This study aims to develop a model that would explain the morphological transformation and development pattern of the Korean cities. To do so, it proposes HanJoo, a hypothetical city that would experimentally characterize the development process of formation, growth and decline of small and medium-sized cities. HanJoo focuses particularly on functional relationship with the adjacent cities in regional setting, locational orientation and topographical condition of the city site, and morphological characteristics and structural shift of the city growth characterized by a set of four-staged development phases: (1) walled town (675-1890); (2) town expansion via modern grid blocks (1890-1945); (3) industrial district and the company town linked by inter-city highway (1946-1994); (4) new community development and massive suburban growth (1995-present). The findings expect to be useful for improving the understanding the Korean cities particularly whose city layout and locational features in the formative stage, their transformation in the Japanese colonial period, growth and decline mechanism in modern and contemporary settings have not theoretically identified.