Gyeongbu

Gyeongbu refers to the major north–south corridor in South Korea that links the capital city Seoul with Busan, the country’s largest port and second-largest city. The term is used for two complementary transportation components along this axis: the Gyeongbu Line, a conventional rail route, and the Gyeongbu Expressway, a principal highway connecting the same endpoints.

The Gyeongbu Line (경부선;京釜線) is the main rail trunk that has long served as Korea’s backbone for passenger and freight traffic between Seoul and Busan. Managed and operated by Korail, the line passes through major intermediate cities such as Suwon, Daejeon, and Daegu. In recent decades, high-speed services have operated on parallel routes and upgraded sections of the corridor, while the traditional line remains integral to regional and freight transport.

The Gyeongbu Expressway (경부고속도로) is one of South Korea’s earliest and most heavily traveled expressways. Opened in the early 1970s, it established a direct and rapid overland link between Seoul and Busan and remains a central artery for road traffic, freight movement, and regional economic integration. The expressway’s route serves numerous provincial cities and connects with other expressways to form the backbone of the national road network.

In contemporary usage, Gyeongbu denotes the Seoul–Busan axis as a whole, often referenced in discussions of infrastructure planning, economic development, and transportation policy. The corridor symbolically represents South Korea’s rapid modernization and sustained economic growth since the mid-20th century.