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SONGTAN HISTORY
1952-Present
Roads Surrounding K-55
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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. 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. Son Kwang-chil, Hanyang Kalbi, and Mr. Yi N.K, Korea Hotel, for providing information of the early days of the Milwal-dong 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.
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.
ROADS SURROUNDING K-55 For our history, it is important to understand the layout of the roads constructed by the Americans as they would impact on the growth patterns of Songtan in the coming years. The locations of MSR-1 (Main Supply Route 1) and the MSR-1 Bypass later laid out the grid that would later be used in turn to lay out the streets in the 1980s. (SITE NOTE: There still is some controversy as to when the MSR-1 Bypass was built. However, longtime local Korean residents state that the road was not built until the 1980s or 1990s. However, there are comments and photos that indicate the road might have existed as early as 1952. As of 2006, we will take the position that the road did NOT exist during the Korean War -- though we will continue to research the issue.)
Roads in 1980s The original MSR-1 was Japanese built and basically followed the Kyongbu Railway (Feisu Railway) all the way to Pusan. The minor stations of the Kyongbu route (Feisu) in the local area was the Osan-ni Station (Usan) and the Seojong-ni Station (Sojang) before Pyeongtaek Station. After WWII, the Occupation forces renamed it MSR-1 as it stretched from Kaesong to Youngdong-po to Taejon and then down Pusan. Most of the businesses sprang up along this wide dirt highway.
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. (NOTE: The reason Osan was chosen as the Toll Gate was simply because it was the closest to the Kyongbu Expressway.)
NOTE: The Seoul-Pusan highway (Kyongbu Expressway) opened up on 30 Jun 1970. The $1.4 billion project for the 267-mile highway was a solely ROK project that took three years to build. The highway included four military aircraft landing zones to be used in military emergencies. (NOTE: One of these landing strips is between Osan and Suwon -- outside Suwon AB. Up until the late 1980s, the USFK and ROK would annually practice landings and takeoffs on the highways.) (Source: Eighth United States Army Chronology 1 Jan 1970-30 Jun 1970 and 1 July 1970-31 December 1970)
The Seoul-Pusan highway project is condemned by many cultural experts as a project that ran hell-bent upon completion without any thought of the possible cultural relics that would paved over. But on the other side of the coin, it is praised as the key to the industrialization of Korea in the 1970s. The World Bank advised against the construction of the road as there was no overwhelming need for the project and costs would outweigh the benefits. But Park pressed forward with the project as a means to stimulate economic activity. The project was a success as it launched the construction industry in Korea and served as the backbone of transportation infrastructure for further economic development throughout Korea.
It is also important to realize that the area around the Jisan Hill area (Songtan Park) was swamp and rice fields in the "bowl" that was created by a rise that started at the base of the hills in the Songbuk-dong area and circled around following the ridgeline until it rejoined at the base of the Jisan Hill area. The Jisan Stream (Cheon) flowed past the area where the Songbuk Elementary School would be built in 1955 and flowed along the route of the present Jisan Stream (Cheon) Road. The stream also filled the "sump" area created in the "bowl." Along Jisan Hill Park (Songtan Park) a reservoir was created that was later called Paradise Lake (Boduchang) and used as an park area. The reservoir was formed by the convergence of the Burak Mountain and Jisan Hill on the south end and Jisan ridge line on the north end.
This swampy area dictated the path of the original MSR-1 and later the MSR-1 Bypass Road along the west ridge line. It was only in the 1980s that this area was filled in and the new Route 1 bypass built that ran over the rise and along the base of the Buraksan Mountain to the east edge of the Paradise Lake area (dry ground). The low area between was filled by cutting into the Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) and the Burak Mountain to provide fill for the area. The new Route 1 proceeded straight until it curved right to rejoin the original MSR-1 route in Jungang-dong.
During the 1970s, the invasion pipe that was used to carry fuel from Suwon to Osan-ni AB was removed. The Pohang-Seoul POL pipeline was completed in November 1970. The pipeline construction crews connected at Taegu in February 1970 and final tests made in Jan 1971. This pipeline was to become the primary means of moving petroleum around the country delivering 40,000-50,000 barrels a day. The pipeline was built by USAFEDE and a US-ROK construction company. This replaced the invasion pipe system from Suwon that had been used at Osan since the Korean War days. However, the pipeline also cemented the areas that future industrial growth would center on leading to claims of "T-K" (Taegu-Kyongsan) favoritism.
After Park Chung-hee mandated the construction of new roads in Songtan in 1975, massive construction of roads set up on the grid pattern cuts swaths through former shanty town areas or expanded existing streets. From 1980 onward, all new streets were laid out on a grid pattern -- though modified at times because of existing housing laid out under the older topographical layout.
ORIGINAL ROADS AROUND K-55 (OSAN-NI AB)
The Area around what would become Osan-ni AB Osan-ni was considered the largest town in the local area. The next major village was Seojong-ni. The entire area was mostly rice fields. Between Osan and Seojong the Kyongbu-son Railroad and the road that would become MSR-1 (Main Supply Route-1). The villages between Osan-ni and Seojong-ni along the MSR-1 was Kaltong-ni, Habung-ni (Habuk), Ojwa (now gone in Deogok-dong), Chwa-dong (Jwa-dong) and Chijang-ni (Jijang-ni). A side road running west from Habung-ni (Habuk) connected Chinwi (Jinwi), Masan-ni (Masan), Sang-ni, and Sanha-ni. A side road running east connected to Cholmal, Anmal. Hoehwa-ri and Hwangguji-ri -- all north of the Chinwi-cheon (stream) and east of the Hwangguji-cheon (stream) in Seotan-myeon. Hoehwa-ri's road connected to Kuman-ni which led to the MSR-1. A bridge crossed the Chinwi-cheon (stream) to the west of where Osan AB would be built. It connected Hoehwa-ri to the north of the Chinwi-cheon to the village of Chokpong-ni to the south of the Chinwi.
Osan-ni to Seojong-ni (1950)
Chokpong-ni was at the base of what would become "Hill 180" to the north -- in the main base area. This Chokpong-ni (Jokpong-ni) remained within the boundaries of the base during its construction in 1952, and then relocated to the south of "Hill 180" when the 5th AF arrived in 1953. This road from Hoehwa-ri ran from Chokpong-ni on the west side of Hill 180 to the MSR-1. There were five roads from Chokpong-ni. (SITE NOTE: There is still a conflict whether or not Hill 180 was actually the site of the bloody battle that won Capt Millet the Medal of Honor. Capt Millet's notes indicate a Ginko tree on the hill and there was only one in the area according to local authorities on Hill 180. However, the US Army does not recognize it as the site of the battle.)
- (1)
- (2) A road swung to the southwest to Kuong-ni, Nongso-ri to Hwangjogok. At Hwangjogok, it turned in two directions.
- (a) A road turned to the northwest through Kumgang-ni (Kumgak-ri). It continued on in a wide arc around the rice fields to Yari and crossed the Chinwi Stream (cheon) to Hoewari.
- (b) A road turned southeast to Turung-ni and on to Seojong-ni -- and reconnected to an offshoot west from Seojong near Kyeru-ri. This road the proceeded over the Chinwi River to Oyon-ni and Honsan-ni. This would later become Country Road 302 from Seojeong.
- (3) A road crossed the ricefields -- where the runway is now -- to Yari.
- (4) A road ran west through the area of what is now the Beta Gate to Sinjang-ni. Sinjang-ni is at what is now the end of the runway and near the Doolittle Gate. From Sinjang-ni the road led across the Chinwi Stream up to Taejong-ni and then to MSR-1. Also from Sinjang-ni a dirt road led up to the Kyongbu-son Railroad -- as shown on early 1951 photos of the area -- across the tracks to MSR-1. This is the basis of the road to the Doolittle Gate though it remained an undeveloped dirt road until the 1990s.
- (5) A road led over the hill through the valley between Hill 170 and Hill 180 -- the present Songtan Blvd -- to where the Main Gate is now. It continued straight ahead along the rice fields to the right to the railroad tracks and MSR-1 in the area of what is now Ichung-dong. At the same time there was a path from what is now the Main Gate to the Chwa-dong (Jwa-dong) area. Near this path a new road was built to the Main Gate from MSR-1 starting at the point near "Chwa-dong" on the map. This road was from MSR-1 through Chicol Village into the Main Gate.
Area to become Osan-ni AB (1950)
The area where Osan AB would be built was all rice fields in 1950. To the south of the Chinwi stream (cheon) was Yari and Sinya-ri (New Yari). These would be the first villages to be demolished when the airfield was constructed in 1952 and turned into sand pits.
At the east end of what would become the east-west runway was Sinjang-ni. There were two hills -- the ammo storage area of the base and the hill where the Catholic church is located. The low area between these two hills was all rice fields. People lived on the slopes of what is now the Beta ammo storage area (unused) and in the Namsan-teo area below Hill 170. It is assumed that the farmers who were relocated from the Beta area formed what became known as Chicol-ni (Shinjang 1-dong) as the area where the road to the main gate was sparsely populated.
To the south of Hill 180 was Makum-ni that is still located south of the Hill 180 Gate at the base of the slope. There was a footpath up what became Milwal-dong to Makum-ni (Hill 180 Gate area) and then over the hill down to Chokpong-ni. There appeared to be a reservoir between Makkum-ni and Kuong-ni in what became the base Golf course. Supposedly there was a village called "Enheng Jengui" after the Ginko tree planted in 1269 that is now on the Osan AB Golf Course. However, the 1950 map shows Kuong-ni approximately where "Enheng Jengui" was supposed to be located. A road from Chokpong-ni connected Kuong-ni to Nongso-ri and then Hwangjogok. To the west end of the base was a village of Changdung-ni where the base expanded to in the 1960s as an ammo storage area.
A small road to the east of MSR-1 connected to Chisan-ni (Jisan-ni) and Udong-ni (now gone). The road proceeded down until Chijang-ni (Jijang-ni) and then onto Seojeong-ni. To the southwest of Chijang-ni (Jijang-ni) was Ich'ung-ni (Ichung-dong). A path was at the base of Burak mountain that went from Ichung-ni (Ichung-dong) past Chijang-ni (Jijang-ni) and Chwa-dong (Jwadong) to the Songbuk-dong area bypassing the swamp area in Chisan-ni (Jisan-dong).
From Seojong-ni a road leading east connected to Kajae-ri (Kajae), Toil-li (Doil), Oegach'on-ni. To the north of Kajae-ri was Nae-ri which connected to Sanha-ni and on to Chinwi. To the south of Oegach'on-ni was Ch'irwon-ni; to the east was Chilgong-ni; and to the north was Chimun-ni, Sanjich'on and Songun-ni.
