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Seoul

 
Dictionary: Seoul   (sōl) pronunciation
 
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The capital and largest city of South Korea, in the northwest part of the country east of Inchon. Founded in the 14th century, it became the country's capital in 1948 and was twice occupied by Communist forces during the Korean War. Population: 9,820,000.

 

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US Military Dictionary: Seoul
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[sōl]

The capital of South Korea, situated in the northwest of the country on the Han River. Extensively developed under Japanese rule, it became the capital of South Korea after the partition of 1945. The city was captured and retaken four times during the Korean War, suffering severe damage as a result. On June 28, 1950, Seoul came under North Korean control, and most of the South Korean army was destroyed; the U.N. forces immediately came to the aid of South Korea. South Korea recaptured Seoul on September 26, 1950. When Chinese soldiers entered Korea to assist North Korean troops, they forced U.N. troops to retreat, and Seoul was evacuated on January 4, 1951. The U.S. Army recaptured Seoul on March 15, 1951.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

 
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Seoul
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City (pop., 2003 est.: 10,280,503), capital of South Korea since 1948, with the administrative status of a province. Located on the Han River near the centre of the Korean peninsula, Seoul was the capital of the Choson dynasty (1394 – 1910) and the centre of Japanese rule of Korea (1910 – 45). During the Korean War it was the capital of the U.S. military government and suffered extensive damage; it has been largely rebuilt since 1953. In 1988 it was the site of the Summer Olympic Games. The commercial, cultural, and industrial heart of South Korea, it is a centre of higher education, with several universities, including Seoul National University (1946).

For more information on Seoul, visit Britannica.com.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Seoul
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Seoul (sā'ūl, sā'ʊl, sōl) , city (1995 pop. 10,229,262), capital of South Korea, NW South Korea, on the Han River. It has special status equivalent to that of a province. The political, commercial, industrial, and cultural center of the nation, Seoul is by far the most important city in the country, containing almost one quarter of its citizens. In the 15 years between 1970 and 1985 the population grew by over 4,000,000 and Seoul modernized dramatically, becoming one of the world's major cities.

Seoul is linked by rail, expressway, and subway with Incheon (Inchon), its port, and there are airports there and at Gimpo (Kimpo). Before the partition of Korea in 1945, Seoul's easy access to industrial raw materials stimulated the establishment of iron, steel, and other primary industries; with most of the raw materials now in North Korea, the city has emphasized textile manufacturing, agricultural processing, automobiles, electronics, petrochemicals, printing, publishing, and varied consumer and service industries. There are also tanneries, railroad repair shops, and large power plants.

Seoul was an early fortress and trade center, and the modern city was established in 1394 as the capital of the Choson (or Yi) dynasty, which ruled Korea until the country became (1910) a colony of Japan. The Japanese governor-general made Seoul (known as Kyongsong or Keijo) his headquarters. When the country was partitioned after World War II, Seoul became the seat of the U.S. occupation forces. It became the capital of South Korea in 1948. North Korean forces captured the city on June 28, 1950, only three days after the Korean War began; it then changed hands several times until UN troops took it in Mar., 1951, and it became the headquarters of the UN command in Korea. Heavily damaged during the war, the city was rebuilt along modern lines. Its population was greatly increased by refugees.

Seoul retains two gates of the ancient wall that once surrounded it (one was severely damaged by fire in 2008) and three imperial palaces—the Gyeongbok Palace, built in 1394 by the first monarch of the Choson dynasty; the Changdeok Palace, containing many valuable relics; and the Deoksu Palace (1593), which houses the National Museum and Art Gallery. In the center of the city is a huge bronze bell that was cast in 1468. It has a Roman Catholic cathedral and numerous other Christian churches; there are also the soaring Seoul Tower, many museums, theatres, libraries, zoological and botanical gardens, and universities, including Seoul National Univ. Seoul played host to the 1988 summer Olympics, for which it built the Seoul Sports Complex.

 
Geography: Seoul
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(sohl)

Capital of South Korea and the largest city in the country, located in northwestern South Korea; Political, commercial, industrial, transportation, and cultural center of South Korea.

