KBS World Radio Korea Panorama 70 Years'

Connecting Seoul and Busan, the construction of the country’s main artery, the Gyeongbu Expressway, began on February 1, 1968 and lasted 2 years and 5 months to be completed on July 7, 1970. Once a 15-hour one-way trip, the travel time from Seoul to Busan was shortened to a mere 5 hours, effectively making the whole nation accessible in a single day. The eased transportation between producers with major cities and exporting ports became a stepping stone for the country’s economic growth.

Some 892,800 workers were put to work each year during the construction period. Construction went on around the clock without a holiday and the successful Gyeongbu Expressway became known as the greatest engineering feat in history, planting the seeds of confidence in the minds of the South Korean people.