Original US Military Built Roads According to the Headquarters 931st Engineer Aviation Group Overview Drawing dated August 1951, there were four roads that connected to Route 1 (MSR-1). The roads shown on the map seem to vary slightly from what was constructed in 1952. NOTE: We do not have the south end of the base map so we do not know the south end roads at this time.
839th EAB Overview Map of K-55 (Aug 1951) (Click HERE for large drawing)
(John Okonski)
- Back Gate Road (See Back Gate Road) -- Originally this was a path from the village of Sinjang-n to the Kyongbu Railroad. This road crossed the Kyongbu (Feisu) Railway and proceeded to the area of Shinjang-ni. After Osan AB was built, on-base road connected to this off-base road -- simply as a maintenance road. The dirt road remained undeveloped. (NOTE: Though the Shinjang 1-dong office shows this road being built in 1980- 1983, a Photo by Robert Spiwak in 1953 shows this road coming down from MSR-1 to the Back Gate area. Remember that in 1952, the "front gate" was at the 839th EAB area ON BASE as villages were still on base.) After the Korean War this road fell into disuse by the base, but continued to be used by the Kujang-tau Village (Shinjang-ni on some maps). After the road was built to the Doolittle Gate in 1983, it remained unused by the base because of the railcrossing hazards. The overpass was completed in 1987. At that time the road to Kujang-tau Village was made to run parallel to the new road that ran up the grade to the Doolittle Gate. An underpass was cut to connect Kujang Village to the new Mokcheon Village Road just before the Bravo Gate in the 1987.
- Freight Gate Road (See Freight Gate Road) -- This road ran from the Kyongbu (Feisu) Railway between the Bomb Dump Hill and Hill 170 and connected to the on-base road running from the End-of-Runway area to the Bomb Dump Storage area on the southwest side of base. (NOTE: The railspur to the Hill 170 area ran along this route.)
- Shinjang Mall Road (See Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road)) -- This road was annotated as "Access Road Now Under Construction By "A" CCo." This road connected to Route 1 and crossed the Kyongbu (Feisu) Railway and passed over Hill 180 to the Quarry Area near what is the present day Commissary.
- Road from Chicol-ni leading south to MSR-1 -- We are uncertain of this dirt road, but there is only one path marked by the early development of houses in the Shinjang-2-dong area. From a 1950 map this road existed prior to 1950 dating to the Japanese occupation period. It was NOT a real road but simply a wide path. It started from the Chicol-ni (Main Gate) area that and cuts diagonally to where the Prince Hotel in now located. (An alleyway marks this route, crosses Shinjang Road and exits at the back of the Asia Hotel parking lot to the intersection of the Prince Hotel.) The road then ran along the side of the Milwal-dong slope above the rice fields in the low-lying area of Shinsong-Taegwang Middle-High School. It continued on the slope past Pokchang Elementary School (then a rice field area) and continued towards Seojong-ni.
- Road from End-of-Runway to MSR-1 towards Seotan-myeon -- This road is no longer in existence except for the on-base portions of the perimeter road. This road ran past the Kujang Village (Shinjang-ni Village) and crossed the Jinwi River and continued north towards Seotan where it would reconnect with the MSR-1.
- Road from End of Runway to Sand Pit Area -- From the junction point at the End-of-Runway, the road ran where the EOR was located through the north area of the base and then to the Sand Pit at Yari. This road was eliminated when the Perimeter Road was built.
- Road from Sand Pit Area near Yari and Shin-Yari -- Road crosses the Jinwi River and proceeds north to an unknown location. Yari and Shin-Yari were relocated when the Perimeter Road around the base was built. There is a country road in the general area shown on the map that winds and eventually comes to Seotan, but it crosses the Jinwi with an old concrete bridge at the south end of the runway. We believe this road is no longer in existence.
MAIN SUPPLY ROUTE 1 (MSR-1) What became known as Main Supply Route 1 (MSR1) -- now known as "Route 1" or "National Road 1" -- simply followed the general route of the Kyongbu train line down to Taejon and then onto Pusan. The route later called MSR1 (Main Supply Route 1) was actually laid out by the Japanese. Try to remember that in Korea at the time, the impoverished farmers made for the perfect coolie class -- disenfranchised from the land as tenant farmers and surviving as best they could. This labor pool made for large scale construction projects without heavy equipment possible.
The MSR1 ran from Yongdong-po down through Suwon to Osan-ni and passed in front of the Pyeongtaek Station on the way to Taejon. It was the pattern for the US Occupation forces after WWII to simply use the existing infrastructure -- and when the Korean War occurred, many people of the time using maps from the Occupation era were under the misconception that the infrastructure was built by the American Occupation forces. This unpaved road was a dust bowl in summer and a muddy swamp in winter.
This road was a two-lane highway over its entire length from Seoul to Pusan -- but "two-lane" is a misleading term when in the rainy season, large potholes made the passable surface a narrow twisting one-lane affair where one had to avoid the potholes to prevent from getting stuck. In the summer, it was a bumpy dust bowl that jarred the spine if you hit the ruts. After the Korean War, the roads were maintained by the US Army Engineer Battalions from Inchon to Taejon AB, but past Taejon the MSR-1 was supposedly maintained by villagers along the route as part of a tax arrangement. They didn't do a good job. In remained a mud-hole in the rainy seasons and a jarring dust-bowl in summer.
By the 1960s, the MSR-1 was paved from Osan AB to Seoul. Thus there are comments from people that the trip to Yongsan Commissary in the mid-1960s took 45 minutes -- something not possible on an unpaved road. The drive was not difficult as there were very few cars and trucks on the road. The road remained a two-lane highway all the way into Seoul to Yongdong-po and across the Han River.
Marshall Parker was with the 6314 Transron, Det. 1 (2nd Mule Train) of Osan from 1963-64. He wrote in Oct 2005, "As for the roads, the only black-topped roads went from Osan to Seoul, all the others were dirt and not in good shape. I was in the 2nd Mule Train, we hauled supplies from Inchon to all the bases in Korea, even out to the Islands, by way of LCU's run by the Army. Things are not the same there now." (NOTE: Transportation to the off-shore islands was limited to fishing boats or inter-island ferries that were strictly for passengers and small cargo piled on the deck. Any heavy equipment to US sites on the islands had to be transported by LCUs operated by the US Army. It surprises many that the Army even today still operates high-speed troop transport ships.)
Along with the paving of the MSR-1 to Seoul, the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) was also paved in the 1960s though the "sidewalk" remained dirt. After the mid-1960s, there were constant reports that poverty-stricken farmers would dig up the macadamized surfaces and use the tar-soaked mass for winter heating fuel. Supposedly it was easy to identify the culprits as the white ash-colored stone remains were used to surface the paths around the farm houses. This did not occur in the Shinjang area or downtown Songtan areas as there was an adequate supply of inexpensive charcoal. However, this practice was prevalent throughout Korea on smaller off-base side roads that were macadamized by the military. This reports of this practice of burning macadam lasted until the early 1970s when the practice disappeared.
Military personnel in the 1960s relate that the convoys over this road to Osan AB from the SOUTH was an arduous endeavor. With bandanas wrapped around their faces because of the dust, they sweated in the heat as they wound their way up the road. The pictures below are on the trip between Osan-Kunsan. The MSR1 connected to Taejon. At Taejon, the road split to follow the general route of the train from Taejon to Iksan (Iri). Then from Iksan (Iri), it connected to Kunsan. Though it connected the major cities of the country, the MSR-1 was not preferred method of shipping equipment and supplies because of the poor condition of the roads. Up until the 1970s -- after the Kyongbu Expressway was built -- military supplies were shipped by rail using "rail guards" armed with M-2 carbines because thefts of shipments were rampant. (NOTE: These "rail guards" were assigned randomly from a rotating tasking of the base/camp units. The use of "rail guards" dated from the Korean War.)
During the Korean War, there was only the MSR-1 running from Osan-ni. The first cutoff on MSR-1 to the construction at Osan AB (K-55) was a dirt road to the back gate area (Doolittle Gate area). This was used for the initial setup of construction, but after the Main Gate was opened in 1953, the usage of this road tapered off. By the 1960s, this road had fallen into disuse and appears to have only served as a road for the Shinjang-ni Village area north of the base towards Seotan-myeon. This village existed in aerial photos well into the 1970s.
MSR-1 Looking Towards Osan-ni (1954) (Dan Klopten) (NOTE: Sign on the left marks the Jinwi-myeon boundary. Notice the farmer working in his rice field to the right.)
MSR-1 Looking toward Osan-ni (1959) (Ed Stirling) (NOTE: This is from near where the road enters the downtown area of Songtan. It looks down the road to Jinwi-myeon at the base of the hill. The road then veered left to go to Osan-ni and Suwon.)
Looking down the same road in 1965 (1965) (Harry Tezlaf)
The MSR-1 continued through Jinwi-myeon to the rise near Ojwa (now gone) -- where the Songtan Fire Station is presently located -- and then it turned right to bypass the swampy area of what is now Jisan-dong. (SITE NOTE: This road is now known as the Tanhyeon Road and then becomes the Jwa-dong Road (Jisan Road) at the top of the ridgeline.) By the 1960s, there was a gas station that was on the left as you turned right to enter the "downtown" area. (NOTE: This is the same location as the gas station today, but we are not certain if it is the same owner.)
Up the street from the "Y" intersection on the MSR-1, the Intercity Bus Terminal was situated. The Kyungmin Bank is now on the location. The bus depot was behind where the bank sits now.
Intercity and Intracity Buses The intracity bus terminal (to connect Songtan to the outlying hamlets) was up on Milwal Road next to the Seojong Theater (currently the Capital Hotel location). (NOTE: To this day, the bus from Pyeongtaek to "K-55" (not "Osan AB") follows the original MSR-1 route straight past Seojong-ni Station and Market Road -- along the railroad tracks -- and finally to K-55. Even today, the intracity bus route makes their turn at the intersection of Milwal Road. Going to Pyeongtaek, the bus follows Route 1.)
The intercity bus station remained down by the Jaeil Theater (currently the Kyungmin Bank location). Up until the 1970s, it was nothing more than a bus stop with a shack where buses would stop to load passengers. Later it would move to its current location to the intersection of Terminal Ridge Road and Songbuk Market Road (MSR-1 Bypass in the late 1970s after the Shinjang Overpass and the MSR-1 Bypass was completed. In the Songtan area, there was only one terminal in Songtan and one in Seojong-ni.
