차별인가 한계인가? : 식민지 시기 경성 하수도 정비의 ‘좌절’

Abstract

Seoul, the capital of Korea since the Joseon Dynasty, is surrounded by mountains and traditionally utilized the streams from the mountains as its main sewerage. For example, the Cheonggye stream, which runs across the capital’s downtown from east to west, was used as the sewer of the city as early as the fifteenth century. However, as the old open sewer systems no longer serviced the expanding city in the late nineteenth century, an idea of its modern alternative of the covered sanitary drains under the redeveloped roads took its root.<BR> The Japanese Colonialists also declared the open sewerage in Gyeongseong (now Seoul) unsanitary and planned to cover it. But the work needed an amount of capital the colonial power could not afford. Limited funds for public engineering tended to be allocated for the “more conspicuous” road improvement works. Also the areas where major colonial facilities and Japanese settlements were located took the top priorities in finance allocation. Throughout the colonialist regime, the public repeatedly criticized the colonial governments’ policy, but with little effect.<BR> The colonial power called Gyeongseong a modern city and attempted to build a sanitary system the modern metropolis deserved. However actual works of construction were pushed back on the priority list.