A Turning Point in South Korea’s National Development Plan in the Late 1960s: The Rise and Fall of the ‘SeoulBusan Megalopolis’ Vision

This paper examines a pivotal transformation in South Korea’s national development plan during the late 1960s, focusing on the emergence and abandonment of the ‘SeoulBusan Megalopolis’ vision. The appointment of Zew Won as Minister of Construction in 1967 marked a key turning point. Under his leadership, the Ministry initiated major projects such as the Seoul-Busan Expressway and began conceptualizing a megalopolis stretching along the expressway corridor. Inspired by Jean Gottmann’s ‘Megalopolis’ and Japanese urban planning discourses, the Ministry of Construction sought to balance economic efficiency with decentralization of Seoul with this idea. This vision, however clashed with the shifting political environment, particularly after the 1968 security concerns prompted strong state-led policies to disperse population out of Seoul. Emphasis was placed on decentralization and national defense, leading to a spatial strategy that prioritized regional dispersion. As a result, the megalopolis concept gradually lost traction and was ultimately excluded from the final version of the national development plan in 1971.