In the early days of MSR-1, all the buses carried a spare tire on the rear as the road were in notoriously poor condition. It was not unknown for buses to run off the road during the rainy seasony. Though the villages were "taxed" with a levy to maintain the roads passing through their areas, it was not rigidly enforced and local roads were in varied states of repair. (NOTE: In the 1960s, the government attempted to use this "levy" system to have villages pave the roads near their villages, but it failed miserably. In the rural areas surrounding Osan AB, the roads remained dirt covered. Even the roads around the perimeter were all dirt until the local road expansions in the 1976-1980 period. In the mid-1970s, under the government New Village (Saemaul) programs, the effort was more successful in building up the infrastructure, roads and flood levees for the rural villages with the villages providing the planning and labor.)
Intercity "Kimchi" Bus Terminal (1961) (Jim Denman)
2005: Tanhyeon Road (MSR-1) at the old intersection to the Main Gate Road (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.)
Across the street from the Kyungmin Bank is the Woori Bank. Up the block at the florist, turn right and there is an empty area across from the Jungang Sauna used as a parking lot for the Woori Bank. This is where the Jaeil Movie Theater was located. The old Korean house in the parking lot area was there in the 1960s.
Jaeil Theater (1961) (Jim Denman)
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)
 
(L) Jungang Sauna across from the old Jaeil Theater location (Est: 1966) (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (R) Jungang Sauna: Kim Jongsu; Yu Hwaechi; Noh Yongguk (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
These businesses continued to the top of the ridgeline. Businesses on the slope were constructed with the shops at street-level, but the living quarters were beneath the shops along the slope. Houses were crowded together on the slopes down to the railroad tracks. Prior to 1978, the MSR-1 continued straight ahead to the Jwa-dong area or turned left onto Terminal Ridge Road to connect to the MSR-1 Bypass Road (where the Express Bus Terminal is now located).
The road into the Jwa-dong area tapered off from a four-lane to two-lane road at the top of the ridge. There were two villages on the east side of the road on the ridgeline: Jwa-dong closest to the Terminal Ridge Road and separated by two ridgelines was Jijang-ni about at the point where the railroad again ran parallel with the MSR-1. These two villages predated Osan AB and existed in the 1950s. After the Shinjang Road Overpass was built in 1977, the road also turned right to the Main Gate.
The tapering of a four-lane road to a two-lane road indicates that the MSR-1 was primarily for Osan AB usage as the wide road stopped at the Terminal Ridge Road. The Terminal Ridge Road was constructed prior to the Shinjang Road overpass being built in 1977 to allow the traffic to use the MSR-1 Bypass Road. The through-traffic to Pyeongtaek and onward was along the MSR-1 Bypass supposedly built in the 1980s.
After the top of the ridgeline, various small businesses and bars sprouted up in the Jwa-dong area. Local residents state this area was primarily the location of Korean brothels in the Jwa-dong Village area. However, in the 1970s such bars as "Papa Joe's" started to cater to blacks in this area. This area became known as "Sut-kogae" (charcoal rise) but mispronounced by Americans as "Su-gokae" (cow meat). The end result was that the Shinjang Mall bars became strictly white, while black bars appeared in the Jwa-dong Village area. The 1970s was a period of racial tensions in America -- and spread to military bases throughout the world. After the race riots in Anjung-ni in 1976, as well as racial violence in Uijongbu and Itaewon, the base stepped in to issue its "policy" on the integration in the bars. Through the use of off-limits sanctions, the black bars in "Sutkogae" relocated into the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) area. The "Sutgokae" area then reverted to small hardware or repair shops -- and Korean brothels. This area extended west to the base of the ridgeline.
 
Old part of Jwa-dong Village area (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Buildings circa late 1950s or early 1960s judging from roofing with transite and corrugated iron.)
Jijang Village area (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan) (NOTE: Most older buildings gone from this area. Facing old MSR-1 and Hotel near Songtan Station.)
After the base of the ridgeline just past Jijang Village, the houses tapered off and it was mostly rice fields until one reached Seojong-ni. The sparcity of buildings remained this way until the 1980s. As was mentioned before, the growth of Seojong-ni and Songtan was independent of one another. After the mid-1980s, the low-rise apartments were constructed in the Seojong-ni area along the MSR-1 near the Jijang Elementary School -- and in the late 1980s the Jungong Apartments were built along the MSR-1 Bypass (Shinseon) near Songil Elementary School.
After the bottom of the slope, there was very few houses along the road and it was all rice fields until one got to Seojong-ni. Up until the early 1970s, Seojong-ni was simply clusters of mudwattle farm houses clustered around wells. This was located just above the Seojong-ni Elementary School that had been in operation since 1920 -- though the Pyeongtaek Si Sa (Pyeongtaek City History) only recognizes the school from 1945. The rail yard had one storage warehouse left from the Japanese colonial period for the shipment of rice to Inchon. There was a small business district that catered primarily to the agricultural community. (NOTE: The Songtan and Seojong-ni communities developed separately with very little interface. Songtan population exploded based on the K-55 (Osan AB) employment, while Seojong-ni struggled to survive supporting agriculture. Up until the 1980s, 70 percent of the population of the area was within 1 km of Osan AB.) (SEE Seojong-ni Background for more information.)
The MSR-1 (which ran past the Seojong Farmers' Market) and then reconnected with the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Shinseon Road). The road then continued to Pyeongtaek in a generally straight line. (NOTE: The MSR-1 Bypass Road (Shinseon Road) was constructed in the 1980s along with the expansion of apartment complexes along its route. Later when Route 1 was constructed in the 1990s, the original MSR-1 route would rejoin Route 1 in the Jungang-dong area and then continue to Pyeongtaek.)
After Pyeongtaek, the MSR-1 wound its way to Taejon and then onto Pusan. The MSR-1 along its entire route would best be described as a dust bowl in summer and a mud hole in the rainy season. It was NOT an ideal road to travel. (NOTE: It was not until the mid-1970s when a national program centered on the MSR-1 as the cornerstone of the national transportation system. After then, it was a paved highway from Yongdong-po to Pusan. The changes were obvious. The MSR-1 in the local Songtan area now sported painted center lines and crosswalks on the MSR-1 -- and traffic lights were installed. As an off-shoot of the MSR-1 construction, the local area roads also were paved at the same time.)
Ed Mullin was with the 354th Transportation Squadron at Kunsan in 1969 and periodically traveled on the MSR-1 to Osan AB. He commented on the pictures below: "The pictures of the muddy roads was typical in 69. Not many paved roads. And they turned into a sea of mud when it rained. This was on a trip from Kun to Osan with a deuce and a half." Later he wrote, "I once had to Bob Tail an M-52 from Osan to Kunsan. An M-52 is a military series tractor for hauling trailers. It has a fifth wheel, and is much like its civilian counter part, except for a lack of suspension and good seats. Bob Tailing is uncomfortable on paved roads. So by the time we got to Kun both rear view mirrors had vibrated out and my lower back was completely swolen. There was no happy medium, in the dry periods driving a convoy from Osan to Kun, you could see only 25 yds ahead, and breathing in the dust made you feel like you smoked 3 packs of Camels. We would take canteens of water and wet handkerchiefs and tie over our nose and mouth to keep the dust out. I mean when you got back to base your lungs were killing you. And on the other hand when it rained we would be getting stuck every couple of miles."
Muddy roads Kunsan-Osan trip (1969) (Courtesy Ed Mullin)
As the MSR-1 formed the basis for the national road system it was a sad commentary -- and explains why most of the freight was transported by train (with USAF airmen acting as train guards with M2 carbines) well into the late 1970s. Starting with the Osan-Chonan link, the Kyongbu line was constructed and connected Seoul and Pusan with the first reliable national highway. After this, the use of the rail system diminished. After that train guards were eliminated and most of the routine cargo was shipped via truck. At the same time, the use of the rail spur within the Shinjang Mall area was reduced to sporadic shipments -- and then eliminated completely. However, the spur was retained as a contingency element well into the 1990s when safety factor issues of Explosive Weight for munitions eliminated its further use.
The transportation infrastructure for the islands remained by boat. The military sites on the islands were serviced by shallow draft Army Landing Craft Units (LCU). J.C. Edson wrote on the Osan RAO site, "...I spent 13 months at K-55 back in '63-'64 with the 6314th Transron, Det. 1 (commonly called the 2nd Mule Train). We toted supplies and rations to the various small USAF microwave relay sites, both on the mainland and the offshore islands, such as Cheju do and P-Y-do. Loaded our AF trucks on Army LCU boats at Inchon Harbor (who'd have guessed the Army had a Navy?) Anyway, I enjoyed Korea, and was fortunate to see much of it, from Kangnung to Puson, and all points in between."
Army Landing Craft Units (LCU) to Outer Islands (1963) (Marshall Parker)
Army Landing Craft Units (LCU) at Pusan (1963) (Marshall Parker)
The MSR-1 road from Osan AB to Seoul was paved in the mid 1960s and the entire MSR-1 road system was paved from Yongdong-po to Pusan by the mid-1970s. By this time, the major transnational traffic was no longer using the MSR-1. (NOTE: The buses in the 1970s were much different than today. They carried a "bus lady" dressed in a uniform who would serve you tea on the trip and make announcements of the stops. It was also not unusual to have people from the country towns carrying live chickens on the bus to Seoul as well into the 1970s. The use of "bus ladies" was retained well into the late 1980s.)
For the Songtan area, the major change was the cutting of a new bypass for Route 1 at the base of the Buraksan Mountain in 1985 as the area prepared to lay the foundations for the movement of national/regional/local industrial parks into the area in 1990. In conjunction with this construction was the reclamation of the rice fields and swamps in the low-lying area just over the rise that would become part of Jisan-dong. These would become the apartments that lined both sides of the Route 1. (SEE Route 1)
Upon completion of the Route 1, vehicular traffic on the original MSR-1 was reduced to primarily local traffic only.
The following are the sections of MSR-1 in the Songtan-Seojong-ni area:
- (a) Tanhyeon Road (MSR-1) At the Y-intersection, if one continued straight, this was the original MSR-1 up the ridgeline called Tanhyeon Road. Starting in 1976, the road was widened to a four-lane dirt road from the Y-intersection until the Shinjang Overpass Bridge. After 1977, at the top of the ridgeline one could turn right to the Shinjang Overpass Bridge and then to the Main Gate. If you turned left, you would go down the Terminal Ridge Road to the MSR Bypass Road.
