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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.
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.
For more information on Seoul, visit Britannica.com.
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 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.
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.
Local Time: May 18, 8:03 PM
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 Map of location of Seoul. |
Seoul (서울) 
listen? [sʌ.ul] is the capital of South Korea and is
located on the Han River in the country's northwest. The city is situated about 50 km
(~30 mi) south of the North Korean border, also known as the de-militarised zone (DMZ). Seoul is a city with ancient history, the area of Seoul appears in
history as early as 18 BCE, when the kingdom of Baekje founded its capital, Wiryeseong, in what is now southeastern Seoul. Modern Seoul descends from a city called Hanyang, built during
the Goryeo era, which then became the capital of the Joseon dynasty in 1394. Seoul has been the capital of successive Korean nations ever since.[2]Designated the status of a
Special City, Seoul is administered directly by the national government.
With over ten million people, Seoul is South Korea's largest city and one of the largest cities in the world by population. Covering an area of only 605 square kilometres, smaller than New York City or Tokyo, it is one of the world's most densely populated major cities.
The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon, has almost 23 million inhabitants making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the world, after Greater Tokyo. Almost half of South Korea's entire population lives in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly one quarter in Seoul itself, making it the country's political, cultural, and economic centre, as well as a centre for international business. The rapid economic, social and technological development of the city has played a key role in South Korea's development, and has been referred to as the "Miracle on the Han River".
Seoul hosts more than three million registered vehicles and widespread traffic congestion is common. In recent years, the metropolitan government has undertaken extensive clean up of the city's air and water pollution. The revival of Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through Seoul city centre, was a recent major urban beautification project.
The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BCE, when it was established as a settlement in Baekje. It's believed that the Wiryeseong site is in the boundaries of modern day Seoul. It has thereafter been the capital of the Joseon Dynasty. In the Japanese colonization period in the early 20th century, many historical parts of Seoul were demolished. 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, the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty.
The city has been known in the past by the successive names Wiryeseong (위례성; 慰禮城; Baekje), Hanseong (한성; 漢城 Joseon), and Hanyang (한양; 漢陽), or Namkyeong (남경; 南京; Goryeo). Its current name derives from the ancient Korean word Seorabeol or Seobeol, meaning "capital city", which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla, then called Geumseong.
Unlike most place names in Korea, "Seoul" has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language), and Chinese-speaking countries, for decades, have referred to the city by its former name "Hànchéng" (meaning "City on the Han River" or The Han City Chinese: 漢城; Korean: "Hanseong"). For a time during the late 40's and early 50's, the transliterated name 蘇烏, which closely resembles to the English pronunciation for Seoul, was used.
This caused problems often, as in Korean the two terms - "Seoul" and "Hanseong" - are considered different and there exist different names "Seoul" and "Hanseong" for many schools, companies, or institutions, both of which are called in Chinese by the same name "Hànchéng". Typical examples are Seoul National University and Hanseong University, or Seoul Science High School and Hanseong Science High School, which are different but can be confused when called in Chinese.
The problem was solved In January 2005, when the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested that the Chinese name of the city be changed to "Shǒu'ěr" (首爾; Korean: 수이 Su-i). The name was chosen by the "Seoul Chinese Name & Branding Improvement Committee" (漢城中文標識改善委員會) out of two names, the other being 首午爾 (Shǒuwuěr)
This is a close transliteration of Seoul in Mandarin Chinese, where 首 (shǒu) can also mean "first" or "capital". For a some time after the name change, Chinese-language news medias have used both names interchangeably during their publications or broadcasts (首爾 [漢城]) in print, 首爾, 以前的漢城 [literally: Shouer, formerly called Hancheng] in television and radio)
For some time, Mainland China media stridently refused to adopt the new name, claiming that Chinese people have the right to choose how they name other cities around the world. They relented by the end of the year.
It is argued that this change was intended for speakers of Chinese only and has no effect on the Korean language name; unlike standard hanja, the Chinese characters were chosen to best represent the Korean pronunciation of a native Korean word. Despite the adoption of Shǒu'ěr (首爾) in Chinese media, the name Hànchéng (漢城) is still widely used by ordinary Chinese people.
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.[2] The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.
In common with the rest of South Korea, Seoul's climate is temperate and continental, despite the fact that South Korea is surrounded on three sides by water.[3] Summers are generally hot and humid, with monsoons taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month, has an average temperature of 22 °C to 30 °C (72 °F to 86 °F) with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often very cold when compared to places of a similar latitude, with an average January temperature of -10 °C to 1 °C (19 °F to 33 °F). Winters are generally a lot drier than summers, although on average there are 28 days of snow in Seoul each year.
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| temperatures in
°C • precipitation totals in mm source: http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/k/KO47108.html |
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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. Bamseom is an island in the middle of the Han River near Yeouido, downstream from Gangnam-gu, and 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. 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-metre business center in Sangam Digital Media City district and an 800-metre 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, meaning "Bell Street," on which one can find Bosingak, a pavillion 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).
Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구; 區) (district), which are sub-divided into 522 dong (동; 洞), which are sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.
Nearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. The crime rate in Seoul is very low. Two major religions in Seoul are Buddhism and Christianity. Even though there are slightly more Christians in Seoul, there still are lots of Buddhist temples in Seoul. [citation needed] Other religions include Shamanism and Confucianism, the latter seen more as a pervasive social philosophy rather than a religion.
As headquarters for some of the world’s largest corporations, such as
There are a large number of universities in Seoul. Most of the country's most prestigious universities are located in Seoul, including the so-called "SKY" schools: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.
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The Joseon Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul:
Outside the metropolitan area:
Seoul's air pollution levels are now on par with those of Tokyo and significantly lower than those of Beijing.[citation needed] 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 lush green areas are frequently sought after by people resting on the weekend and during vacations.
In addition, Seoul is also home to an indoor amusement park, Lotte World. Other recreation centres include the former Olympic and World Cup stadiums and the City Hall's public lawn.
Seoul hosted the 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.
The city is home to two baseball teams in the KBO: the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins & two basketball teams in the KBL: the Seoul Samsung Thunders and Seoul SK Knights.
There is one professional football club in Seoul, FC Seoul, which plays in the K-League. Two K3 League teams are based in the capital, Seoul United and Eungpyeong Chung-goo FC.
Seoul's transportation boom 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. Today, as a result of the diversification of Seoul's transportation network, it has become a great transportation hub for Asia.
There are two airports that serve Seoul. Gimpo International Airport, formerly in Gimpo but annexed to Seoul in 1963, was the only airport for Seoul from its original construction during the Korean War. Multiple airports were built in and around Seoul immediately before, during, and after the war. The most famous was on Yeouido, which once served as the country’s gateway to the world.
Upon opening in March 2001, Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong island near 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 Haneda Airport in Tokyo. 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 centre 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.[5] It was named by Skytrax as the world's 5th best airport for 2006.[6]
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.
Currently, Gimpo mostly manages flights in the country, and Incheon Airport is mostly international.
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 has eight subway lines that interlink every district of the city with one another and with the surrounding area. The majority of the population now uses the public transportation system due to its convenience and low cost. With more than 8 million passengers a day, Seoul has one of the busiest subway systems in the world. 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 10 lines are run by Korail, Seoul Metro and SMRT.
Seoul is connected to every major city in Korea by railroad. Seoul is also linked to most major Korean cities by the KTX bullet train which features a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h, making commuting between cities extremely convenient for commuters and tourists. Major railroad stations include:
Seoul has many sister cities. Washington, D.C. is the latest to become a sister city of Seoul.[7] The year each relationship was formed is shown in parenthesis below.
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