Changing Landscape of the Kimpo-Bupyong Plains

The Kimpo Plains represents a series of floodplains on the rivers of Anyang, Koolpo, Keolpo, Bongsungpo, etc. Yet the Koolpo river valley has been called exceptionally by the vernacular name of Bupyong Plains. Although the Kimpo-Bupyong Plains laid for a long time underutilized due to the presence of internal swamps and recurrent flooding and droughts, consistent efforts had been made to enhance the intensity of the land use, including the construction of Grand Reservoir and the draining projects prior to the 14 century and th other hydraulic engineering undertakings thereafter. Despite the speedy progression of internal improvement driven by the chartered estates of royal family and local governments in Joseon Korea and the institutionalization of reclamation by Emperor Kojong, it was Japanese colonial capitalists assisted by ‘Utilization Act of Unreclaimed National Land’ that monopolized the profits. Multi-use pasture became the main target of improvement to be usurped by Japanese landlords and colonial companies. The establishment of modern irrigation associations for flood-prevention, irrigation and drainage played essential roles in water control and landscape transformation. The town at Sosa Station and the Military-Industry complex in the neighborhood of Bupyong Station mediated the shaping of Seoul-Incheon conurbation. The ongoing industrialization and urbanization have replaced the agrarian land with post-industrial landscape.