Looking at Tanhyeon Road (MSR-1) today, it is obvious that the main business center of the Songtan first developed at the intersection of the old Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) and MSR-1. This area, Tanhyeon Village, was also noted as the population center recorded as far back as 1756 with a population of 603. At that time it was Tanhyeon-myeon in Jinwi-hyeon. The area was known as rest stop along the road to Seoul. It later was referred to as Tanhyeon in Seotan-myeon with many kilns engaged in the charcoal trade as charcoal from the area was sent to the king as tribute. Also Kujang Village, near the north end of the runway, was the "old market" (ku-jang) for the Jinwi administrative area dating back to the Chosun Dynasty period. On the Aug 51 maps of the area, it was listed as "Shinjang-ni."
Along this road starting in the mid-1950s, buildings along both sides of the road started to appear. The center of the population for business was near the intersection of the Main Gate Road and MSR-1 -- and the Songbuk Achim Morning Market. (NOTE: There appears to have been some buildings along the MSR-1 prior to the Osan AB construction in 1952, but they were widely dispersed. The only two centers of population along the road were Jwa-dong and Jijang-ni) Though the Mokchon railroad crossing no longer exists, there is a large intersection at the old Main Gate Road that goes nowhere and dead-ends at the Kyongbu railway. The older buildings were built between 1970-1974 -- before the mass construction boom after 1977. This area is now used as a taxi-stand area for the shoppers of the Songbuk Open Market.)
- (b) Jwa-dong Road/Jijang-ni Road (MSR-1) After the Shinjang Overpass Bridge, the MSR-1 returned to its original two-lane configuration to the Seojong Open Market where it continued on to Pyeongtaek Station and then Taejon. The name changed to Jwa-dong Road and Jijang-ni Road.
- (c) Seojong-ni: Jeom Chon Road/Seojong-ni Market Road/Hyeomyeong School Road (MSR-1) After the Jijang-ni segment of MSR-1, it continued down to Jeom Chon Road that entered the Seojong-ni Open Market area on the Seojong-ni Market Road. It then passed through the intersection where the MSR-1 Bypass (Bukbu-Jungang Road-Shinseon Road) rejoined it. It continued on to Hyeomyeong School Road and then onto Pyeongtaek. (NOTE: Hyeomyeong School was founded in 1953 at St. Theresa's Catholic Church and moved to its present site a few blocks away in 1955.)
MSR-1 BYPASS ROAD
MSR Bypass Road This project was started in conjunction with the expansion of Tanhyeon Road (MSR-1). The first phase was in 1972 when the Y-intersection was made to build the first segment with the Y-intersection and the construction of the Songbuk Market Road up to the Jisan park area. The MSR-1 Bypass Road was constructed in the early 1980s to intersect the Seojong Tourism Road (leading to the new City Hall) and the new construction taking place along its route starting with the Foreigners Apartments on Buraksan Road and the new apartment complexes in the area.
Three longtime Songtan residents Lee Kyong-chu (K.C. Lee Tailors), Shin Chan-ho (Nolboo Restaurant), and Kang Shin-kol (Universal Art) -- and other Korean residents have stated that the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road) was not built until the 1980s -- though the specific date is unknown. There is logic to accept this opinion. In 1978, Park Chung-hee approved the expansion project for the Songtan area. The Milwal Road was expanded and a railway overpass finished in 1978. Roads were being laid out in a grid pattern and if one looks at a map of the area, one can see the grid patterns indicating 1980 construction. Prior to 1980, the housing was dictated by the topography and led to winding alleyways and dead-end streets. After the Milwal construction was completed, the crews moved to the Jwa-dong area and started cutting the roads into a grid pattern. The road at the base of the Jwa-dong and Jijang-ni areas (Bukbu-Jungang Road) was straightened and ran directly to Seojong-ni (Shin-seon Road) where it turned right to rejoin the original MSR-1 at the Seojeong-ni Market Road.
Songbukdong -- Jwadong -- Jijang-ni & Jisan dong
The roads on both sides of the original MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Road) fit the classic Korean pattern of haphazard layout of houses that followed the topography. The current streets on a grid pattern were cut at a later date. The same applies to the original MSR-1 (Jwadong Road and Jijangdong Road). Overlays indicate that the roads originally followed the topography, but at a later date, the roads were cut on a grid pattern. THUS it would be reasonable to assume that the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road) (green) was cut in about the 1980s -- AFTER the construction in the Shinjang area had been completed. Look at the map above. The pink areas are the old areas of the Songtan area. Using the color codes of the roads on the map, the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) (green) was rebuilt between 1976-1978, Songbuk Market Road (green) and Terminal Ridge Road (green) were constructed about the same time between 1979-1980. Then the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Bukbu-Jungang Route) (yellow) was constructed at the same time the Route 1 (yellow) to Pyeongtaek was under construction starting in the 1980s and completed in the 1990s.
The parallel construction would make sense. The Jisan-cheon (stream) was being rerouted and the Life Apartments was being built along Route 1. The Paradise Lake was being drained to build the Kunyong and Hyundai Apartments along Route 1. Part of the Jisan Park area was quarried for dirt to fill in the swamp areas -- and the quarried area became the Jisan Elementary School. At the same time, part of Burak Mountain was being quarried and this became the Songtan Middle School. In mid-1985 the Foreigners' Apartments and the low-rent apartments were built near the new Songtan City Hall. The Seojong Tourism Road was under construction joining the MSR-1 Bypass with the Route 1.
In 1955, the children would attend school at Songbuk Elementary School that opened with three buildings. The children would walk either with using (1) the dirt path that followed the Jisan Stream past Are Konjini or (2) along a path at the base of Jisan Hill that would then connect to the Burak Mountain side and then to the school. Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon remembers Are Konji-ni being "across" from the Songbuk Elementary. Mr. Kwon was born in Taegu in 1954, but his mother's family was from Jinwi and his family moved back to the area in 1955. He attended Songbuk Elementary starting in 1968 and he used the Jisan Hill path to get to school. (Source: Verbal Conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Mr. Kwon Oh-hoon, owner of Dongsung Realty, on 23 Aug 2005.) Mr. Kim Jae-won remembers walking to Songbuk school on what is now Burak Mountain Road and noting the large number of kilns that were used for making kimchi pots. He then proceeded to school along the base of the Burak Mountain. (Source: Verbal Conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Mr. Kim Jae-won, owner of Asia Hotel, on 26 Sep 2005.)
Intersection of MSR-1 and Road leading to Main Gate (1954) (Robert Furrer) NOTE: If this photo is of the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road) everything fits. One would have come out of the Shinjang Road at the Police Station and gone across the road to what is currently is a one-way road. This road would lead to the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road). To the left is Osan City and to the right is Seojong-ni. The line of hills in the distance is where the current road Route 1 to Pyongtaek runs. The village to the right is Are Konji-ni (Lower Konji Village) is where the Dongbu Apartments now stand. Mr. Oh Soon-so, owner of the Victoria Hotel, identified Are Konji-ni in the photo. His old ancestral family home was in Are Koniji-ni. (Source: Verbal Conversation Kalani O'Sullivan and Mr. Oh Soon-su, owner of Dongsung Realty, on 23 Aug 2005.)
The intervening space is rice fields with what appears to be a dirt path with sluice gates. This would be the present road that connects the old houses at the base of Jisan Hill to the Jisancheon (Stream) Road. (SITE NOTE: OPPOSITE OPINION: If one believes that the photo is of the original MSR-1 (Tanhyun Road), the path would have later become the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road - National Route 1) The 1952 aerial photo we have of the area does NOT show the area in question as it is just off the edge of the photo so we do not have conclusive proof whether the area was rice fields or had buildings. However, we do know that by the late 1950s the Songbuk Market area was already filled in. By 1961, the first express bus terminal was located on the original MSR-1 (Tanhyun Road).)
In the 1960s, the land on both sides of this path crossing the rice fields was gradually filled in and new construction took place spreading from the area of MSR-1 Bypass Road veered right. The growth started in this area as Songbuk-dong pushed east. Soon there were buildings from the path leading to Ojwa-dong and Are Konji-ni (now the Jisan Cheon (Stream) Bottom Road) and extended to the area of what is now the Jangmi Apartment Road (continuation of Terminal Ridge Road).
In the 1960s, the area between the future MSR-1 Bypass Road and the path was filled in to make room for expansion. The demarcation line for the 1960s expansion would be to the road east of where the Songbuk House Office is now. The buildings covered the area to the Songbuk Market Road to the east and Jangmi Apartment Road to the south and the Jisan Cheon (Stream) Bottom Road to the north. The areas above this area and towards Seojong-ni remained rice fields.
In the mid-1980s, the remainder of the rice paddies were filled in to create usable land for expansion into Jisan-dong. The hill to the right became the Jisan-dong park area.
SITE NOTE: On 17 Sep 2005, we met Bob Furrer at Osan AB. He stated that he remembered only ONE road leading to Pyeongtaek. He would turn right and go straight to Pyeongtaek. The problem is that this is MSR-1 -- NOT the MSR-1 Bypass. He did NOT remember going up the grade that is to the right even after we drove him over the grade. However, the ridge to the right of the intersection starts about a three hundred feet from the intersection and is not shown in the photo. (See the 1952 MSR-1 blowup photo above and note that to the right there is land immediately opposite the MSR-1)
Widening Access Road (Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road)) (1952) (Robert Evilsizor)
A 1952 photo of the widening of the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) just before the intersection shows the hill in the background that does not appear on Bob's photo. We believe this is the hill is the Terminal Ridge Road hill. This small hill would be slowly chopped away as the Koreans used the hill as fill for reclaiming the rice paddies that are shown in Bob's photo. The lower telephone poles mark the Kyongbu Railroad and the upper telephone poles mark the MSR-1 about 50 yards away. The MSR-1 veers to the right slightly and then goes up the ridgeline of which only the tip can be seen on the left.
On 1 July 1981, Songtan-eup (town) became Songtan-shi (city). Once completed, it was envisioned that the "center" of Songtan City would move to this area. Until the Songtan Bypass (Route 1) was completed, this bypass road would serve to connect the community to the City Hall under construction while the through-traffic would continue to use the MSR-1. The Route 1 project was finally completed in the mid-1990s. The following are segments of the MSR Bypass Road:
-
(a) Songbuk Market Road (MSR Bypass Road) The road was started in about 1972 and completed In the early 1980s. If one took the left cut-off at the Y-intersection, this was the MSR-1 Bypass Road (Songbuk Market Road). To the west of the Songbuk Market Road area in the 1950s was all rice fields and swamp. By the 1960s, the fields were filled in to make way for new housing. By the 1970s all the land from the Y-intersection to the Terminal Ridge Road area had been filled in to the right. To the left of the Songbuk Market road was still rice fields. There was a path in the rice fields that ran north-south that connected the Are Konji-ni (Lower Konji Village) area with the Jisan Hill farm houses. (SEE Robert Furrer's 1954 photo above for an illustration of this path.)
