earticle

한국어

The electric car service, as a symbol of modernization, was started with Cheongryangri line in 1899. This line offered daily travel between Seodaemun(서대문) and Cheongryangri(청량리), the site of the Empress Myoungsung`s tomb, then was becoming a symbolic meaning of anti-Japanese sentiment naturally. After a while the electric car service was extended to old-Yongsan(구용산) and Mapo(마포), which were an important traffic places for passengers from the lower area of Han-river. These three lines opened at the Daehan Empire era had a characteristic feature of going through Korean`s residential places. However the three times changes of the urban space of Gyeongseong following the Korea-Japan annexation made an alteration of the feature of electric car routes. The new Yongsan(신용산) line for Japanese military base(한국주차군사령부) was opened in July 1910. After the City Street Improvement project of Gyeongseong(경성시구개수사업) in 1912, the new electric car lines in the inside City Wall were laid and the existing single-track sections were converted to double-track. Since then the electric car lines passing by Korean`s habitation areas extending east and west had been reorganized and shifted to heading north and south to Japanese residential regions. These were the line of Japanese Government General of Korea(조선총독부), Bonjung(본정), and Whanggeumjung(황금정). Especially, the Whanggeumjung line running through at the south of Cheonggye stream(청계천) was contrasted with Jongro(종로) line existing since the Daehan Empire era. Which lines were established and double-tracked by the opening of the Chosen Industrial Exhibition(물산공진회) in 1915. Meanwhile the new government office building construction was began at Gyeongbok palace(경복궁) in 1916. This construction made an opportunity of establishing new lines at the area of northern places lacking in electric car service but Jongro line. In 1917, a freight electric car service for the construction work was started, this service line was turned into passenger traffic use, and extended to Tonguidong(통의동), Hyojadong(효자동) in next year. Moreover, at the time of completion of the new government office building construction work, many official residence housing went up in the vicinity of new building and many lines for Angukdong(안국동), Taepyoungdong(태평동) were organized. The Taepyoungdong line connected with Gwhangwhamuntong(광화문통) going by Government Office was developed an important route heading for Gyeongseong Station(경성역) and Yongsan area. By the City Street Improvement project of Gyeongseong, the newly established electric car lines were mainly put in the area of Japanese residential places and Government Office in central Gyeongseong. But following the expansion of the administrative district of Gyeongseong in 1936, these lines had to be extended to the outer spaces of City Wall. In particular, the three suburb lines of Donamjung(돈암정), Noryangjin(노량진), and Shingiljung(신길정) which have had a local resident`s demand for calling electric car service since the 1920`s, were made in double-track and extension work gradually. That shows an relation of the expansion of the Gyeongseong administrative district and electric car service.‘ The Big Gyeongseong’ made an expansion of the electric car service line for Korean residents in the suburb. Though the new-born Gyeongseong covered the suburb residents, the existing electric car service system was not properly worked for transporting commuters with a daily life of a jam-packed electric car at rush hour in that time. Which might be come from an substituting service system of bus and insufficient electric car line in spite of an constant calling for expansion of lines. If a further research were made on these transporting systems, the meanings and characteristics of electric car service would be appear accurately.