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This page is graphically intense with long load times due to photos. However, the photos and narratives by the men who served at Osan Air Base makes the wait well worthwhile. The opinions expressed are those of the author and in no way represents any official statement of Osan AB or the USAF. 
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Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Jack Terwiel, Capt, USAF (Ret) of the Osan Retired Activities Office for photos of base (past and present) -- Dan Klopten, Robert Furrer, Robert Evilsizor, Ron Freedman, Harry Tezlaf and Ken Shallenbarger. Special thanks to Jackie Turner, 7th AF Historian, and John Okonski, 51st FW Historian, for their assistance with photos and guidance on the history of Osan AB. Thanks to Curly Knepp, Maj, USAF (Ret) for his photos and direction in uncovering the history of the area. Thanks to Don Tomajan for his comments, photos and assistance on the EAB history in 1952-1954. Thanks to Bob Spiwak for his narratives and photos of life at Osan AB in 1953. Special thanks to Mr. Oh Sun-soo, Victoria Hotel, for his information on the early development of Songtan. Special thanks to Mr. Jim Price, AIG Insurance, for his sharing of his experiences during his long residence in Songtan. Special thanks to Mr. Yi Kyong Chu, Kasey Lee's Tailors, for his help and guidance in assembling this history. Special thanks to Mr. Son Kwang-chil, Hanyang Kalbi, and Mr. Yi N.K, Korea Hotel, for providing information of the early days of the Milwal-dong area. Thanks to Mr. Kim Sang-do, Electronic Repair Shop, and Mr. Jeong Tae-ho, Young Chon Hotel, for their help in providing information of the early days of the Young Chon Alley area. Thanks to Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon, Dong Sung Realty, for his help on the local area history. Special thanks to Mr. Kim Jae-won, Asia Hotel for his help in providing a wealth of information on the local area. Special thanks to Ms. Jin Dal-lae and other staff members of the Jisan-dong Ward Office for taking the time to research and provide historical materials on Songtan and Pyongtaek City. Thanks to the Shinjang 1-dong Ward Office for taking time to provide information on the roads in the area. Thanks to the Seojong-dong Ward Office staff and Chief of the ward Office, Choi Yun-su, for their help in providing maps to unravel the confusing boundary issues. Much of the information on Pyongtaek City and the Songtan area was extracted from the Pyeongtaek City History, Pyeongtaek Si Sa. Thanks to the Songbuk Elementary School for permission to use their photos from their private collection. Thanks to staff of the Songshin Elementary, Taegwang Middle School and Taegwang High School staff for their help in their histories. Special thanks to the Mr. Kim Jong-youp, Vice-Principal of the Hyomyung Middle School and Ms. Choi Jeong-min for their assistance with the history of Hyomyung Middle School and High School. Special thanks to the Mr. Park Hyun-jong, Vice Principal of the Seojong Elementary School, and the staff including Ms. Choi Yun-young, Mr. Kim Hyong-ill and Ms. Pae Eun-hui, for their assistance in assembling the history of Seojong Elementary School.  View of Osan AB (USAF Photo) THIS IS A WORK IN-PROGRESS AND FACTS ARE BEING ADDED/DELETED DURING THIS PROCESS. THIS IS NOT A COMPLETED HISTORY.Songtan HistoryThe community surrounding Osan Air Base is itself rich in history and tradition. Evidence of rice growing in the area dates back to around 800 B.C. Because of the areas abundance of water the flat plains became the prized area for rice crops. The first organized group in the area was the Samhan (Three Han Federation). One of the strongest of the Mahan group rose to prominence over the others as the Paekje and controlled the area. The Korguro swept down and pushed the Paekje down to Puyo and took over the area during the Three Kingdom Period. Later the Shilla pushed out the Koguryo and united the peninsula under the Unifed Shilla Period. Then the Koryo dynasty was founded setting up their capital in Kaesong and forced the capitulation of the Shilla and Paekje. Finally the Chosun Dynasty in 1392 set up their capital in Seoul. Taxes in the form of rice tribute was sent to Seoul from the area. There are also stories related that charcoal was also sent as tribute as only charcoal could be burned inside the Seoul city walls in the Chosun Dynasty. (See Brief Korean History of the Local Area.)This history attempts to follow the development of the community and its symbiotic relationship with the base from the 1950s through the 1980s. After the 1980s, the impacts of the Miracle of the Han reached the area. The economic impact of Osan AB on the local community was lessened. In the 1990s, the Shinjang Mall area was designated as Special Tourism Zone recognizing the impact of Osan AB more as a source of income from tourism rather than a major employer in the area. In the 1990s, the development of an agricultural-urban city base of Pyeongtaek City was established with the surrounding areas being developed with national, regional and local industrial parks -- and Songtan was incorporated into Pyongtaek City. By the 2000s, the impacts of Osan AB on the local economy was still important, but no longer the major source of employment as businesses and factories moved into the area. Songtan History Supposedly, there stood a village called "Che Yok Dong" on the site of the present Shinjang area. A king of the Shilla Dynasty (57 BC - AD 935) bestowed the name on the village, which means tax and labor exempt. It was not an empty gesture, the royalty was so impressed with the village leaders' honesty, fairness, and loyalty to their subjects and Korea that the inhabitants were exempted from paying taxes or working for the state. (Source: 51st FW Historian site) According to the 51st FW site, "Chicol-ni", the name of the village outside the Main Gate in the 1950s, was a derivative of the "Che Yok Gaol." (NOTE: In the Songtan.org: Songtan History, Chicol-ni (Chicol Village) is NOT mentioned as one of the original towns near Osan's Main Gate. The towns mentioned are Taehyeon-dong (near Songbuk Farmer's Market); Kunjang-maul (near the end of the runway); Namsan-teo (Namsan Village); and Milwal-maul/Shinjang-dong/Pokchang-maul (after the Korean War). We do not dispute the existence of Chicol Village, but it appears to have been only a minor village in the Chosun period located at the edge of Namsan-teo, Jaeyok-dong, Tanhyeon-myeon, Jinwi-hyeon.) However, we are skeptical of this story. Long-time residents claim they have never heard of the story. (Source: Verbal Conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Mr. Chae Won-ho and Mr. Oh Sun-soo in July 2005.) In addition, in the Pyeongtaek History, Pyeongtaek Si Sa, we find no reference to this village story. However, we do find a reference under Shinjang-dong that up to 1960, the administrative area was known as "Jae Yok-dong" as an administrative unit for multiple small hamlets in the area. (Source: Pyeongtaek History, Pyeongtaek Si Sa.) (SITE NOTE: There are different English spellings of "Jae Yok" on road signs in Shinjang-1 dong: "Jae eok Gil" (road) or "Jeyeok Gil" (road).) There is a story about Jaeyok Village that tells a story that during the Chosun period in Kung Jungjong's reign (1506–1544), Jaeyok was founded near Namsan-tau in 1522 (16th year of Jungjong's reign). King Jungjong established political reform, rectifying the wrongs of the previous administration. Jungjong also practiced Hyangyak, a method of self-government in the districts, which still applies to modern Korean governance today. During the Gimyo Purge of the Scholars in 1519, Chae Jang-soon, a member of a group of scholars pushing for innovative social changes, was forced to commit suicide because of false accusations brought against his group by conservative elements in the court. He was buried in Namsan-teo. 35 years later in 1559 during King Sonjo's reign, Chae Jang-soon was exhonerated of the charges and posthumously promoted to Minister. Yi Yul-gok (1536-1584) came to Namsan-teo and told to the residents to protect the Namsan-teo area to honor Chae Jang-soon. As a result the area was named, Jaeyok in honor of Mr. Chae. Associated with this was the exemption from tribute. (Source: Songtan.org: Songtan History: Hangul Translation).) (NOTE: We have not been able to locate the grave of Chae Jang-soon nor does any of the local population we have talked to know of its location.) (NOTE: Yul-Gok is the pseudonym of the great philosopher Yi I (1536-1584 AD), nicknamed "the Confucius of Korea." See TKDTutor: Yi Yul-gok for details on his life. Yi Yul-gok is depicted on the Korean 5,000 won note with Ojukheon, his memorial shrine in his birthplace in Gangneung, Gangwon-do, on the reverse.) Origin of the Name "Songtan"The Chinese characters for "Songtan" means song = "pine" and tan = "charcoal." At the same time, the area to the north-west is known as "Seotan" meaning "West Pine." At this time, we do not know the specific origins of "Songtan." The most reasonable is the explanation was provided by Oh Sun-soo and Yi Kyong Chu (Kasey Lee)Song (pine) In the Japanese colonial period, the Japanese reforestation center was in Suwon and its efforts to reforest Korea was considered a major success. According to American Military Government in Korea by E. Grant Meade, prior to the Japanese colonial period, the Koreans in the latter part of the Chosun dynasty had denuded their forests. Under the Japanese the Korean forests were again replanted as part of the Japanese Public Works system. The Public Works was a highly centralized activity under the Japanese regime with the heads of the local branches looking to the Province for orders as they were not under the direction of the district magistrate. One of the Japanese Public Works successes was the forestry station in the Suwon area. Unlike other Public Works areas that were dominated by the Japanese, the forestry projects personnel were mostly Korean. Thus in one sense, the forestry was one area that Koreans were dominant and probably an area of pride for those involved in the reforestation projects. During the Japanese colonial period the reforestation project in Suwon used the hills of the surrounding areas as nurserys for seedlings or as tree farms to harvest the pine cones for seeds. Though the low-lying areas were almost devoid of trees, the tops of the hills were covered with the hardy pitch pine (Pinus Rigida). The Pitch Pine was the pine of choice for reforestation because of its ability to withstand drought conditions. Because of the lack of ground cover needed to trap the water in a water shed, the rainfall simply ran off the hills causing repeated flooding in the flood plain area. However, the saplings root systems of the stunted three-four foot saplings aiding in the prevention of massive erosion. The pitch pine prefers sun and moist well drained soil but will tolerate a wide range of soils including poor, dry soil. Important to reforestation of coastal areas was that the pine is salt tolerant. It is found on typically poor, dry, sandy soil that is often too sterile for most other trees, and usually found in the company of gray birch, and scrub oak. Growth is extremely variable; short and poorly formed on poor sites, but can be a straight, medium sized tree reachin 80 feet tall on better sites. Seed cone maturity is in 2 years -- a relatively short time for maturity. However, as World War II dragged on, any Japanese advances in reforestation were wiped out as the wood resources went to the war effort. After the WWII, the desparate need for heating fuel caused the Koreans to denude the hills to survive the harsh Korean winters. A common photo in the Occupation and post-Korean War years, was the farmer with an A-frame (chige) on his back filled with twigs and materials for firewood. Trees were a rarity in the densely populated areas of Korean cities and towns. In 1949, one of the first laws of the First Republic was the outlawing of cutting down any tree. After the Korean War due to their rapid growth and potential to halt erosion on the denuded slopes of Korea, pitch pine and acacia were planted across Korea. (Source: Osan AB: Conservation.) After the Korean war, a law was promulgated that prevented the cutting down of any tree over 15 feet in height. The Military Government during the Occupation years reestablished the reforestation programs of the Japanese -- and like the Japanese Public Works program -- it was a success as well. Photos in 1971 of a hilltop in Jinwi overlooking the Chinwi River at north end of base indicate that the reforestation with the pitch pine had taken place throughout the area. The trees appeared to be about three-feet tall. The irregular spacing of the saplings in the photo indicate that the trees were propagating naturally instead of through a reforestation effort -- with spaces gaps in the original plantings due plant demise. As the plants reach maturity in two years, the plantings on the Jinwi hills were planted much earlier. Around Seojong-ni there are patches of scrub pine (pitch pine) on the hills surround the city. However, these are only found on the hill tops -- not at the base of the hills which were cleared for the rice fields. (NOTE: This same hill in 2005 is now covered with a variety of trees and other vegetation. The lower portions have a thick growth of a mixture of trees (cottonwood, acacia and other species) with a mass of tangled vines between the trees.)   (L) Pine Reforestation (R) Pine in foreground of view of Chinwi River overflowing During the Korean War, the Koreans would gather up all the pine needles and twigs from the trees, but they did not cut the trees. Not only was cutting of trees illegal, it was simply common-sense. The dried twigs from the trees were perpetual, but if you cut the tree down you had warmth only for a day. Bob Furrer noted that around his Taejon site, the villagers would gather the twigs under the trees, but would not cut the branches or tree itself. Study of Pinus Rigida in the 1980s shows the study of the pine tree at plantations in 5 Kyonggi-do areas (Yongin, Songtan, Anseong, Yeoju, and Yangdong). Thus even today the Songtan is considered as a prime pine tree reforestation area for growing seedlings. NOTE: The pitch pine and acacia are the two dominant forest types in the Songtan area with chestnuts also found in the area. Acacia trees (acacia albida) are found in arid or semi-arid areas of the hillsides to prevent erosion from the recurrent flooding of the area, but was also planted along the roadsides especially near bridges to prevent the shoulders from eroding. Along the highways in the local area, one can see acacias along the roadside and in the less populated areas of the hills surrounding Songtan. The acacia was normally planted on the semi-arid slopes.Tan (charcoal) The explanation of the meaning of the charcoal comes from the name of the rise as one enters Songtan. The name for the area was "Sutgokae." The word "Sut-Ko-Gae" in Hangul (Korean) where sut = "charcoal" and kogae = "hill or rise." This can be retranslated into the Chinese ideograms to mean "Tan Hyeon" where Tan = "charcoal" and "Hyeon" = "hill." In the Chosun Dynasty, the Seotan and Songtan area were engaged in charcoal production. The Tanhyeon-dong area (Charcoal Hill) near the present Songbuk Farmers' Market area, was a rest stop along the main road from Seoul. In 1756 census, Tanhyeon-myeon, Jinwi-hyeon showed 603 people engaged in the making of charcoal. There were large stands of pine trees in the area at the time. This area provided charcoal to Seoul as only charcoal could be burned within the city walls. (Source: Songtan.org: Songtan History: Hangul Translation) According to Songtan.org, "Ssutkogae" comes from the Japanese colonial period when there were about 300 farm families selling charcoal for a living in the Seotan and Songtan area. According to this source, "ssutkogae" means "the top of the hill which makes charcoal" or "charcoal rise." (Source: Songtan.org: Songtan History: Hangul Translation) According to Oh Sun-soo, the name was first applied to the rise where Route 1 from Osan City now goes straight ahead over a rise and stretched to the Jinsan Park area (Jwa-dong area). Later it was applied to specifically to an area along the ridge line in Jwa-dong where black clubs sprouted. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Chong Kyu-sok, 21 Jul 2005.) However, according to Songtan.org, "Ssutkogae" became "Sukgokage" by the end of the Korean War due to common usage. (Source: Songtan.org: Songtan History: Hangul Translation) According to Yi Kyong Chu (Kasey Lee), there were supposedly many kilns used to remove the water from wood and create the deep black charcoal in the Jisan-dong area. This area started where the present Route 1 from Osan City goes up over a rise. Prior to 1985, this rise then went down into a crescent shaped area of rice fields and swampy land. The kilns were supposedly located on the interior slopes to the west and extended from where the present Express Bus Terminal is to the ridgetop overlooking the Shinjang area. The slope stretched horizontally from the ridgeline in Songbuk-dong where it starts to rise to the Jisan Park area. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Yi Kyong-chu, owner of Kasey Lee Tailors, 25 Jul 2005.) According to Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon the area near Jangmi Apartment Road was also known to contain charcoal kilns using the acacia and pine trees in the area leading to the area being known as Sutkogae (Charcoal rise). According to Mr. Kwon, the Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) contained a village called Sutkonjang-ni (Charcoal factory village) or Sutma in the 1950s-1960s. Supposedly the charcoal kilns were near the Jisan Elementary School area on the portion of the park close to the Jangmi Apartment Road. (Source: Verbal Conversation Kalani O'Sullivan with Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon, owner of Dongsung Realty, on 23 Aug 2005.) Supposedly the area of Jeomchon Village was filled with pottery kilns. This village was located on the slope that leads up towards the present Songtan City Hall Branch Office. According to the Songtan.org: Songtan History, a Mr. Hwang Kum-seok came to the town in 1920 to make and sell pottery. Soon many people came to the area and made all variety of pottery from Kimchi Pots to bowls. (Source: Songtan.org: Songtan History: Hangul Translation) (NOTE: It was also during this time period that the term "Ssutkogae" (Charcoal Rise) came into use.) Kim Jae-won remembers walking past the Jeomchon area on his way to Songbuk Elementary School and seeing many kilns in the area. He suspected that these had been converted to pottery manufacturing after the use of charcoal was replaced by charcoal briquettes -- cylindrical charcoal with holes in the center made of pulverized charcoal in the late 1960s. (Source: Verbal Conversation with Mr. Kim Jae-won, owner of Asia Hotel, on 26 Sep 2005.) In the late 1970s, Songtan housing expanded into this area and the kilns shut down and people forced to relocate. The existence of kilns in the local area would be corroborated by the existence of bathhouses that operated in the Chong-mun up (Front Gate Town) using this charcoal to provide hot water for the "steam houses" (saunas). In 1953, a bathhouse was started by Jeong Tae Ho near the communal well in Chicol Village. (NOTE: This was the origin of the Young Chon Hotel.) Soon other bathhouses sprang up as the population swelled. NOTE: Some mispronunciations of "Sutgokae" (charcoal hill) created some misinformation to be spread. Old Villages of SongtanThe following are short descriptions of the old villages in the Songtan area dating back to the Chosun dynasty in some cases. Sources of information are from varied sources. The translations from Songtan.org: Songtan History. We apologize that the translations from the Songtan History are not full translations as some of it deals with items that were not relevant to our history. We also take full responsibility for any unwitting inaccuracies injected into the translations to English. Songtan (2002) (Pyeongtaek Si Sa)
Old Songtan Villages that are in areas that were split away to Pyeongtaek-shi to facilitate administrative control of industrial zones:
In Research as to location of village:
1950sGrowth of Chicol Village (Chicoville) and Chong-mun eup (Front Gate Town) (1950s) The impression of the local culture on the American soldiers was not positive. Ron Freedman, a 2nd Lt. with the 398th AAA AW Bn at K55. He stated, "And of course the stench from the use of night soil was overpowering. The place was so backwards it was unbelievable. No roads, no electricity, no water, and the main road through Osan-ni was just dirt. The villagers paid their taxes by keeping the road somewhat repaired."According to Jim Price, the shanty town just outside the base was called "Sugogi" by Americans before it was called "Chicoville, but he didn't know the reason. (Source: Verbal conversation with Jim Price, Jun 2005.) However, by 1953 the area was called "Chicol-ni" (Village) or "Chicoville" by the Americans taken from the name of the village directly outside the Main Gate. "Sugogi" means "cow meat" but it was actually the bastardization of "Sutkogae." According to Oh Sun-soo, the word "Sut-Ko-Gae" in Hangul (Korean) means "charcoal hill or rise." According to Mr. Oh, the name was first applied to the rise where Route 1 from Osan City now goes straight ahead over a rise -- but later was applied to an area along the ridge line near the base in Jwa-dong. Later it would be applied to the area in Jwa-dong across the railroad tracks from K-55 where black bars and brothels sprang up. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan with Oh Sun-soo in 21 July 2005.) Chicol-ni was the area directly to the left of the Main Gate as one exited K-55. In 1957, the first large building on the left was the Hansong Korean Dance Hall. Behind this were farm houses and fields. It extended down until the Namsan Village area with the mudwattle houses up to the perimeter of the base along the hillsides. The lower areas in the basin before the rise to MSR-1 were rice fields. The area to the right of the Main Gate (the new shanty town) was referred to as Chong-mun eup (Front Gate Town) by the Korean people. In Confucian thinking, the farmer held a higher status level than the tradesman -- and therefore, the farmers tended to disassociate themselves from the "camptown" (kijich'on) trade. Under the Confucian model, the businessman is the lowest in social strata.
 Local Families: Buddhist Temple next to Choga-chip (NOTE: Believe at Hill 170 Namsan Village.) (Jan 1952) (Robert Evilsizor) However, after 1955, the common name of the shanty town was "Chicoville" (Chicol Village or Chicol-ni). There was also reference to Chicol-ni as "C-rats Village" (C-rations). Some people jokingly referred to it as "Mudville" because the roads were all dirt and when it rained, it became a sea of mud. For the purposes of this history, we will call the entire "front gate town" (Chong-mun eup) area as "Chicol Village."  Village Well (1954) (Dan Klopten)  Communal well in Chicol Village in 1956 (1956) (Jeong Tae-ho)
Eventually the entire rice field area in the Jaeyok-dong area was reclaimed for use as housing by the mid-1960s. Notice the difference between the 1954 photo and the 1956 photo. In the first the shanty-town houses are set back from the well and separated by the rice field. In the second in 1956, the shanty houses are now encroaching on the well indicating that the population of Chicol Village was growing. Notice also the position of the pig stys and rice fields that use human waster for fertilizer in relation to the artesian well. A bathhouse was constructed near this well in 1953 and became the beginnings of the Young Chon Hotel. (Source: Verbal conversation with Jeong Tae-ho, owner of Young Chon Hotel, 20 Jul 2005) NOTE: The Young Chon Hotel is now built on the site of the well. According to Cho Hoon, the well itself is now enclosed and located in the basement area of the Stereo Club, but Sun Shei-Chyi stated it was still a source of water for the Young Chon Hotel. (Source: Verbal conversation with Cho Hoon, Cho Pharmacy owner, 23 Jul 2005 and Sun Shei-Chyi, Tai Ho Lou restaurant owner, 24 Aug 2005.) According to Pak Chong-su, owner of the Park's Doll and Toy Shop, and Kim Se-hwon, owner of the Rose Hotel, there were two springs. The first was the Yongchon spring and the second was located across the Jeyok Road in the rice fields near the perimeter of the base. (Source: Verbal conversation with Pak Chong-su, on 19 Nov 2005, and Kim Se-hwon on 20 Jan 2005.)The buildings of "Chicoville" were a clap-trap variety thrown together with any scrap of timber or refuse that could be found. Photos show the roads as all dirt and the roofs of the houses appear to be tar paper tacked down with strips of wood. The shanty-town spread from the main gate back to the rail line and around the base of the small hill with MSR-1 on the other side. There was little construction up the hill as yet. The shanty town residents did include prostitutes, but the majority were simply people trying to find work to survive. Those were still desparately poor times. There was work for doing the most menial of tasks using A-frames to haul dirt to breaking rocks with sledge hammers. It wasn't much -- but it was work that provided money for food. The lucky ones found semi-permanent work in the mess tents or supply, but the majority lined up to be selected for menial "coolie" labor tasks on a daily basis. The elite were those who could speak a little English and were invaluable as translators.
Story of Pak Chan-yang Pak Chan-yang was 15 years old in early 1953. It had been six months since he'd fled North Korea living as a refugee in Kunsan when he came to Songtan seeking work. (SITE NOTE: We believe that this would have to be in 1951 when the US forces were retreating from North Korea after the Chinese joined the fray. Because Seoul was falling, the refugees were relocated south to Kunsan. The Chinese stopped their advance in the Seoul area and the North Korean refugees remained in the Kunsan area. Other North Korean refugees from the Hwanghae-do area just above Kyonggi-do streamed south through Seoul and stopped at Taejon. When the advance stopped and news of work at Osan AB, these refugees migrated north again to the Songtan area, settling in the Milwal-dong area (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni).)  C-Ration Village Outside the Gate (1954) (Robert Furrer)
Chicol-ni and Chongmun-eup Population Explosion In the photo below, the Shinjang Mall Road -- though then only a dirt road -- goes straight ahead to the MSR-1. Mr Oh Sun-soo, owner of the Victoria Hotel, used to own a home on the corner directly outside the Main Gate to the right. There was a small road (path) to Songwang area that jogged behind his house then diagonally from the Main Gate towards the upper left-hand corner of the picture. (NOTE: This is now the alleyway behind the 7-11 across from the Main Gate. The path went down the alley to the road to the overpass. It led past where the Asia Hotel is now into the alley that is to the rear of the hotel. This led to the street with the Prince Hotel. The original path continued down the road for about a block and then went up to a path along the side of the hill -- now a small side road (Milwal-Songwol) following the path's old route. It continued down past the rice fields to the Songwang area (Shinjang 2-dong).  Main Gate Aerial View (1957) The Milwal Road started at the Main Gate and then jogged around a house and then diagonally at a 45 degree angle to the base of the hill. It then proceeded up the hill and veered to the right to the Hill 180 Gate (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni area). Mr. Son Kwang-chil, owner of Hanyang Kalbi, had his family home on Milwal Road in Milwal-dong -- directly to the right of the Main Gate -- five houses down from the top of the photo on the right. According to Mr. Oh, all the area to the left of the gate was known as Chicol Village. (NOTE: In 1978, the road would be widened and straightened to lead straight to the Main Gate.) All the area to the right was known as "Chong-mun eup" or Front Gate Town. To the left on the Chicol Village side, the first large building was the Hansong Dance Hall which later became a billards parlor. A hotel would be built along the area and then the Osan Hotel would be built there in 1983. (NOTE: The Namsan Village Road was built in 1993 and the Osan Hotel moved to its present location at the base of the Milwal Road.) In the Chicol Village area to the left as one exited the Main Gate, the large Haesong Dance Hall (and later pool hall) that was the first large building outside the gate. It was replaced by a hotel in the 1960s. (NOTE: The Namsan Village Road would not be built until 1993.) In the low lying areas, the rice fields were slowly being reclaimed, but the communal well was still in use. This was the Jae Yok-dong area.  Kyongbu Railway Crossing (1959) (Ed Stirling)
Railway Crossings In the Songtan area in 1959, there appeared to be three railway crossings -- two unmarked and one with railway crossing bars and lights.