In 1972, the MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Road) underwent a renovation and widening of the road. At the same time, the "Y" intersection was created and Songbuk Market Road. The MSR-1 Bypass Road went past the Songbuk Achim Morning Market and continued on to where the Express Bus Terminal now is. It stopped there as the primary purpose was to provide for the needs of the expanding city in the areas reclaimed from the rice fields. It stopped until 1976 when Park Chung-hee approved the expansion of roads in the Songtan area. At this time, the construction of the Bukbu-Jungang Road was started.
- (b) Bukbu-Jungang Road (MSR Bypass Road) After the Bus Terminal that was moved to its new location in 1976, the Bukbu-Jungang Bypass Road was started. This was started in conjunction with the laying of a grid pattern for roads in the Jwa-dong and Jijang-ni area. MSR Bypass Road then changed its name to the Bukbu-Jungang Road and continued straight to Seojong-ni where one turned right to rejoin the original MSR-1. (NOTE: In the 1950s the intercity bus stop was on the original MSR-1 route near the where the Kukmin Bank is now. This MSR-1 Bypass Road is also referred to as "National Road 1" on some maps which has caused some confusion.) Much of the land along the sides of the road was was rice fields as it ran along the base of the hills leading to Seojong-ni. It ran past the base of the Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) and continued straight until the Seojeong-ni where it turned right to rejoin the original MSR-1 route near the Seojong-ni Opern Market.
Map of Jisan Hill and Jangmi Apart (2005) (Map at Songbuk-dong House Office) (NOTE: The green line in the middle is the Kyongbu Train line. The pink area shows the developed area in the 1970s. Below the Kyongbu line is the Shinjang area - stretching from Mokcheon Village on the north to the Milwal-Road area on the south. The area above the Kyongbu line stretches along MSR-1 Bypass road from the "Y" intersection area of MSR-1 and MSR-1 Bypass on the north to the end of Jisan Hill to the south. Above the MSR-1 Bypass Road, the development followed a path that stretched from the Jisan Stream Road (path) to the Bus Terminal Ridge Road junction.)
OTHER SONGTAN ROADS
(1) Jisan Stream Road The MSR-1 road from Osan-ni proceeded into the downtown area of Songtan until it came to a "Y" intersection. We believe that in 1952, there was also a small dirt road (path) near the "Y" intersection that led to Are Konji-ni (Lower Konji Village) and followed the Jisan Stream (Cheon). After 1955, this dirt road (path) also connected to the Songbuk Elementary School -- the first school in Songtan. After the stream was channeled through an underground culvert, it became the Jisan Stream (Cheon) Road. (SEE Jisan Stream Road) There was another route to Songbuk Elementary that followed the base of the Jisan Hill and Burak Mountain to the Jijang-ni area.
 
(L) Truck passing the arch at the Y-intersection. (1974) (Ken Shallenbarger); (R) Y-Intersection in "downtown" Songbuk-dong area. MSR-1 Bypass Road to left and old MSR-1 to right. To the left is known as Songbuk Market Road and to the right is Tanhyeon Road that led up the ridgeline. The sign is written in Chinese characters and there is a Lions Club shield in the center. "Songtan" is written in hangul (Korean) on the lower right leg of the arch. (1984) (Mike Dunnagan)
(2) Terminal Ridge Road ( The Shinjang overpass bridge was completed in 1977. In the late 1970s, the Terminal Ridge Road was cut in order to connect the Bypass MSR-1 (Songbuk Market Road-Bukbu Jungang Road) to the original MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Road-Jwa-dong Road). At the top of the ridgeline it then went down the ridge to the MSR Bypass road complete in the 1980s. The movement of the bus terminal was to relieve the congestion along MSR-1 near the entrance of the old Main Gate Road. In addition, new apartments were being built in the Jijang-ni where the new Songtan City Hall was under construction.
(3) Jwa-dong and Jijang-ni Roads ( From a historical standpoint, the Japanese adopted a Grid-pattern for their cities and towns in the 1880s. They used this pattern during the colonial period on any of the new construction throughout the country. However, there was NO pattern of this type of grid being used in the Songtan-Seojong area in the 1950s. Instead it followed the Korean pattern of following the topography ending up with meandering trails along the hillside. In 1977, the Korean government cut a grid pattern on the side of the hills from Jwa-dong to Jijang-ni. Many buildings were razed and its occupants had to move.
MSR-1 Intersection with Main Gate Road (Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road)) (circa 1953)
Blow up of MSR-1 Intersection with Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) (circa 1952) (51st FW Archives)
In the blowup of MSR-1 from the 1953 aerial view, MSR-1 runs from right to left. The intersection of the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) with the MSR-1 is to the right. The Terminal Ridge Road can barely be seen to the far right heading to the MSR-1 Bypass. If you follow MSR-1 up the ridgeline, you will see development of buildings along the MSR-1 right after the Terminal Ridge Road in the area of Jwadong Village. Brothels sprang up in this area. This would later become the "Sutkogae" area with its black-only clubs in the 1970s. The road proceeded down the ridge line and past the Jijang-ni Village area east of the MSR-1 (middle bottom of photo). Then there is no development along MSR-1 until the road reached Seojong-ni.
At the Main Gate area, Chicol-ni had already started expansion and the houses are spreading up Milwal-dong. However, along the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road), the houses only line the road because there is a sharp drop to the rice fields below on each side of the road. The rail spur intersects Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) and heads to the right. There is a small road that joins it from Sinjang-ni (near the Doolittle Gate side of Bomb Dump Hill). This is at the base of the present Songtan Catholic Church and was where the "Freight Gate" was located in 1953 (Beta Gate area).
(4) Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) The road was created by the Engineer Aviation Battalions (EAB) to connect to the old road from Chokpong-ni at the base of Hill 180. The road was built up of earth and elevated about 20 feet above the rice fields below. Slowly ramshackle houses of cardboard and ammo cans were built along the sides of this road. To the right (looking at the gate) were the original farmers in Chicol-ni. To the left (looking at the gate), sprang up the "cushion houses" (makoli houses). North Koreans started to cluster on the hills of Milwal-dong and soon spread to other the south side of the base.
Starting in the mid-1950s, there was a marked railway crossing at the Mokcheon intersection with a signal -- the present location of the Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass. In the 1960s, the road from the Main Gate to the MSR-1 was paved with macadam, but the MSR-1 remained a dirt road. Later in the 1970s a manned railway crossing was established across the tracks to connect to the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road). (NOTE: In 1977, the Shinjang Road Overpass was built and the crossing was closed. A block down, the Mokcheon underpass was constructed in the starting in 2000 and completed in 2004. The Mokcheon Road Pedestrian Underpass constructed in 2004 at the end of Shinjang Mall is sited at this former crossing.)
If you look at where the Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) joined the MSR-1 (Tanhyeon Road) at an angle, there is development to the east of the road. This is the location of the intercity bus terminal where the present Kukmin Bank is located. To the west is a small development area where the Jaeil Theater would be built behind what is now the Woori Bank.
At the intersection, the first Police Box was established in the 1960s on this route at the "Y"-intersection. (NOTE: The Songtan Police Box is located to the right of the intersection today.) It was also here that the first traffic lights were installed after the MSR-1 was paved in the mid-1970s. Instead of directing traffic from a police box, they controlled it from the sidewalk by controlling the lights.
 
(L) Police Box at Intersection to Main Gate on MSR-1 (1978) (Harry Tezlaf) (R) Police Box at Intersection on MSR-1 (1978) (Harry Tezlaf) (NOTE: This is now the Mokcheon Pedestrian Underpass area.)
Songtan Police Box in Songbuk-dong. Located near the Police box location in 1960s-1970s. (2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
ROUTE 1 (SONGTAN BYPASS) In the 1970s, Korea started a massive project to improve its mass transit systems. Subway work and highway construction started everywhere. By the mid-1970s, the Pusan-Seoul highway was complete and branches were being constructed off of the main highways to connect the nation.
By the 1980s, the highway system was complete and travel was relatively easy to move around, but there still was not an abundance of cars clogging the highways. Unlike Seoul, the traffic in Songtan still remained minimal as the explosion of automobiles in the Korean society still had not occurred in the country side. But the population in the Songtan area continued to grow. On 1 July 1981, Songtan-eup (town) became Songtan-shi (city).
By 1985, Korea was starting to be a major exporter of cars and domestic production was increasing rapidly. The cars were affordable and soon the traffic jams seen in the cities were being experienced in the countryside. More and more cars were starting to appear on the Songtan streets and soon parking became a problem in the once open streets. In the Songtan area, the original MSR-1 and MSR-1 Bypass were becoming bottlenecks.
Also in the mid-1980s, the infrastructure in the area was being improved in anticipation for the building of the national/regional/local industrial parks that would be moving into the area. The over-crowding in Seoul made the Korean government initiate a program to encourage factories to move to the Kyonggi-do areas surrounding Seoul -- of which the Songtan, Pyeongtaek, Anjung, Ansong and Hwaseong areas were slated for industrial parks. The Miracle of the Han was about to move into the area and this required some radical changes for the community.
The first step was to ensure the area had the infrastructure to support this development of industrial parks in the form of rail, roads and ship traffic. One of the major links in the 1980s was the Osan Toll Gate link to the Kyongbu Expressway so the highway infrastructure needed to be expanded. Route 40 to Pyeongtaek and Route 50 to Suwon were upgraded. (NOTE: There was a minor bottleneck in Osan City enroute to Suwon, but this was considered minor as the primary industrial park traffic was to be funneled to the Osan Toll Gate.) The West Coast Highway (Seohan Highway - Route 15) was started down in Sochon 22km from Kunsan in 1992 and would expand in both directions -- north to Seoul and south to Mokpo. Construction of the major routes in the area were undertaken. Construction on the Pyeongtaek Bridge along Route 15 was started in 1990. Pyeongtaek Harbor started work on the expansion of its piers, the rail systems were improved; and the roads were upgraded and expanded. In 2000, it was designated one of the five national harbors.
For the Songtan area, the removal of the bottleneck along the MSR-1 and MSR-1 Bypass Roads was required. (SEE MSR-1 and MSR-1 Bypass Road.) A new bypass route was laid out over the rise along the base of the Buraksan Mountain and stretched to the end of the Jungang-dong where it rejoined the original MSR-1 which then ran straight to Pyeongtaek.
It is important to remember that the area around the Jisan Hill area was swamp and rice fields in the "bowl" that was created by a rise that started at the base of the hills in the Songbuk-dong area and circled around following the ridgeline until it rejoined at the base of the Jisan Hill area. The Jisan Stream (Cheon) flowed past the area where the Songbuk Elementary School would be built in 1955 and followed the basic route of the present Jisan Stream (Cheon) Road. The Jisan Stream also filled the "sump area" created in the "bowl." A reservoir was created that was later called Paradise Lake (Boduchang) and used as a park area. The reservoir was formed by the convergence of the Burak Mountain and Jisan Hill on the south end and Jisan ridge line on the north end.
