• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.213-226
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• 1993

In Korea, the urban studies of geography have mainly dealt with such a series of research as system of urban place and internal structure of urban area. The existing studies have been carried out with ecological approach. Ecologists, now a days, regard organiation and transfor-mation of the urban space as the process of invasion, succession, and segregation. However it is more proper that cities should be considered not as fragmantary objects, as some ecologists insist, but as synthetic ones in social structure. This research, with adopting a case of the renewasl of central area in Seoul, tried to make it clear that the formation and transition of the city is a product of social structure and examined polical and economic logic which exists in variation of urban space in detail. The results of this study are as follows; Urban renewal of central area is closely related with production and reproduction in capitalist society. In urban center, as business activities had increased since 1973 due to decen-tralization of production process, the necessity of reorganizing the land use in existing central area accordingly increased. The urban renewal program of central area in Seoul was inrroduced under such situation. The urban renewal of central area reflecting the capital logic has changed the central area with six hundred year's tradition. From the urban renewal of central area, not only was the central area, which traditionally had been mixed with various fun-ctions, simplified into the unitary area of busi-ness, but also physical landscape changed. As the land lot in renewal area expanded into regular shape, buildings became larger and taller. The program tremendously raised the price of related area. Aiming at these profits caused by the raised price, a great number of capitalists participated in the program. And as the benefit ratio of the manufacture sector continuously dropped with the economic recession, the pro-gram was carried out much more vigorously. That was because the idle capital accumulated during the recession was invested in property sector and was self-proliferated. The urban renewal raised the land value of central area and drove out the people living in this area. The people moved into the whole parts of the city resulting diffused squatter settlements. And the urban changes in central area were results of the policy of municipal authorities, who supported and systematized the changes lawfully and administratively, as well as reali-zation of capital logic. Due to the renewal policies of central area in Seoul, much more renewals by the only capitalists were carried out than those by the people themselves living in that area. The integration of land ownership in the law of urban renewal shows the reason of that. Moreover, the law allows the third deve-loper to participate in the tasks and admits the land expropriation rights. The municipal autho-rities guaranteed the profitability of the tasks through finacial aid, tax benifit, and relaxation of regulations for construction. As examined above, the changes in the land use of urban space have been led not by the ecological process of development of the city itself, but by the restructuring of capitalism and the intervention of the government authorities.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.16-38
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• 1994

The spatial structure of Korea has been changed drastically during the second half of this century. The events such as the Korean War and the resultant division of the Korean Peninsular into two Koreas, rapid industrialization and urbanization are the major causes among others for the spatial changes of the nation. The changes in turn have spawned a number of spatial problems. It is time, we argue, to diagnose how much the nation is now ill-structured, and to discuss of which directions the long-term spatial management be reoriented. A delphi survey was conducted during the early 1993 to fulfill such research needs. Questionnaires were distributed among geographers, planners, and high governmental officials throughout the nation. These 'experts of spatial problems' were requested to evaluate the past spatial policies and strategies, and to identify spatial and environmental problems at the national, regional and local levels. The survey included questions with regard to the spatial problems in North Korea too. A complementary literature survey in the fields of spatial sciences was accomplished as well in order to identify the major research interests and issues with regard to the nations's spatial structure. The delphi survey results indicatee that the present spatial structure: in relation to consumption, housing and economic activities is satisfactory in overall, while rather poor in terms of education, leisure and community activities. Most of the experts consider infrastructural improvements are urgent in the areas of roads, waste disposal facilitles, railroads, harbors, water supply and drainage systems. The over-concentration of economic, social and political function in the Seoul Metropolitan Region is perceived to be the most serious spatial problem in Korea. The long-term solutions suggested are strategies toward a more balanced regional development as well as toward a cleaner environment. The concensus among the experts for the short-term solution is the redistribution of population and industries from the Seoul Metropolitan Region to the intermediate and small cities. The land use policies and concurrent large-scale infrastructural projects are evaluated largely pertinent and desirable in general. It is, however, suggested that development projects be conducted in a more harmonious way with environment. The survey respondents suggest that the present environmental management policies should be reexamined critically. With regard to regional and local problems, transportation and pollutions are thought to be most serious in the Seoul Metropolitan Region, while employment opportunities, and information, education and health care services are most deprived in small cities and rural areas. The majority of the experts consider a city size of 250, 000-500, 000 population is desirable to live within. Respondents beileve that North Korea's physical environment is still not aggravated much whereas its infrastructural provisions are largely pool. The co-authors of this research figure a "environmentaly sound and spatially balanced Korean Penninsular" as the ideal type of spatial structure in Korea. The basic guidelines toward this ideal prototype are suggested: the recovery of spetial integrity, progressive restructuring of the nation, land uses geared to public welfare rather than private interests, and eco-humanistic approach in spatial policies.