Changes in the Spatial Patterns of Motor Vehicles Freight Flows in Korea, 1966-1976

Abstract

Goods flows consist of freight flows, money flows and balance of payments. However, freight flows reflect the interregional comparative advantage by the principle of relative costs. Also, freight flows reflect the economic and transport systems through demand-supply activities. In the past, a limited number of studies of freight flows analyzed in integration the traffic generation, traffic distribution, the efficiency of flows, the structure of flows and dynamics analysis. Particularly, the dynamics analysis of freight flows can show the spatial reorganization induced by economic growth and transportation development through freight flows.The aims of this paper are to clarify changes in the patterns of freight flows, to clarify the relationship between volume of shipments and flows of interzone, and economic activities in each zone and to show spatial reorganization by the changes of transport system through motor vehicles freight flows between 1966 and 1976 in Korea. During this period, there was a rapid economic growth and, accordingly, changes in transport system. The most noticeable change was the steady decline in rail's share (tons) and the rise in motor vecicles freight's share of traffic (Tab. 1), with the construction of the expressways.Data for this study are interzonal origin and destination survey (62×62) (Fig. 1) which was conducted by the Ministry of Construction on November 15th, 16th, and 17th, in 1966, and by the Ministry of Transportation for one year in 1976.Major flows of over 0.3% flows proportional to total flow in motor vehicle freight flows were analyzed. The relation between the volumes of shipping (arriving) and regional production by industries were analyzed by step-wise regression analysis. Then, the changes of freight flows are compared with the changes of prevailing industries which were measured by the modification of Weaver's method of combination analysis in each zone. The patterns of flow were clarified by the largest flows. Secondary flows were used when the largest flow was less than 50% in each zone.The results are as follows:(1) Major flows appear between larger city zones and their peripherial zones in 1966. In 1976 the shipping (arriving) zones are Seoul zone, larger city zones of major ports (Busan, Incheon etc.), and industrial city zones (Ulsan etc.) and interregional flows among the larger city zones and industrial city zones were noticeable. Therefore, the focus of motor vehicles freight flows on the larger city zones did not change but there were changes in spatial patterns of freight flows (Figs. 3 and 5). The volumes of shipping are related to the development level of machinery and instruments manufacturing, on the other hand, the volumes of arriving are related to the development degree of service (including commerce) (Tab. 3) in 1966 and 1976. Developed zones of these industries reveal in larger city zones in 1966 but in larger city zones and industrial city zones in 1976.(2) The changes of major freight flows are caused by regional expansion of manufacturing and by the changes in prevailing industries in each zone; from agriculture to agriculture-service mixture, from agriculture-service mixture to complex type (agriculture, service and manufacturing) (Figs. 8 and 9). As a result, the interdependency of zones was accelerated in motor vehicles freight flows.(3) The freight flows consist of six motor vehicles freight of intraregional flows between larger city zones as core regions and its peripherial zones in 1966 (Fig. 4). Interregional flows, particularly between Seoul zone and each zone in 1976, (Fig. 6) were noticeable. These changes of freight flows were caused by the construction of expressways, improvement of national and regional roads, the orientation of manufacturing to coastal locations, and the regional expansion of manufacturing. Finally, regions where underground resoures are exploited in Taebaeg Mts. became major shipping region i