It was only in the late 1980s that this area was filled in and the new Route 1 bypass built that ran over the rise and along the base of the Buraksan Mountain to the east edge of the Paradise Lake area (dry ground). The low area between was filled by cutting into the Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) and the Burak Mountain to provide fill for the area. After the area was filled, the construction of low-rise (10 story) apartments were built on both sides of the Route 1 for lower-middle income families. The bulk of these apartments were completed by 1990.
Route 1 becomes Symbolic Merging Point for Songtan and Seojong The Route 1 cut through the meeting point of the Jisan Park Hill (Songtan Park) and the Burak Mountain. It was at this point that the merging of Seojong-myeon and Songtan-eup to form the new Songtan City in 1981 brought about a symbolic change as the center of the city was now shifted to along this route.
The new City Hall was built along this route and the new center of the city in Ichung-dong was planned. (NOTE: The Songtan City administration first wanted to build the new City Hall atop the Jisan Hill, but the owner of the property would not sell. Therefore, the construction took place on the present location at the base of the Burak Mountain.) To the west, the new Seojong Tourism Road was built to become the financial and business center of the area. This was a massive undertaking as they were literally constructing a new center of the city. The Shinjang area near the base was not a good location with its congestion. The old Seojong-ni area was too far away from the established business center of Songtan along the MSR-1 on Tanhyeon Road.
Air Force Village looking towards Songtan City Hall (1986) (Frank Schreier) (NOTE: Songtan City Hall is to the right in background. The first row of the Segyong Apartments (5-story) are going up.)
Air Force Village looking towards Pyeongtaek (1986) (Frank Schreier)
Between Burak Mountain Road and the Seojong Tourism Road, low-rise apartments were built to house the new influx of workers to the area. The first apartment complex was the Foreigners Apartments (Miguk Apatu) built under a lease agreement with the Korean National Housing Corportation (KNHC) for the USAF. Osan AB referred to this as "Air Force Village" but in actuality only about half of the area was used for the Air Force with the rest rented to Koreans because of the lack of full occupancy by the USAF. The second apartments to go up was the 5-story Segyong Apartments closest to the City Hall, followed by the 5-story Dongsan Apartments to the west. After these were constructed smaller three-story apartments were built across the MSR-1 Bypass Road along with the Jijang Elementary School.
The Ichung-dong area was planned to house the upscale apartments for Songtan City. The Kyungmoon College was established in 1983 and the Eunhae Girls Middle School was erected across from the college. The new Civic Center and the Leports Sports area was constructed.
The Route 1 was now a four lane highway from Osan City that expanded to an eight-lane highway after it entered Songtan. The new Route 1 proceeded straight until it curved right to rejoin the original MSR-1 route in Jungang-dong. In addition, the side roads into the countryside where the industrial growth would take place were improved to connect the industrial areas to Route 1. (NOTE: The back roads of Route 304 in Jinwi-myeon and Route 340 through Seojong-ni would have to wait another twenty years before any improvements were seen.)
Housing along Route 1 In conjunction with this expansion of the road systems, there was a move to ensure the adequacy of housing for the increase in worker populations. In the Songtan area, the change involved the reclamation of the rice fields and swamp land in low areas near the MSR-1 Bypass Road and the building of apartment complexes on the reclaimed areas. The first of the new apartments was the Foreigners Apartments funded by Pyeongtaek-Gun to meet the off-base housing needs of Osan AB. However, the building was considered substandard by American standards -- and overpriced for Korean standards. Other apartments were the Hondo Apartments along the Jwa-dong section of the MSR-1. However, most Osan AB personnel living downtown found housing near the base with house rents in the $200-250 range -- with single room apartments much cheaper. At this time, 70 percent of the population of Songtan resided within 1 km of the base.
After the reclamation of lands along the MSR-1 started, the first "new" were the Life Apartments after the Jisan Stream was diverted into an underground culvert. Construction complete in late-1980s. Then the Daelim and Dongbu Apartments across from the Songbuk Elementary were erected along the Upper Jisan Cheon (Stream) Road with construction complete in early 1990s.
The first of the apartments in Jisan were the Jangmi Apartments (followed by the Jaeil Apartments) near the Jisan Hill (Songtan Park). After the Boduchang Reservoir (Paradise Lake) was drained, the Kunyong and Hyundai Apartments were built. However, on the reclaimed ground, the apartment height was restricted to only ten stories because the land was previously swamp land. Construction was complete in 1990. In the areas that were carved out of the Jisan Hill, the Miju and Jisan Hanming Apartments were built, along with the Jisan Elementary School. Construction complete in 1995.
But soon other apartment complexes began to go up as the land was reclaimed along Route 1. The Miju and Aju-1 Apartments near Songbuk Elementary were the first on the Burak Mountain side of the road. Construction complete in 1990. The Songtan Middle School was created in the area carved out of Burak Mountain.
During the same time as the apartments were going up, the construction on the new Route 1 continued. Curley Knepp remembers that in 1989 some airmen were using the graded (but still unpaved road) as a landing strip for their model airplanes.
After these apartment complexes were completed in 1990, the work started on the Ichung-dong area as the new administrative center and "middle ground" between the Songtan and Seojong-ni areas. The first was the Ichung Kunyong Apartments, followed by the Buyong 1, 2 & 3 Apartments and the Miju Apartments. The Ichung Elementary School was constructed in the midst of the apartment complexes.
The construction started on the Route 1 began in the mid-1980s using fill from the hill near the Songtan Registrar's Office. The Songtan Branch Office of the Pyeongtaek City Hall was constructed in the Ichung-dong area in the mid-1980s. (NOTE: The City Council Assembly Hall and City Office buildings would be constructed in the 1990s.) At the same time the City Hall was being constructed, the new "Air Force Village" or Foreigners' Apartments (Miguk Apartu) were being constructed along the Burak Mountain Road. The construction was complete in 1985 -- but only half of the village was occupied so the KNHC allowed half of the facilities to be leased to Koreans. In 1985, the construction of the 5-story Segyong Apartments were started followed by the Dongsan Apartments to the west. After the construction was complete in 1990, the new construction along Seojong Tourism Road was started.
After the complexes were complete in the area of the Songtan City Hall, the construction started between the MSR-1 Bypass Road and the old MSR-1. Low-rise apartment complexes (3-story) were built in the 1990s and the Jijang Elementary School constructed.
Low-rise apartments were built in the Seojong-ni area along the MSR-1 Bypass (Shinseon Road). The Jungong Apartments and Songil Elementary were constructed in the late 1990s.
The face of Songtan City was changed from a bar-row town into a rural city. At the same time, the construction in the city was going on, there was work and planning going on at the national, provincial and local areas to set up industrial complexes to attract factories and plants to relocate to Pyeongtaek. In 1990, the construction of the local Songtan Industrial Complex in Jungang-dong at the southern boundary of Songtan was started. Drawn by attractive tax incentive packages many companies relocated to the complex in 1991-1992. The complex was officially completed in 2000.
On 10 May 1995, Songtan City was incorporated into the urban agricultural city of Pyeongtaek City and the Songtan started to lose its identity as a separate entity.
By 2000, both sides of the Route 1 were lined with apartment complexes and new construction for the large scale apartment complex in the Jungang area was started with a completion date in 2006.
Industrial Areas along Route 1 When Songtan City was formed by combining Seojong-myeon and Sontan-eup in 1981, the plans were already in the works to local factories to the Kyonggi-do outlying areas as Seoul was becoming overcrowded -- taxing the highways and infrastructure to the limits. The Seoul government was in work to move the industry out of the Seoul area.
At the same time, the new Songtan City wanted to distance itself from its old image of dependence on Osan AB on its economy -- and the resultant sordid image of a "bar town." Songtan embraced the idea of forming a local industrial area to attract factories and new business to the area. The Songtan Local Industrial area along Route 1 in Jangdang-dong was started in 1990 just before Songtan City was incorporated into Pyeongtaek City. After the incorporation, Songtan-dong was formed as a new administrative unit by changing the name of Dongbu-dong on 19 April 1996 by Pyeongtaek City Ordinance No. 197. Taewon dong was joined to Songtan-dong and split off Mokgok, Chilgoe, Gajae, Changan, Chilwon and Doil to be developed as industrial areas.
Construction is in progress to extend the network of roads to connect the industrial plants to major arteries of traffic and upgrade the small country roads. The area extends up to the Songtan Interchange and includes the Pyeongtaek-Songtan Local Industrial complex. The areas affected:
- (a) Mokgok-dong Pyeongtaek-Songtan Local Industrial Complex south of Seojong-ni -- Abuts Jangdang Local Industrial complex)
Songtan Industrial area (Mokgok-dong)
- (b) Chilgoe-dong (part of Chilgoe Local Industrial Area south-east of Songtan Industrial area)
- (c) Gajae-dong (south-east of Songtan Industrial area)
- (d) Chilwon-dong (part of Chilgoe Local Industrial area southwest of Seojong)
- (e) Doil-dong. (southwest of Seojong)
ON-BASE ROADS
The on-base roads that were laid out in 1952-54 have not changed dramatically. Though new buildings have been added and old ones destroyed, the same basic routes laid out at that time have been followed. The major construction period in the mid-1970s by the 554th CESHR Det 1 "Red Horse" added a few roads but the main routes remained the same.
Blowup of Main Base area from 1952 aerial view of area (51st FW Archives) (NOTE: Presence of Chokbong Village on Hill 180 where the 18th FBW billets would be built indicates this was taken in mid-1952.)
The blowup of the base in 1952 shows that the original road from the Main Gate to the 839th EAB area ran basically on the same route from the Main Gate to the Commissary area. This route had been graded to make the route passable and the earth used as fill for Main Gate Road (Shinjang Mall Road) construction. To the left of the Main Gate as you entered the base was the helicopter pad. Behind this area the road led to the Anti-aircraft batteries at the highest point on Hill 180. This is now a soccer field for the ROKAF.
The road proceeded over the hill to the Quarry area (decomposed granite used for runway fill). This is the present location of the Osan American High School and Commissary. It jogged to the right following Texas Street and then down until the 839th EAB area (Broadway) where the road proceeded straight ahead to the airstrip (MAC Terminal Road). (NOTE: The road actually started out at Alabama Road when the 839th started to excavate the north tip of Hill 180 for fill. Working on three tiers, it was chopped back to a little past Texas Road. The hill was then sloped to build the 18th FBW Officer billets at the top of the hill with swimming pool, chapel and service clubs below it and finally enlisted barracks at the base. This area on Hill 180 was the former location of Chokbong Village.)
