305

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