Video Script
Yongsan History Museum
Full script and on-screen information from "Yongsan History Museum" (2022), an institutional film for YONGSAN HISTORY MUSEUM. Produced by greatminds.
Chapters
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Origin of the Name Yongsan and Joseon Dynasty Government Offices
Explains the origin of the name Yongsan, derived from its topography surrounded by the ridge of Muaksan Mountain and the Han River, alongside Joseon-era government offices such as Gunjagambyeolchang, Binggo, and Waseo.
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Yongsan as a Logistics Hub and the Rise and Fall of Gyeonggang Merchants
Covers Yongsan's growth as a Han River port where tribute grains converged and Gyeonggang merchants flourished, followed by their decline after the late 19th-century opening of ports and the arrival of foreign steamships.
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The Russo-Japanese War and Japanese Land and Railway Exploitation
Describes the forced relocation of Dunjimi village residents for Japanese military base construction following the 1904 Russo-Japanese War, and colonial resource exploitation through 510,000 pyeong of railway land.
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Post-Liberation US Military Presence and Settlement of Diverse Cultures
Highlights the formation of the Dokkaebi Market and Haebangchon following the long-term stationing of US troops after the Korean War, the 1976 opening of the Seoul Central Mosque, and Yongsan's transition into an inclusive multicultural hub.
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History of Yongsan Railroad Hospital and the Opening of Yongsan History Museum
Presents the history of the former Yongsan Railroad Hospital, which operated as a general hospital for about 100 years, and its rebirth as the Yongsan History Museum preserving modern cultural heritage.
Key facts from the film
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The place name Yongsan was given because the terrain surrounded by the ridge of Muaksan Mountain west of the capital and the Han River stream resembled a dragon.
“도성 서쪽의 무악산에서 뻗은 산줄기와 한강 물줄기에 둘러싸인 형세가 마치 용 같다 하여 지어진 지명, 용산.”
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During the Joseon Dynasty, major government offices such as Gunjagambyeolchang for military supplies, Binggo for ice storage, and Waseo for tile supply were located in Yongsan.
“한성부 관할 아래 군수물자를 저장하고 출납하던 군자감별창, 얼음을 보관하는 빙고와 기와를 공급하는 와서 등 주요 관서가 자리 잡고 있었죠.”
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Gyeonggang merchants accumulated wealth and dominated the market economy of Joseon by transporting tribute grains from various regions.
“세곡 운송으로 부를 축적하며 조선의 시장 경제를 장악했죠.”
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Following the opening of ports in the late 19th century, foreign steamships replaced traditional sailboats in transportation, causing Gyeonggang merchants to decline.
“외국의 증기선이 기존의 돛배가 하던 운송업을 대체하기 시작했고 조선 시장경제를 호령하던 경강상인의 명성도 점차 그 빛을 잃어갔습니다.”
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Residents of Dunjimi village had about 30,000 pyeong confiscated in the first requisition in 1905 and were forced to collectively relocate to Bogwang-dong following a second requisition in 1915.
“1905년 1차 둔발 때 한 3만여 평을 뺏기고 1915년도에 2차로 증발을 당해 가지고 보광동으로 이제 집단 이주를 하신 그런 사실입니다.”
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In 1904, Japan converted 510,000 pyeong of military land into railway land and constructed various railway facilities centered around Yongsan Station to exploit resources.
“1904년 일본은 군용부지 중 51만 평을 철도용지로 전환하여 용산역을 중심으로 각종 철도시설을 건설했습니다.”
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After the Korean War, long-term stationing of US forces at Yongsan base led to goods from the base being distributed through Namdaemun Dokkaebi Market.
“용산기지에서 반출된 물품들은 남대문 도깨비 시장을 통해 유통되어 사람들에게 큰 인기를 끌었고”
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In 1976, the Seoul Central Mosque opened in Itaewon, leading to an increase in the immigration of Muslim foreign workers.
“1976년 이태원에 서울중앙성원이 개원하며 이슬람교도 외국인 노동자들의 이주 역시 증가했죠.”
FAQ
What is the Yongsan History Museum film?
It is an introduction film made ahead of the 2022 opening of the Yongsan History Museum, designed for both education and promotion. In Korean narration it follows Yongsan's history from the Joseon era through Japanese colonial rule to the post-liberation years, and introduces the former Yongsan Railway Hospital building that became the museum. greatminds produced it in 2022.
Where does the name Yongsan come from?
The narration explains that the name came from the land's dragon-like shape, ringed by a ridge running from Muaksan west of the capital and by the Han River. Under Hanseong-bu it housed offices such as the Gunjagam depot for military supplies, the Binggo ice store and the Waseo tile works.
What was Yongsan like in the late Joseon period?
It grew into a river port and a crossroads for routes to the southern provinces. Tax grain from each region gathered in Yongsan before moving into the capital, and the Gyeonggang merchants, enriched by grain transport, dominated Joseon's market economy. After the ports opened in the late 19th century, foreign steamships replaced sailing boats and the merchants' prestige faded.
What happened to Yongsan under Japanese rule?
