Production and Supply of Milk in Joseon during Japanese Colonial Period (1910~1945)
The purpose of this study was to discuss how ‘milk’ was produced and supplied introduced and spread in the modern Joseon period. Condensed milk and powdered milk were mainly consumed in Joseon during the Japanese colonial period since they could be conveniently preserved for a long time, although raw milk was also produced and consumed. For areas adjacent to farms, milk delivery service was offered while areas with great consumption received an additional supply from different areas by rail. Since no manufacturing plants were operational in Korea, condensed milk and powdered milk consumed in Joseon had to be imported. In the case of condensed milk, when production in Japan increased, extra supply was aggressively sent into their colony, Joseon. The ‘Gyeongseong Milk Association’ founded in 1937 is considered significant in that it led to standardization of the production system and prices as well as pasteurization of milk. In the late Japanese colonial era, milk production and consumption were controlled. As milk was purchased as a war supply, the milk consumption market became distorted and limited