   the gyeongbu line (gyeongbuseon) is the most important railway line in south korea and one of the oldest. constructed in 1905, connecting seoul to suwon, daejeon, daegu, and busan. the gyeongbu line is by far the most heavily travelled rail line in south korea. high-speed, express, local, and freight trains provide frequent service along its entire length. ==history== thumb|left|groundbreaking celebration of the railway line from seoul to busan in 1901 thumb|evolution of shortest travel times and top speeds between seoul and busan on the gyeongbu line the gyeongbu line was originally constructed as a vehicle of colonialism. in 1894-1895, imperial japan and qing dynasty china fought the first sino-japanese war for influence over korea. following the war, in competition with russia's rail expansion across china, japan sought the right from the korean empire to build a railway from busan to seoul, the gyeonbu line. surveying began in 1896, and in spite of local protests, the korean empire gave japan the right to build the line in 1898. construction of the gyeongbu line started on august 20, 1901, with a ceremony at yeongdeungpo, seoul. construction was done by locals commanded to do forced labour, and paid with coupons. japan also sought to gain control of the gyeongui line project that was to continue tracks further north, recognising the trunk route as a means to keep korea under its influence. the line was also advanced for military considerations in expectation of a confrontation with russia, which came in 1904 as the [[russo-japanese wa
Railway_lines_in_South_Korea Railway_lines_opened_in_1905