Historic Transportation in Korea
Examines the traditional transportation methods of Korea.
Location: North Korea; South Korea
Common Methods of Transportation in Korea
Korea's mountainous terrain once made wheeled transportation difficult. As a result, people and goods preferred to travel by foot. They used a variety of tools to make carrying burdens easier. Some carried simple woven baskets and bags. Others suspended baskets from both ends of a bamboo balance-pole. Most popular was the jige, a back carrier that could be modified to meet many needs. When placed on the ground, it even acted as a bed.
The nobility of Korea traveled in litters known as gama, carried by two to four servants. Women tended to use covered litters, while men sat on sedan chairs. Carts became more necessary as the cities of Joseon expanded. Laborers used sleds, rollers, and handcarts. For heavy loads and construction projects, oxen pulled carts or carried bundles. By the late Joseon, oxen were often the most valuable possession of farmers. Horses were rarer and pony-sized. The traditional pack-saddle of Korea perched users over their saddlebags on a wood frame.[1]
Korean Ships and Sailing
Besides its impressive navy, Joseon Korea saw many boats travel up and down its rivers. Boat travel was faster and more efficient than mountain roads until the Modern era. Korean traders typically did not venture out onto the ocean. Instead, they favored small junks in Chinese style. They were later replaced by steamships and modern freighters.[2]
Modern Transportation in South Korea
South Korea has been rapidly modernizing since the 1980s. Its citizens now rely on cars, bicycles, railroads, and airplanes for travel. North Korea, on the other hand, has developed an extensive rail network. Most of its citizens do not have access to cars; roads act as connections between rail stations.
Because of the ongoing conflict between North and South Korea, there is no regular traffic between the two nations. An estimated 30,000 North Korean defectors have crossed the border to South Korea since the 1950s. In doing so, they risk strict border security and punishment for family members left behind. North Korea carefully controls who enters and leaves and does not permit unsupervised travel by foreigners.[3][4]
Bibliography
Woun Sik Choi, Modes of Transportation: Traditional Korean Society (Seoul: Ewha Womans University Press, 2007).
Homer B. Hulbert, The Passing of Korea (New York, NY: William Heinemann, 1906).
North Korea Handbook (Seoul: Yonhap News Agency, 2002).
"Number of N. Korean Defectors in South Tops 30,000," Yonhap News Agency, November 13, 2016, Yonhap News Agency, accessed June 02, 2017.
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