Nostalgia on the rails
In the early 1960s, few families in Korea could afford a watch, television or even a radio. My parents, like many of their generation, relied on the distant whistle of a passing train to know when to begin their day. In those years, the railway was far more than a means of transportation; it was a dependable marker of daily life and a powerful symbol of modernity in a rapidly changing society. Yet Korea's rail story extends beyond the locomotives of older generations. Long before today's high-speed trains, trams introduced a new vision of urban mobility, bringing modern transportation directly into city streets. On the Korean Peninsula, this innovation arrived early. Seoul's first tram line began operations in 1899 during the 1897-1910 Korean Empire, connecting Seodaemun and Cheongnyangni along an 8-kilometer route. At the turn of the 20th century, the tram became a visible symbol of modernization and international engagement. For residents and foreign visitors alike, it reflected a city embracing new technologies while opening itself to the wider world. There is something romantic abou
