This study examines ginseng trade and distribution between Joseon and Japan in the first half of the 17th century. Ginseng was traded at Waegwan even before the Joseon Dynasty authorized the export to Japan in 1638. By this time, there was not enough demand for ginseng in Japan yet, so re–exports to China through Nagasaki were carried out. This ginseng relay trade led by Tsushima was affected by Japan's “Sakoku ordinance” and China's political change, Ming–Qing replacement. Meanwhile, Richard Cocks, who was the head of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, interested in Joseon ginseng, sending a root to his native land in 1617. Furthermore, he attempted to contact the Joseon Tongsinsa dispatched to Japan in the same year. However, this attempt was not realized due to the restraint of Tsushima, which tried to protect the monopoly of Joseon trade. In sum, in the first half of the 17th century, there was a “Ginseng Road” where Joseon ginseng traded in Waegwan was re–exported to China through Nagasaki. Later, in the mid–17th century, this road gradually disappeared as demand for ginseng in Japan increased rapidly.