In the 1950s, the Shinjang Mall Road was the only major road to the MSR-1. The Shinjang Road was not developed until the 1970s when Park Chung-hee acquiesced to a request from the Osan AB Commander that a new road needed to be built to the MSR-1 because of the congestion along the original route. Originally this was a small road (path) in the 1950s that curved to to the right at a 45 degree angle at the Main Gate and then turned left to go over the railroad tracks to MSR-1 over the ridgeline. It was not used for vehicular traffic in 1950s. The Milwal Road connected the Milwal-dong area to the Main Gate. It did NOT connect to the MSR-1until the Shinjang Road Overpass was constructed in 1978. In the 1950s, it was simply a dirt path that jogged around a house at the main gate and then traveled in a 45 degree angle until it reached the base of the hill. It then went up the hill and veered right. The small dirt path followed the perimeter along the west side of the base until it reached the Hill 180 Gate. Because the shanties in Chicolville were so susceptible to fires, a one-engine fire station was placed at the top of the hill with a watch tower in 1958. (In the 1970s, in conjunction with the building of a new road to the MSR-1, the Milwal Road was widened and straightened to go from the top of the hill straight to the Main Gate. (SEE Roads surrounding K-55: MSR-1 Access Roads.) Shinjang Mall Road According to Oh Sun-soo, the original businesses started in the Songwang area (near the Songshin Elementary School) and spread outward to the road and into the Jungang Market area. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Oh Sun-soo, 21 Jul 2005.) This seems reasonable as there was a used lumber yard in the early 1950s where people got lumber to build their shops while the rest of the Chicoville was made up of shanties. The lumber was scrap from pallets or crates as wood was at a premium during those times. According to Kwon Oh-hoon the major garbage dump was in Ojwa-dong (Ojwa-gaol) behind Are Konji-ni, but this was the garbage dump -- not a salvage yard or business. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Kwon Oh-hoon, 24 Aug 2005.) By the late 1950s, the buildings along the Shinjang Mall Road were starting to look more substantial as small shops and businesses started up. In the late 1950s, most of the shops appeared to be variety stores, beauty shops and drug shops. The Shinjang Mall Road remained a two-lane packed dirt road. Just before the railroad tracks there was a slight rise. In the Songbuk-dong area, the road terminated in a "Y" intersection that served as the entrance to the base. The first businesses started up at this intersection. The "Y" intersection of MSR-1 was within one block of the Songbuk Farmers' Market, Jaeil Theater and the Intercity Bus Terminal.  Shinjang Mall Road head toward Hill. (1959) (Ed Stirling) (NOTE: The road veers right at hill and continues up incline to rail spur.) Looking down Shinjang Mall Road in the picture above, the hill straight ahead where the Hanil Church would be built. In the photo above, there is a drug shop (with clinic) on the right and a beauty shop and another drug shop on the left. Notice the mover with a load on his back carried on an A-frame (Chige) on right of the road -- with a truck on the left. The road is a two-lane dirt road that veers right and then continues up an incline to the rail spur.  Shinjang Mall Road just before the Railspur. (1959) (Ed Stirling) The picture above is taken on Shinjang Mall Road just as one nears the railspur to the "freight gate." Lights (or perhaps Buddhist paper lanterns) strung across the road indicate the crossing. To the left near the tracks are furniture movers. To the left, is a policeman riding his bicycle. (NOTE: Notice the large building to the left along the tracks on the Shinjang-side. Compare this to the 1965 photo by Harry Tezlaf and 1966 photo by Thomas Utts of the same location where the same large building still exists.) MSR-1 MSR-1 from Osan-ni (8km to the north) ran straight through the town until it came to a fork. In 1952 when the base was first built, the MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Street) that ran straight ahead and up the ridgeline past the Songbuk farmers' market on the left. At the top of the ridge, it would turn right at the Terminal Ridge Road and go west down the ridge and across the railroad crossing at the base of the hill. It would continue straight and turn right to the Main Gate of Osan AB (K-55). The Terminal Ridge Road also ran east down the ridge and joined MSR-1 near the present Express Bus Terminal at a T-intersection.  MSR-1 Looking towards Osan-ni in the Jinwi-myeon area (1954) (Don Klopten) The Jisan dong area at the time was rice paddies and swamp. If you didn't turn left at the ridgeline turnoff, the road (Jwadong Road) ran straight ahead down the ridgeline past the Jwadong Ridge Road. It following the Kyongbu rail road tracks until the road (Jijangdong Road) leveled off near the Seojong-ni area and ran next to the train tracks. It ran straight ahead past the Seojong Train Station and then continued on to the Pyeongtaek Train Station. This was the MSR-1 used between 1952-1953. (NOTE: This is the route that the Pyeongtaek City buses take to "K-55" from Pyeongtaek station. Remember that the Koreans of Songtan do not use the term "Osan AB".)  Intersection of MSR-1 Bypass Road and Road to Main Gate (Terminal Ridge Road) (1954) (Robert Furrer) MSR-1 Bypass By late 1952, the growth was spreading out rapidly up the sides to the ridge across the railroad tracks and along the MSR-1 creating congestion in the area. A new route was cut by 8th Army Engineers (unit unknown) that ran to the left at the fork near the dirt path leading to the Ojwa-dong area and Are Konji-ni. MSR-1 Bypass was to allow through traffic to bypass the congestion created by the construction of Osan AB. Now listed as "National Route 1," the MSR-1 Bypass continued up past the Songbuk Farmers' Market to the right (Songbuk Market Road) and continued straight down the road (Bukbu Jungang Street) until it got to Sejeong ni at which point it turned right toward the Sejeong Train Station. Before the train station, it turned left and rejoined the original MSR-1 (Seojong Market Road) as Homyeon School Road. It continued on straight to the Pyeongtaek Train Station. Photos in 1959 show the MSR-1 Bypass was a dirt road large enough for two lanes of truck convoys in both directions. The photos also show the area of Jisan-dong next to the Express Bus Terminal as being rice fields between the MSR-1 and the hills (Burak Mountains) -- where the present Route 1 to Pyeongtaek runs. There was a circular area that was a geological sump area of rice paddies and swamps. The road between the fork and Seojong-ni was relatively flat. The Jisan-dong area had not been developed as yet and the area was all rice paddies up to the base of the Burak Mountain area to the east and to where the Are Konji-ni (Lower Konji Village) was located in the northeast. Oh Sun-soo, owner of the Victoria Hotel, stated that his family home was originally from Are Konji-ni. Mite Konji-ni (Upper Konji Village) was located near the present location of the Songbuk Elementary School on the left as one followed the Jisan Cheon (Stream) up the valley. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan with Oh Sun-soo, 21 Jul 2005.) In the 1954 picture above there is a faint line in the middle of the rice field and what appears to be flood gates. This is the path that connected the Are Konji-ni (Lower Konji Village) to the farms along the base of the Jisan Hill. According to According to Kwon Oh-hoon the major salvage yard/garbage dump was in Ojwa-dong (Ojwa-gaol) behind Are Konji-ni. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Kwon Oh-hoon, 24 Aug 2005.) The areas between the intersection to Are Konji-ni to the left are rice fields. After Songbuk Elementary was opened in 1955, the children from the Shinjang area would walk around the base of the Jisan Hill and then follow the path around the base of the Buraksan Mountain until Songbuk Elementary. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Kwon Oh-hoon, 24 Aug 2005.) By the late 1950s, the Songtan "downtown" areas were crowded near the Songbuk Farmers Market and the town expanded to the east. By the early 1960s, the rice field areas between Are Konji-ni to the intersection from the path to the MSR-1 Bypass Road had been filled in and housing & businesses filled the area. Milwal Road The Milwal-dong area was where most of the North Korean refugees -- mostly from the Hwanghae-do area -- attracted to Osan AB by the promise of work clustered in this area for mutual protection and support. Originally Milwal Road was simply a dirt path from the Main Gate led up the hill to Milwal-dong. The road came out of the gate, twisted like a snake going around a building and then went at a 45 degree angle until it straightened out at the base and went up the incline. At the top of the hill, the Milwal Road veered right and became the Shinchang Road. This road followed the perimeter until it connected to the Hill 180 gate. There was only one road at the time and many alleyways off of the road that followed the topography in a mass of dead-end alleyways. The houses were built right up to the fence line of the base and was a mix of older mudwattle (choga chip) farmer houses with vegetable plots and the low mudbrick and stucco homes with transite roofs. Housing sprouted outside the Hill 180 Gate area mainly supporting the populace that worked on the base. As was mentioned before a "camptown" of Makum-ni was to the right as one exited the Hill 180 gate at the bottom of the rise, but after the Korean War ended, it slowly returned to a farming village. (Source: Narrative of Lt. Ron Freedman about life on Hill 170.) After Makum-ni, the dirt road continued straight ahead following the perimeter of the base until it came to the village of Kumgak-ri to the west of the base. In Nov 1953, a school was established here that became a "branch" school of Seotan Elementary School and later would become the Kumgak-ri Elementary. (NOTE: This school filled the need for the large numbers of North Korean refugee children who had moved into the Milwal, Jokbong, Shinchang-dong and Sagori areas on the south side of Osan AB. This school was closed in 2000 due to falling rural population size.) At Kumgak-ri, the road (path) turned right. In this area the villages of Shin-Yari and Yari were relocated and the 839th EAB operated a Sand Pit. This area were primarily rice fields with scattered mudwattle homes. The road continued straight ahead to the Chinwi River. This was the west end of the runway. At this point, the perimeter road from the base on the north side joined with the road (path) from Kumgak-ri and continued over a long bridge spanning the Chinwi River to Seotan-myeon. This area was susceptible to flooding when the Chinwi River overflowed its banks. The base had built a levee and a drainage channel between the Chinwi River and the base to minimize the impacts of flooding. Life in Chicol Village and Milwal-dong In the late 1950s, the conditions in the village of "Chicoville" (Chicol-ri or Chicol Village) improved. The buildings were looking a little more sturdy than in the Korean War era. The "strip" from the Main Gate to the rail spur now contained the "entertainment" district. The bars were now box-like structures resembling warehouses with open-air windows. Yaugwans (inns) had sprouted all along this area. Many of the new shops were now made of wood. A scrap lumber business salvaged wood from pallets crates -- any of wood that could be used for construction was in the Songwang area -- though the major salvage yard was up behind Are Konji-ni in Ojwa-dong (Ojwa-gaol). Concrete was scarce commodity as Korea continued to rebuild its infrastructure from the devastation of the Korean War. It would be another decade before enough cement plants and plywood factories were constructed to meet the demands for construction materials. Most new construction used mudbricks covered with stucco.  Hideaway Club (1958) (Don Klopten) Commerce was returning to the area in the form of small grocery stores (each one saying they had cold beer). Also seen were the tailor shops and shoe repair shops. The pharmacies (Yak) that dispensed medicines (including venereal disease treatment) also sprouted up as doctors in Korea were at a premium so the government authorized the drug shops to take over parts of the medical trade in prescribing western drugs. Of course, the drug shops were off-limits to GIs. (NOTE: In Korea, there are two types of medical doctors. Western Medicine and Oriental Medicine. The pharmacy only dealt western medicines and were restricted from any sales of oriental medicines. Because the lack of doctors, the government authorized the pharmacies to prescribe medicines for the treatment of common ailments. Fifty years later, this system is still in use.) The Jungang Open Market started up as a small operation in the side streets to the left of the Shinjang Mall Road in the general area it is today. Stands were set up in the open air along the sides of the alleyways peddling various condiments, fruits, vegetables or inexpensive goods. By the late 1950s, small open-air shops for retail goods (cheap clothes, etc.) appeared -- the predecessor of the Shinjang Shopping Mall. (NOTE: The Shinjang Road did not exist at the time, but there was a small undeveloped dirt road that led from the Main Gate diagonally to this general area near to the Jungang Open Market area and then a path curved down to the Milwal-dong area until the Songwang Church. By the late 1950s, shanties had spread down the slopes of Hill 180 near the present Capital Hotel to the railroad tracks and filled the area south up to the rice fields.) According to Oh Sun-soo, the businesses started in the Songwang area (Shinjang 2-dong) near the railroad tracks and spread outward. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Oh Sun-soo, 21 Jul 2005.) NOTE: Songshin School had not been built yet as the area was still rice fields up to near the Sogwang (Onnori) Church stood on a slight rise. This area would have been the area just to the south of the Jungang Open Market Shopping Mall area with small shops near the railway tracks. That the first businesses would spring up here seems reasonable as the population was here -- not up on MSR-1. Photos of the area outside the gate in 1954, showed very little in the way of houses. However, by 1957 the houses had spread up the sides of the hills. The used lumber yard used for the construction of many buildings in the 1960s was in this area. In this area the hardware shops also sprang up. (NOTE: The refuse of the base was hauled away under contract -- and every piece of wood that could be recycled (such as wood pallets or crates) were salvaged. According to Kwon Oh-hoon the major salvage yard/garbage dump was in Ojwa-dong (Ojwa-gaol) behind Are Konji-ni. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Kwon Oh-hoon, 24 Aug 2005.) Even up to the 1970s, the dunnage (wood blocks to block munitions on railway flatcars) would be "traded" to Koreans along the tracks for bottles of soju or beer. Though technically such actions were "blackmarketing," the act to the GIs was simply saving them from having to haul all the dunnage away after they off-loaded the munitions.) NOTE: The area up to where the present day Shinjang-2 House Office is located was land, but the area beyond was all rice fields. In the mid-1960s, the rice fields were reclaimed and the Songshin Elementary School was built in 1965 on the highground. Next door in tents was the Songwang Middle School. It was replaced in 1973 by the Taegwang Middle-High School built adjacent to the Songshin School after the land was reclaimed. It would not be until the mid-1970s that the rice fields further south would be reclaimed and Pokchang Elementary School would be built.  