Rank-size Changes of Korean Cities along the Progress of Urbanization

Abstract

National urban system has been changed along the progress of urbanization. The observation of the rank-size changes is a simple and fruitful method to know the differential growth in the urban system. In this study, author tries to appreciate the changes of Korean urban system through the comparative study of Japanese and Korean cities on the time serial axis with the rank-size relationships. Korean urban system is composed of 36 administrative cities and Japanese urban system has the different number of cities for the sake of convenience.The conclusions of this study are as follows;1. Korean urban system is changed and generated on the time serial axis. Especially, the great change of rank-size has occurred since 1960 after the national independence. Korea has performed the five-year economic development plan. The effects of excution of the plans brought forth the changes of Korean urban system.2. Linsky pointed out that the countries with the primate city have common characteristics such as densely population, export-oriented manufacturing system, experience of colonial era, low income level, high ratios of natural population increase and agricultural economy. We could suppose here, which the primacy become stronger the Linsky's hypotheses become clearer. On this standpoint, three former characteristics fit to Korean case but another three characteristics of Linsky's hypotheses unfit to Korea. Because, income per capita is increasing through the industrialization and controlling the natural increase of population in accordance with the economic development plans since 1960.3. On the lognormal probability paper, the distributional types of the Korean cities were transitional, but the ratios of the mid-size cities are small. The classification is undertaken by the city size into 6 groups of; under 100, 000, 100, 000-300, 000, 300, 000-500, 000, 500, 000-1, 000, 000, 1, 000, 000-3, 000, 000 and over 3, 000, 000.4. After 1960, the faster developed cities are cities of the capital region, cities of the Southeastern coastal manufacturing belt and the regional central cities (Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon).5. On the lognormal probability paper, the distributional types of Japanese cities are transitional ones after 1908. The slope parameters of regression lines become greater and the primacy of Tokyo become lower. But, the Korean case is reverse to Japanese, so slope parameters of the regression lines become smaller and the primacy of Seoul become stronger.6. The reasons of the increase of Seoul's primacy must be affected by the state of national division, long and strict politico-economic system of the feudal Lee dynasty, centralization of the present politic, economic, social and cultural systems. Generally speaking, the forces of unification become stronger since 1960.