  • Seoul became the capital in 1948, with the establishment of North Korea and South Korea.
  • The city was heavily damaged during the Korean War.
  • Home of the 1988 summer Olympic Games.

 
Local Time: Seoul, Korea, Republic of
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Local Time: Jul 5, 2:21 PM

 
Maps: Seoul
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Wikipedia: Seoul
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Seoul
서울
—  Special City  —
Seoul Special City
  transcription(s)
 - Hangul 서울 특별시
 - Hanja 서울 特別市
1st row from left to right: N Seoul Tower • Cheonggyecheon 2nd row from left to right: Namdaemun • Gangnam 3rd row from left to right: Gyeongbokgung • Han River
1st row from left to right: N Seoul Tower • Cheonggyecheon

2nd row from left to right: Namdaemun • Gangnam
3rd row from left to right: Gyeongbokgung • Han River
Flag of Seoul
Flag		 Official logo of Seoul
Emblem of Seoul
Map of South Korea with Seoul highlighted
Map of South Korea with Seoul highlighted
Coordinates: 37°33′0″N 126°59′0″E / 37.55°N 126.98333°E / 37.55; 126.98333Coordinates: 37°33′0″N 126°59′0″E / 37.55°N 126.98333°E / 37.55; 126.98333
Country  South Korea
Region Seoul National Capital Area
Districts
Government
 - Type Seoul Metropolitan Government
 - Mayor Oh Se-hoon
Area
 - Special City 605.25 km2 (233.7 sq mi)
Population (2007)
 - Special City 10,421,782
 - Density 17,219/km2 (44,597/sq mi)
 - Metro 24,472,063
 - Dialect Seoul
Flower Forsythia
Tree Ginkgo
Bird Magpie
Website seoul.go.kr

Seoul (Korean pronunciation: [sʌ.ul]  ( listen)) is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities and the second largest mega city in the world.[1] The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and satellite towns in Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million inhabitants[2] and is the world's second largest metropolitan area.[3] Almost half of South Korea's population live in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly a quarter in Seoul itself, making it the country's chief economic, political, and cultural center.

Located on the Han River in the center of the Korean Peninsula, Seoul has been an important settlement for over two thousand years, with its history dating back to 18 BC, when Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, established its capital in what is now south-east Seoul. The city then became the capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The Seoul National Capital Area includes four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeokgung, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.[4] Seoul's historical attractions and the Korean wave phenomenon is making the city a popular tourist destination; it received nearly 5 million tourists in 2007, more than double that of Tokyo, Athens and Sydney.[5]

Seoul's influence in business, international trade, politics, technology, education and entertainment all contribute to its role as a leading global city.[6] It is the iconic city of the Miracle on the Han River and hosted landmark international events such as the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Seoul is one of the world's top ten financial and commercial cities[7] and is home to some of the world's largest conglomerates[8] such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia. In 2005, the Seoul National Capital Area generated a total GDP of over $460 billion,[9] larger than the economies of Finland, New Zealand and Norway combined.[10] In 2008, Seoul was named the world's sixth most economically powerful city by Forbes.com, ahead of Paris and Los Angeles.[11] It is also the world's fifth most expensive city and the second most expensive city in Asia.[12]

Seoul has one of the world's most technologically advanced infrastructures[13] and is often called the "Tech capital of the world".[14] The Digital Media City in Mapo is the world's first complex for high-tech technologies and a test-bed for futuristic IT and multimedia applications.[15] Today, Seoul is the only city in the world featuring DMB, a digital mobile TV technology and WiBro, a wireless high-speed mobile internet service, as well as a 100Mbits fibre-optic broadband network, which is being upgraded to 1Gbps by 2012.[16] Seoul Station houses 350 km/h KTX high-speed rail and the Seoul Subway is the third largest in the world, with over 2 billion passengers every year.[17] Seoul is connected to Incheon International Airport via AREX, which has been consecutively rated as the world's best airport by ACI since 2006.[18]

