The Gyeongbu Expressway, Korea's first modern highway, was opened on July 7th, 1970. The 428-kilometer expressway linked Seoul and Busan, two largest cities in Korea, and helped propel the Korean economy to the next level. But the construction project was fraught with problems from the beginning. Insufficient funding, limited logistics, rough terrains, and poor equipment slowed down the construction. However, the government forged ahead with the project and completed the expressway, setting a record for lowest express construction cost on the way. The Gyeongbu Expressway was not merely a highway for Koreans. It was the symbol of modernization.
