A small, peaceful town, Namji 남지 in the southern province of Changnyeong 창녕 county, is just by the bank of Nakdong River. Namji Bridge was built in February 1933 during the Japanese occupation, which was on the road from Daegu to Masan. The photos show the view from the top of the southern mountain, which were taken by an American war correspondent in August 1950 during the Korean war, and the right side one depicts the bridge being destroyed in the same month, which was intended to stop the North Korean People's Army from crossing. It has been estimated that this used to be one of the most important and beautiful iron bridges in the peninsula. Plus, it was built using new construction techniques as applied to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The tiny northern village across the river is Namji.
The areas around Namji Bridge were prone to floods. In the summer of the year 1933, the flood struck the northern villages, and thousands of villagers had to evacuate to the nearby mountains at midnight. The road connecting to the bridge was also washed away, so it was completely closed to traffic for two months in the same year the bridge was completed. The bridge was used by both pedestrians and vehicles until 1994. It is now open only to pedestrians. In 1977, a new bridge for the expressway from Daegu to Masan was constructed nearby.
These photos show the bridge as it looked last summer. The top is the southern entrance to the bridge. The mountain on the right side is the spot where the American war correspondent took the photo of Namji Bridge about 65 years ago during the war.
