2024-07-27 23:18:18
Byun Young-wook’s Centennial Photo No. 71
● 100 years ago, the Korean Peninsula suffered from flood damage.
I looked for newspapers from the time when the Paris Olympics were held 100 years ago, but I couldn’t find any photos. The Olympics, which started in May, ended on July 27, 1924. However, the whole country was in chaos due to the flooding, so much so that the newspapers didn’t have time to enjoy it. I’ve collected photos of the flood damage on the Korean Peninsula 100 years ago. It looks like the damage was severe in Seoul, the whole country, and especially in the Daegu area.
![The Korean Peninsula suffered from flood damage 100 years ago… Where was the flood disaster?[청계천 옆 사진관]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/07/27/126149774.1.jpg "The Korean Peninsula suffered from flood damage 100 years ago… Where was the flood disaster?[청계천 옆 사진관]")
Let’s take a look at the article.
The damage in Gyeonggi Province due to the heavy rain the day before yesterday is as follows.
◇ Suwon
The water level of the Suwoncheon River, which flows through Suwon and Seongan, has increased by 12 cheok, causing many bridges and roads to be washed away, and the water level of the embankments has increased by about 12.3 cheok. The water level of the Osancheon River has increased by about 10 cheok, so there are many refugees and transportation between Suwon and Namyang has been cut off.
◇Yongin
In Yongin, the water levels of streams in various places, including Geumdocheon, Singalcheon, and Samgyecheon, are rising rapidly. In Singal-ri, more than a book of water has been covered on the road, about 10 houses have been flooded, transportation has been largely cut off, and residents are preparing to evacuate (9:00 PM on the 23rd).
370 flooded houses along the Han RiverThe Han River, which had risen 26 chuks by 1 p.m. the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday), continued to rise further, reaching a peak of 30 chuks yesterday at 1 a.m. The Yongsan Police Station, which had been on emergency alert for the rise in water since the morning of the day before yesterday, immediately dispatched about 20 police officers who were on standby within the police station to various places along the Han River and also immediately called each police station along the coast to inform them of the urgency of the rise in water, causing a brief but extraordinary commotion. However, the water level decreased by about 1 chon in the following hour, so they seemed to have finally felt relieved. The residents of Ichon-dong (二村洞) made a firm final decision that they would once again face an inevitable flood, and they all tied up their belongings and clothing and prepared to evacuate. However, at around 10 a.m. yesterday, the water level decreased by 29 chuks and 5 chon, and the water level is gradually decreasing. The houses that were flooded at that time There were 372 houses in total, but all of the houses that were flooded were within the Dongmak area. In addition, 60 houses in Wonjeong Sajeongmok in Guryongsan were flooded, 40 houses in Ichon-dong, and about 130 houses in Mapo were submerged, but fortunately, the water only reached the floors and under the floors. Because the danger was so imminent, the Yongsan Police Station worked with the local authorities every day to designate Mapo Elementary School in Mapo and Yongsan Elementary School in Yongsan as shelters, and even prepared rice and side dishes. In addition, the Yongsan Police Station deployed one chief and 3-4 police officers to 8 locations: the Hangang River, Seobinggo Overpass, Wonjeong Sajeongmok, and the Dongmak Gongdeok-ri embankment in Mapo, and was on high alert. After this water commotion, there was not much damage to humans or livestock, but it is said that one young child (4 years old) in Ichon-dong fell into the water and died.
Damage in various places – flooding situation that has darkened the entire Joseon
◇ Suwon: Heavy rain started to fall on the 17th, and houses began to flood for 8 days in a row. The amount of rain is greater than when the Maehyanggyo Bridge in the Hwahongmun section of Suwon was destroyed and lost 3 years ago, but the area is much wider than then, and there was not much damage due to the citizens’ defenses. However, 1 house was lost, 2 houses were destroyed, and about 20 houses were flooded. About 10 places in the Munanmun Market were destroyed. There was a lot of damage to the fields. The railroad track and the embankment near Seoho collapsed, but about 50 workers are working day and night to repair the 20-pyeong collapsed embankment.
◇Damage to each county in Gyeongsang Province
As we have already reported on the flood damage in Gyeongbuk due to the continuous heavy rain, it continued to rain until the 24th, and according to the report that arrived at the Gyeongbuk Provincial Office on the 23rd,
Traffic between Yeongcheon and Hayang was cut off due to the flooding of Dongsancheon in Geumrak-dong, Hayang-myeon, Gyeongsan.