After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan built large logistics and military bases in Yongsan. An interviewee says residents of Dunjimi village lost their land in two requisitions, in 1905 and 1915, and were moved en masse to Bogwang-dong. The narration explains that Japan converted 510,000 pyeong of military land into railway land around Yongsan Station and used the lines to extract grain and resources.
How did Yongsan change after liberation?
Yongsan Base, first a temporary US quarters, became a long-term US garrison after the Korean War. Goods from the base spread through Namdaemun's Dokkaebi Market, and refugees from the North, war-displaced families and returning compatriots formed villages on the slopes of Namsan. With the Seoul Central Mosque opening in Itaewon in 1976, more foreigners settled, and American popular culture spread from Yongsan across Korea, making it a place where diverse people live together.
What was the museum building originally?
It was the Yongsan Railway Hospital, built under Japanese rule for railway accidents, passenger hygiene and the care of railway workers and their families. With eight consulting rooms, treatment rooms, a waiting room and a pharmacy, it served as the general hospital for the area and remained a medical facility for about a century under various names. It was turned into a museum of Yongsan's history to preserve its value as modern cultural heritage.
Full transcript
The film has no English subtitles, so the English lines are machine-translated. The original is shown under each line.
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This is the Yongsan History Museum, where you can explore the history and culture of Yongsan, a city that has weathered turbulent times.
격변의 세월을 거친 도시 용산의 역사 문화를 살펴볼 수 있는 이곳은 용산역사박물관입니다
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The name Yongsan was given because the mountain range extending from Mount Muak west of the capital and the surrounding streams of the Han River resembled a dragon. Under the jurisdiction of Hanseong-bu, major government offices were located here, such as Gun-ja-gam Byeol-chang, which stored and distributed military supplies, Binggo, which stored ice, and Waseo, which supplied roof tiles.
도성 서쪽의 무악산에서 뻗은 산줄기와 한강 물줄기에 둘러싸인 형세가 마치 용 같다 하여 지어진 지명, 용산. 한성부 관할 아래 군수물자를 저장하고 출납하던 군자감별창, 얼음을 보관하는 빙고와 기와를 공급하는 와서 등 주요 관서가 자리 잡고 있었죠.
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Yongsan was a quiet riverside village where people enjoyed the refined atmosphere of the Han River. Ports developed along the waterway, roads connecting to the Samnam region branched out from Yongsan, and grain taxes from various regions were gathered in Yongsan to be transported into the capital.
한강의 풍류를 즐기던 한적한 강변 마을, 용산. 물길을 따라 포구가 발달하고 삼남을 오가는 길은 용산에서 갈라지고 각 지역의 세곡은 용산에 모여 도성 안으로 운반되었습니다.
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The quiet riverside village outside the capital soon bustled with goods and people.
조용했던 도성 밖 강변마을은 어느새 물자와 사람들로 가득해졌습니다.
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At the center of that prosperity were the Gyeonggang merchants. They accumulated wealth through grain tax transport and took control of Joseon's market economy.
그 부흥에는 경강상인이 있었습니다. 세곡 운송으로 부를 축적하며 조선의 시장 경제를 장악했죠.
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However, with the opening of ports in the late 19th century, their glorious era soon came to an end. As it became an open market for trade with foreign countries, foreign steamships began replacing the transport business previously run by traditional sailboats, and the prestige of the Gyeonggang merchants, who once dominated Joseon's market economy, gradually faded away.
하지만 19세기 후반 개항과 함께 그들의 화려한 시절은 곧 막을 내립니다. 다른 나라와의 통상이 가능한 시장이 되자 외국의 증기선이 기존의 돛배가 하던 운송업을 대체하기 시작했고 조선 시장경제를 호령하던 경강상인의 명성도 점차 그 빛을 잃어갔습니다.
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And the war in which Russia and Japan clashed over interests on the Korean Peninsula shook the fates of both Joseon and Yongsan.
그리고 한반도의 이권을 두고 러시아와 일본이 충돌한 전쟁은 조선과 용산의 운명까지 뒤흔들었습니다.
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In this way, Japan sought to build a large-scale logistical base to realize its imperialist ambitions and completed large-scale military base facilities.
그렇게 일본은 제국주의 야망을 실현하기 위해 대규모 병참기지 건설을 도모하였고 대규모의 군사기지 시설을 완성합니다.
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During the first requisition in 1905, around 30,000 pyeong was seized, and in 1915, during the second requisition, people were collectively relocated to Bogwang-dong; that is what happened.
1905년 1차 징발 때 한 3만여 평을 뺏기고 1915년도에 2차로 징발을 당해 가지고 보광동으로 이제 집단 이주를 하신 그런 사실입니다.
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In 1904, Japan converted 510,000 pyeong of military land into railroad land and built various railroad facilities centered around Yongsan Station. Thus, the railroad tracks from Yongsan Station connected the entire country. Japan used these tracks to exploit the crops and numerous resources that the Korean people worked hard to cultivate.
