History
A Honam Railway from Seoul to Mokpo was first proposed in 1896 by a French company. After the start of the Russo-Japanese War, in May 1904, Imperial Japan forced Korea to sign an agreement granting the Japanese military control over railways, including the right to seize land. Japan the seized much of the fertile Honam plain in advance of a planned Honam Line.
The construction of the line started in 1910. The first 39.9 km (24.8 mi) between Daejeon and Yeonsan was opened in July 1911. The line was extended to Ganggyeong in November 1911, to Iri (today Iksan) in March 1912, to Gimje in October 1912 and to Jeongeup in December 1912. Construction continued from the other end of the line, with the section from Mokpo to Hakgyo (today Hampyeong) opened in May 1913; and extended to Naju in July 1913, to Songjeong-ri (today Gwangju·Songjeong) in October 1913, and finally to Jeongeup, completing the line on January 11, 1914.
Read more about this topic: Honam Line
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