The water level of each stream in Seongju County has risen, blocking traffic between Daegu and Seongju
The stream in Yeongdeok County is overflowing, blocking traffic between Yeongdeok and Yeongyang
In Daegu, in addition to the already reported Shinjeong, there were 50 houses in Dongseongjeong (Dongseong-dong), 54 houses in Dalseongjeong (Dalseong-dong), 60 houses in Bongraejeong (Bongrae-dong), 5 houses in Sijangjeong (Sijang-dong), and 40 houses in Deoksanjeong (Deoksan-dong) that were flooded only in their yards on the 23rd and then recovered.
In Haman, raindrops began to fall in the morning of the 22nd, and the rain gradually became heavy, and the rain that poured down all day long gave endless joy to the people who were suffering from a great drought. However, the rain that started on the 22nd did not stop, and the wide plain of Malsan in Gaya-myeon turned into a sea.
◇Damage in each county in Jeonnam
In Jeonju, heavy rain began to fall again from the night of the 22nd, and continued until 10:00 AM on the 23rd. The Jeonju Stream only rose 7 times, but part of the Wansan Bridge was damaged, and the fire brigade was on high alert, and trains were not allowed to operate between Jeonju Station and Dongsan Station starting at 10:55 AM.
◇ Damage in each county in South Chungcheong Province
Princess Geumgang was rebuilt 18 feet and 6 inches by the 23rd, and the ferry service was suspended.
The budget is for traffic disruption between Deoksan Daecheon or Dangjin due to damage to the bridge road.
Seosan has cut off traffic to Taean due to road damage
Due to the increase in water level in Byeongcheon, cars cannot pass between Cheonan and Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, and the road to Seonghwang cannot be passed due to the collapse of the bridge.
The delay was due to a breakdown in the postal service between Daejeon and Daepyeong-ri.
● Changes brought about by the development of dimensional policy: 100 years ago and now
The flood photos in the newspaper were very primitive and incomplete by today’s standards. At that time, photographers had to go out to the scene with heavy, large cameras, and the film development process was incomparably more cumbersome than it is today. Nevertheless, the photos show that newspaper reporters in the 1920s did their best to vividly convey the flood scenes. Despite the limitations of technology, this must have been an important means to inform the public of the severity of the flood damage and to urge the government to respond proactively. In particular, the reporters’ resentment can be felt in articles about the greater damage caused by the poor quality of the levees in areas where Koreans lived compared to areas where Japanese people lived. Through newspaper photos from 100 years ago, we can see how inadequate the flood control policy was at the time. Many rivers and streams easily flooded when it rained due to narrow levees and inadequate drainage systems. This poor flood control situation led to repeated floods every year, causing numerous casualties and property losses. As a result, the need for measures to prevent flood damage must have grown.
Today, flood coverage is done in a much more diverse way. Digital cameras capture high-resolution images, drones take aerial photos, and even live video streaming is possible. These technological advancements enable us to immediately transmit vivid situations at flood sites and provide citizens with faster and more accurate information. Current flood control policies are also much more systematic and scientific than in the past. The government has built various infrastructures such as large-scale embankment construction, reservoir expansion, and river management to prevent floods. In addition, with the advancement of weather forecasting technology, we have a system that can predict and prepare for floods in advance. As these systematic responses become possible, flood damage is also greatly reduced. The difference is clear when compared to articles from 100 years ago. Because flood control policies have developed, flood control photos like those from the past are now rare.
I was able to confirm this change in the stories of citizens I met while covering areas that had heavy rain last week and this week. In the past, residents who were anxious when it rained are now feeling much more at ease due to the government and local governments’ proactive measures even when it rains heavily. In particular, I could see that many drainage pumps have been installed. I guess our quality of life is also improving? Of course, there is no perfect solution. Climate change causes unpredictable heavy rain, and there are still some areas that are lacking. However, compared to 100 years ago, flood control policies have made tremendous progress, and they are contributing greatly to protecting countless lives and properties. I hope that these changes will continue in the future and that the world will become safer and better to live in. Even if the photographers who go to the heavy rain scene have no more photos to take. Have a good weekend.
In an era where anyone can take great pictures of their family and scenery with a smartphone camera, let’s look back at the origins of our photography in an era where photography has become commonplace. A photojournalist selects one black-and-white photo from a newspaper 100 years ago every week and introduces it. If readers add their imagination to this, the context of the photo will become clearer.
Reporter Byun Young-wook [email protected]
2024-07-27 23:18:18