Bicycles first appeared on the Korean Peninsula in the late 19th century when Korea opened its doors to the world and started adopting Western elements. There are different records as to who was the first to ride a bicycle in Korea. Some say it was Yun Chi-ho (1865 ~ 1945), a leading founder of the Independence Association. Others say it was either Western missionaries or military officers.

Jeon Taek-bu, an honorary manager at the YMCA, tells the tale of Yun Chi-ho and a bicycle in his book, "Life and Philosophy of Yun Chi-ho," published in 1998. In the book, Jeon quotes Choi Nam-seon, a historian, who said, "Yun Chi-ho is the first to bring in and ride a bicycle in Korea. When I was young, I watched Yun race in the streets of Jongno. I was very envious of him, thinking when I could ride a bicycle like Yun."

Horace Allen, a U.S. missionary and doctor, also tells a story about bicycles in his book, "Things Korean." Allen wrote that, "A U.S. officer brought an old-fashioned bicycle with a very large wheel from a ship anchored in the Jemulpo Port, what is now Incheon. A large crowd gathered to see the officer ride the bicycle."

Oliver R. Avison, a Canadian missionary who became a doctor for King Gojong after Allen, also left a record about bicycles. In his book, "Chŏnŭi Ebisŭn paksa ŭi nun e pichʻin ku Hanmal 40-yŏnyŏn ŭi pʻunggyŏng" ("40 Years of Landscape Near the End of Joseon"), he wrote that he used a bicycle to commute to the Joseon palaces and that he rode his bicycle in front of King Gojong (r. 1863-1907).

The production of bicycles in Korea first started in the early 1950s and the first Korean manufacturer of bicycles was the Samchuly Bicycle Co.

Samchuly originated from the Gyeongseong Jeonggong, founded in 1944 by Kim Cheol-ho, who is also the founder of Kia Motors. Samchuly originally started as a maker of bicycle components. The company changed its name to Kia Industries and started manufacturing the 3000 Li-ho, the first Korea-made bicycle, helping bring related industries to the country. In 1979, it was spun off from Kia Industries and became Samchuly Bicycle. In 1985, it became completely independent and separate from Kia Industries.



The company's name "Samchuly" came from a phrase, "We will run 3,000-ri (Samcheon-ri) across the Korean Peninsula." In the past, people called the Korean Peninsula "Samcheon-ri Geumsugangsan," meaning the land of beautiful scenery, far and wide. In a traditional measurement, the distance from the southernmost Ttangkkeut in Haenam, Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province) to Seoul is 1,000-ri and that from Seoul to the northernmost Onseong, Hamgyeongbuk-do (North Hamgyeong Province) is 2,000-ri, adding to 3,000-ri or 1,178 kilometers.

In 1965, Samchuly Bicycle became the first Korean company to export bicycles. It obtained the KS mark, a state certification proving its quality in 1968, becoming the first Korean bicycle manufacturer to do so. In 1987, it reached 1-million bicycle production mark for the first time in 1987 and won the 10 Million Export Award, making meaningful progresses.

Samchuly continued to develop new products and lines of bicycles without lingering on the glorious past. The company launched the "Lespo" brand in 1991 and "Cello," a high-end brand, five years later. Lespo has coined from leisure and sports and it covers nearly all products: bicycles for babies, women, racing as well as hybrid, mountain and electric bikes. Then, it introduced the Appalanchia series, a line of high-end mountain bicycles, and the Hound line and the Next series for casual bicycles.





The company also made efforts in research and development and applied new technologies on its products. It developed electric, motor-based scooters in 2000 and it has been producing and supplying electric bikes since. Recently, electric bicycles look hardly different from regular bikes and are much lighter than they used to be.

Samchuly has adopted 50-percent more solid aluminum tubes for the frames of hybrid bicycles, which are become more popular, since 2013. For children's safety, it has equipped its bicycles with various safety features. Plastic covers have been applied to sharp edges on frames and handles as well as chain cases. Components made with only safe materials free from harmful substances are used for children's bicycles.



The company made efforts not only in research and development but also in building and bicycle riding culture. As people became interested in health and well-being, it is holding many mountain biking competitions and bicycle riding events.



By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of Samchuly Bicycle
jun2@korea.kr