During the Japanese colonial period, two main groups of ginseng merchants were active in China: those operating stores like Kim Moon Trading Company and Haesong Trading Company, and small-scale itinerant merchants who received ginseng from ginseng trading associations to sell directly. Merchants running these associations provided shelter and contact points for independence fighters and supported funds for the independence movement. Due to its high profitability and ease of mobility, ginseng peddling became a favorable occupation for independence activists to balance their livelihood with their independence efforts. Particularly, independence activists involved in militant resistance disguised themselves as peddlers to evade Japanese surveillance and conduct espionage activities. Ginseng was highly popular among the Chinese and had no substitutes, prompting Korean merchants to expand into Southeast Asia, where many Chinese communities resided. Ginseng merchants in Southeast Asia traveled through various regions, delivering news from the homeland to compatriots while also acting as informants for establishing bases for the independence movement. Some of these merchants went beyond serving as protectors or supporters of independence activists and became direct participants in militant resistance efforts. As early immigrants to the Americas, ginseng merchants arrived at San Francisco Harbor in 1894, preceding the Hawaiian sugar plantation immigrants. They sold ginseng to Chinese laborers, who were major workers on the transcontinental railroads in the United States and Canada, and extended their activities to Mexico, Chile, Peru, and even Australia. These merchants contributed to the settlement of Korean communities by supporting the publication of newspapers and the establishment of Korean churches. They also organized the Daedongbogukhoe (Society for the Restoration of National Sovereignty) and carried out movements to recover national sovereignty. After the annexation of Korea by Japan, they actively provided funds for the independence movement, playing a crucial role in ensuring its sustainability. As the independence movement utilizing ginseng trade became more active, Japanese surveillance and repression intensified. Incidents such as the attack on the Taebaeksan Ginseng Company in Xiamen, China, and the arrests of ginseng peddlers exemplify the harsh suppression by the Japanese. Despite such oppression, ginseng merchants continued their independence activities through various means. They served as pioneers of trade, early immigrants, and “merchant soldiers for independence,” fulfilling their historic mission on a global stage. Ginseng merchants can be re-evaluated as a professional group that practiced “noblesse oblige” during the period of national suffering in modern Korean history.

Keywords: Ginseng merchants, Independence movement, Ginseng peddlers, Merchant independence fighters, Early immigrants, Japanese colonial period