Main Gate Looking out at Shinjang Mall area (1959) (Ed Stirling) (NOTE: The Songwang Church can be seen in the distance in what is now the Shinjang 2-dong area.) The 1959 photo of the Main Gate plainly shows a church visible above the shanties outside the gate. The Shinjang Mall Road was to the left so the church was near the road leading to the MSR-1 up the ridgeline. The only church in this area was the Songwang Church. The Songwang Church has recently changed its name to the Onnori Church and is located directly across the street from the Shinjang 2-dong House Office. NOTE: The oldest church in the area is the Jaeil Church up on a hill in the Milwal-dong area on the southwest side of the base. It was first started as the Jwadong Presbyterian Church in 1958 and changed to the Jaeil Church in 1961. The other major churches in the area are Songtan Catholic Church (1965); Jungang Church (1967); and Hanil Church (1967). These three churches are located on the hill along Mokcheon Road near the railway and have been prominent landmarks for the Shinjang area. Expansion of Businesses along MSR-1 A path was being used to cross the railroad tracks from the Chicol Village (Chicoville) (Jae Yok-dong area) to get to the Songbuk farmers' market area. This never was a recognized crossing, but as you could see the trains approaching over 8km away in both directions, there was never much concern of an accident. A lane sprang up on the Songbuk side of the tracks to this crossing. (NOTE: This later became the Mokcheon Underpass road.) The Shinjang Mall Road to the MSR-1 was through a marked crossing with bars and signal lights. (NOTE: This later became the Mokcheon pedestrian underpass -- found directly at the end of the Shinjang Shopping Mall Road next to the Kyongbu Railway fence.) By the late 1950s, the Songbuk Farmers' Market had expanded to feed the growing Korean population in the area. It was situated in the main part of town in the Songbuk area alongside the MSR-1. Like the Osan-ni Farmers' Market 8km away, its opening indicated the local economy was coming back to life. However, at first the offerings would have been simple condiments and produce at first. By the late 1950s, semi-permanent stalls started to appear offering clothing or other essentials. Around the farmers' market, small businesses sprang up turning the area into the business center. Buildings started to line the MSR-1 that ran past the farmers' market. The center of the town now shifted to the business district that had grown with small shops lining the MSR-1. Housing was still critical and one 1959 photo showed a "house rental agency" business along the MSR-1 on the road looking towards Osan-ni along the road just after one left the main part of town. The base provided the major portion of the area's income as the largest employer of Koreans as waitresses, housegirls/boys, support staff, road construction crews, skilled and unskilled laborers. Foreign exchange was also earned from the bar trade and open prostitution off-base in Chicol Village. The houses immediately surrounding the Main Gate area were small mudbrick and stucco structures that were primarily one-room houses with outdoor "water closets" (toilets) and outdoor cooking facilities. The heating was with the hondol system (water heater) using charcoal so these small confined quarters were dangerous in winter due to the potential of carbon monoxide poisoning. In the late 1950s, a police box was added at the intersection of Shinjang Mall Road to the MSR-1. It is where the current Songtan police station is now located. Policemen rode bicycles at first, but later white motorcycles and jeeps became the mode of transportation. The one engine fire house established in the 1958 was located up on right at the top of the Milwal-dong hill with a fire watch tower. In the "Chicoville" fires were constantly breaking out due to flimsy materials used to construct the shanties and the danger of it spreading rapidly in the closely packed housing was always a concern. (NOTE: In the 1970s, the fire station was combined with the Pyeongtaek Station, but in the late 1970s, Songtan again had its own fire station.) In 1959 photos of the area a mud brick "factory" in the area is shown. These mudbricks were the major building material from the Korean War through the late 1970s as concrete was still considered an expensive alternative due to limited cement production facilities in South Korea. In the Shinjang 2-dong area near the railroad tracks, there was a lumberyard that specialized in used lumber from pallets or any source -- mostly the refuse from the base hauled off under contract. These bits and pieces ended up in the manufacture of houses in the area. According to Kwon Oh-hoon the major salvage yard/garbage dump was in Ojwa-dong (Ojwa-gaol) behind Are Konji-ni. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Kwon Oh-hoon, 24 Aug 2005.) Education Starting in 1949, it elementary education was made compulsory. The main intent was to get the children to once again read "hangul" as their native language. In the 1930s, the Japanese banned the use of hangul in the public schools in an attempt to assimilate Korea. On 3 Mar 1938 the teaching of Korean in middle school was abolished. The Seojong Elementary traces its roots to the Seop Konlip Hakyo that was established on 3 Jun 1922 and became a four-year school on 16 Oct 1922. It later became a 6-year elementary school in 1924 and graduated its first class in 1926. However, according to the Pyeongtaek Si Sa (History), it was founded in 1945 as a "branch" school and became a recognized Elementary School in 1949 with 8 classrooms. (SEE Seojong Background for Seojong Elementary school photos and history.) Officially, there was only the Seojong-ni Elementary School in 1952 when the base was first built. In Seotan-myeon, the Seotan Elementary School was established in 1930. The Seotan Elementary School is in the same location at present. There was also a private school in Seotan-myeon at either Madu-ri or Suweolan-ri in the 1950s-1960s. The Kumgak-ri Elementary School in Godeok-myeon was on the west side of base. It became a "branch" school of Seotan Elementary School in Nov 1953. This school was established to fill the need for the education of the large numbers of North Korean refugee children that had moved into Milwal-ni, Jokbong-ni, Shinchang-dong and Sagori on the south side of Osan AB. In 2000, the Kumgak Elementary School closed because of lack of students -- reflecting the current crisis of declining rural populations -- and the student body combined with Pokchong School in Seojong-dong. There was Sandae Elementary in Jinwi-myeon was established in the 1930s. This later became the Jinwi Elementary School. However, we know that other private and religious operated in the area. The Hyomyeon School in Seojeong-ni started in the 1953 as a private Catholic school and should qualify as one of the oldest in the area. The classes started when Father Dominicu, the Korean priest, began classes in the rectory for a small number of children in 1952. In 1953, the 18th FBW contributed money and materials to build a 8-room country school about two miles from the base. The official dedication date of the St. Theresa's Middle School on 21 Apr 1953 is used as the official beginning of the Hyomyung Middle School. In June 2005, we ran across an HQ Far East Air Force (FEAF) news release that mentioned a school being built by the 18th FBW. The HQ FEAF, 5th Air Force news release on 22 Jan 1954 read in part: "The airmen of the 18th Fighter Bomber Wing provided materials and finances for a new eight-room country school house near Osan for 280 Korean grammar school children. While Korean builders speeded the construction of the new building, men of the 18th Wing utilized their off-duty time in the base hobby shop making 90 double desks and 140 double seats needed for the students."There were also other "church" schools in the area. The most visible was the Salvation Army was active in the Chicol Village area. Its main work was with the orphans through the Gusegun (Salvation Army) church set up in the area. (NOTE: The during this time period there were 20 orphanages in Suwon and three in Pyeongtaek to handle the overflow crowds of children. The Pyeongtaek orphanages handled the orphans that showed up at K-55. Currently there is the Ae Hyang Orphanage in Seojong-dong run by Mr. Lee Min Ho.) Smaller church schools also operated in the area. The Kwangmyeong Gongmin Hakkyo (church school) was established in 1953. (NOTE: We haven't established the location, but Taegwang Middle School authorities state it was in the same area as the Taegwang Middle School today -- probably near the high ground near the Songwang Church (Onnori Church) in Shinjang 2-dong as the remainder was still rice fields. Most likely it was set up in tents donated by the American military as building materials were scarce.) On 11 Nov 1955, the Songtan Godung Gomin Hakkyo (church school) started six classes. This became the Songwang hagwon on 6 Jan 1962 and then merged with the Songwang Middle School on 17 Mar 1962. At the time, this was set up in military tents alongside the Songshin Elementary School which was established on 1 Jan 1963. On 12 Mar 1968, the Taegwang hagwon changed to the Taegwang Middle School and supplanted the Songwang Middle School with permanent structures next to the Songshin Elementary School.) Mystery School Bob Spiwak sent a photo taken in 1953 that he at first thought was an orphanage, but then realized it was school kids. We at first thought it was Seojong-ni Elementary, but the signboard reading "Seotan branch school" didn't match. Mr. Oh Sun-soo stated that the construction appeared to be Japanese meaning it was built PRIOR TO the end of WWII. In comparing the structure to the old Seojong Elementary photos from the 1940s, we agree that it is of the same type of construction -- but it is NOT the Seojong-ni Elementary School. Seotan Elementary's principal stated that the photo was NOT of his school in Seotan that dates back to the 1930s. Then we noticed the correlation of Kumgak-ri Elementary on the southwest side of Hill 180 being attached to Seotan Elementary in Nov 1953 -- and thought it was the school built by the 18th FW in 1953 with donations. Again we were wrong as this turned out to be the predecessor of the Hyomyung Middle School in Seojong-ni and the new school was NOT of Japanese style construction. In addition, Bob Spiwak stated that the school was within easy walking distance of Hill 170 on the north end of base -- while Kumgakri is located about three miles away on the south side of the base. As of Sep 2005, we are still uncertain as to where this school was.In 1952, Robert Evilsizor with the 839th EAB, took some 8mm movies of a long procession of kids walking to school. As there was only the Seojong Elementary School in the area at the time, these kids must have been on the way to school. They were guided by the teacher and some women who might have been parents or teachers. Though the government had passed a law making education compulsory it did not fund the schools adequately. Thus most of the schools were supported by "donations" from the Parent-Teacher Associations. In fact, those children whose families could not afford to "donate," did not attend school. Because of the severe poverty, many times families could not even afford the cost of paper and pencils. In the film, most of the children did not have uniforms, but some of the older one did. Some of the girls wore white blouses with black trim on the collar and black skirts. Some of boys wore the traditional black coat and pants. What was evident was the happiness to attend school that was evident in the faces of the children as they marched along. (NOTE: This VCR tape was provided to the Seojong Elementary School to be used in their education programs of the 1950s periods history with the permission of Robert Evilsizor.) Though elementary education was "compulsory," the truth was the government had neither the resources nor the teachers to implement such a program. At that time, if you were a high school graduate, you were qualified to be an elementary school teacher. "Government-endorsed" schools were set up in a system where the government would provide the buildings (many times tents donated by the American military) or unheated-buildings and approximately 25 percent of the funding. The parents would "donate" the difference. In this void many missionary and church schools moved in to fill the void to help the poor people be educated. The missionary schools have a long history in Korea dating back to the late 1800s starting in Pyeongyang and spreading to the other major cities and treaty ports. At that time, the yangban upper classes were educated, but the poor were left uneducated. The same appears to be true in the Songtan area in the 1950s. The "haves" (no matter how meager) went to the government schools, while the poor went to the "church" schools. The emphasis was simply on learning to read and write Hangul (Korean), but the education starved Koreans flocked to these schools which operated sometimes in shifts to handle both children and adults.   (L) Songbuk Elementary School (1955) (R) 50th Anniversary Ceremony (1 April 2005) (Songbuk Elementary School) In 1955, the Songbuk Elementary School was opened to handle the growing student population with three one-story wooden structures with tile roofs. Its construction followed the pattern of a large playground below and the school elevated along the side of a hill or mountain. The buildings had a long hallway at the front and classrooms connected to these rooms. In 1956, the Hyomyeon Middle School was built in the area. (NOTE: See Compulsory Elementary School Education in the Songtan area for details of educational system in 1950-1960s. Photos of Songbuk Elementary from 1955 to the present are included in the combined chronological history of Osan AB & Songtan. ) 1960sEarly 1960s In the early 1960s, housing was at a premium and soon more houses were spreading up the side of the hills towards the "town center" in Songbuk dong. The houses were still a mix of mudwattle houses (choga chip) and mudbrick and stucco houses. However, the shanty town look of the area was slowly disappearing -- though the buildings were still not the sturdiest construction -- as more of the buildings were constructed of wood.On the Chicol Village side the rice fields were slowly disappearing as the houses encroached on the fields and the rice fields were reclaimed. After the first water mains were laid, the communal well near where the Young Chon Hotel is today was capped.  Benjo ditch between houses (Circa 1960) (51st FW Archives)
  (L) Chicol Village area with houses encroaching on rice fields. The rice fields is supposed to be where the Young Chon Hotel would later be built. (Circa 1960) (51st FW Archives) (R) Another view of the houses encroaching of rice fields. Notice the mix of mudwattle homes and more modern mudbrick and stucco houses. The one home with a tile roof stands out while others are with transite (corrugated concrete/asbestoes) or corrugated iron roofs. Notice that most have outdoor cooking areas. (Circa 1960) (51st FW Archives) The houses now spread up the hill to the Milwal-dong area and right towards the Hill 180 gate in the Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni area. In this area, the houses were tightly packed with small alleyways. In the Chicol Village area to the left as one exited the Main Gate, the large Haesong Dance Hall (and later pool hall) that was the first large building outside the gate was replaced by a hotel. In the low lying areas of the Jae-Yok-dong area (Shinjang 1-dong), the rice fields were slowly being reclaimed and houses built upon the old rice fields. This was the Jae Yok-dong area. The communal well was covered over as bars started to line the Shinjang Mall road. The Namsan Village area next to Hill 170 had returned to being an agricultural area. However, it appears that there was no real perimeter as paths were well-worn from the top of the hill down to the base of the hill. The areas past Namsan Village were all rice fields.     To the right as one exited the Main Gate, the "Front Gate Town" (Chongmun eup) now was crowded with buildings fronting on the three main roads (1) Shinjang to Mokcheon Road (straight ahead); (2) Shinjang to MSR-1 on the Ridgeline (to the right at a diagonal, but still only a dirt path until mid 1970s.) and (3) Milwal-dong Road (to the right, but still going behind houses). By the 1960s, the area adjacent to the road leading to the Hill 180 Gate was crammed with houses of those employed on the base or in the service industry (bars, restaurants, beauty shops, general merchandise stores, tailor shops, and small inns). According to Oh Sun-soo, he started the GQ Tailor Shop in 1962. (NOTE: The GQ Tailor Shop is now under new ownership in 2005.) Though the brothels in the area were a major industry, historically, this is not an especially welcome topic for Koreans. Though the Koreans differentiated between the Chicol Village and Chongmun-eup (Front Gate Town), the Americans called the entire area "Chicoville," including the areas in Songbuk-dong. In June 1962, by joint action, the Ministries of Justice, Interior, and Social Welfare and related agencies established 104 "special districts" of prostitution. In this way, the American "camptowns" could be classified as "special tourism zones" which were off-limits to Koreans. At the same time, the red-light districts were off-limits to the Americans. At the time, the major source of foreign currency exchange for Korea came from the American soldiers spending their paychecks downtown. During this time, the prostitutes of Korea were praised by the Park Chung-hee regime for their actions to bring in much needed foreign exchange. It was a sad commentary of the stark poverty and desparate conditions that existed in Korea at that time. (See "1964: Songtan Becomes Special Tourism Zone" for details) On 15 June 1962, the Shinjang Branch Office was established by Pyeongtaek-gun Ordinance No. 25. While it was in effect recognizing the camptown (kijich'on) aspects of off-base Songtan, it was also recognition of the growing population in the area -- consisting of people who worked on the base. The "town" was spreading out from the center of the Chongmun-eup (Front Gate Town) shanty-town area. New construction of low-lying houses for GIs living off-base in the Mokcheon Village area near the railroad tracks. At the same time the civilian populace was expanding outward into the Malwal-dong area around the base of Hill 180. The Jaeil Church (formerly Pokchong Presbyterian Church) was founded in 1958 and a new church built in 1961 in this area on the hill south of Hill 180. The businesses lining the MSR-1 were slowly becoming two story structures -- with stores downstairs and living quarters upstairs. Where MSR-1 was on the ridgeline, the storefronts would be at street level, but the living areas either to the rear of the store or below the store. These buildings were anchored to the slope with timbers driven into the ground. The buildings were also starting to become more substantial in appearance. By the mid-1960s, the area rated a Police Box on the ridge line along MSR-1. At first the police men rode bicycles, but later the policemen were equipped with motorcycles. (NOTE: The current Songtan Police Box in Songbuk-dong is near the same location as the original police box.)   (L) Pony Cart in front of Han Song Tailor Shop located three shops down towards the Main Gate from the Stereo Club. (Circa 1960) (NOTE: Shops are on an incline. Mr Hwang Song-gi, employee of the Asia Hotel, stated he worked at the shop for a year. Mr. Son Kwang-chil, owner of Hanyang Kalbi, stated his father was head of the "union" of these "delivery" men who were North Korean refugees. His father had seven ponies used in his business.) ; (R) Used Lumber Yard in Shinjang area (Circa 1960) (NOTE: Lumber of any sort was a precious commodity. Many of the new stores were being built with the scrap lumber. According to Kwon Oh-hoon the major salvage yard/garbage dump was in Ojwa-dong (Ojwa-gaol) behind Are Konji-ni. (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Kwon Oh-hoon, 24 Aug 2005.)) )
In the Chicol Village area to the left as one exited the Main Gate, the large Haesong Dance Hall (and later pool hall) was replaced by a hotel. In the low lying areas, the rice fields were slowly being reclaimed and houses built upon the old rice fields. The first water mains were built in the area and the communal well was covered over as bars and shops started to line the Shinjang Mall road. The Stereo Club was built over the well and the first Young Chon Hotel was constructed.
