Gyeongbu Expressway: Completing the Daejeon-Daegu Section

The Gyeongbu Expressway was built to address transport shortages caused by industrialization. After construction began in 1968, the project overcame funding shortages and difficult work between Daejeon and Daegu. With domestic funding secured and construction carried out by section, it was completed in 1970 and is remembered as a turning point in the transport network supporting industrialization.

This article follows the National Archives of Korea’s records on the Gyeongbu Expressway and was checked as of October 2026.

Background to the Construction of the Gyeongbu Expressway

Construction was prompted by transport capacity that could not keep pace with rising production. The First Economic Development Plan also pursued the restoration and expansion of transport facilities. However, the National Archives of Korea explains that transport shortages worsened from 1965. Transport capacity could not keep up with the growing economy. National Archives of Korea’s explanation of the construction background

The expressway plan took shape alongside national land development policy. The Comprehensive National Land Construction Planning Act was enacted in 1963. The 1967 “Grand National Land Construction Plan (Draft)” included expressway construction. The Gyeongbu route was intended to connect major cities and centers of production and consumption.

Timeline of Construction, Completion, and Opening

The start of construction marks the beginning of the work, while completion means the work is finished. Opening is the stage when the completed road is made available to traffic. Completed sections of the Gyeongbu Expressway opened before the rest. The opening dates of individual sections therefore differ from the opening date of the entire route.

Kim Won-gi’s article was written by the vice minister of construction at the time. The project schedule was compiled from its project overview and schedule. The date of the finishing work on Dangjae Tunnel was supplemented by the National Archives of Korea’s explanations of individual construction sections. Original article by Kim Won-gi, Explanation of the Daejeon construction section

Construction Costs and Funding

Domestic funding covered almost all actual construction costs. Borrowing money from abroad was also considered early on. However, difficulties in securing foreign capital coincided with the suspension of loan plans. Not every funding option considered should be read as having actually been used. National Archives of Korea’s explanation of funding

Construction costs also changed from the planning stage. The original budget set after review was 33 billion won. In March 1969, the Ministry of Construction requested 42.973 billion won. The additional amount requested was 9.973 billion won.

Kim Won-gi recorded total construction costs of 42.973 billion won for the project completed in 1970. This amount is stated in the monetary value of the time. Comparing it with construction costs today requires separate adjustments for prices and the scope of work. Revisions to project costs

The Difficult Daejeon to Daegu Section of the Gyeongbu Expressway

The Daejeon to Daegu section required bridge and tunnel construction to proceed together. A difficult construction section is one where terrain and construction conditions make the work challenging. Finishing work in the Okcheon and Yeongdong areas remained a particular problem. Construction status documents from the time also confirm the difficulties in these areas. Explanation of “Construction Status of the Seoul to Busan Expressway”

The National Archives of Korea identifies the stretch between Usan-ri and Myogeum-ri in Okcheon as a particularly difficult section. A bridge had to be built across the Geumgang River. A tunnel through Dangjae also had to be built in the same section. This meant that completing the roadbed alone would not make the road passable. Terrain and construction in the Daejeon construction section

The 1970 construction status document reports that the bridges had been completed. Dangjae Tunnel, however, remained a structure where progress was slow. This shows where the bottleneck lay in the final stages of construction. The document alone, however, cannot establish the effectiveness of any particular construction method.

Why Paving the Approaches to Dangjae Tunnel Was a Turning Point

The finishing work on Dangjae Tunnel marked a turning point by connecting a route that had remained broken. The National Archives of Korea explains that paving of the approaches was finished on June 27, 1970. The entire route was then completed on the 30th of the same month. This is why the completion of tunnel work must be distinguished from the completion of the overall project. Completion records for the Daejeon construction section

Road formation work on the Daejeon to Daegu section was finished by the end of 1969. Work on structures such as tunnels and long-span bridges, along with paving, continued into the following year. This sequence shows that cutting and filling earth alone does not complete a road. Kim Won-gi’s project overview

Results of the Gyeongbu Expressway’s Opening and Loss of Life

On July 7, 1970, the entire route connecting Seoul and Busan opened. The route built at the time was 428km long, with four lanes in total for both directions. These figures describe the scale of the project when it was completed in 1970. They do not describe the length or lane count of the current route. National Film Production Center, “The Road to Prosperity”

Later commentary by the National Archives of Korea assesses the expressway network’s economic role. That assessment also covers increased exchange between regions and the expansion of areas accessible within a day. The network was subsequently expanded to include routes such as Honam, Namhae, and Yeongdong. However, the full effects of the later network cannot be attributed to the Gyeongbu route alone. National Archives of Korea’s July 2014 commentary

Lives were also lost during construction. The National Museum of Korean Contemporary History states that 77 people died in the course of the work. A memorial tower was erected near Geumgang Service Area to honor them. The construction period and costs alone cannot account for the project’s human toll. National Museum of Korean Contemporary History’s record of the memorial tower

Records and Interpretation

The expectations of officials at the time must be distinguished from measurements of results after the opening. Kim Won-gi’s article is an account by a government official who helped carry out the project. Alongside the construction schedule, it includes assessments emphasizing the project’s justification. Each statement should be read with attention to the nature of the record.

Second, the opening of the expressway eliminates regional disparities.

Kim Won-gi, “The Significance of the Opening of the Gyeongbu Expressway,” Local Administration 19-201, 1970, Social Significance. Original text held by the National Archives of Korea

This sentence shows the regional development effects the government expected at the time. It is not itself statistical evidence of reduced regional disparities. Assessing the actual effects requires regional data from before and after the opening. Changes in income, population, and factory locations must also be examined.

Standards for Citing Tunnel Counts and Lengths

Figures for the same facilities can differ depending on the unit of counting. Kim Won-gi’s project overview lists six tunnel sites. The National Archives of Korea’s explanation counts 12 tunnels by separating the two directions of travel. When quoting a number, it is therefore necessary to state what was counted. National Archives of Korea’s tunnel statistics

Length figures also require checking what the original source included in its totals. The tunnel statistics page contains some entries whose lengths differ between the body text and the table. This article has not arbitrarily corrected those differences. Precise comparisons of lengths require checking the original tables from the construction history reproduced there.

Lasting Significance for Understanding Today’s Transport Network

This case shows the continuing process of connecting and expanding a transport network. Lane widening and alignment improvements continued after the entire route opened. The National Archives of Korea presents the history of widening on sections including Cheongwon to Hoedeok and Hoedeok to Jeungyak. Completion in 1970 was also the starting point for later road improvements. The Daejeon construction section and its later widening history

Assessing the project at the time also requires separating the questions. Construction records can establish whether the transport corridor was connected. Assessing the size of the economic gains requires traffic volume and cost data. Which regions received the benefits is a matter for separate regional analysis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do the completion date and the opening date of the entire route differ?

Completion means the construction work is finished, while opening means the road is made available to traffic. The entire route was completed on June 30, 1970. Its opening was recorded as July 7 of the same year.

Was the entire Daejeon to Daegu section equally difficult?

The records point in particular to difficulties in the Okcheon and Yeongdong areas. Around Dangjae, bridge and tunnel construction proceeded together. The entire section should not be described as having the same terrain or construction conditions.

Was it built with money borrowed from abroad?

Foreign funding was one of the options considered. The National Archives of Korea explains that domestic funding covered almost all actual construction costs. Not every loan considered should be counted as funding actually obtained.

Can the opening be said to have eliminated regional disparities?

An official’s article from the time is not enough to establish that conclusion. Kim Won-gi’s sentence shows the effects the government expected. Actual changes in regional disparities must be assessed through statistics and research from after the opening.