We brought up the topic of Daegu with columnist Park Chan-yong, who has examined the operating principles of cities and brands through statistics and phenomena. “It gets more and more interesting,” exclamations of admiration occasionally reached him while he was reporting. In this six-part series, we present the various facets of Daegu that made him nod in agreement amidst his busy schedule.

Daegu's unique high-density, high-functional urban planning

“Daegu is so small that it only takes 30 minutes to walk from one end to the other.” A close friend from Daegu would say this whenever he had the chance. I believed him, since I had never been to Daegu. Besides this friend, almost without exception, everyone I knew from Daegu described the city as “small.” So, when I first visited Daegu, I was very surprised. It was because the city was so big. Looking back now, it seems that the words of those visitors from Daegu at the time were missing a crucial part: “compared to Seoul.” Although I had only strolled through it briefly as an outsider, Daegu was a magnificent city. It lacked everything, and the density was simply high. I could feel Daegu’s unique high-density, high-functional urban planning just by walking around.

There is a central station in the city.

Near the central station, there is the city hall and the city's largest market.

The city's various commercial facilities and bustling streets are connected around it.

Layout of the old city centers of Daegu and Seoul

The very structure of downtown Daegu felt incredibly fresh to me. To be more precise, it was both familiar and fresh. Since the dawn of my memory, I have lived in the area near the Gyeongbu Line in Seoul my entire life. Consequently, I am accustomed to the layout of Seoul's old city center. There is not much difference between that familiar layout and the layout of Daegu's old city center. There is a central station. Near the central station are City Hall and the city's largest market. Various commercial facilities and bustling streets connect to this area. Passing the jewelry district in front of Daegu Station leads to the Yaknyeong Market near Banwoldang Station and the Seomun Market next to it, with Jingolmok Alley and Hwarang Street situated between them. Walking through these places constantly reminds me of the alleys in downtown Seoul. From Seoul Station to Namdaemun Market, from Namdaemun Market to City Hall, from City Hall to Insadong, from Insadong to the jewelry alley in Jongno 3-ga, and past the jewelry alley to Gwangjang Market and Dongdaemun Market. The layout is not significantly different from that.

Walking through this area, one can gauge the impact that wide-area transportation networks have on urban development. In major bustling districts across Korea, including Daegu, the most critical role is played not by hipsters or the local economy, but by the policies of the central and private sectors. In particular, transportation policy. If the old downtown area of Daegu, stretching from Daegu Station to Dongseong-ro, has slowed down slightly, the reason may be the KTX. Daegu Station was unable to become a KTX stop due to the difficulty of expanding its scale. However, once it became a KTX stop in 2004, the area around Dongdaegu Station began to be newly developed. After the completion of the multi-modal transfer center at Dongdaegu Station, the vicinity also became one of Daegu's major commercial districts.

Two major districts separated by a century

As I examined Dongdaegu Station and the adjacent Multimodal Transfer Center and researched various materials, I marveled at Daegu's rationality. First off, it was rational not to have the KTX stop at Daegu Station without resorting to excessive expansion. It was also rational that the KTX stop was located at Dongdaegu Station, which is not far from the existing Daegu Station. As a result, Dongdaegu Station became the second busiest train station on the Korean Peninsula in terms of passenger volume (Seoul Station being first). In terms of the number of train stops, it surpassed Seoul Station to take first place. Interestingly, it is said that during the Japanese colonial period, Daegu Station was also the busiest station in colonial Joseon (according to the Daegu Museum of Modern History). The area around Daegu Station was a transportation hub over a century ago, and now, a century later, Dongdaegu Station has perfectly taken its place. This is by no means an easy feat.

I have no ties to Daegu, nor do I have any reason to feel favorably toward it.

Nevertheless, in terms of urban layout design

I consider Daegu to be at the highest level in Korea.

The rationality of Daegu's urban planning stands out when compared to other major cities in Korea. Seoul has grown so large that it is difficult to travel between commercial hubs, administrative hubs, and major medical institutions. If you travel from Eunpyeong-gu to a wedding in Songpa-gu on the weekend, it takes about the same amount of time as a round trip to Jeju Island. Busan is even more difficult. The old downtown near Busan Station, the financial hub, City Hall and the courthouse, Seomyeon, the upscale residential area of Haeundae, and the industrial complexes of Ulsan and Geoje are all designed to be difficult to move between. In comparison, Daegu's movement between major belts is designed to be extremely rational. I have no personal ties to Daegu, nor do I have any reason to feel favorably toward it. Nevertheless, in terms of urban layout design, I consider Daegu to be at the highest level in Korea.

The subtle confidence this city possesses

Perhaps that is why a peculiar sense of confidence can be felt in Daegu, even as the city undergoes a period of population decline and a shift in its industrial structure. This confidence is subtle, stemming from rumors such as "CP Company's store sales ranking first nationwide," and is also supported by tangible figures. Krystian Zimerman is also coming to Daegu to perform. Japanese ramen shops, a rising culinary trend among young people these days, are also rapidly increasing in Daegu (most of which are of high quality). One of the current concerns for major metropolitan cities across the country is the inability to prevent talented young people from leaving for Seoul. However, I understand that young people in Daegu continue to stay to some extent.

If we consider a city as a country

Daegu Station serves as a domestic terminal like Gimpo Airport,

Dongdaegu Station essentially serves as an international terminal, much like Incheon Airport.

I think once again about the area in front of Daegu Station. The KTX now departs Daegu Station to stop at Dongdaegu Station, and is scheduled to stop at Seodaegu Station in the future as well. Does this mean Daegu Station will completely decline? Not at all; that is precisely the mysterious aspect of Daegu as a city. Daegu Station ranks second in the nation for passenger numbers among stations where high-speed trains do not stop at all (Cheonan Station is first). This is because Daegu Station serves as a railway hub for passengers coming from satellite cities such as Gumi, Waegwan, and Gimcheon. If we consider a city as a nation, Daegu Station functions as a domestic terminal like Gimpo Airport, while Dongdaegu Station functions as an international terminal like Incheon Airport.

The so-called "regional decline" is a major national topic. I cite the excellent high-speed rail system as one of the reasons for this decline. Korea's high-speed rail is exceptionally high-quality and affordable compared to global standards (try riding in Switzerland or Japan), yet all tracks converge on Seoul. It is a transportation network structure where everyone, from elites to top-tier agricultural products, is bound to flock to Seoul. In such a situation, the capabilities of city-level administrators can determine the future of a region. It seems there is little need to worry about Daegu. Perhaps Daegu's slogan, "Powerful Daegu," is also a reflection of this confidence. Outsiders might flinch, wondering, "Why is the slogan like that?" but then think, "Is this really what Daegu is like?" Daegu possesses that kind of charm.

Illust | 'Powerful Daegu' engraved on a taxi stand sign in Daegu

** External contributions to the Editorial Department are intended to provide a multifaceted perspective on local culture and industry and may differ from the views of the Editorial Department.

Park Chan-yong

Feature Director at Arena Homme+ . Observes the trends of people, money, brands, and cities to create page layouts. Published *Modern Brands*, *The Private Life of Magazines*, *Even If We Are Not the Protagonists of This City*, and *Chronicles of First Homes*, and is currently writing *Modern Brands 2*.