"The election had been held in March and Rhee was re-elected as a dictator, but a lot of the Koreans didn't buy it and rioting broke out all over the country including at Chicol Village. Mobs of people gathered outside the gate and shouted anti-American slogans, "Yankee go home" and that sort of thing, and the ROK Army and police would wade into the crowd and beat hell out of them. We went down to the main gate to watch a couple of times. It was weird to see some of the people we knew in the crowd." (Source: Ed Stirling's narratives (1960) from Retired Activities Office)Songtan-myeon becomes Songtan-eup On 1 January 1963, Songtan-myeon (district) was raised to the status of Songtan-eup (town), Pyeongtaek-gun by Law No. 1117 (promulgated on 21 November 1962). The name "Chicoville" (Chicol-ri or Chicol Village) persisted until 1963 and then was replaced with the term "Songtan." (See above for how Songtan got its name for the discussions on the name choice of Songtan.) Songtan-eup (town) actually encompassed Jae Yok-dong (later Shinjang-dong), Songbuk-dong, and Jisan-dong. At this time, the Seojong-ni area was not associated with the Songtan area. According to Mr. Oh Sun-soo there was some discussion amongst the local leaders to select a proper name choice for the new "town." The name "Ssutgoke" -- referring to the hills that one meets as one enters the Songtan area -- meaning Pine Charcoal in Chinese ideographs was considered. However, there was also the mispronunciation that meant a "sex act." Thus the name was shelved and Songtan accepted. Supposedly there were charcoal kilns along this hill. In 1962, Shinjang-dong replaced Jae Yok-dong. (NOTE: The street Jeyok Gil (Road) behind the Songtan Mall Road still remains as a reminder of Jae Yok-dong.) Also at this time, the Americans stopped referring to the area as "Chicoville" (Chicol Village). The Americans started calling the area "Songtan." This change of Songtan to an "eup" (town) coincided with the ROK governments move to set up 140 "special entertainment districts" (red-light districts) and set up a system of "camptowns" (kijich'on) to gain much needed foreign currency from the military. At that time, the ROK government relied heavily on US grants and aid to survive. After this, the name "Chico-ville" (Chicol Village) disappears and the name "Songtan" -- to American GIs at least -- became synonymous with the area directly outside the main gate of Osan AB. Mid-1960s The Songtan area continued to grow as more people came to the area seeking employment. With this growing population the service industry began to grow rapidly with restaurants, clothing shops, food stalls, tailor shops, shoe repair shops, barbershops, and the multitude of businesses needed to support a growing community. The Korean populace continued to refer to the Air Base (piyangi) as "K-55" -- and NEVER referred to it as Osan AB. The inter-city buses to Pyeongtaek followed the route of the MSR-1 past the bus terminal and referred to the airbase as "K-55" on their placards.
 Shinjang Mall Road near Railspur (Oct 1966) (Thomas Utts)
 Outside gate walking up Shinjang Mall Road (Oct 1966) (Thomas Utts)
 Rice fields (1965) (Harry Tezlaf)
Changes in Korean Society During the mid-1960s, South Korea's economy grew so rapidly that the United States decided to phase out its aid program to Seoul. The success of Park Chung-hee's five-year economic plans in copying the Japanese "kiretsu" (favored-company) success formula with the establishment of "chaebols" (favored family-operated business) -- coupled with protectionism to allow the domestic markets to grow -- was a success. However, the key factor was the Korean people's willingness as a group to sacrifice for the good of the nation. But despite these manifestations of success, Korea was still a desparately poor place to live. During the 1960's, South Korea made great economic progress. Seoul, the showpiece of this success, became known as the "Miracle on the Han River." Through its five year plans, the government set out to make Korea into a modern industrial nation. New industry sprang up around Seoul, causing the population to soar to 10.6 million. Rapid growth forced the government to develop plans to ease crowding in Seoul. It chose an area south of the Han River, where relatively few people lived, to build new housing. The Express Bus Terminal was built in this area during this period. At this time, the Yongsan area on the other side of the river was still considered to be on the outskirts of Seoul. Soon huge, high-rise apartments pierced the skyline in other outlying areas. Rice growing fields south of the city disappeared to be filled by apartment complexes. The city absorbed these new residential areas into its orbit. Yongsan and Yongdong-po which had been on the outskirts of Seoul, now became a crowded center. Korea as a whole was experiencing a change in life-style. The new housing was unlike traditional Korean homes, which were wide, one-story structures with rows of rooms linked by courtyards and porches. Instead, residents of modern Seoul lived in vast apartment complexes surrounded by playgrounds, department stores, and sports facilities. The old-style homes disappeared from the city landscape. (Source: Korean Society.) However, despite these successes in Seoul, the progress in the rural areas would not be seen for another decade. The area remained a poor rural area with a "one-horse" economy -- Osan AB. There is a misconception on the part of the Americans who lived and worked in the area that the population was mostly bar-related and service industry workers. This is not true though there were significant numbers of prostitutes (said to number 2,500) and many bar-related workers in the area. The majority of the population of about 80,000 were base workers -- but many more were employed as "contract workers" doing the menial tasks under contract such as cutting the grass or repairing facilities. The remainder of the population in the area was engaged in subsistence farming -- but many families were engaged in both base employment and maintaining their farms. Late 1960s By the late 1960s, the houses were starting to move up the slopes into the Mokcheon area near the tracks. In this area, new residences were being built exclusively for the GI personnel. It was apparent from photos that GIs were the residents as TV antennas sprouted from the rooftops. (NOTE: At this time, the black-and-white government Korean TV station ran only 10 hours a day, shutting down at 10p.m. To compensate, the Armed Forces Radio and Television Station (AFRTS-Osan) cranked up its power transmissions slightly so that it would spill over the immediate area. Korea never complained and the Americans living off-base were happy. In the Milwal-dong area, at the top of the hill -- where the Capital Hotel is today -- stood the large Jungang Movie Theater. Just below it was the one engine firestation with a fire watch tower. (NOTE: In the early days of Songtan, the close proximity of the houses, plus the increasing use of lumber, coupled with the use of charcoal as the primary heating medium, made the threat of fire that could spread quickly a very real danger.) The houses were now tightly packed and starting to spread down the slopes from the same dirt road (path) leading to Hill 180. According to Kasey Lee, that many of the new residents to the area were North Korean refugees -- mostly from the Hwanghae-do Province -- who were seeking work and tended to cluster together in the Milwal-dong area (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni). (Source: Verbal conversation Kalani O'Sullivna with Kasey Lee, 25 Jul 2005.)  Jaeil Church (1968) (Bill Bayless)
 Hill 180 Gate Road (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni area) (1968) (Bill Bayless)
2005
  (L) Jaeil Church (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) View from Jaeil Church to Milwal-Road. Capital Hotel now where Sejong Theater was. (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
 View from Jaeil Church. Pokchang Elementary School where rice fields once were. (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
 Tiered hillside for farming: Unknown location (1968) (Bill Bayless)
 GI Photographers walking downtown (Circa 1960s) (NOTE: The uniforms of the girls indicate they are from the Hyomyung Middle School in Seojong-ni. The uniforms of the GIs without nametags indicates they are prior to the mid-60s Vietnam War period as nametags were mandatory.) (51st FW Archives)
To fulfill the needs of the growing population, the Songshin Elementary School was built in the Shinjang-dong area in 1963 and the Taegwang Middle School was built in 1964. Later in 1969 the Taegwang High School was built next door as the first high school in the area. In placing education in perspective, to graduate from middle school in the 1960s was an real accomplishment as many children simply had to go to work to help their families survive. Only elementary school education was compulsory -- and a high school graduate qualified to be a teacher in elementary schools. The system was much different from what is seen today.
NOTE: One of the first projects of the Park regime was the building of the Seoul-Pusan highway (Kyongbu Expressway). On 1 Feb 1968 the Seoul-Pusan Express Highway construction commenced. This highway connected the two largest cities of South Korea but at the time of its construction it served more of a symbolic purpose than a transportation need based upon benefits versus costs. (Source: Watkins: Park Chung Hee.) President Park Chung-hee on 29 Sep 1969 opened the Osan-Chon leg of the 270-mile Seoul-Pusan Expressway. For the Songtan area this meant that there was a quicker way to get to Seoul with the opening of the Osan Toll Gate was erected.The ROK annouced a devaluation of its currency as the open market exchange rate jumps from 290 to 305 won to one US dollar. Miracle of the Han During the 1960's, South Korea made great economic progress. Seoul, the showpiece of this success, became known as the "Miracle on the Han River." Through its five year plans, the government set out to make Korea into a modern industrial nation. New industry sprang up around Seoul, causing the population to soar to 10.6 million. Rapid growth forced the government to develop plans to ease crowding in Seoul. It chose an area south of the Han River, where relatively few people lived, to build new housing. Soon huge, high-rise apartments pierced the skyline in other outlying areas. Rice growing fields south of the city disappeared to be filled by apartment complexes. The city absorbed these new residential areas into its orbit. The new housing was unlike traditional Korean homes, which were wide, one-story structures with rows of rooms linked by courtyards and porches. Instead, residents of modern Seoul lived in vast apartment complexes surrounded by playgrounds, department stores, and sports facilities. The old-style homes disappeared from the city landscape. (Source: Korean Society.) Unfortunately, the "Miracle of the Han" would take a few more years to extend outside of Seoul. Many people in the Cholla Provinces felt neglected by the prosperity of Seoul while their economies remained at the subsistence levels -- and soon became a hot bed of discontent. The term "regionalism" was coined to reflect the feelings of the Cholla provinces towards the "TK" connections -- Taegu-Kyongsan -- where Park Chung-hee and his confidants came from. (NOTE: As a spin-off of the construction boom in Seoul, the construction companies started to obtain contracts overseas in the early 1970s, especially in the Middle-east, based on Korean labor being inexpensive. This in turn aided the country in bringing in much needed foreign exchange. Korea was exporting its labor force internationally in construction projects throughout the under-developed nations of the world, especially in the Middle East. Especially prominent was the use of Korean construction labor in Saudi Arabia as that nation constructed its cities to settle its nomadic Bedouin tribes into cities. The international construction projects were an important source of foreign exchange sent home to Korea.) 1970sEarly 1970s By the 1970s, some of the benefits of the Miracle of the Han started to trickle down to Songtan. In the Songtan area, there was a growth spurt starting in the early 1970s. Another reason was that the massive apartment construction boom in Seoul continued, but the construction industry had grown to the point that it was now expanding out. Seoul was designated as a "teukbyeolsi" or special city: and divided into wards ("Gu"). High-rise apartments had risen everywhere and the areas were soon getting crowded with people and factories. The government started expansion programs to the south of Seoul. Other national programs were aimed at the development of the 6 metropolitan cities ("gwangyeoksi") of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan. (Source: Wikipedia: Subdivisions of South Korea.)In addition, the expansion of the cement production plants had made concrete an inexpensive construction material. The clap-trap buildings were torn down and concrete structures erected. In the Shinjang-dong area low ceilinged two-three story buildings with cement floors and supports and fire-brick walls covered with stucco or ceramic tiles. Cinderblock construction was now the norm and concrete was in plentiful supply for construction. For residential areas, cinderblock one story-houses with tile roofs enclosed by a low wall went up. For two-story buildings, the method was of using rebar tied with wire and forms. Concrete was poured one story at a time. The floor/roof was held up with expandable supports until the concrete cured. Along MSR-1, the low wooden buildings were replaced by two-story buildings fronting the road. Buildings started to look more "modern" with glass store windows and upgraded store fronts. For most shops, though, the lower floors were open shops for air circulation. However, much of this was simply cosmetic improvements as false fronts were erected over old buildings. In the mid-1970s a popular upgrade was to apply ceramic tiles to the building concrete store fronts. The popular building material became cinderblock -- especially in the homes in the Mokcheon area that were constructed during this time. Cinderblock walls sprang up everywhere. After the completion of the Seoul-Pusan Express Highway (Kyongbu Expressway) in 1970, the now well-seasoned highway construction crews were turned loose on paving the other major arteries in the nation -- starting outside of Seoul and moving south. One of the first highways to benefit was Route 1 -- the original MSR-1. (NOTE: The MSR-1 had been paved from Osan AB to Seoul in the mid-1960s, but it was still dirt road from there to Pyeongtaek and beyond.) Traffic lights, new street lights, crosswalks and center lines painted on the macadam highway gave Songtan a modern appearance. (NOTE: The farmers tearing up the street macadam for winter fuel was no longer a problem as inexpensive charcoal briquettes became the norm for heating of homes. However, there were persistent tales of this happening in the back gate area of Osan AB well into the mid-1970s.) Prior to the 1970s, the MSR-1 and Shinjang Mall road was paved but the sidewalks remained dirt. The first sign of improvements was the paving and widening of the streets along with the installation of sidewalks. New street lights appeared along the streets of Songtan and along the MSR-1 areas. This was a result of the spin off of the building of the Seoul-Pusan Express Highway (Kyongbu Expressway) that was completed in 1970. Though critics stated that the cost outweighed the benefits of the highway because there was no transportation demand for such a highway, it did spur the creation of the construction industry. Though the side roads remained dirt roads, the area started to appear as a modern town -- at least along the main thoroughfares. Later in the mid-1970s the benefits of the massive nationwide program to upgrade the MSR-1 reached Songtan and the streets were paved with macadam. (NOTE The old problem of farmers digging up the macadam for winter fuel had been eliminated with the introduction of cheap charcoal briquettes.) Songtan had been raised to the status of an "eup" (town) in January 1963 with a population of 20,000. However, it was fast approaching a population of a "shi" (city) with a required population of 50,000. (NOTE: A significant portion of the population was involved in the bar trade and service industries clustered with 1km of the base. Many of these individuals were transients in the sense that they were registered in other areas of the country and therefore, were not counted in the census for the Songtan area. At this time, the Seojong area was Seojong-myeon and not included in Songtan. Songtan would be raised to a "shi" (city) on 1 July 1981 and Seojong-myeon was joined with Songtan.) During this same time period, the government undertook a nationwide program to attract tourists as a means of bringing in much needed foreign exchange. Massive programs were started to upgrade the facilities in Kyongju (National Museum, Sokram Grotto, Pulgaksa Temple); Pusan (Hyundae Beach area); Sorak Mountain area and Cheju Island facilities. The secondary areas were the GI bar town areas of Tokduchon, Uijongbu, Itaewon, Kunsan and Songtan. These had been identified as "special tourism zones" in 1962 -- a polite name for "camptowns." However, in the 1970s a significant amount of foreign exchange was brought in through these establishments and therefore, these areas benefitted. (NOTE: Remember that in the 1970s, Korea was still a poor country. In addition, another source was the "payoff" from the US in granting military aid and grants to Korea to upgrade its military in exchange for the use of ROK forces in Vietnam.) Pyeongtaek Lake In December 1973, a 2km-long embankment was constructed from the coast shared by Ggwan-ri, Hyeondeok-myeon, Pyeongtaekho-si Gyeonggi-do province and Mowon-ri, Inju-myeon, Asan-si, Chungcheongnam-do province, creating a huge 24 sq km lake. Ever since, this lake has been crowded with anglers from across the country all year round. Pyeongtaekho is a tidal lake, which is quite different from inland lakes because the water flows back and forth with the high and low tides. The lake is famous for its crucian carp and other species of carp. (Source: Pyeongtaek City site) 
Flooding in Songtan The Shinjang Mall Road was first built by the Co. A, 839th EAB as a two-lane packed dirt road. The level of the central street was raised to about 15 feet above the rice field levels below. This can be seen best near the Young Chon Hotel road. There is about a ten foot drop from the storefronts along the mall to the Young Chon Hotel level. Then from the Young Chon Hotel to the level at Jeyok Road, it drops another 5 feet near to the level of the original rice fields.
