Suwon Microscope by Kim Chung-young (113) The Gyeongbu Railway Was Originally Planned to Pass Through Jiji-dae Pass and the West Side of Paldalsan Mountain

The construction of the Gyeongbu Railway was promoted as the first phase of Japan's continental invasion.

In the spring of 1894, Japan dispatched some 8,000 troops to the Korean Peninsula on the pretext of the Donghak Peasant Uprising. On July 23, Japan unexpectedly occupied Gyeongbokgung Palace and subsequently declared war on the Qing Dynasty. Japan justified these provocative actions and began to interfere in Joseon's internal affairs. On July 30, 1894, Japan demanded the right to construct the Gyeongin and Gyeongbu railways, rights related to telecommunications, and the opening of Mokpo Port.

Joseon accepted Japan's demands and signed the "Provisional Joint Agreement between Joseon and Japan" on August 20, 1894, conditional on the withdrawal of Japanese troops from Gyeongbokgung Palace. Subsequently, on September 8, 1894, a "Gyeongbu Railway Joint Agreement" was concluded between the Daehan Empire government and the Gyeongbu Railway Stock Company promoters. The agreement contained 15 clauses total, specifying that the Daehan Empire would provide the necessary land for railway routes and stations, and that operational rights would not be transferred to any entity except the governments or nationals of both Korea and Japan.

In June 1901, the Seoul Resident Association, Seoul Chamber of Commerce, and Seoul Consulate mobilized the Japanese government and influential figures in both government and private sectors to establish the "Gyeongbu Railway Stock Company." This was intended to counter Russia and secure a foothold for expanding influence and advancing into the continent from Joseon.

The Gyeongbu Line was founded on September 21, 1901, by the Gyeongbu Railway Stock Company, a Japanese-capital company, at Yeongdeungpo in Seoul and Choryang in Busan. It was completed on December 27, 1904, four years later, began operations on January 1, 1905, and held an opening ceremony at Namdaemun Station plaza in Seoul on May 25 of that year.

The reason the Gyeongbu Railway came to pass through Suwon was that throughout history, Suwon had been a strategic transportation hub. Before the era of King Jeongjo, in what is today Suwon, the fifth of Joseon's six major routes, the Jeju-ro, passed through Gwacheon and Suwon heading toward Jeju Island. When a new town was built in present-day Suwon and a new road to Siheung was constructed in 1795 for the 60th birthday celebration of Queen Hyegyeong Hong, with the installation of Yeongwha Station, Suwon became a strategic transportation hub connecting to the Samnam region.

Before the Gyeongbu Line passed through Suwon, the route underwent several changes. Japan conducted five on-site surveys to determine the route of the Gyeongbu Railway. During the first and second surveys, the Gyeongbu Line route ran from Seoul through Yongin, Juksan, and Cheongju to Busan. During the third route survey, the route was determined to run from Noryangjin-Yeongdeungpo-Suwon-Gongju-Nonsan to Busan.

While the first and second routes were the shortest routes, the third route connected areas with developed commerce and industry. During the fourth and fifth surveys, considering military and economic factors, the route was determined to follow today's "Samnam-gil" route passing through Suwon.

The Suwon section corresponds to the second construction section of the Gyeongbu Railway, the 22-mile (35.4 km) section from Myeonghak-dong in Anyang to Jinwi. Construction began in July 1902, and after one year of construction work, construction trains ran on the Myeonghak-dong to Suwon section around October 1903.

However, there were twists and turns before the route passing through the Suwon area was finalized. Initially, the Japanese construction company planned a route that would slightly redirect eastward from Sagunae (Uiwang Gocheon), tunnel through the mountain west of Jiji-dae Pass, pass through Daeyuping, tunnel through the base of Paldalsan Mountain outside Hwaseo Gate, and emerge east of Sangyucheon and Daehwanggyo.

However, Suwon residents opposed the railroad route connecting Sagunae (Uiwang Gocheon) to Jiji-dae, arguing that Paldalsan Mountain was the main mountain of Hwaryeong-jeon, the shrine dedicated to King Jeongjo, and that Jiji-dae was also a historic site related to King Jeongjo. When Suwon residents gathered and held protest demonstrations, the imperial court of the Daehan Empire also expressed its opposition.

On April 28, 1902, Yu Ki-hwan, the head of the Railroad Bureau and a native of Youngtong, Suwon, conveyed to the Japanese side his opposition to the tunnel construction at Jiji-dae. The Japanese side resolved to proceed as planned based on the joint agreement clause stating that "the construction method of the railroad route shall be carried out according to surveys conducted by engineers selected by the company."

On April 30, the Japanese supervisor visited the head of the Railroad Bureau and argued that the tunnel construction location was 150 meters away from the Jiji-dae stele and had no connection whatsoever. At this time, Suwon residents gathered outside the South Gate to hold protest demonstrations, saying the railroad could not pass through Jiji-dae.

Suwon County Governor Kim Gak-hyeon also submitted a report stating that Paldalsan Mountain was a royal mountain (Wang-san) where Hwaryeong-jeon was located, Jiji-dae was also an important place, and the area had many fields, paddies, and graves, so many complaints were pouring in—what measures should be taken?

Yu Ki-hwan, the head of the Railroad Bureau who was well-informed about local conditions, argued for a route change to the Japanese railroad company engineers. On May 9, 1902, Japanese engineer Hayashi visited King Gojong and pleaded that because the Railroad Bureau was protesting without cause, the railroad construction was being delayed, and asked that their arguments be accepted. King Gojong instructed that the matter be discussed with Yu Ki-hwan, the head of the Railroad Bureau, and the Railroad Bureau insisted on changing the route.

When the Japanese side notified of their intention to proceed with construction based on the treaty, our Railroad Bureau proposed that if the railroad route were to be changed to pass through Gunsanpo (軍山浦)-Sasihyeon (四時峴)-Daedaedong (大垈洞)-Seodundong-Sangyucheon, while somewhat roundabout, no tunnel would need to be dug and there would be no other problems. The Japanese side, based on the treaty, could not accept the Railroad Bureau's request and notified of resuming construction. Thereupon, the Railroad Bureau instructed the Gyeonggi Province Inspector Lee Geun-myeong to strictly prohibit the start of construction.

As the conflict between the two countries continued, the groundbreaking ceremony was indefinitely postponed on June 1. Around this time, Yu Ki-hwan, who had assumed office as Acting Secretary of Foreign Affairs from his position as head of the Railroad Bureau, was instructed by King Gojong and persuaded Engineer Hayashi, thereby pushing through our position, and the Gyeongbu Line was finalized as the "Gunpo-Bugok-Suwon Station-Byeongjeom" route that bypassed to the northwest from Suwon's administrative center, according to Suwon residents' wishes.

The Gyeongbu Railway opened on January 1, 1905, as the line connecting Yeongdeungpo-Anyang-Bugok-Suwon-Byeongjeom-Osan-Jinwi-Seojeongni-Pyeongtaek. Suwon Station initially operated as a simple station and a traditional Korean-style station building was constructed on September 1, 1928.

After the construction of a new town, Suwon developed into a transportation hub of the Joseon era through the construction of Hwaseong Fortress and the creation of the Siheung royal procession route and the installation of Yeongwha Station.

During the Daehan Empire period, as the Gyeongbu Railway passed through Suwon, the city developed as a strategic transportation hub.