KoreaToday Korea Celebrates 40th Year of Seoul-Busan Expressway
By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Few can refute the compelling role the 426-Kilometer Gyeonbu Expressway from Busan to Seoul in the industrialization and modernization of Korea.
Many Koreans believe the nation's oldest and most travelled freeway paved the way for the economic advancement the country achieved in latter half of the 20th century.
Ahead of the 40th anniversary of the opening of the nation's treasured landmark on July 7th, 1970, many Koreans have been revisiting the historical, industrial and social implications of the nation's very first freeway established by an impoverished, young nation. The government of the Republic of Korea was established in 1948.
"Freeways like the one linking Seoul and Busan have been instrumental in the nation's economic growth," Chung Jong-hwan, minister of land, transport and maritime affairs said on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) in 2008.
Currently, Korea has 27 freeway routes spanning almost 3,500 kilometers nationwide, with a daily traffic of around 3,570,000 vehicles.
To mark the 40th year of the Seoul-Busan Expressway, the KEC recently published a collection of photos featuring major freeways in the country for distribution to universities and the National Assembly Library.
The Seoul-Busan Expressway is largely regarded by Koreans as one of the main achievement of former president Park Chung-hee (1917-1979)'s industrialization policies.
Koreans are still divided on legacy of his presidential tenure from 1963 to 1979, but there is no doubt that his presidency coincided with some of the crucial stages of the nation's industrial growth.
When the idea for a major highway was first conceived and publicized by policymakers in the late 1960s, many doubted the necessity and cost-effectiveness of such infrastructure at a time when there were hardly any traffic or the equipments to go through with a construction of such unprecedented magnitude domestically.
Policymakers of the Park administration were intent on realizing it, after having been inspired by the highway systems in advanced countries, particularly the U.S and Germany.
The project was initially conceived as a countermeasure to the severe transportation problems faced by an economy that was anticipating a rapid expansion.
"This is the outcome of the blood, sweat and determination of our people," former president Park told an enthusiastic congregation at the opening ceremony of the freeway. More than 70 construction workers had died while working on the project.
The area connected by the Seoul-Busan freeway is home to 63 percent of the nation's population and is the generator of 63 percent of the nation's total Gross National Product (GNP) and 81 percent of industrial output.
"A long-time wish of the Korean people has been realized. Thorough this project, we have proved our infinite capacity, energy and strength," Park said. "Gaining such sense of self-confidence has more meaning than the materialistic effects of the freeway."
Some politicians from the opposition parties were fervently opposed to the project, given the immense cost involved and the glaring lack of the required experience, technology and equipments.
The international community also doubted the viability of the plan. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development refused to provide loans, citing insufficient traffic. Korea's GNP at the time was a meager $142.
However, groundbreaking took off on Feb.1, 1968. Two years and five months later, Korea had completed its first freeway.
The total costs involved were 42.9 billion won, amounting to almost 23.6 percent of the nation's total budget in 1967.
Besides laying the foundation for economic growth and balanced national development, the project led to advances in Korea's construction expertise, according to records from the National Archives of Korea.
In particular, the National Archives report underlined its role in transforming the defeatist mindset of many Koreans, dejected by years of the Japanese occupation, followed immediately by a national division and the 1950-53 Korean War.
Witnessing the completion of a Korean-made highway instilled a "can-do" spirit in many Koreans.
Many are now looking ahead to the role the Gyeongbu Expressway will play as a section of the 20,557-kilometer Asian Highway 1 (AH1), a network of routes connecting Korea with Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan, Iran and to the border between Turkey and Bulgaria.
The Korea Transportation Institute (KOTI) will hold a conference in February to further discuss specifics of the Asian Highway project, which was first sealed in 2004 in Shanghai by representatives from 32 countries to boost trade and tourism across the signed member states.
Improvement of road conditions, especially in underdeveloped countries, and facilitating immigration procedures at borders are some of the major agendas that lie ahead for authorities involved in the AH1 project.
The routes involved in each country have been posting Asian Highway signs. Myanmar was the first to do so. The Gyeonbu Expressway also has a AH1 sign.
The Asian Highway is ultimately aimed at linking Asia with the European continent, giving Gyeonbu Expressway a global role.
Some other countries taking part in the highway project are India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
A significant part of the funding comes from the larger, more advanced nations as well as international agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
The project aims to make maximum use of the continent's existing highways, avoiding the establishment of newer ones, except in cases where missing routes necessitate their construction.
Korea is also a part of the 10,475 kilometer AH6, which starts in Busan and stretches to border between Russia and Belarus.
Over the years, the Gyeongbu expressway has adopted digital applications in its operations for making conditions friendlier for drivers and for the environment.
A signature example is the Hi-Pass automatic paying system. If a driver charges the electronic gadget, one doesn't need to wait at the toll gate as the sensor checks it by itself.
The transportation authorities are planning to incorporate the system in 55 percent of the nation's road network.
"We want to bring up the percentage of High Pass users from 44 percent last year to 55 percent in 2010. The system expedites toll gate passages, thereby alleviating traffic jams in the capital region," Lieu Chull-ho, CEO of the Korea Expressway Corporation said during a recent meeting with the press.