 Flooding near Osan AB (Unknown location) (Circa 1970s) (51st Archives) Separate Development in Seojong-ni In the Seojong-ni area, new two-story buildings around the Seojong-ni train station went up and the growth spread into the bypass road area near the open market. Even up to the 1970s, the development of both areas were not interrelated -- expect perhaps in spill-over base contracts for construction. Basically Seojong-ni became the center of servicing the commercial needs of the farmers in the area, while Songtan's economy was almost totally dependant upon Osan AB. Small businesses were relocating from Seoul to the Seojong-ni area because of the cheaper labor and land costs -- and the infrastructure had improved significantly with the paved roads and opening of the Osan Toll Gate to Seoul on the Kyongbu Expressway in 1969. The separate development of the two communities continued with no real interface. Small-scale manufacturing and industrial activity was centering in Seojong-ni, while Songtan remained primarily a one-horse economy attached to the base. The area between Songtan and Seojong-ni remained sparcely populated. Songtan would be raised to a "shi" (city) on 1 July 1981 and Seojong-myeon was joined with Songtan. The new center of the the city was to be the Ichung-dong area. "Ichung" means "two loyalties" and symbolizes the melding of the two areas of Songtan and Seojong-ni. Education Songshin Elementary School is located down the road from the Main Gate about a 1/2 mile at the end of the restaurant and shop area of Shinjang 2-dong. The area for all of these schools were reclaimed rice fields. Songshin was founded around 1960 and Taegwang Middle School was founded in 1964. Taegwang High School established around 1969. Photos in 1968 show that portions of this area still was rice paddies. In addition, both sides of the railroad tracks further down towards Seojong-ni were still rice fields. (SITE NOTE: Dates need to be verified.) The Songshin Elementary School is entered from the Shinjang 2-dong Shopping area side, while the Taegwang Middle School is entered from the Taegwang School Road side. With the increase in population, new schools were built in the area. At this time, the development of Seojong-ni and Songtan were developing independently of one another. The Miracle of the Han appeared in Seojong-ni with the appearance of small shops and the town expanding towards Songtan. In between in the 1970s, there was still open spaces. With the increases in school age population in the Songtan area, the schools were upgraded to two story concrete structures. The Kumgak Elementary school with its smaller rural population had a one-story facility built on the south side of Hill 180 in the Shinjang area. The Taegwan Middle School and Taegwan High School remained the only higher education sites in the immediate Songtan area.     Songbuk Elementary School (1972) (Songbuk Elementary School) (NOTE: The original one-story wood structure built in 1954 replaced with two story concrete structure. The school consisted of two one-story structures and one two-story structure on the north end. The slopes to the playground were still earth covered. Burak Mountain is in the rear.)  Songshin Elementary and Taegwang Middle-High School (1974) (NOTE: The Songshin Elementary is to the left. The building is the Taegwang Middle-High School. The design for the school was typical of the times with a long hallway to the front and classrooms off the central hall. The "steps" to the school were the student tiers for events. On the school ground soccer goals are set up. The school playgrounds also doubled as the area's playground before and after school hours.) (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger)   2005: (L) Songshin Elementary School (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan); (R) Songshin Elementary and Taegwang Middle-High School across fence (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Mid-1970s Construction in Songtan There were major construction project within Songtan in the mid-1970s. There were two factors involved with this growth spurt. First, when Park Chung-hee visited the area in 1975, the Osan AB Commander requested the building of a new road to the MSR-1 because of the congestion in the Shinjang Mall Road area. Following this, Milwal Road was expanded and straightened in the mid-1970s much to the consternation of the folks whose homes were "condemned" and were forced to relocate. One of these was Mr. Oh Sun-soo, owner of the Victoria Hotel and former owner of the GQ Tailor which had been in the same location outside the Main Gate since 1962. Mr. Oh grumbles that they were not compensated adequately, but the family relocated and started anew. Mr. Son Kwang-chil, owner of Hanyang Kalbi and long-time resident of Milwal Road, confirmed this. When the expansion started, the road was a one-lane dirt path with water ruts running down the street. The expansion chopped about 12 feet out of the left side looking up the hill, while the right side only lost about 6 feet -- to create a two-lane road up the hill. Those forced to relocate were given a little money, but no land to replace their loss. After Milwal Road was straightened and led directly to the Main Gate, the side road Shinjang Road to the Overpass was built. The Overpass was constructed over the Kyongbu Railway. After the Overpass was constructed, the Mokcheon crossing was closed. (NOTE: The Mokcheon Underpass was built in the 1980s.) The Taegwang School Road was constructed leading to Seojong-ni and Route 340 to Anjung. On the opposite side of the Overpass, the Fashion Alley (Myongdong Street) was widened and built to the Shinjang Mall Road. (NOTE: The construction boom continued into the 1980s with houses built along the Taegwang School Road and the Mokcheon Underpass constructed. The remainder of the rice fields to the south of Taegwang Middle-High School was filled in and the construction of Pokchang Elementary School started. The plans were in the works to elevate Songtan-eup (town) to Songtan-shi (city) in 1981.)  Construction Everywhere (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger)
The first street lights across from the base and replaced the old lights that hung from the electric poles. These street lights also appeared along the MSR-1 giving the "business district" a more modern appearance. The streets were widened and paved. However, the alleys remained packed dirt.
New Housing In the early 1970s, the last of the rice fields in the old Chicol Village area (Shinjang 1-dong area) was reclaimed. Now the area to the east of the Shinjang Mall Road sloped off into a low-lying area that was filled with shanty structures built in the 1960s. However, on the fringes, some of these structures were being torn down and replaced by newer multi-bedroom houses -- especially constructed for rental to the GIs in the area. The Namsan Village area was relatively empty with primarily farmers houses and housing would not expand into this area until the mid-1980s. However, small apartments started to appear on the slopes near the Main Gate on the perimeter as the housing filled the reclaimed rice fields of the Chicol-ni area (old Jae Yok-dong area). On the Mokcheon side near the railroad tracks, the newer houses were built with low cinderblock and stucco exteriors with tile roofs. Most had a exterior wall and tiny interior courtyard. Some two story structures were built for multiple occupancy. The interior was a long room that combined living room and kitchen functions. There were two-three small bedrooms and one bathroom off of the living room. There were bars on all the windows because of a thievery problem (Slickey Boys). The smaller houses had ceramic tile roofs, while the larger units in the Mokcheon area had flat rooftops accessed by a small set of exterior stairs. The larger housing with rooftop areas were constructed for married Americans in the Mokcheon Village area near the railroad tracks.  Alleyway to Residential area (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger)
Construction in Songbuk-dong and MSR-1 area In the Songbuk dong and Jisan-dong areas along MSR-1, two story concrete buildings with basements also went up along the MSR-1 (Taehyun Road) and MSR-1 Bypass (Songbuk Market Road). The downtown area of Songtan started to appear more "substantial" in the photos of the time -- though on a small scale. Though not as tightly packed as it is nowadays, the store fronts and businesses lined the Songbuk-dong streets along both the MSR-1 and the MSR-1 Bypass Road up the ridgeline to the base. After the Terminal Ridge Road (location of the present Express Bus Terminal) the building spurt tapered off.  Map of the Songtan Area (2004) (Songbuk House Office) In the Songtan Map above, the green hill in the center is the Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park). To the left are the MSR-1 closest to the left and MSR-1 Bypass Road coming down past the hill. The pink area gives a general idea of the extent of population expansion in the 1970s. It was limited to "high ground" areas around the main roads and to the east it was all rice fields and swamps. This was the limiting factor for further expansion to the east. The Songtan area ended at the small rise near the southeast tip of Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park). In Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) was a reservoir that was called "Paradise Lake" (Boduchang) and used as a recreation spot with row boats. (NOTE: On the map it is the carved out area that became the Jisan Elementary School.) According to Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon Paradise Lake extended down to the corner of the intersection where there is a stationary shop and over to the Kunyong Apartments. Also supposedly this area of the hill was also known to contain charcoal kilns using the acacia trees in the area leading to the area being known as Sutkogae (Charcoal rise). (Source: Verbal Conversation Kalani O'Sullivan with Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon, owner of Dongsung Realty, on 23 Aug 2005.)
