Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bossface]

in my opinion, Syngman Rhee. he could have changed the course of history after the Koren War. he could have recognized what a horrible idea it is to have a nation's capital and population center a stone's throw away from an unfriendly border. no other country in the world has such an important city in the shadow of such danger. Syngman Rhee should have moved the capital to Busan.

had Busan become the capital and primary metropolis, a lot of military logistics would have changed. if Seoul had morphed into a provincial backwater, NK's artillery would have been a much smaller threat, in fact it may have never existed at all if Seoul weren't important enough to destroy. If the North didn't hold the Seoul destruction trump card that it now holds, it would have never become the geopolitical menace that it is today.

on a lesser note, if Busan were Korea's cultural, musical, entertainment, political, and financial center as a result of becoming the capital in 1954, it would have been considered one of the world's great cities. imagine having Itaewon, Hongdae, Gangnam, Daehangno, Myeongdong, Yeouido, and ICN within a 20-30 subway ride of the beach. a Busan like that could have competed with the likes of Tokyo and Bangkok for international travel.

woulda coulda shoulda, i suppose this sort of argument doesn't matter much now.

[silkhighway]

Good point about what Busan could have been. However for the longest time neither the South nor North reckonized the other's right to sovereignty. I'm not sure they still do. Seoul is in the middle of Korea, so as a capital of a unified Korea it makes sense. I imagine nobody in 1945 would have thought the country would be divided and in a warlike stance for at least another 65 years. After all they are one people, one nation, or so they would have believed.

[redaxe]

Well, if you really wanna get down to the root of it, it's Lenin's fault.

[bobbybigfoot]

Interesting ideas, Op.

[jvalmer]

Can't just move a capital. Seoul was the capital well before the war and both side did all they can to hold onto Seoul.

[BoholDiver]

Hindsight is 20/20.

Seoul was Hansung before that time and it was the largest urban centre of thecountry south of the 38th. It seemed natural it would become the capital.

[silkhighway]

[jvalmer]

[wylies99]

[jzrossef]

[lifeinkorea]

If Busan were Seoul, you would have the same thing but in the south. I would prefer seeing a "4 corners" approach (Seoul Incheon, Gangwon?, Gwangju, and Busan) with a central hub band consisting of Daejeon and Daegu. Spread the wealth. Packing everything into Seoul or Busan, yuck, pooey, throw it out the window.