After the quarry area, the road jogged right along what is now Alabama Road. The 841st EAB was on both sides of the road until they left for Kunsan (K-8) in late 1952-early 1953. Texas Road was the primary earth hauling road from the quarry operations and ran straight down into what is now the MAC Terminal Road that ran to the airstrip. Railspur and Broadway intersected this road. The 839th EAB occupied the area where the Base Movie Theater and Tumuli Lodge are now located.
Osan AB Road Map (1999) (AAFES)
SITE NOTE: The Bravo Gate is where the original 839th EAB entered the area while the Hill 180 Main Gate road was being constructed. (NOTE: The EAB tent-city was located near the AMC ramp and Red Horse area.) The road to the left of the Doolittle Gate would be part of the original Perimeter Road where many small hamlets to the North of the base were cleared. Prior to the Osan AB construction, there were villagers living along this hillside which became the Beta Ammo Dump area. Shinjang-ni at the end of the runway is an original village with many of the Japanese style structures still standing today.
The road to the right comes to an intersection. If one turns left, this is the Bravo Gate area. To the left is Bomb Dump Hill and to the right is the "dimple area" of Namsan Village offbase. The rail spurs split at the base of Hill 170 with one going straight ahead until it joined it came to the Supply Warehouse (still standing). The second spur followed the base of the hill until the POL tanks on Hill 170.
The road that goes straight ahead leads up to Hill 170 where the Signal Company set up their antenna farm. Continuing to the right the road swings around the base of Hill 170 and the POL tanks up on the sides of the hill.
The road then swings south and straightens out. The 841st set up their billeting to the right and left of the road just after it swung south in the area of the Challenger Club today. (Ed McManus: "The road then took a right hook down between Hill 170 and Hill 180 to the Airfield Area." "The 841st cantonment area was to the right and left of the road with some elements located on the southeast side of 170." In 1952, there still was a Korean village on the Hill 170 (on-base).)
The road continues till the intersection of Broadway and Headquarters Road. It was along this stretch that the 839th EAB was located. (Ed McManus: "The billeting area was to the left toward Hill 180 and the catonment area to the right toward the flightline.") During the Korean War, the headquarters area developed in the area where the current BX is located, but these quonset huts burned down in a large fire in early 1970s. The enlisted lived on the lower levels of Hill 180 or in compounds next to their duty sections. The BX, Chapel and Library were located on the next tier up. Above this area were the officer billets (a mixture of Jamesway buildings and quonsets huts). The Officer's club was on the hill but each flying squadron had their own squadron bars near their squadron areas.
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The enlisted barracks were built at the base of the hill near the work areas. The enlisted barracks were initially plywood prefab Jamesway buildings. The roofs were corrugated iron and were sandbagged down to keep the sheets from blowing off. Sides were normally covered in layered wood slates, but the ones at Osan appear to be completely covered in corrugated iron sheets.
Jamesway with corrugated iron siding (1961) (Jim Denman)
Broadway and Headquarters Road (Songtan Boulevard) (1958): Up until Mustang Village and the Commissary was built in the mid-1970s, there was no road over the hill as it is today. The road went up the hill to the officer billets and ended near the top of the rise.
To the left in the photo below is the Supply warehouse -- Osan's first permanent building. The two hangars that were used by the fighter units and later by the 310th Missile Squadron is behind the Supply buildings. Next to the hangars is the Base Ops ramp with parked C-47s. The "C" Diamond is still distinct in this photo, but would later become simply a hardstand off the picture with the AMC ramp towards the taxiway. There were two hangars on "C" Diamond and two hangars on "A" Diamond back.
The Headquarters buildings are in the foreground. These structures burned down in a massive fire in 1971. This is now the Library area. The road that runs behind these quonsets is Headquarters Road. (NOTE: The Korean village of Chokbong used to sit in this area in 1952.) The old 839th EAB area is to the right of Headquarters Road which ran up the hill. Later it would be renamed Songtan Boulevard.
Alabama and Texas Roads (1958): In the photo below, the POL tanks and the antennas atop Hill 170 remain from the Korean War. Just below the POL tanks is the road from the Back Gate area (Doolittle Gate). Atop Hill 170 is the "antenna farm" for the communication units. At the juncture of the road running down from the "antenna farm" and the road at the base of the hills is the intersection that splits to the right and becomes Broadway Street and continues down to intersect with Headquarters Road.
Directly below the antennas are a row of quonset huts. Just below these huts is a road that runs and then curves down. This is the road that now has the Challenger Club and the old McPherson Recreation Center where it intersects with is Alabama Road. Alabama ran east and turned right when it reached the quarry area (now the Commissary). Portions of Alabama Road can be seen to the left and right of the picture. (NOTE: Originally Hill 180's northern tip was at Alabama Road. The 839th EAB cut into the nose and used it as an earth fill quarry for the runway construction. This quarry was operated with three "benches" (or tiers) until it cut the nose back to a little past Texas Road. This quarry was only for earth fill. The stone quarry was located near the South Gate of Suwon.
The 841st was located on both sides of Alabama Road and Texas Road was used to carry the earth to the runway. The road running past the 554th CESHR building (Terminal Road) was the original road used to carry the quarry materials to the runway.
The next street down is Texas Road which continues to the left and right. Texas headed east and ran into the quarry area. The next road in front of the Jamesway buildings on the left and extending up past the swimming pool is the Headquarters Road. The swimming pool marks the boundary of the BOQ area.
At the same time, the road to the Main Gate was constructed as fill from the hill side made the road's incline more managable. (NOTE: The road up the hill (Headquarters Road) ended in the officers billets at the top of Hill 180. The side to the Commissary was undeveloped until the mid-1970s with the construction of Mustang Village and Commissary area. The Commissary area until the mid-1970s was a sump area that required over fifteen feet of fill to be built up before the Commissary could be built.)
The next road down intersects with the road coming from the right. The left road is one that ran behind the Headquarters about a block down the road. The road on the right the is curving down to intersect with the road behind the HQ buildings about a block down the road. The road coming down from the right is the road that runs below the Officers Club and then heads up to the Hardened Communications Center on Hill 180.
Looking towards Hill 170 (
The new barracks were poured concrete slabs on the ends with prefab walls and floors. These structures were susceptible to fire because of the prefab construction materials. One end was the entrance and the other end was a fire exit with a ladder fire escape. Latrines were at the end.
New concrete structures with prefab sections and walls (1961) (Jim Denman) (Note: The comments of Hill 180 are an urban legend. See "1951" above for story.)
The northern tip of Hill 180 was next to Texas Road. The quarry operations started at this point. Notice how this Texas Road comes straight down and then crosses Broadway and heads diagonally to the flightline. This is the road used for the fill operations of the runway that ran next to the 839th EAB heavy equipment parking area. (Ed McManus: "The quarry was located on the northern tip of 180. After the overburden was removed by pan, the quarry/Rock crusher was started about 200 yards south of the main road. After the nose of 180 was uncovered, we started the quarry first one bench, and then two. Before I left we were ready to start a third bench." (NOTE: A "bench" is a tier to quarry at multiple levels simultaneously.))
The quarry was dug into the Hill 180 by the 839th EAB carving out the area of the Osan American Highschool and then working into the area of the present day Commissary. The tip of the Hill 180 was slowly cut back until it was nearly in line with the road that presently comes over the Mustang Village Hill. This quarry was only used for fill. Co. B of the 839th EAB maintained a stone quarry just outside of Suwon.
(NOTE: After the Korean War this quarry area was only good as a sump area where the "Turtle Pond" (after the Yi Taehyun "turtle) stele) was situated. In the mid-1970s Det 1 554th CESHR (Red Horse) undertook to fill the area and raised the level fifteen feet with fill to provide the level land that the Osan American High School and Commissary are now built upon. At the same time, the Mustang Village was constructed under Korean contract for dependent families.
 
Turtle Monument and Turtle Pond near CE Compound (1965) (Harry Tezlaf) (SEE "2000" for details of stele.)
The first road to the Main Gate from this area took a four-wheel drive to navigate it in 1952 according to Don Tomajan making it a dangerous route at first. However, the quarrying operations cut the hill down until by mid-1952, the road was a more navigable route and the Main Gate became the primary gate for Osan AB (K-55). (NOTE: Until the Main Gate was opened, the entrance was through the "freight gate" that came in through the present Bravo Gate area.) After the Korean War, the area to the left of the Main Gate as one entered the base had been returned to the ROKAF when they assumed the air defense (anti-aircraft duty) for the base. The area to the right became the USAF family housing area -- primarily for senior officers. The road continued down the hill and veered right. The old housing Jamesway Housing (plywood and corrugated iron) billets on Hill 180 were abandoned in the 1960s for the newer two-story cinderblock barracks structures built along Alabama Road. In the 300-area, two 1960s buildings remain: the McPherson Recreation Center (1963) and EOD Building (1962).
The base of the Hill 180 area was the primary headquarters, supply and support areas. (SUPPOSITION) The upper level of Hill 180 in the area where the present Officer's Club is located was the location of the officer billets. Along Headquarters road leading up the hill across the street from the Officer's Club Parking lot was the swimming pool.
The road then continued down Broadway and made a curving loop turn along the base perimeter. (Ed McManus: "The road proceeded north and east running around Hill 180, parallel to the runway/taxiway with the warehouse and parking diamonds in the area between to the 840th Bn area that was scheduled to be the second wing housing area and support activities Motor Pool etc.") At the extreme end of this road is a ROKAF soccer field. This is where the anti-aircraft unit for Hill 180 was stationed and the Hill 180 Gate was opened.
When the construction for the second wing started in this area, the 840th EAB was sent to Seoul. This second wing never appeared as the Armistice was signed and the area eventually became the golf course area. (NOTE: The roads in this area have been reworked extensively after the 1970s for expansions, dormitory constructions and improvements to make the Golf Course into an 18-hole course. Besides the perimeter road and ROKAF areas, there is very little left of the original roads graded by the EAB remaining in this area.)
The first road was from MSR-1 to the back gate area (Doolittle Gate). The bomb dump had the munitions stored in the earthen revetments dug into both sides of the hill. (NOTE: This area is now known as the Beta site area for the on-base storage area. Half of the hill next to Shinjang-1 dong has been returned to the ROK.) This road was only used temporarily until the road to the Main Gate over Hill 180 was completed. As the 839th EAB proceeded to construct a massive concrete warehouse and the long supply building -- along with proceeding with the runway construction, other crews were busy constructing a road from MSR-1 to the Hill 180 side. After this road was completed, the back gate road fell into disuse.
