Skip to main content
Log in

The impact of Gyeongbu High Speed Rail construction on regional economic growth

  • Construction Management
  • Published:
KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Aims and scope

Abstract

The Gyeongbu High Speed Rail (KTX) was constructed with the aim to improve people’s quality of life and for the growth of regional economies. However, contrary to expectations, there are discussions of economy being focused on metropolitan areas due to the Straw Effect. In this paper, the influence of large-scaled land development projects on local economy was analyzed through the case of KTX project. For this purpose, an empirical analysis model, which utilizes neoclassical model of economic growth and the panel data of 16 cities and provinces from 1999 to 2008 was used to make the analysis through the generalized least square method. As a result, the developed neoclassical model of economic growth proved to be useful in explaining local economic growth in Korea, and large-scale land development projects such as the KTX was found to cause negative effects on local economic growth. From this, it seems problematic to assume the construction of High Speed Rail (hereafter HSR) to be beneficial to the economy of the corresponding regions. The results should prove to be an important resource for policies regarding more efficient and balanced land development projects in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barro, R. J. (1991). “Economic growth in a cross section of countries.” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 106, No. 2, pp. 407–443.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, J. W. and Lee, Y. S. (2007). “The composition of public expenditure and regional economic growth in korea local government.” Proceedings of KPA Annual Conference, pp. 1021–1028.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho, N. K., Lee, H. K., and Jin, S. H. (2005). “Analysis on the straw effect by the HSR(High Speed Rail): Focusing on the shopping trips.” The Korea Spatial Planning Review, Vol. 47, pp. 107–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gujarati, D. N. (1988). Basic econometrics, 2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill Inc., New York, pp. 345–484.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heo, J. W. (2010). “A critical review on the straw effects of high speed train.” Journal of the Korean Urban Management Association, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 59–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holtz-Eakin, D. (1994). “Public-sector capital and the productivity puzzle.” The Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 12–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jeon, Y. O., Lee, G. S., Park, J, Y., and Kang, S. G. (2004). “The impacts and implication of the opening of high-speed train.” Issue Paper of SERI, March, pp. 1–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jun, E. H. and Lee, S. W. (2007). “The effects of rapid rail transit on balanced regional development.” Seoul Studies, Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 73–87.

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M. S. (1997). “Human Capital and economic growth.” Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 15–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H. K. (2003). “Human capital and regional income convergence in korea using nonstationary panel data.” The Journal of the Korean Economy, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 109–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J. G. (2007). “Measurement of regional human capital and the determinants of regional economic growth in Korea.” Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 1–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y. S. (2009). “Impacts of new expressway on regional economies: Straw effect.” Journal of Social Science Research, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 129–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, H. W., Lee, D. H., and Koo, J. D. (2011). “Analysis on the effect of roads and railway construction investment: Analysis on the local economic effects by opening of highway and high speed train.” Proceedings of KICEM Annual Conference, pp. 187–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, S. W., Jeong, J. K., Zhee, W. S., and Cho, J. K. (2004). “The effects of high speed rail on population distribution.” The Korea Spatial Planning Review, Vol. 40, March, pp. 3–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H. J., Jung, C. M., and Yang, J. C. (2008). “Regional economic effects of the 2002 fifa world cup in korea with panel data analysis.” Proceedings of KPA Annual Conference, pp. 1249–1257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mankiw, N. G., Romer, D., and Weil, D. N. (1992). “A contribution to the empirics of economic growth.” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 107, No. 2, pp. 407–437.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Min, I. S. and Choi, P. S. (2010). STATA panel data analysis, The Korean Association of STATA, Seoul, Korea, pp. 89–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ono, M. and Asano M. (2005). “The study of the straw effect produced by the high-speed transportation: The verification of the area along the nagano shinkansen by the statistical data.” Proceedings of 32nd JSCE Annual Conference, pp. 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romer, D. (2005). Advanced macroeconomics, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill Inc., New York, pp. 1–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shim, J. H. (2003). “An effect of human capital on regional growth: A case of wide-area autonomous communities in Korea.” Journal of Korea Planners Association, Vol. 38, No. 7, pp. 201–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solow, R. M. (1956). “A contribution to the theory of economic growth.” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 65–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vickerman, R. (1997). “High-speed rail in Europe: Experience and issues for future development.” The Annals of Regional Science, Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 21–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Du-Heon Lee.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kim, HW., Lee, DH. & Park, HS. The impact of Gyeongbu High Speed Rail construction on regional economic growth. KSCE J Civ Eng 17, 1206–1212 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-013-0199-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-013-0199-y

Keywords

Navigation