Seoul (; ), officially the
Seoul Special City, 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.
[ Registered population 2007-12-31. Retrieved on 2008-12-31.] The
Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of
Incheon and most of
Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million inhabitants, and is the world's
second largest metropolitan area. 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 foremost
economic,
political, and
cultural center. It is an important destination for
immigrants to South Korea, with a rapidly growing
international population of over 255,000.
Seoul is located on the
Han River in the center of the
Korean Peninsula, and historically was settled in 18
B.C. 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. As the center of
Korean history over the past millennia, the Seoul National Capital Area is home to four
UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
Changdeokgung,
Hwaseong Fortress,
Jongmyo Shrine and the
Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.
Seoul's influence in
business,
international trade,
politics,
technology,
education and
entertainment all contribute to its role as a prominent
global city. It is considered to be an
Alpha World City, ranking 9th in the
2008 Global Cities Index. Seoul 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. It is one of the world's top ten
financial and
commercial centers, home to some of the world's largest
conglomerates such as
Samsung,
LG and
Hyundai-Kia. Seoul was Asia's most expensive city to live in 2007, and the third most expensive city worldwide. With a
GDP per capita of $31,095 in 2007, Seoul has a living standard comparable to
France and
Italy.
[http://www.mt.co.kr/view/mtview.php?type=1&no=2009072818220114676&outlink=1][, International Monetary Fund. Implied PPP conversion rate(2007). Accessed on April 22, 2009.][, International Monetary Fund. GDP(PPP) per capita(2007). Accessed on April 22, 2009.] In 2008, Seoul was named the world's sixth most economically powerful city by
Forbes.com, ahead of
Paris and
Los Angeles.
Seoul is the
2010 World Design Capital and has one of the world's most technologically advanced
infrastructures. It is ranked first on the
Digital Opportunity Index, with the highest
broadband internet penetration of any city. Seoul's Digital Media City is the world's first complex for
high-tech technologies and a test-bed for futuristic
IT and
multimedia applications. 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 100Mbps
fibre-optic broadband network, which is being upgraded to 1Gbps by 2012.
Seoul Station houses the 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. Seoul is connected to
Incheon International Airport via
AREX, which is rated as the world's best airport by
ACI since 2005.
Name
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, Japanese occupation 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.
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.
History
thumb|left|Gyeongbokgung palace.
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 and powerful palaces and the ruler's dwelling of the Joseon dynasty.
Geography
thumb|left|[[Namsan mountain and
Seoul Tower.]]
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. 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
Seoul is divided into 25
gu (구; ) (district).
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; ) 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.
are also sub-divided into 13,787
tong (통; ), which are further divided into 102,796
ban in total.
thumb|250px|right|Seoul DistrictsDemographics
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. 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.
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
right|right|thumb|Samsung Headquarters
As the headquarters for
Samsung,
LG,
Hyundai,
Kia and
SK, 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 with a
GDP per capita of $31,095 in 2007, Seoul has a living standard comparable to
France and
ItalyFinancial hub
As a major business and financial center, Seoul ranks sixth in the world in terms of the number of transnational companies headquartered there. Many international banks have branches in Seoul, including
Citigroup,
Deutsche Bank,
HSBC. One of the largest exchange banks, the
Korea Exchange Bank, is also headquartered in Seoul.
Shopping
Since Seoul is the center of commerce in South Korea, there are many notable shopping areas attracting consumers.
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. It has mid to high priced retail stores and international brand outlets. Nearby is the
Namdaemun Market named after the
Namdaemun Gate, which is the oldest continually running and the largest retail market in Seoul.
Sinchon is a shopping area that caters mainly to a young crowd and university students.
On the other hand,
Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold.
Hwanghak-dong Flea Market and
Janganpyeong Antique Market also offer antique products.
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. 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. As for wholesale markets, there are
Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market,
Garak Market and many others.
Yongsan Electronics Market is the largest electronics market in Asia. Gasan Digital Complex also serves an extensive variety electronic products.
Architecture
thumb|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.
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. The most historically significant street in Seoul is
Jongno, 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. 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.
Historical architecture
thumb|ChangdeokgungSeoul has a lot of historical and cultural landmarks. In
Amsa-dong Preshistoric Settlement Site,
Songpa-gu, Neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925 in
Amsa-dong.
Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the late 14th century. The
Joseon Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul such as
Changdeokgung,
Changgyeonggung,
Deoksugung,
Gyeongbokgung and
Gyeonghuigung, all of which are located in the district of
Jongno-gu and
Jung-gu. Among them, Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO
World Heritage List in 1997 for "outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design". The main palace,
Gyeongbokgung currently being restored to its original form. The palaces are referred to as exemplary architecture of the Joseon period. Beside the palaces,
Unhyeongung is known for the royal residence of Regent
Daewongun, the father of
Emperor Gojong at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.
thumb|240px|left|DeoksugungSeoul has been surrounded by walls that had built to regulate visitors from other regions and protect the city in case foreigners' invasions.
Pungnap Toseong is a flat earthen wall built at the edge of the Han River which is widely believed to be the site of
Wiryeseong. Mongchon Toseong (몽촌토성; 蒙村土城) is also an earthen wall built during the
Baekje period which is now located inside the
Olympic Park.
Castle Walls of Seoul (서울성곽; 서울城郭) are remaining walls of Seoul during
Joseon Dynasty.
Although many walls and fortresses were demolished, some of gates of the palaces and fortresses have played a role of the city's heart such as
Sungnyemun and
Heunginjimun. The gates are more commonly known as Namdaemun (South Great Gate) and Dongdaemun (East Great Gate) in regards to the directions. Namdaemun was the oldest wooden gate until the 2008 fire incident and has been currently under reconstruction. Nearby the gates, traditional markets and largest shopping center,
Namdaemun Market and
Dongdaemun Market are situated with the names from the gates.
There are also many buildings founded in the end of the 19th century and early 20th century with western styles. The
Independence Gate was built in 1897 to inspire an independent spirit from
Sinosphere.
Seoul Station was opened in 1900 as "Gyeongseong Station.
Modern architecture
thumb|alt=Street in Seoul|Gangnam district in Seoul
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.
The World Trade Center of Korea is located in
Gangnam-gu which hosts various expositions and conferences. 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. 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.
Culture
Museums
thumb|National Museum of KoreaSeoul is home to over 100 museums including three national and nine official municipal museums.
National Museum of Korea is the most representative of museums in not only Seoul and South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum exhibits 150,000 artifacts. In October 2005, the museum opened in a new building in Yongsan Family Park. The
National Folk Museum is situated on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace) in the district of Jongno-gu and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the folk history of the Korean people.
Bukchon Hanok Village and
Namsangol Hanok Village are old residential districts consisting of
hanok- Korean traditional houses, parks, and museums that allows visitors to experience traditional Korean culture. The
War Memorial, one of nine municipal museums in Seoul, offers visitors an educational and emotional experience of various wars in which Korea was involved including
Korean War themes. The
Seodaemun Prison is a former prison built during Japanese occupation and is currently used as a history museum.
The
Seoul Museum of Art and
Ilmin Museum of Art have preserved the appearance of the old building that distinguishes it visually from the neighboring tall, modern buildings in the urban area. The former is operated by Seoul City Council and was opened adjacent to Gyeonghuigung Palace, a Joseon dynasty royal palace. The
Tteok & Kitchen Utensil Museum and
Kimchi Field Museum provide information regarding Korean culinary history.
Religion
thumb|JongmyoThere are also religious buildings that take important roles in Korean society and politics. The
Wongudan altar had been a sacrificial place where Korean rulers held heavenly rituals since the Three Kingdoms period. Since the Joseon Dynasty adopted Confucianism as the national ideology in 14th century, the state built many Confucian shrines. The descendants of the Joseon royal family still continue to hold ceremonies to commemorate ancestors at
Jongmyo. It is the oldest royal Confucian shrine preserved and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established since the 14th century.
Munmyo and
Dongmyo were built during the same period. Although Buddhism was suppressed by the Joseon state, it has continued its existence.
Jogyesa is the headquarters of the
Jogyeo Order of
Korean Buddhism.
Hwagyesa and
Bongeunsa are also major Buddhist temples in Seoul.
The
Myeongdong Cathedral is a landmark of the
Myeongdong district and is the first Catholic church established in Korea. It is a symbol of Christianity in Korea as well as political dissidents in the late 20th century.
Parks
thumb|Seoul Olympic ParkNamsan Park offers some hiking, recreation and views of the downtown Seoul skyline. The
N Seoul Tower is located here.
Seoul Olympic Park is located in
Songpa-gu and was built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. In
Tapgol Park, a small public park with an area of 19,599 m², the
Wongaksa Pagoda 10 tier pagoda is situated. Areas around streams serves as public places for relaxation and recreation.
Tancheon stream and the nearby area serves as a large park with paths for both walkers and cyclists.
Cheonggyecheon is a stream that runs nearly 6 km through downtown Seoul and a popular place to visit among Seoul residents and tourists.
The Seoul
metropolitan area accommodates six major parks, including the
Seoul Forest, which opened in mid-2005. The
Seoul National Capital Area also contains a
green belt aimed at preventing the city from
sprawling out over the neighboring
Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people looking to escape from urban life on weekends and during vacations.
In addition, Seoul is also home to the world's largest indoor amusement park,
Lotte World. Other recreation centers include the former
Olympic and
World Cup stadiums and the
City Hall public lawn.
Sports
thumb|The Han River./" class="wiki">Seoul Olympic Stadium seen from
Han River.
thumb|[[Olympic Park, Seoul|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
Other Sports
The Seoul is home to three
baseball teams in the
KBO:
LG Twins,
Doosan Bears and
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 Dream Six, which will debut in 2009-2010 season.
Transportation
thumb|The [[Banpo Bridge, a gigantic rainbow fountain with nearly 10,000
LEDs.]]
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'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,
Teheranno,
Sejongno,
Chungmuro,
Yulgongno, and
Toegyero. 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.
Seoul hosts more than three million registered vehicles and widespread traffic congestion is common.
Bus
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 connect Seoul and cities all around Korea. The Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Central City Terminal, and Seoul Nambu Terminal are located in the district of
Seocho-gu. In addition, East Seoul Bus Terminal in
Gwangjin-gu and Sangbong Terminal in
Jungnang-gu operate in the east of the city. To reduce air pollution in the city, the municipal government is planning to change over seven thousand of Seoul's diesel engine buses with natural gas by 2010.
Subway
right|thumb|Yongsan Station.
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
thumb|[[Korea Train Express|KTX high-speed rail on
Seoul Station.]]
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
thumb|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. It was named by
Skytrax as the world's 5th best airport for 2006.
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
There are a large number of
universities in Seoul, including most of the country's most prestigious universities.
Sister cities
Seoul has many
sister cities. The year each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.
Large cities within South Korea
See also
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