Contents

Name

See also: Names of Seoul

The city has been known in the past by the names Wirye-seong (위례성; 慰禮城, Baekje era), Hanju (한주; 漢州, Silla era), Namgyeong (남경; 南京, Goryeo era), Hanseong (한성; 漢城, Baekje and Joseon era), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽, Joseon era), Gyeongseong (경성; 京城, Joseon) and Keijo (colonial era). Its current name originated from the Korean word meaning "capital city," which is believed to be derived from Seorabeol (서라벌; 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.[19]

Unlike most place names in Korea, "Seoul" has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language). The recently chosen Chinese name for Seoul is 首尔 (simplified), 首爾 (traditional) (Shǒuěr), which sounds somewhat similar to "Seoul" when pronounced in Mandarin Chinese.[20]

History

Gyeongbokgung palace.
Main article: History of Seoul

The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC, when it was established as a settlement in Baekje, Wirye-seong. It's believed that the Wirye-seong site is in the boundaries of modern day Seoul and Present Pungnap Toseong or Mongchon Toseong remains believed as the site. It has thereafter been the capital of the Joseon Dynasty. Seoul as a capital of South Korea, has a history of more 610 years since 1394 the year it was designate as a capital of Joseon Dynasty. In the Japanese colonization period in the early 20th century, many historical and traditional parts of Seoul were changed. The city was almost entirely destroyed in the Korean War, but an aggressive economic policy in the 1960s and 1970s helped to rebuild the city very rapidly. In the 1990s, some important historical buildings were restored, including Gyeongbokgung, one of the most royal palaces and the king's dwelling of the Joseon dynasty.

Geography

Namsan mountain and Seoul Tower.
Climate chart for Seoul
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
22
 
2
-6
 
 
24
 
4
-4
 
 
46
 
10
1
 
 
77
 
18
7
 
 
102
 
23
13
 
 
133
 
27
18
 
 
328
 
29
22
 
 
348
 
30
22
 
 
138
 
26
17
 
 
49
 
20
10
 
 
53
 
12
3
 
 
25
 
4
-3
average temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: Climate data in seoul, 1971 ~ 2000. Korea Meteorological Administration.(Korean)

Seoul is in northwest South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.39 km² of area, roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River. The Han River and its surrounding area played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to take control of this land, where the river was used as a trade route to China (via the Yellow Sea). However, the river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, barred for entrance by any civilian. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.

Climate

In common with the rest of South Korea, Seoul has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dwa), despite the fact that the country is surrounded on three sides by water.[21] Summers are generally hot and humid, with East Asian monsoon taking place from June until July. August, the hottest month, has an average temperature of 72 °F to 86 °F (22°C to 30°C) with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often very cold with an average January temperature of 19 °F to 33 °F (-7°C to 1°C) and are generally much drier than summers, although there are 28 days of snow in Seoul in each year on average.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Gu of Seoul

Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구; 區) (district).[22] The gu vary greatly in area (from 10 to 47 km²) and population (from less than 140,000 to 630,000). Songpa has the most people, while Seocho, the largest area. The government of each gu handles many of the functions that are handled by city governments in other jurisdictions. Each gu is divided into "dong" (동; 洞) or neighbourhoods. Some gu have only a few dong while others like Jongno-gu have a very large number of distinct neighborhoods. Gu of Seoul consist of 522 administrative dongs (행정동) in total.[22] Dong are also sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.

Seoul Districts

Demographics

Nearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. A rapidly growing population of international residents now represent about 2% of the total population.[23] The city’s population surpassed 10,421,000 as of the end of 2007 and the number of foreigners was 229,000, constituting 2.2 percent of the population.[24]

The two major religions in Seoul are Buddhism and Christianity. Other religions include Shamanism and Confucianism, the latter seen more as a pervasive social philosophy rather than a religion.

Economy

The 63 Building is an iconic landmark of the Miracle on the Han River.

