Cement Plant Construction and the Spatial Formation of Industrial Settlements during the Post-war Reconstruction Period -A Case Study of the Former Ssangyong Cement Plant in Mungyeong and Its Surrounding Hinterland
This study examines the former Ssangyong Cement Mungyeong plant, located in Singi-ri, Mungyeong, which was constructed as part of the cement industry rehabilitation program led by the UNKRA in the aftermath of the Korean War and operated until 2018, along with its surrounding hinterland. It aims to analyze the transformation of a pre-existing rural area following the construction of a new cement plant during the post-war reconstruction period, as well as the spatial configuration of the industrial settlement formed around the plant. To this end, the study first reviews the construction process of post-war cement plants and the historical background of company housing in Korean industrial cities. It then analyzes the construction of the plant and company housing, as well as the changes in the surrounding area resulting from the plant’s expansion and transformation. Furthermore, by examining the spatial structure of the industrial settlement, the characteristics of the housing estates, and the dwelling types of individual housing units across multiple spatial scales, the study identifies the key spatial features of the industrial settlement. The findings reveal that, unlike the company towns of the Japanese colonial period, which were developed through comprehensive corporate planning, the industrial settlement formed around the cement plant in Mungyeong during the post-war reconstruction period evolved through the gradual insertion and addition of industrial facilities and housing estates into an existing rural landscape. As a result, while the settlement functioned as a community centered on a single industrial enterprise, it retained a semi-agricultural and semi-industrial character, demonstrating limitations in its transition into a fully developed industrial city.