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| Seoul Special City | |
|---|---|
| Korean Name | |
| Revised Romanization | Seoul Teukbyeolsi |
| McCune-Reischauer | Sŏul T'ŭkpyŏlshi |
| Hangul | 서울 특별시 |
| Hanja | 서울 特別市 |
| (Note: there are no Hanja for "Seoul" (서울)) | |
| Short Name | Seoul (Sŏul; 서울) |
| Statistics | |
| Population | 10 million (approximate) |
| Area | 614 km²(approximate) |
| Government | Special City; Capital of South Korea |
| Administrative Divisions | 25 wards ("Gu") |
| Region | Sudogwon |
| Dialect | Seoul |
| Location Map | |
Seoul is the over 600 year old enduring capital of South Korea and until 1945, the capital of all of Korea. It is a designated special city. Since the establishment of the Republic of Korea—better known as South Korea—in 1948, it became the capital of the country, except for a short time during Korean War.
Seoul is located in the northwest of the country below the DMZ, on the Han River. The city is the political, cultural, social and economical centre of South Korea.
With about 10 million registered citizens living within its 237 square miles, the city of Seoul is one of the most populated cities in the world that human civilization has yet known. Its density has allowed it to become one of the most digitally-wired cities in today's globally connected economy. It also has more than 1 million registered vehicles which cause isolated traffic-jams beyond midnight.
The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC. In that year the newly established kingdom of Baekje built its capital Wiryeseong in the Seoul area. There are several city wall remains in the area dating from this time, and Pungnap Toseong, an earthen wall whose remains lie just outside Seoul, is widely believed to be the main Wiryeseong site. During the time when the three kingdoms fought for hegemony in Korea, Seoul was often the site where disputes were carried out.
It was thought that only the kingdom who controls the area around Seoul would be able to control the whole of the peninsula, because it was centre of transportation. This was the reason why in the 11th century the ruler of the Goryeo Dynasty built a palace in Seoul, which was referred to as the Southern Capital.
This city was renamed from Hanyang (漢陽) to Hanseong (漢城) when it became the capital of the Joseon Dynasty in 1394 (it is still known by this name in the Chinese language). It was renamed Gyeongseong (京城—Keijō in Japanese) during the Japanese Colonial Period, and finally given the name Seoul after the 1945 liberation. The word Seoul has been used since the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-A.D.935). Seoul was originated from the archaic words of 'seobeol' or 'seorabeol'. Both were referred to Gyeongju, then capital of Silla, and meant the capital or capital city. Then it was transliterated into several types reflecting slight changes over time and has finally firmed up to Seoul. The Hanja gyeong (京) also means "capital" and is used to represent Seoul in the names of railway lines and freeways (for example, the Gyeongbu (Seoul-Busan) railway line and Gyeongin (Seoul-Incheon) freeway.
After independence, some nationalists have insisted that gyeong should be replaced with seo, the first syllable of Seoul. In this case, however, one cannot tell Seobu (서釜, Seoul-Busan) from another Seobu (西部, "western") in Hangul, so the proposal was withdrawn.
Originally entirely surrounded by a massive circular wall (a 20 feet high circular stone fortress) to provide security its citizens from wild animals such as the Korean Tiger (Siberian Tiger, once roaming the wilds of Korea in large numbers; although it vanished from the peninsula long ago, its memory has been preserved in both myth and legend), thieves and attacks. The city has grown to surpass those walls and although the wall no longer stands (except in the mountains north of the downtown area), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably Sungnyemun (commonly known as Namdaemun) and Honginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun). During the Joseon dynasty, each entrance was opened and closed each day, by ringing large bells, to allow traffic.
Seoul was the host city of the 1988 Summer Olympics as well as one of the venues of the Football World Cup 2002.
On August 11, 2004, the South Korean Government announced that the capital city will be located in the Gongju area as from 2007. The new capital is yet to be named, and the move will probably not be completed before 2012 . Although part of the election manifesto, this plan is controversial. It is possible that the proposed move may not happen if the matter comes up in a referendum.
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 (청계천), a now-covered stream that runs from west to east through the valley before emptying into the Han River. To the north of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan ("South Mountain"). 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 and surrounding neighbourhoods. 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 that is a famous indoor mall area where many young Koreans enjoy spending time with friends. Yeouido is a large island in the middle of the Han River, downstream from Gangnam-gu, and is home to the National Assembly, the major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office buildings. 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 and Gwanak Mountain.
Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the 14th century. The Royal Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty still remain in Seoul, with the main palace (
Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구 "districts"), which are sub-divided into 15267 dong, which are further divided into 112,734 ban in total.
The Joseon Dynasty built the "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul, namely:
There is also a minor palace:
Outside the metropolitan area:
There is a large number of universities in Seoul. Seoul National University is considered the country's most prestigious university and is highly sought after. The other universities of the city are: Yonsei University, Sung Kyun Kwan University, King Sejong University (named after King Sejong the Great of Joseon), Korean National University of Physical Education, Korean National University of Arts, Korea University, Chungang University, Chugye University for the Arts, Dankuk University, Dongduk University, Dongduk Women's University, Duksung Women's University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Hansung University, Hanyang University, Hanyang Women's University, Hong-ik University, Induk University, Konkuk University, Kookmin University, Kang-woon University, Kyunggi University, Kyunghee University, Myongji University, Sahmyook University, Sangmyung University, Seogyeong University, Seoul University, