Generally, the outcomes of the historical study in some domain would be a most fundamental and basic reference for understanding the essential and core component of them. Specially in case of social science, the importance of historical research much more emphasized that would be divided into independent academic field. In Korean history including fisheries business and industry, the most remarkable historic event would be the period of Japanese colonial rule that one of the most obstacle should overcome. Though the fisheries business and industry of Korea have considerable own history, the research and study of that not so much have been performed or investigated including the period of Japanese colonial rule. Most of the existing research of fisheries history have merely focused on partial topics like ‘Fishermen’s Association’,‘Fisheries Industry Despoliation’. And the historical study of fisheries business and industry’s overall status and trend in local area except Pusan also not enough. The aims of this study are exploring the fisheries trends and status during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Tongyeong and finding out the overall major fisheries business issues that would be a better understanding the Korean fisheries industry. Achieving that Objectives, over 800 articles of media, the Japanese government-general of Korea, and other historical data were gathered, refined and analyzed. This paper focused on of major fisheries topics and issues that including overall fisheries status, trends, fisheries catches, local fisheries cooperatives and fisheries exhibition during the period of Japanese colonial rule in Tongyeong. The result of this study shows that the status of fisheries in Korea had been deteriorated for exploitation of Japanese imperialism and Japanese fisheries capitalist during that period. Though the level of Tongyeong in fisheries was very high in terms of catches ratio and population of fisherman, the distribution networks of fishermen’s association was not good enough. And the Tongyeong fisheries exhibition in 1922 has positive aspects for considering both composition of organization and educational activity. Even though the results and findings would be a helpful guidelines for understanding the fisheries business trends and status under the rule of Japanese imperialism, more research and study of that should be accomplished.

Though the debate of the establishment time, place and characteristic of the first fisheries cooperatives in Korea has been existed, it is clear that they had been established in the neighborhood of Tongyeong during the period of Japanese colonial rule. But the objective, motive and historical background of the first fisheries cooperatives are still slightly vague. To explain and explore that of fisheries cooperatives, over 1,000 articles of media, about 100 document of the Japanese government-general of Korea and the annals of the Joseon dynasty, many of research paper and others were included and refined. Through the result of that process, three core factors were founded that affect both the emergence of fisheries cooperatives and relationship of the them. The first one is about the royal family’s fishing area where in the neighborhood of Tongyeong. The next one is Kentaro Kashii who was called king or devil of the Korean fisheries industry and the last one is fishermen and their organizations including fisheries cooperatives. Some of the above and the fishing rights conflict that make a guidance for understanding them has not been clearly mentioned. The result of this study shows that the birth of the first fisheries cooperatives were caused by not only the Japanese government-general of Korea but mainly Korean fishermen’s voluntary activity and free will against fishing rights conflict between them. And both of the first fisheries cooperatives had somewhat difference in their constitution of organization and their characteristics but it was a tragic irony that the more exploitation and despoliation were conducted by Japanese government-general and Japanese capitalist the more movement and activity of Korean were frequently and severely occurred. Even though the findings and results of this study would be a proof and helpful material for understanding the establishment and their activity of fisheries cooperatives in Tongyeong, more research and contribution would be need by members of fisheries academic and business world.