일제시기 평원선 부설과 횡단철도의 주변화(1904~1941)

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the construction process of the Pyongwon (Pyongyang - Wonsan) Line. The line was the railway that took the longest to construct out of all the railways in Korea built during the Japanese colonial period. The reason for this was that although there were high demands for construction from the affected regions since 1904, these demands to link east to west were mainly from local moneyed classes, and it was not a line that was needed for the imperialist interests of Japan that sought to build north-south lines. Therefore, while the construction of the Pyongwon Line was top priority for domestic development, it was the first project to be abandoned when finances were tight. Even when its construction had been decided, it was pushed back in favor of a new line that was advantageous for invasion of Manchuria. However, after the Sino-Japanese war of 1937, the importance of the Pyongwon Line suddenly was brought to the fore as Japan now needed a direct link to Manchuria and the Chinese mainland. In the end, the Pyongwon line was able to be completed in 1941, 36 years after demands for construction were first raised. The construction process of the Pyongwon Line reminds us of the fact that it is difficult to think about colonial development without considering the overriding concern over imperial expansion plans.