As the headquarters for Samsung, LG, Hyundai and Kia, Seoul has become a major business hub in Asia. Although Seoul accounts for only 0.6 percent of South Korea's land area, it generates 21 percent of the country's entire GDP.[25] With a GDP of over $200 billion, It is the fourth largest in Asia and one of the top twenty largest in the world.[26]

Financial hub

As a major business and financial center, Seoul ranks sixth in the world in terms of the number of transnational companies headquartered there.[27] Many international banks have branches in Seoul, including Citigroup,Deutsche Bank,HSBC and Mizuho Financial Group. One of the largest exchange banks, the Korea Exchange Bank, is also headquartered in Seoul.

Shopping

Main article: Shopping in Seoul
Apgujeong.

The largest market in South Korea, the Dongdaemun Market, is located in Seoul. Myeongdong is a shopping and entertainment area in downtown Seoul which contains some of the city's top stores and fashion boutiques. Nearby is the Namdaemun Market named after the Namdaemun Gate. Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold. Itaewon is another notable shopping district in the city lined with boutiques and stores, mainly catering to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city. Shinchon is particularly popular with young people perhaps due to its proximity to some of Seoul's universities. The Gangnam district is one of the most affluent areas in Seoul and has popular modern shopping spots such as the fashionable and upscale Apgujeong-dong area and the COEX Mall.

Cityscape

Street in Seoul
Cheonggyecheon.

The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon Dynasty city, which is now the downtown area, where most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels, and traditional markets are located. This area occupies the valley of Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs from west to east through the valley before emptying into the Han River. For many years, the stream had been covered by concrete, but was recently restored through an urban revival project. To the north of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan. Further south are the old suburbs of Yongsan-gu and Mapo-gu, and the Han River. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of Gangnam-gu,Seocho-gu and surrounding neighborhoods.

The World Trade Center of Korea is located in Gangnam-gu and this is where many expositions and conferences are held. Also in Gangnam-gu is the COEX Mall, a large indoor shopping and entertainment complex. Downstream from Gangnam-gu is Yeouido, a large island that is home to the National Assembly, major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office buildings, as well as the Korea Finance Building and the world's largest Pentecostal church. Adjacent to Yeouido is Bamseom an uninhabited island in the middle of the river. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, and Lotte World are located in Songpa-gu, on the south side of the Han River, upstream from Gangnam-gu. South of the sprawling Gangnam area are Namhan Mountain,Cheonggye Mountain and Gwanak Mountain.

Major modern landmarks include the Korea Finance Building, N Seoul Tower, the World Trade Center, the 63 Building and the six-skyscraper residence Tower Palace. These and various high-rise office buildings, like the Seoul Star Tower and Jongno Tower, dominate the city's skyline. Due to its high density, Seoul has been equipped with a grand appearance of skyscrapers and the city council is now planning on building a series of high-rises, including 580-meter business center in Sangam Digital Media City district and an 800-meter Lotte World 2 Tower in the Jamsil (pronounced "Jam-shil") district of Songpa-gu and Gangdong-gu.

Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the late 14th century. The Royal Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty still remain in Seoul, with the main palace, Gyeongbokgung currently being restored to its original form. Today, there are eight major subway lines stretching for more than 250 kilometers, with a ninth and tenth line being planned, and also some other miscellaneous lines.

The most historically significant street in Seoul is Jongno (종로; 鐘路), meaning "Bell Street," on which one can find Bosingak, a pavilion containing a large bell. The bell signaled the different times of the day and therefore controlled the four major gates to the city. The only time it is normally rung nowadays is at midnight on New Year's Eve, when it is rung thirty-three times. It was, however, rung on the day that President Kim Dae-jung took office.

Seoul's most important streetcar line ran along Jongno until it was replaced by Line 1 of the subway system in the early 1970s. Other notable streets in downtown Seoul include Euljiro (을지로; 乙支路), Teheranno (테헤란路, Tehran Street), Sejongno (세종로; 世宗路), Chungmuro (충무로; 忠武路), Yulgongno (율곡로; 栗谷路), and Toegyero (퇴계로; 退溪路).

