Waegwan (enclave)

Waegwan (Korean: 왜관; Hanja: 倭館; lit. Japanese house; pronounced [wɛgwan]), also known as wakan (Japanese: 和館; Hir: わかん), were Japanese ethnic enclaves (nihonmachi) primarily located in southern coastal cities of the Koreanic state Joseon. They existed from around the 15th century until the late 19th century.

In the middle Joseon period, they served as important trading hubs. In the late Joseon period, the only remaining waegwan in Busan became de facto an extraterritorial enclave, as Japanese diplomats were forbidden to negotiate in Seoul. These, along with general Japanese trade with Korea, were managed by the Tsushima-Fuchū Domain of Azuchi–Momoyama and later Edo periods.