1904년 일본은 군용부지 중 51만 평을 철도용지로 전환하여 용산역을 중심으로 각종 철도시설을 건설했습니다. 그렇게 용산역의 철길은 전국을 연결했죠. 일본은 이 철길로 조선인들이 땀 흘려 일군 곡식과 수많은 자원을 수탈했습니다.
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And just as people were about to savor the long-awaited joy of national liberation, the divided occupation by the United States and the Soviet Union began.
그리고 마침내 찾아온 민족 해방의 기쁨을 누릴 찰나 미국과 소련의 분할 점령이 시작됐습니다.
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Yongsan Base was used as temporary quarters for the US military. However, after the Korean War ended, a long-term stationing of US forces was decided. The US military presence changed the landscape of Yongsan once again. Goods released from Yongsan Base were distributed through Namdaemun Dokkaebi Market, gaining huge popularity among the public.
미군의 임시 거처로 사용되었던 용산기지. 그러나 한국전쟁이 끝난 후 미군의 장기 주둔이 결정됩니다. 미군의 주둔은 용산의 모습을 다시 한번 바꿔 놓았습니다. 용산기지에서 반출된 물품들은 남대문 도깨비 시장을 통해 유통되어 사람들에게 큰 인기를 끌었고
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Those who came south after liberation, those who lost their livelihoods in the war, and overseas compatriots returning home gathered in small groups at the foot of Namsan Mountain near the base, forming villages.
해방 이후 월남한 이들, 전쟁으로 터전을 잃은 사람들, 해외에서 귀국한 동포들은 기지 인근 남산 자락에 삼삼오오 모여들며 마을을 형성했습니다.
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Furthermore, the number of foreigners living in Yongsan rapidly increased, and with the opening of the Seoul Central Mosque in Itaewon in 1976, the migration of Muslim foreign workers also grew. Additionally, diverse American pop culture, including film, music, and art, began to spread from Yongsan to Korean society at large. Having absorbed and disseminated foreign cultures over a long period, Yongsan became a home where diversity coexists as people live together with all kinds of outsiders.
더불어 용산에 거주하는 외국인도 빠르게 늘어났고 1976년 이태원에 서울중앙성원이 개원하며 이슬람교도 외국인 노동자들의 이주 역시 증가했죠. 또한 영화, 음악, 미술 등 다양한 미국의 대중문화가 용산에서부터 한국 사회 전반으로 퍼져나가기 시작했습니다. 오랜 시간 동안 이방의 문화를 흡수하고 전파한 용산은 각양각색의 외지인들과 더불어 살아가는 다양성이 공존한 삶의 터전이 되었습니다.
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Yongsan Railroad Hospital was established during the Japanese colonial period for railroad disaster response, hygiene management for train passengers, and the medical treatment of railroad employees and their families. Consisting of eight examination rooms, treatment rooms, waiting rooms, and a pharmacy, Yongsan Railroad Hospital served as a general hospital for the Yongsan area. Although it underwent several repairs and expansions and was called by various names, it stood in Yongsan as a medical institution for over 100 years.
용산철도병원은 일제강점기 철도재해와 열차탑승객의 위생관리 그리고 철도종사원과 그 가족의 치료목적으로 설립되었습니다. 8개의 진료실과 처치실, 대합실, 약국 등으로 구성되었던 용산철도병원은 용산 일대의 종합병원으로서의 역할을 담당하였습니다. 몇 차례의 보수와 증축이 진행되고 병원의 이름은 다양하게 불렸지만 100여 년간 의료기관으로서 용산에 자리했습니다.
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To preserve its value as a modern cultural heritage site, the Yongsan Railroad Hospital building became a museum that holds the history of Yongsan. Capturing diverse records and the history of how Yongsan became what it is today through turbulent times, the Yongsan History Museum is both a historic site and a compass guiding future Yongsan forward. We remember the Yongsan captured in the Yongsan History Museum and envision the future Yongsan to be held within it.
근대문화유산의 가치를 살리기 위해 용산철도병원 건물은 용산의 역사를 담은 박물관이 되었습니다. 격변의 세월을 거쳐 지금의 용산이 되기까지 다양한 기록과 역사를 담은 용산역사박물관은 역사의 현장이자 미래 용산이 나아가야 할 나침반입니다. 용산역사박물관에 담은 용산을 기억하고 용산역사박물관에 담길 용산을 그려봅니다.
On-screen information
Text shown on screen as graphics — captions, figures and place names — in order of appearance.
용산역사박물관에 담은 용산
龍山 · 용산
용산 · 한양의 길목이 되다
경강상인의 무대 · 용산의 부흥
또 다른 사건 · 또 다른 사건의 발생 · 1904년, 러·일 전쟁 발발
한일의정서
사라진 마을 · 둔지미
그리고 · 끝나지 않은 수난
식민지가 된 조선 · 그리고 용산
마침내 찾아온 · 해방
용산 기지, · 캠프 서빙고가 되다
미군 기지, 용산에 정착하다
해방촌을 찾은 사람들
용산, · 이방의 문화를 포용하다
식민지 조선철도의 의료의 중심, · 용산철도병원
용답·용산