Historical structures and museums

Changdeokgung
Gyeongbokgung (Royal Banquet Hall)

The Joseon Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul :

Korean royal residence :

Other Historical Places :

  • Pungnap Toseong (풍납토성; 風納土城) - A flat earthen wall built at the edge of the Han River, widely believed to be the site of Wiryeseong.
  • Mongchon Toseong (몽촌토성; 蒙村土城) - A earthen wall built during Baekje period, located inside the Olympic Park, Seoul.
  • Seodaemun Prison (서대문 형무소; 西大門刑務所) - A museum and former prison during the rule of Japan over Korea.
  • Amsa-dong Preshistoric Settlement Site (암사동 선사주거지; 岩寺洞先史住居址) - In which Neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925 in Amsa-dong.
  • Sungnyemun (숭례문; 崇禮門) - A historic and the oldest wooden gate located in the heart of Seoul.
  • Heunginjimun (흥인지문; 興仁之門) - A prominent landmark in central Seoul near the largest shopping center Dongdaemun Market.
  • Castle Walls of Seoul (서울 성곽; 서울城郭) - A remaining walls of Seoul (Hanseong; Han castle) during Joseon Dynasty.
  • Independence Gate (독립문; 獨立門) - Built to inspire an independent spirit (particularly from China), in 1897.
  • Myeongdong Cathedral (명동성당; 明洞聖堂) - A neighborhood landmark and a symbol of Christianity in Korea and of political dissidents.
  • Wongudan (원구단; 圜丘壇) - The Korean equivalent of the Chinese Temple of Heaven.
  • Bank of Korea (한국은행; 韓國銀行) - Established on June 12, 1950 under the Bank of Korea Act.
  • Gwangtonggwan (광통관; 廣通館)
  • Seoul Station (서울역; 서울驛) - Opened in 1900 as "Gyeongseong Station," and resembles Tokyo Station Building.

Museums

National Museum of Korea
Main article: List of museums in Seoul

Outside the metropolitan area:

  • Namhan sanseong (남한산성; 南漢山城)
  • Bukhan sanseong (북한산성; 北漢山城)
  • Namsan Park (남산공원; 南山公園)

Temples and shrines

Jongmyo

Korean Traditional Villages

Bukchon Hanok Village

In the Seoul Metropolitan Area

Parks

See also: List of parks in Seoul
  • Namsan (Seoul) - It offers some hiking, recreation and views of downtown Seoul's skyline. The N Seoul Tower is located here.
  • Olympic Park, Seoul - An Olympic Park built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics.
  • Tapgol Park - A small (19,599 m²) public park and it has the Wongaksa Pagoda 10 tier pagoda (National Treasure No.2).
  • Tancheon - It is a stream and the near area serves as a large park with paths for both walkers and cyclists.
  • Cheonggyecheon - is a stream nearly 6 km long in downtown Seoul and a very popular place among Seoul residents and tourists.

Seoul's metropolitan area accommodates six major parks, including Seoul Forest, which opened in mid-2005. The Seoul National Capital Area also contains a green belt aimed to prevent the city from sprawling out over the neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people resting on the weekend and during vacations.

In addition, Seoul is also home to the world's largest indoor amusement park, Lotte World. Other recreation centres include the former Olympic and World Cup stadiums and the City Hall's public lawn.

Sports

World Peace Gate.

International Competition

Seoul hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It also served as one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Seoul World Cup Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and first game of the tournament.

Taekwondo is Korea's national sport and Seoul is the location of the Kukkiwon, also known as the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), the world headquarters of taekwondo.

Domestic Sports Clubs

Football

Men's Football

Level League Club Home Stadium
Top Tier K-League FC Seoul Seoul World Cup Stadium, North Seoul
2nd Tier National League Nowon Hummel FC Madeul Stadium, North Seoul
3rd Tier K3 League Seoul United FC
Seoul Martyrs FC		 Jamsil Olympic Stadium, South Seoul
Gangbuk-gu public Stadium, North Seoul

Women's Football

Level League Club Home Stadium
Top Tier WK-League Seoul Metropolitan Government FC To Be Determined

Other Sports

The Seoul is home to three baseball teams in the KBO: Doosan Bears, LG Twins and Seoul Heroes. Seoul is also home to two basketball clubs in the KBL: Seoul Samsung Thunders and Seoul SK Knights.