The bombs were hauled to the Bomb Dump Hill area by trains that ran from the Kyongbu line through the Jae Yok-dong area (Shinjang-dong) into the freight gate located at the tip of the bomb dump hill to the right of the picture. (The freight cars with munitions are seen in front of the revetments.) This rail spur then went around the base of Hill 170 were it split. Then one line went to the POL tanks at the base of Hill 170 and the supply warehouse at the base of Hill 180 now across from the BX. Heavy equipment for the 839th EAB was also brought into the base by this rail line. (SEE Freight Gate Road.)
First Permanent Building on K-55 (1952) (Robert Evilsizor) (NOTE: The village of Chokpong is seen in the foreground before it was relocated. The 839th EAB area is to the right. The road leading over Hill 180 (Headquarters Road) is at the base of the village to the right. Heading up the hill the vegetable fields are to the right and EAB area to the left. The intersection at the warehouse (Broadway) is now the intersection of the BX and Movie Theater with Headquarters Road. Incidentally, Headquarters Road was named for the headquarters buildings that were situated where the BX is now located that burned down in a massive fire in the early 1970s.)
839th EAB Seal at Bldg 817 (Jul 2005) (Kalani O'Sullivan)
A large number of rice paddies were situated where the runway now lies. During construction, the water-table being so close to the surface created many problems. A grader actually sank into the mud during construction -- though it only sank up to its wheels according to photos in 1952. A levee on the north side next to the Chinwi River and drainage culverts had to be dug to drain the water.
Ed McManus, Col, USA (Ret) wrote to Don Tomajan (June 17, 2001):
"...Field was to be capable of handling F-86s and C-54 Cargo Aircraft.We had just about everything drop in. Our first customer was an F9J from MAG 33 at Pyongtaek that made an emergency wheels up landing in the Jun/Jul timeframe when the RW was under construction. The conrete lanes were 25 feet wide, 6 for the RW which was 150 feet wide. The paver had to be modified to handle 25 foot lanes from its normal 20 ft capability. The haul for river run was 22 miles round trip from 839 borrow area.
Construction sequence for the RW fill was first a sand pad hauled from the river just north of base by D-8 and Pan and until the turnadozers arrived this was followed by fill, earth either trucked from borrow pits Hill l70 and l80 or brought in by dozer and pan. When the turnadozers arrived this was their primary function. Next came the River run and crushed rock from the quarry at Anyang (by rail) or from my quarry on hill 180. The design met CBR requirements and this was topped with an 8 inch unreinf(orced) concrete pavement w/const and expansion joints.
The big problems were the water table, flooding from river north of RW (large drainage ditches, protective dike/bern, pumps,dragline) spare parts, operator training (heavy on OJT and hard on equipment maintenance) supply of construction materials, lightsets/generators for night operations and weather conditions-monsoon rains, heat,cold. My big problems at the quarry were the loss of drill steel due to fissures in the granite wall, explosive availability, replacement engine and jaws for the 150 ton primary unit. We wore that baby out with continuous two 10 hour shifts per day.
My dynamite came from Japan, when it came. I got a boxcar of frozen dynamite that we had to defrost - a dangerous operation. My demo people were not authorized demolition pay and we blasted every day were as the AF EOD/Bomb people on base got it. One of the minor irritants that proved SCARWAF were neither fish nor fowl as far as the AF was concerned.
When we ran out of dynamite we resorted to the use of black powder and C-4 demolition blocks scronged from the Army. The bore holes we drilled were round and the C-4 blocks were square so it was necessary to shave the corners off the length of each block so we could slide them in the hole. The chemicals in the C-4 turned the skin of my demo people yellow -- I mean bright yellow all over -- looked like they had a very bad case of jaundice. The black powder and primer cord didn't work too well, after every blast the area might be covered with unexploded black powder pellets. But we had to keep up production otherwise it meant a 22 mile haul or rock by rail from Anyang. ..." (Site Note: The "sand pit mentioned was near the villages of Yari and Shin-Yari which were relocated during the construction of the perimeter road.)
Ed McManus, Col, USA (Ret) wrote to Don Tomajan (July 13, 2005):
"At the time of construction, the main road came off Rt 1, east across the RR Line and thru the 839th Area which straddled the road. Hqrs etc 839th on the left. cantonment area on right."
839th EAB Area (1952) (Robert Evilsizor)
"The road then took a right hook down between Hill 170 and Hill 180 to the Airfield Area. The 841st cantonment area was to the right and left of the road with some elements located on the southeast side of 170. " (NOTE: This "right hook" would be the road leading down into the MAC Terminal area.)
"There was a small village located adjacent to our camp on the 170 side of the road, north of us. We had two companies on the left side of the road, B&C with hill 180 to their back." (SITE NOTE: The small village noted by Col McManus are the houses on Hill 170 (on-base side) that Robert Evilsizor, Commander of Co. A, 839th EAB, took home movies of when they were disassembling the thatch roofs of the houses and transporting them off-base to the south via oxen along the taxiway. These villagers were part of Chokpong-ni.)
"The road proceeded north and east running around Hill 180, parallel to the runway/taxiway with the warehouse and parking diamonds in the area between to the 840th Bn area that was scheduled to be the second wing housing area and support activities Motor Pool etc. (This is why the 840th was the first Bn scheduled to move from Osan because their area was needed for construction.)" (SITE NOTE: The village of Chokpong situated just above the long Supply Warehouse was also relocated. The 840th EAB was transferred to construction projects in rebuilding the infrastructure of the Seoul area. The second wing never appeared as the Korean War Armistice was signed in July 1953.)
Early Preparation of Runway Construction (1952) (Robert Evilsizor)
"There was a levee on the north side of the base to protect the area from the flooding river. In addition we built a main drainage ditch that isolated the airfield proper." (SITE NOTE: (SUPPOSITION) There is a possibility that the back gate road that was initially used to move equipment to the base might have been a levee. On the Map of Shinjang 1-dong area the back gate road shows hash marks that indicate a levee. However, on another 1950 map, there were only two levees to the northwest of the base along the Chinwi Stream. This requires research.)
K-55 Runway (1952) (Don Tomajan) (NOTE: To the lower left corner is the Doolittle Gate area with the road running to the perimeter. The villages to the lower left is the Shinjang-ni village area. Over the Bomb Dump Hill in the "dimple area" of Hill 170 is the Namsan Village.
The path of the Hwangkoji River has been redirected. It used to twist like a coiled snake, but now its path is much straighter after flood control projects. The Jinwi River continues to run to the north of the base almost perpendicular to the runway and but now the Jinwi River path is farther away from the base perimeter. The Jinwi River connects to the Hwangkoji River up near the upper right hand corner of the picture and then runs to the left top of the picture. At the south end of the runway, there is a bridge over the river that connects to Seotan-myeon. The entire area to the west of the base (top left) has been turned into rice fields and is uniformly flat. There is only one village located in the area about half-way down the runway. A road now runs parallel with the perimeter on the south end to the Jinwi River. At the south end of the runway, the entry to the base is blocked by ROK riot police.) |
Osan AB Runway Map (Circa 1952) (NOTE: This is from the south end of the runway towards Seotan-myeon. The Diamond A-D well shown. Note that the Jinwi River is actually touching the base perimeter and would later be redirected.)
Osan AB Runway Map (2000) (NOTE: The ill-fated F-84s Fighter Interceptors are from Suwon. Sent to escort the B-29s over the north, though they had an advanced radar system, the system proved so unreliable that the SAC commanders asked the F-94s NOT be used. Instead, they requested the exclusive use of the VMF-513 E-3Bs. In fact, the only MiG kill for an F-84 came when it collided with a MiG because it had a radar lock problem.)
Osan AB Runway Map (2000) (NOTE: Diamond A-D and AMC ramp areas.)
"The first railroad spur was built from the main line on the west side of 170 that led to the warehouse area which was used to bring in construction materials primarily the cement for the airfield paving. This was on the north side of the Drainage ditch to the south side of the taxiway. My company put in a raised spur on the south side of the drainage ditch between the ditch and hill 170, into an area that was designated a class IV yard. I don't know wether or not this splitting of the spur into separate lines is causing the question about the spurs." (SITE NOTE: We had raised the question in Jul 2005 of the possibility of two spurs OUTSIDE the base because of comments in an article. Col. McManus response ended the discussion as it was apparent they were referring to two ON-BASE spurs.)
"We constructed a fence between the Class IV yard and the village area referred to above as located to the north side of the 841st backing on hill 170." (SITE NOTE: This is the perimeter fence line that exists today in the Namsan Village area.)
"It should be noted here that we altered the topography of both 170 and 180 since these areas were the source of the fill for construction of everything above rice paddy level. the north point of Hill 170 was the location of the signal antenna farm, POL Storage tanks and the Base Water plant and storage tanks."
"The Bomb dump at that time was located on the west side of the railroad spur and hill 170 before the spur split into the north and south branches around the tip of 170. Where the hell is Doolittle Gate located? It is after my time."
"The quarry was located on the northern tip of 180. After the overburden was removed by pan, the quarry/Rock crusher was started about 200 yards south of the main road. After the nose of 180 was uncovered, we started the quarry first one bench, and then two. Before I left we were ready to start a third bench." (SITE NOTE: The northern tip of Hill 180 at the time was at what is now Alabama Road and in-line with the Mustang Village. This was the quarry fill area. The first photos show a "S" shaped road going around the tip. After the Korean War, the Commissary area was nothing but a sump area -- not usable for construction. In the mid-1970s, the 554th CESHR raised the level over fifteen feet to make it usable terrain for the Osan American Highschool and Commissary.)
"After the AF moved into the first wing housing area and the main PX was established near the road we were still blasting away twice a day for rock for the remaining two parking diamonds (early 53)."
"Additionally an anti-aircraft outfit moved in and wanted the top of 180 for gun positions and their battery areas." (SITE NOTE: This is now the location of the ROKAF Air Defense elements. If one drives on the perimeter road around to the top of Hill 180, one comes to a soccer field. This is the area the EAB cleared for the anti-aircraft units.)
"Blasting operations were restricted due to AF objections to once a day and the PX manager only had to refill his shelves once a day after the blast shook everything off." (SITE NOTE: The quarry is where the commissary is now, while the PX (Post Exchange) was located in a quonset hut in the area of where the Officers Club is today.)
"After I left May53, the rock crusher and quarry was shut down, The crusher was moved with the 841st to Kunsan (K-8) leaving only the 839th at Osan." (SITE NOTE: The 841st completed the new North-South runway at Kunsan when it took over operations |
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