  2005: (R) Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass (Jul 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: In the early 1980s, the Mokcheon Underpass was built just a little ways from the old railway crossing after it was closed. At that time, a road was constructed to the top of the hill to the Shinjang 1-dong House Office and Jungang Church. In the late 1990s, the Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass was built.); (R) Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass looking towards Shinjang Mall Road (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   (L) Area to left of crossing as one heads into Songbuk-dong. Compare this photo to the same area in the 1959 photo. This area now filled with deserted houses and structures that are collapsing. (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Area to right of crossing as one heads into Songbuk-dong. Throughout the country, the major highways were being paved. The old MSR-1 -- now called National Road 1 -- was paved as part the national program. President Park Chung-hee on 29 Sep 1969 opened the Osan-Chon leg of the 270-mile Seoul-Pusan Kyongbu Expressway. This highway, which would form the backbone of a nationwide mass transit network and improve military supply lines, was completed in 1970. The appearance of MSR-1 with its wide paved expanse seemed strange with painted crosswalks and traffic lights. Buildings were starting to become more substantial looking and it started to take on the appearance of a prospering country town.   MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Road) at the intersection to the Shinjang Mall Road. (1976) (Harry Tezlaf) (Notice the crosswalk and stoplight. There is a policeman standing on the far right of the crosswalk controlling the traffic light. This is at the Y intersection from the Mokcheon railway crossing -- near where the Songtan Police Station is now. The road is heading up the ridgeline to the intersection with the Shinjang Overpass Road at the top of the ridgeline. One block up to the right was the Jaeil Theater.)  Tanhyeon Road (MSR-1) at the old intersection to the Shinjang Mall Road. (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (The road is heading up the ridgeline. The Kyungmin Bank is on the left. Behind the bank was where the bus depot was. One block up to the right behind the Woori Bank was where the Jaeil Theater was.) An official looking "police box" was constructed at the MSR-1 Mokcheon intersection in the 1960s -- with the police riding white motorcycles or jeeps. However, by the late 1970s, the police box had been removed. Instead, the police stood at the corners and controlled the traffic lights manually. Cars were still considered a luxury item in Korea but small compact trucks and autos were beginning to appear. However, most of the vehicular traffic in the area were American military trucks or vehicles. The Mokcheon railroad crossing at the end of the Shinjang Mall Road sported a small office with a Korean National Railway employee monitoring the crossing. Telephones were also a luxury item but public telephones began to appear in many restaurants and store fronts.   2005: (L) MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Road) Intersection looking down Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass Street looking toward Railway (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Intersection of Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass Street looking towards Terminal Ridge Road (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: The intersection used to be police box location in 1960s-1970s. Now the Songtan Police Box is next to the intersection.) Throughout the country the secondary roads were also paved. The two-lane road to Yongin was also paved along with the road to Anjung. Though passenger cars were still scarce, earth-hauling trucks operating on the highways were everywhere. Road construction was going on round the clock. The Osan Toll Gate opened up on the Kyongbu Expressway. Expansion of Milwal Road According to Mr. Oh Sun-soo, his family owned a home just outside the Main Gate and GQ Tailors was started in this location in 1962. In 1976, Park Chung-hee visited Osan AB and the Wing Commander stated that the Shinjang Mall Road was too congested and that he needed another access road to the MSR-1. Park Chung-hee acquiesced to the request and work was started. Mr. Oh's family lost their home and business -- and were compensated with very little money. Thus he remembers well how this road came about. Main Gate. (1955) (NOTE: At the Main Gate there is a house nearest the gate to the right of the road. This house used to belong to the family of Mr. Oh Sun-soo. The road to the MSR-1 would come around the back of the house and enter the base. The road that goes to the top of the picture near the middle is the Milwal Road. The road would have to go around a farm house at the Main Gate and then proceed diagonally to Milwal Road.) The first step was to extend and widen Milwal Road from the top of the hill to the Main Gate. Viewing old photos, the alley way just to the right of the Main Gate as you exit was the original Milwal Road as it wound around a farm house then it went at a diagonal to the base of the hill and then up the hill. The widening process meant the complete reconstruction of the road and many people lost their homes and were given very little in compensation. The Milwal Road where the Seojong (later Jungang) Theater was at the top of the hill and the fire station off to the right was the first to begin work on. The road was widened up the hill and houses were razed to make room for this expansion. Then at the top of the hill, the extension of the Milwal Road project cut another road straight down the hill. This created the "Y" intersection at the top of the hill.  Looking up Milwal Road (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) At the top of the right road followed the perimeter until it reached the Hill 180 Gate. Up to the 1970s, this remained a narrow dirt road. Makum-ni sprouted up outside this gate as a "camptown" area in the 1950s, but soon withered as the Shinjang area became the center of the bar culture.   Milwal Road (1968) (Bill Bayless)
In the 1990s, Pokchang Road was constructed in anticipation of the move of the troops from Yongsan as agreed upon in a 1990 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the ROK and the US. Pokchang Road was to connect to the new area on the west side of Hill 180 that had been reserved for the Yongsan relocation.  Map of Shinjang 1-dong & Shinjang 2-dong area (2005) (Map at Songbuk-dong House Office)
Construction of Shinjang Road and Shinjang Road Overpass While the Milwal Road construction was going on, the Shinjang Road expansion from the Main Gate to Milwal Road started. Near the T-intersection of Shinjang Road and Milwal Road, the trees were cut down to make room for the expansion. Milwal road had been expanded up the hill and houses demolished on both sides to make room for the expansion. Basically, the Shinjang Road from the Main Gate to the Overpass was a four-lane road expansion, while the Milwal Road was a two-lane road expansion.
 Outside Main Gate during Milwal Expansion; From Milwal Road looking towards Main Gate (1976) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: Notice new lamp posts and trees.)
Shinjang Road to the overpass was not constructued until 1978. There were four paths into the Shinjang 2-dong area. (1) The first was the present Jungang Market Alley that starts at the Shinjang Mall Road and curves left to the Jungang Open Market. (2) The second starts at Shinjang Mall Road and Fashion Alley (Myongdong Road) and curves to the overpass area to the area of the Songtan Tourist Hotel. After about 100 feet it veered right and followed a curving path to the front of the Shinsong Elementary School in the Songwang area. (NOTE: None of the landmarks that were mentioned existed in 1960s, but many 1960s-era homes still exist that mark this path.) (3) The third path first went behind the house of Mr. Oh Sun-soo to the right outside of the Main Gate. (Source: 1957 Photo of Main Gate area) It continued across to the alleyway at the rear of the Asia Hotel parking lot. It ran along the side of the Milwal hill at the present Prince Hotel and continued down to the area of the Songwang Church (Onnori Church). The path continued until the end of the housing at the base of the hill where the Jaeil Church is now located. (NOTE: The path near the Main Gate remains as the diagonal alleyway from the behind the 7-11 to the Shinjang Overpass Road. The narrow alley at the rear of the Asia Hotel Parking lot intersects with Milwal Road coming down from the Capital Hotel. Older residents say the path went up side of the hill at this point. One street down, there is a narrow side road on the side of the hill to mark this route to the Songwang area. Along this route, 1960s era houses are still seen, though upgraded.) (4) The fourth was a road that started at the Main Gate and went behind a farm house. (Source: 1957 photo of Main Gate area) The path cut diagonally to the base of Milwal Road, then a narrow dirt path rutted by water runoff. At the top of the hill, it veered right as the Hill 180 Gate Road that followed the perimeter. The houses started to be not so cramped along this narrow dirt path until one reached the Hill 180 Gate at Makum-ni. (NOTE: Milwal Road was "straightened to cut directly to the Main Gate. All that remains of the diagonal path is the alleyway just outside the Main Gate today. The road at the Y near the Capital Hotel leading to the Songtan Subway Road would not be built until the late 1970s.) After Milwal Road was complete, then the work on the Shinjang Road and Overpass started. Over the ridgeline, the Terminal Ridge Road had already been cut to connect the MSR-1 (Taehyun Road) to the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road) in the 1960s. The overpass simply followed the path of the Terminal Ridge Road down to Milwal Road. (NOTE: The ridgeline and portions of the Shinjang area was cutback in the late 1980s to expand the railway to a four track system.) Unlike the Songtan Subway Station overpass which was basically a bridge from one hill to another where the Kyongbu line had been cut in between, the Shinjang Road overpass required the construction of a ramp from the bottom of the ridge to the top of the ridgeline. Thus it is longer than the other overpasses in the area.   (L) Overpass Bridge to Main Gate (1984) (Mike Dunnagan); (R) Railroad Overpass on Shinjang Road (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   After the overpass construction was complete, the Mokcheon crossing on the Shinjang Mall Road was closed. In one sense, this closure added to the isolation of the Shinjang-dong area from the rest of Songtan. The commercial growth continued in the Songbuk-dong side of the town, while the Shinjang area remained linked to the base for its survival. Park Chung-hee was intending to attract tourists to garner much needed foreign exchange in the mid-1970s. As a result, Seoul, Kyongju, Pusan and the military camptowns such as Itaewon, Euijongbu and Osan were upgraded as "special tourism zones." But this action made the Shinjang area whose economy was based solely on the American tourism shopping and bar trade. Though Osan AB still provided up to 80 percent of the revenues for the Songtan area in the 1970s, it was slowly declining as small and mid-sized manufacturing relocated to the Pyeongtaek area from Seoul after the Kyongbu Expressway was opened and Route 1 (MSR-1) was paved. The move was to take advantage of the lower cost-of-living in the area, which in turn meant increased profits.  Intersection to base. (1974) (Ken Shanllenbarger) (NOTE: Roads paved by mid-1970s. Yellow Taxi and trucks from downtown. To base is to the left. Right is to the MSR-1 Bypass.)
 Overpass from the top of the hill. It appears much as it does today. (1978) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: Coming from the base, the road to left goes to the "downtown" area and the road to the right goes to Jwa-dong (Sutkogae) ) Jwa-dong area After the overpass to the Main Gate was built, the bars that were on the hill leading up to the MSR-1, such as Papa Joe's, moved back to the Shinjang-dong side of the tracks. This relocation was partially due to the base action to close down the "Sutkogae" area along Jwa-dong Road on the other side of the railroad tracks. Over the years, a segregated bar system had developed whereby the "Chicoville" (Chicol Village) bars were strictly whites-only, while the bars across the railroad tracks became "negro-only." In the 1970s, the U.S. experienced a rise in racial tensions and race riots erupted throughout America -- epitomized by the LA Race Riots. In the local area, there were race riots between Camp Humphreys' blacks and whites, as well as blacks and Koreans. These incidents spilled over into Camp Stanley and along the DMZ area. (See Osan & Songtan History "1971") There were incidents on a smaller scale in Osan, but it was a problem throughout the USFK. The solution was to close the blacks only bar area through off-limits sanctions and move the bar area into the Shinjang Mall area where it could be controlled.  Papa Joe's previously on Jwa-dong side of rail overpass (Sutkogae) (NOTE: Relocated to Songtan side due to drop in business after racial tensions) (1978) (Harry Tezlaf) Construction in the Shinjang area The street from the Main Gate to the overpass was completely reconstructed as the road was widened, gutters laid and street lamps installed.  Front Gate (1975) (Ken Shallenbarger) (NOTE: The Namsan Village Road to right still had not been constructed. In the area was a hotel.) Fashion Alley (Myongdong Street) was being constructed with as a wide street on one side of the overpass, while the Taegwang School Road started on the other side of the overpass area and ran parallel with the tracks down past the Songshin Elementary School and Taegwang Middle-High School to Seojong-ni. In the area near the Songshin Elementary School, the roads were being laid out in a grid pattern. (See "Late 1970s" for details of Construction in Shinjang 2-dong area.)  (L) New construction in Fashion Alley (Myongdong Street) (1978) (Harry Tezlaf) (R) New construction in Fashion Alley (Myongdong Street) (1978) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: View from the new Railway overpass on Shinjang Road. Note that on the other side of the overpass, the construction of the Taegwang School Road was also being accomplished at the same time.)
The Jungang Open Market remained in the same location to the left of the overpass heading to MSR-1 but added a covering over the alleyways. The businesses that had first sprung up in the 1960s as commerce returned to the area remained in the Sogwang area, but the business center had moved to along MSR-1 into the Songbuk-dong area. The area became the center for used furniture and appliances, while small repair shops and other small businesses opened in the Songbuk-dong area.
 Jungang Open Market (Circa 1970s) (51st FW Archives)
 2005: 1970s Fire warning sign still in use (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
 Children's ride (NOTE: The horses were on springs and children bounce up and down on them for a pitiance. These are still seen along the streets and in parks in many urban areas pushed by old "harabojis" (grandfathers).) (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger)
Milwal Road
2005: Mr. Son Kwang-chil, the owner of Hanyang Kalbi, has been a resident of Milwal Road since 1957. Hanyang Kalbi is located near the Citibank at the T-intersection leading to Shinjang Road and the overpass. He attended Songshin Elementary School in 1965 and operated a wholesale business from the same location as the restaurant starting in 1988. In 1998, Mr. Son opened the Hanyang Kalbi Restaurant in the same location. Bag Lady's Tour of Songtan states: "Han Yang Bulgogi House: Back down on the street, turn to the right. This bulgogi house will be on your right. It is one of our two favorite bulgogi houses in Songtan. You can either sit on the floor Korean style or in chairs American style. Either way you will experience some great Korean food and culture."
Milwal Road - Main Gate
 First Stores Outside Main Gate (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger) (NOTE: The Sign says that Young Chon Hotel is 150 yds down the Shinjang Mall area.)  (Source: Pyeongtaek History (CD), Pyeongtaek Si Sa) (NOTE: Kasey Lee's Tailor Shop moved closer to the Main Gate.) 2005: Mr. Lee Kyong-chu -- or Kasey Lee as he is commonly known as -- is the owner of the Kasey Lee Tailor Shop and in 2005, the President of the Songtan Chamber of Commerce. In 2004, he was the recipient of the USFK Friendship Award as a distinguished member who promoted friendly relations between the US and Korea.
2005: Mr. Jim Price of the Hyong-Price Agency located across the alleyway from the 7-11 store, has been a fixture in the Shinjang area for many years and an invaluable source of information. A past commander of the VFW, he is one of the few remaining members of the Tuskegee Airmen.
  (L) 7-11 at Shinjang Mall across from Hyon-Price Insurance (2002) (Unknown) (R) Mr. Jim Price and former Chief of Police Kim Yong-bin (2000) (Jim Price)
 Shops outside Main Gate (Jan 1978) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: The shop on right has sign that reads "Lucky Yongchang" (Lucky Tailor Shop). Note that building is same with picture below except for cosmetic changes.)
  2005: (L) Lucky Shop Outside Main Gate (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Lucky Shop Owner Choi Jae-hyun (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
Aragon Alley
  (L) Shinjang Mall area (2002) (Unknown) (R) 2005: (L) Chon Kwang Dang Jewelry on Aragon Alley; (R) Mr. Yi Eun-hak, owner of Chon Kwang Dang Jewelry Shop (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Chon Kwang Dang Jewelry Shop established in 1962. In foreground left in picture above.)   2005: (L) Cho Pharmacy on Aragon Alley (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Mr. Cho Hoon, owner of Cho Pharmacy (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Cho Pharmacy established in 1965. On left with "Yak" (drug) sign in picture above.) Rodeo Alley
 Rodeo Alley (1978) (Thomas Utts)   (L) Rodeo Alley (2002) (Unknown) (R) 2005: Mr. Kim Young-hi, owner of Twin Blanket Shop. (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Mr. Kim used to own the OB Makju and Chicken bar to right of the 1978 photo above. The bar was established in 1978. Afterwards, Mr. Kim established the Twin Blanket Shop in 1985 near the same location.)   2005: (L) Looking up the street to the Opera Club. (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Mr. Park Young-sim, owner of My Shop on Rodeo Alley, with daughter and grandson (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: My Shop is located in the basement area of a building to the right in the photo to the left. Prior to this shop, in 1974, Mr. Park had a shop on Aragon Alley at the end of the lane before moving his shop.) Young Chon Alley  Looking Down Yong Chon Hotel Alley (1976) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: The Yong Chon Hotel is the first building on the left. There was a small bar row in the alleyway next between the hotel and the next building. The next buidling belongs to Mr. Kim Sang -do whose family resided on the third floor. Jae Yok Road joined the Yong Chon Alleyway. The Hilltop Club is the bar to the right. It was leveled when the Jae Yok Road was extended to Plaza Road. Across the street from the Yong Chon Hotel, the Yong Chon Annex parking garage was built.)