Seoul also has a professional volleyball club Seoul Woori Capital, which will debut in 2009-2010 season.

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in Seoul
KTX high-speed rail on Seoul Station.

Seoul's transportation dates back to the era of the Korean Empire, when the first streetcar lines were laid and a railroad linking Seoul and Incheon was completed.

Seoul hosts more than three million registered vehicles and widespread traffic congestion is common.

Bus

Main article: Seoul Buses

Seoul's bus system is operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, with four primary bus configurations available servicing most of the city. Seoul has many big intercity/express bus terminals. These buses are connecting Seoul and cities all around Korea. Major bus terminals are

  • Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu
  • Central City in Seocho-gu
  • Seoul Nambu Terminal, also in Seocho-gu
  • Dong Seoul Bus Terminal in Gwangjin-gu
  • Sangbong Terminal in Jungnang-gu

To reduce air pollution in the city, the government is planning to change over seven thousand of Seoul's diesel engine buses with natural gas by 2010.[28]

Subway

Yongsan Station.
Main article: Seoul Metropolitan Subway

Seoul has a comprehensive subway network that interlinks every district of the city with one another and the surrounding area. With more than 8 million passengers a day, Seoul has one of the busiest subway systems in the world. The Seoul Metropolitan Subway has 12 lines which serves Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi province and northern Chungnam province. In addition, in order to cope with all of these transportation modes, Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable. The various lines are run by Korail, Seoul Metro and Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation.

Train

Seoul is connected to every major city in Korea by railroad. Seoul is also linked to most major Korean cities by the KTX high-speed train, which has a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h. Major railroad stations include:

Airports

Incheon International Airport.

There are two international airports that serve Seoul. Gimpo International Airport, formerly in Gimpo but annexed to Seoul in 1963, was the only international airport for Seoul since its original construction during the Korean War. Other domestic airports were built around the time of the war, including at Yeouido.

Upon opening in March 2001, Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong island in Incheon changed the role of Gimpo Airport significantly. Incheon is now responsible for almost all international flights and some domestic flights, while Gimpo serves only domestic flights with the exception of flights to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) in Tokyo, Osaka Kansai International Airport and Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai. This has led to a significant drop in flights from Gimpo Airport.

Meanwhile, Incheon International Airport has become, along with Hong Kong and Singapore, a major transportation center for East Asia. The 2005 AETRA passenger survey, jointly administered by the IATA and Airports Council International, voted it the best airport in the world.[29] It was named by Skytrax as the world's 5th best airport for 2006.[30]

Incheon and Gimpo are linked to Seoul by highways, and Gimpo is also linked by subway (line #5). The Incheon International Airport Railroad, a rail line connecting Incheon Airport to Gimpo Airport opened in March 2007, but the line to Seoul Station in central Seoul will take at least a year more to open. Shuttle buses transfer passengers between Incheon and Gimpo airports.

Education

See also: Education in South Korea, List of universities in Seoul

There is a large number of universities in Seoul. Most of the country's most prestigious universities are located in Seoul.

Gallery

Deoksugung.

Namdaemun.

Gyeongbokgung.

Cheonggyecheon.

Changdeokgung.

Confucian shrine Jongmyo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

National Folk Museum of Korea.

National Museum of Korea.

World Peace Gate.

COEX Convention & Exhibition Center.

Seoul Olympic Park.

Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Lotte World

World Trade Center Seoul.

|A view overlooking Gangnam.

Sejongno.

Yeouido banking and financial district.

Gangnam.

Yeouido at night.

Galleria department store.

Central Seoul, Jongno.

Apgujeong.

Yongsan digital plaza.

Myeongdong.

Seocho Samsung Town.

Express Bus Terminal on Seoul Subway Line 9.

Natural Gas powered New Super AeroCity Bus.

KTX bullet train on Seoul Station.

AREX train connecting Incheon and Gimpo Airport.

Incheon International Airport.

Gimpo International Airport.

Teheranno, colloquially known as “Teheran Valley”.

Wonhyo Bridge in Yeouido.

N Seoul Tower at night.

Samsung Tower Palace.

Han River at night.

