Army Map Service: Kyongsong or Seoul (Keijo)
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Cartographer:
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Army Map Service
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Title:
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Kyongsong or Seoul (Keijo)
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Date:
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1950
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Published:
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Washington, D.C.
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Width:
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35 inches / 89 cm
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Height:
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30 inches / 77 cm
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Map ref:
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SEAS4968
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Description:
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Large vintage city plan of Seoul, South Korea, published during the Korean War by the U.S. Army.
This is part of a series of maps of Korea issued by the Army Map Service, initially during World War II but regularly updated; they rapidly became integral to the U.S. Army’s planning during the Korean War. The map accurately portrays the haphazard early development of the city, when it was mainly a collection of settlements, although the densest concentration of buildings on the map is shown in what is now the old historic section of Seoul. This and the other outlaying settlements were amalgamated by necessity 1963; Seoul was badly damaged in the Korean War and for the city of survive and thrive, it embarked on a policy of innovation and reconstruction which has culminated in the vibrant metropolis of today.
The map shows settlement concentrating on the northern shore of the river Han with two railway bridges connecting the southern shore. Prominence is given to the railway network, at this point administered by the Railroad Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation. Several of the most well-known districts of the city are completely undeveloped. Gangnam District, the technological centre of the city, is shown as a small section of undeveloped land in the lower right of the map while Yeouido, the financial hub, is marked, again on an undeveloped section of the shore of the Han River on the lower left of the map. This is a fascinating glimpse of the history of one of the world’s fastest growing cities, before its modern development or the establishment of its famous metropolitan railway network. Printed colour. SL [SEAS4967] |