 2005: Kim Sang-do, owner small electronics repair shop, and Jeong Tae-ho, President Young Chon Hotel (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Mr. Kim Sang-do still resides in the same location. Mr. Jong Tae-ho is semi-retired and leaves the day-to-day operation of the hotel to his son. As long time residents of the area, both have a wealth of information on the community's growth.)
 Looking Up Young Chon Hotel Alley (1977) (51st FW Archives) (NOTE: The Yong Chon Hotel is the first building on the right with the Yong Chon Western Restaurant. The sign reads "Hotel Yong Chon Lang." Where the Oriental Antique Company is is now the Shinjang Shopping Mall.)
 
2005: (L) Young Chon Hotel (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Young Chon Hotel Staff: (Left to Right) Kim Han-sik, K.S. Choi (Manager); Ma Ki-ben; Jong Yeon-hong (owner) (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Shinjang Mall
 2005: Mr. Oh Sun-soo is the owner of Victoria Hotel and the former owner of the GQ Tailors established in 1962. Mr. Oh is a two-time councilman for the area and highly respected member of the community. Born in the village of Mite Konji-ni (Lower Konji Village) in the Songbuk-dong area, he is one of the most knowledgable persons on the early history of the area. Now retired, the day-to-day management of the hotel is in the care of his son.  
  (L) Mike's All Season Shop (2002)(Unknown) (R) 2005: Employees of Mike's All Seasons Shop: Oh Young-seok, Kim No-mi and Song Sun-young (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Bag Lady's Tour of Songtan states: "Mike's All Seasons: Quite possibly one of the most popular merchants in Songtan, Mike carries sportswear for every fan and does wonderful customized work. He is able to make T-shirts, sweatshirts, warm-up suits, hats, coins, etc. He has an extensive clientele and good prices. He is on the web! Bring a design for him to work up (silkscreen) for special events, etc.".)
Mr. Kim Chu'n-kyong was the original owner of Mike's All Season Shop which he established in 1977. He sold it and started Mike's Arcade in 1983 just down the Mall. (NOTE: Bag Lady's Tour of Songtan states: "Mike's Arcade: If you are pressed for time, and need to get some things fast--here is the place. It could be called a one stop shopping outlet. Located inside are a few areas: leatherwear, sweaters and souvenirs. One of the few places in the area to buy Korean Dolls, Mike's Arcade is located in the rear alley which hosts Mr. Lim's and Royal Bag and also on the corner of the main Shinjang Shopping Mall. Fountains are also available to purchase and usually line the side of his store in warm weather."
 Mrs. Choi Hong-ryon of Songwang Blanket Shop (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger)
The Ebenezer Jewelry Store has been changed over the years as the Songwang Bag Shop, then Songwang Blanket Shop and finally the Ebenezer Jewelry Store -- though the sign says in hangul "Songwang Sa." Strangely, the sign has a biblical reference to the name, Ebenezer, printed on the store sign. Mrs. Choi Hong-ryon shown in the 1974 photo, is now 72 and has turned the ownership of the shop over to her son.
Late 1970s The biggest improvement was the paving of the roads with Macadam. Even up to the mid-1970s, poor farmers would tear up the roads near their fields. Though the businesses were rapidly spreading outward from the Songbuk Open Market area, the center of downtown remained at the intersection of Shinjang Mall Road and MSR-1. The Songbuk Open Market, bus depot and Jaeil Theater were within one block of the intersection.
 
Jaeil Theater (Jan 1978) (Harry Tezlaf)  
(L) Old Jaeil Theater location (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (Notice the house in the background of old photo and the house in this photo.) (R) Old Jaeil Theater location (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) Tanhyeon Road (MSR-1) at the old intersection to the Shinjang Mall Road. (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (The road is heading up the ridgeline. The Kyungmin Bank is on the left. Behind the bank was where the bus depot was. One block up to the right behind the Woori Bank was where the Jaeil Theater was.) By the late 1970s with the availability of cheap charcoal briquettes and inexpensive kerosene heaters, eliminated this problem. (NOTE: However, the portable kerosene heaters operated within enclosed spaces without ventilation still posed risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.) Though the paving of the streets started in the city areas, most of the smaller country roads would remain dirt until the 1990s when they were covered in concrete under a national program. The availability of road-building equipment and trained road building crews improved as major highway construction projects appeared throughout the country. Within the Shinjang mall area, the road was paved up to the MSR-1. Most of the major alleyways were paved, but the smaller ones were still dirt. These would be upgraded at the owners' expense. The shops fronting the mall area constructed false fronts that disguised the true nature of the structures -- most of which were built in the 1960s. There were sidewalks with stanchions in front of the store. At the curb, covered gutters ran along the length of the street.   (L) Shinjang Mall Area with paved streets (Circa late 1970s) )51st FW Archives) (NOTE: The Stereo Club is to the far right with only a portion of its sign showing. Next to it are two small signs that are actually one building that would be demolished in 2005.) (R) Stereo Club with the building next door being demolished. (Jul 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
 Building next door to Stereo Club being demolished. (Jul 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
 Heading towards Main Gate area (1978) (Thomas Utts) (NOTE: Construction at Main Gate indicates the time period to be near 1978 when the Shinjang Road was being expanded. Note the stairs coming down at the Main Gate. Most of the shops have changed.)
 Heading down Shinjang Mall Road (1978) (Thomas Utts) (NOTE: Most of shops in the photo are changed. Mike's sign on right is Mikes Tailor Shop (now defunct) run by Mr. Chae. Aragon Club to the right. The Shinjang Mall Road turns right at the Victoria Hotel (with VFW sign) as it nears the rail spur.)
 Jungang Open Market (1978) (Thomas Utts) (NOTE: Shot taken towards Fashion Alley (Myongdong Road). The Seoul Glass (window) shop Is now the Power Shop and the shop in the right foreground is now the Pyramid Shop.)
  2005: (L) Jungang Open Market looking towards Shinjang Road (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: The Power Shop is in the location of the Seoul Glass Shop in 1978.) (R) Jungang Open Market looking towards Fashion Alley (Myongdong Road) (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: The Pyramid Shop is in the location of the shop in the right foreground with the awning in 1978. The owner of the Pyramid Shop in picture pointing out the shops in the 1978 photo.)
Chunil Hotel Opens On Dec 1978 the Chunil Hotel opened with 31 beds -- and later expanded to 33 beds. In 1979, the Chunil Hotel signed an Accommodation Services Contract with Osan Air Base. In 1997 Asia Hotel opened with 88 rooms. In 2004, the Chunil Hotel merged with the Asia Hotel. In Sep 2004 the hotel expanded to 91 room. In Dec 2004, it was registered as the Asia Tourist Hotel. (See Asia Hotel for details of hotel. This site features an exceptional map of the area.)
 Mr. Kim Jae-won, owner of the Asia Hotel, in front of the Asia Hotel. (Sep 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
Construction in the Shinjang 2-dong Area The last of the rice fields at the base of Hill 180 was reclaimed in the late 1970s. The area became housing area and on the other side the Pokchang Elementary School was built. First the roads were laid out on a grid pattern, then the houses were constructed. Most of the new houses were built with red brick.
 Area right in front of Prince Hotel. (NOTE: Prince hotel built in 1988.) The Chong Su Tan Bathhouse chimney is seen. (Circa late 1970s) (51st FW Archives)  (L) (R) 2005: Corner Prince Hotel to left with fruit stand across the street (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   2005: (L) Area right in front of Prince Hotel. (Circa late 1970s) (51st FW Archives) (R) Prince Hotel Staff: Kwon Oh-so and Chae Kwi-yong-; (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)   2005: (L) Chong Su Tan Bathhouse (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Street across from Prince Hotel looking toward Mall area (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) The Taegwang School Road was cut parallel with the Kyongbu Railway tracks. Starting at the Shinjang Road overpass --constructed in 1976 -- it ran down past the Songtan Subway Street and continued down to Jijang-dong Road. (See Taegwang School Road.) When the Milwal Road was straightened and expanded, a road was cut straight down the hill where the Hill 180 Gate Road (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni area) turned right at a "Y" intersection. The Milwal Road went down the hill to the Songtan Subway Street where it curved right. (See Milwal Road.) NOTE: Songtan Subway Road is used for reference only as the Songtan Subway Station was not built until 2005 and the overpass was constructed at that time. This road runs between the Songshin Elementary School constructed in 1965 and the Taegwang Middle-High School constructed in 1970.The Hill 180 Gate Road (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni area) extension that curved right is in-line with the hill on which the Jaeil Church was constructed in the early 1960s. It ran parallel with the Hill 180 Gate Road (Shinchang-dong and Jokbong-ni area) that ran above the Jaeil Church hill near the perimeter of the base. Photos of the late 1960s show few homes on the hill which Jaeil Church was located. However, by the 1970s, the houses were starting to crowd in around the church -- though not as tightly as in the Shinjang Mall Road area. This area did NOT follow the grid pattern because of the mass of existing homes. (See Hill 180 Gate Road.) The Milwal Road extension continues down until the road that runs around the south end of the Taegwang Middle-High School. This road is the boundary line of the Seojong-dong. On the incline down from Milwal Road to the base of the hill in the "old" area remained a mix of different time-period constructions. They were clustered tightly together as the housing spread down the hill in the 1960s. In the "new" area, a grid pattern was set up based up the Milwal Road on one side and the Taegwang School Road on the other. NOTE: The old road that curved down to the Songwang Church and ended at the edge of the rice field that became the Songshin Elementary School in 1965 was eliminated. Another curving road that followed the alleyway beside the Prince Hotel, across the street and curved down skirting the rice fields that became the Songshin Elementary and Taegwang Middle-High School. At the end of the Taegwang Middle-High School the rice field ended and there was a little rise. There was a curving road on the top of this small rise that became the Seojong-myeon boundary (when Seojong-ni was not a part of Songtan). Over the rise, there was a rice field that became the Pokchang Elementary School in the 1970s. (See Milwal Road)After the roads were laid out, construction began in the reclaimed rice field areas. The houses outside of the "old" Jungang Open Market Shopping area -- about two streets from the Shinjang Road Overpass -- are red-brick constructions which were popular in the late 1970s-80s. Instead of the haphazard construction of the past, they were neatly lined homes laid out in a more orderly and planned manner. Though there were multi-story business buildings (shops below and homes above) erected, most of the structures were residential structures or pure business units. In the newer areas where the rice fields had been reclaimed, the houses were more spacious. The new construction area is easy to identify by the neat lines of houses constructed with the red brick -- as contrasted with the concrete structures that were built in earlier years. The red fire brick would be the material of choice up to the mid-1980s when low-rise apartments started to appear in the area. The construction followed the same design as was started in the Mokcheon area in the mid-1970s. These were one-story houses with a flat rooftop and inside there was a long living room. Off this room was the kitchen, bedrooms and single bathroom with an American style toilet. Two story structures were for multi-family residences with basically the same interior layouts. Septic tanks were now used.   2005: (L) Housing area on Taegwang School Road (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Taegwang School Road looking toward Seojong-ni (Aug 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) In the Milwal Road area, the houses were still packed tightly near the base perimeter, but now newer structures were replacing the old mudbrick and stucco houses -- and all of the mudwattle country houses disappeared. But all-in-all it remained a hodge-podge of houses from 1980s red-brick structures to the low transite-roofed buildings from the 1960s. The smaller roads in the Milwal-dong area basically left alone. In other words, a few major roads that were constructed to run parallel with the hillside, but the majority of the streets remained as they were -- narrow, winding dead-end alleys. Towards the Hill 180 Gate, the poorer residents of the area resided and the houses remained ramshackle structures of the 1960s and the roads unimproved. Paradise Lake (Boduchang) In the 1970s, there was very little in the way of entertainment in the area, besides the bars and movies. The one place that was available for recreation was Paradise Lake (Boduchang). Actually a reservoir, it had row boats. On the banks, there was a recreation area for children. The reservoir was fed by the Jisan Stream that flowed past the Songbuk Elementary School. The Jisan Stream flowed to the Songbuk Elementary and then meandered following the base of the hills opposite the school past Are Konji-ni and down to the Mokcheon area. Before Route 1 was built there was a natural sump area formed by the Burak Mountain to the east and the Jisan Hill and ridgeline to the west. This sump area that formed Paradise Lake (Boduchang) extended from what is now the Jisan Hyundai Apartments and about half of the Jisan Kunyong Apartments. It did not extend past the present Route 1 area. In order to get to Songbuk Elementary School, children walked along a path at the base of Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) near what is now the Jangmi Apartments and then along the base of the Burak Mountain to the school.  Paradise Lake (1976) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: The weeping willows are the trees to the left in the photo. The trees are in the rear on the slope -- not near the lake.) Weeping Willow Trees in Photo In the 1976 photo of Paradise Lake, there appears to be weeping willows in the background. The only place that weeping willows are found in the area are along the boundary of the Jisan Elementary School. The weeping willow location is the now defunct children's park just above the Jisan Elementary School. The car parking area was where the Jisan Elementary School is now. |