Sister cities

Seoul has many sister cities. The year each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ Thomas Brinkhoff, www.citypopulation.de; South Korea, The registered population of the South Korean provinces and urban municipalities Registered population 2007-12-31. Retrieved on 2008-12-31.
  2. ^ 나라지표:수도권 인구 집중 현황
  3. ^ R.L. Forstall, R.P. Greene, and J.B. Pick, "Which are the largest? Why published populations for major world urban areas vary so greatly", City Futures Conference, (University of Illinois at Chicago, July 2004) – Table 5 (p.34)
  4. ^ "Lists: Republic of Korea". UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/kr. Retrieved on 2008-12-27. 
  5. ^ Caroline Bremner (2009-01-07). "Trend Watch: Euromonitor International’s Top City Destinations Ranking". Euromonitor International. http://www.euromonitor.com/Trend_Watch_Euromonitor_Internationals_Top_City_Destinations_Ranking. Retrieved on 2009-01-16. 
  6. ^ http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4509&page=1
  7. ^ http://www.citymayors.com/economics/financial-cities.html
  8. ^ See List of companies by revenue.
  9. ^ http://stats.oecd.org/OECDregionalstatistics/indexTL3.html
  10. ^ GDP (purchasing power parity) (2005) by country
  11. ^ http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/15/economic-growth-gdp-biz-cx_jz_0715powercities_slide_7.html?thisSpeed=15000
  12. ^ "Cost of living - The world's most expensive cities". City Mayors. http://www.citymayors.com/features/cost_survey.html. 
  13. ^ "KOREA: Future is now for Korean info-tech". AsiaMedia (Regents of the University of California). 14 June 2005. http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=25697. Retrieved on 2009-02-24. 
  14. ^ http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/tech-capitals-of-the-world/2007/06/16/1181414598292.html
  15. ^ http://dmc.seoul.go.kr/english/jsp/about/overview.jsp
  16. ^ http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/02/south-koreans-could-see-1gbps-web-connections-by-2012/
  17. ^ See Metro systems by annual passenger rides.
  18. ^ "Airport Service Excellence Awards". ACI website. 2008-02-27. http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2008/gb20080227_985704.htm?campaign_id=rss_topDiscussed. Retrieved on 2008-09-24. 
  19. ^ yahoo
  20. ^ goodcharacters.com
  21. ^ BBC Weather - Country Guide
  22. ^ a b "Administrative Districts". Seoul Metropolitan Government. http://english.seoul.go.kr/gover/organ/organ_03adm.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-02. 
  23. ^ Park, Chung-a (2007-07-24). "Foreign Population in Seoul Stands at 175,000". Korea Times. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/nation_view.asp?newsIdx=7073&categoryCode=117. Retrieved on 2008-01-06. 
  24. ^ [1][dead link]
  25. ^ Welcome to KTC
  26. ^ http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/richest-cities-2005.html
  27. ^ http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2008/cities/
  28. ^ "Seoul More Enjoyable For a Day" accessed 2008-07-30
  29. ^ "Airport Service Excellence Awards for 2005". ACI. 2006-03-07. http://www.airports.org/cda/aci/display/main/aci_content.jsp?zn=aci&cp=1-7-46%5E6702_9_2__. Retrieved on 2006-08-25. 
  30. ^ "Airport of the Year 2006". World Airport Awards. Skytrax. http://www.worldairportawards.com/Awards-2006/AirportYear-2006.htm. Retrieved on 2007-02-25. 
  31. ^ Seul Metropolitan Government. "International Cooperation: Sister Cities". http://english.seoul.go.kr/gover/cooper/coo_02sis.html. 
  32. ^ The Many Lives of Tehran Road

External links

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Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Seoul
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Translations: Seoul
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - Seoul

Français (French)
n. - Séoul

Deutsch (German)
n. - Seoul

Português (Portuguese)
n. - Seoul

Español (Spanish)
n. - Seul, Seúl

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
汉城

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 漢城

한국어 (Korean)
서울 (대한민국의 수도)

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮סיאול‬

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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
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Geography. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.  Read more
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