6·25전쟁에서 남·북 철도의 역할

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the role the railroad played in the Korean War. Both North and South Korea actively utilized railroads for the Korean War. Since its construction in the early 20th century, the railroad has functioned as a major means of Japan's colonial rule. This soon led to the expansion of Japan's military power, and eventually became the driving force behind the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria falling under Japanese influence. Even after liberation and division on August 15, 1945, the influence of the railroad continued. Although the Japanese Empire built a railroad for their own convenience, social infrastructure facilities such as railroads were insufficient to the point where they had to be utilized as is even after liberation. Also, people's daily lives at that time were already centered around railroads. However, less than two years after the government was launched, a fratricidal tragedy occurred. Both North and South Korea actively utilized railroads to wage war efficiently. This was because utilizing the railroad to its fullest potential had a major impact on winning or losing the war. In particular, unlike South Korea, which was poorly prepared for war, North Korea planned to actively utilize railroads to wage war efficiently even before the war, and actually put this into practice. After the outbreak of war, South Korea also actively used railroads in the war effort and expanded several railroad lines. The framework created in this way was used to form the post-war Cold War system and develop the national economy, and the results continue to this day. This aspect of the Korean railway has both universality and specificity in world railway history, so it can be said to have great research value. However, to date, not much research has been conducted in Korean railroad history focusing on the Korean War. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the role of railroads and their subsequent influence in the Korean War.