Development of urbanization until the beginning of the First World War development of urbanization of the Korean Peninsula during the Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945)

Zorica Pogrmić,Bojan Đerčan,Dajana Bjelajac

doi:10.5937/zbdght2002150p

Abstract

The urban approach to urban planning during Japanese colonization (1910-1945) boils down to the dimension of colonial rule and exploitation of the Korean Peninsula. Japanese imperialism has left positive and negative aspects on cities on the Korean Peninsula. Positive aspects are the introduction of modern urban planning and the development of industrialization. In addition to the modernization and growth of the Korean economy, the development of urbanization also took place by establishing the so-called "North Korean city routes". Focusing on officials from the Japanese Ministry of Construction and the financial potential of Korea, ways have been devised to establish an urban plan for the peninsula. The Japanese regulation on urban planning introduces a zoning system (1934). From 1910-1945 the growth of the urbanization of the capital Seoul was influenced by the Japanese colonial administration, becoming the first Korean city of millions.

Highlights

The urban approach to urban planning during Japanese colonization (19101945) boils down to the dimension of colonial rule and exploitation of the Korean Peninsula
Foreigners played an important role in increasing the number of inhabitants, which is confirmed by the fact that at the beginning of the Japanese colonial administration, 34,000 inhabitants of Chinese and Japanese nationality lived in Seoul
The Korean economy was transformed from the opening of the kingdom at the end of the nineteenth century to the end of Japanese rule in 1945

Summary

DEVELOPMENT OF URBANIZATION UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

A more detailed monitoring of the development of Korean urbanization is related to the beginning of the twentieth century. The period of the rule of the Yi dynasty (16371876) was called the period of self-isolation, where foreign trade was reduced to an absolute minimum. The transition period (1876-1910) is a period of opening to external influences. The most important commercial agreement is the Japan-Korea Friendship Agreement, concluded between the representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Joseon Kingdom of Korea. There was great political instability in Korea, the Japanese Empire successfully developed plans to open Korean cities and exert influence on Korea until complete annexation in 1910 (Bertrand, 1973). Japan made efforts to establish a monopoly over the Korean Peninsula, as a result of which Korea’s foreign trade increased (Chung, 2006). If we consider only places with more than 20,000 inhabitants as urbanized, with a total estimated population of the Korean Peninsula of 16,278,389 (1915), the urbanization rate is 3.11%, Korea was a purely agrarian society (Bertrand, 1973)

City Seoul Busan Pyongyang Daegu Kaesong Incheon Wonsan Nampo

DEVELOPMENT OF URBANIZATION SINCE THE END OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR

NORTH KOREAN CITY ROUTE

JAPANESE REGULATION ON URBAN PLANNING

Findings

CONCLUSION