Opening of the Gyeongin Railway, Korea's first railway, 1899

Background. The late Joseon Dynasty awarded a concession to American engineer James R. Morse in 1896 to build a railway between Seoul and Chemulpo. Construction began in 1897 under American businessmen Henry Collbran and Harry Bostwick. However, Morse failed to secure funding, leading to the sale of the concession to a Japanese company headed by Shibusawa Eiichi, effective December 31, 1898.

Inauguration. The Gyeongin Line was the first railway line built on the Korean Peninsula. It was opened by the Keijin Railway Company on September 18, 1899. Sources describe the initial segment differently: one states it ran between Noryangjin, on the shore of the Han River across from Seoul, and Geumchon in Incheon; another states it was inaugurated between Chemulpo and Yeongdeungpo on the south bank of the Han River. The section to Seoul opened on July 9, 1900, after the construction of a bridge across the river.

Rolling Stock. The locomotives used when the railway opened were four 2-6-0T steam tank engines built by the American Brooks Locomotive Works. These engines were delivered to Korea disassembled on June 17, 1899, and subsequently assembled at a factory in Incheon for service.