In the early 1900s, streetcars were a ubiquitous sight in Seoul as they raced through the streets. Different people viewed them in different ways. To some, they were symbols of modern technology, the awakening of the Hermit Kingdom. To others they were vehicles of liberation. They were greatly responsible for the end of the nightly curfew and the closing of the gates. They helped free women from the social-enforced segregation of their homes. They transported people of all classes, gender and ages.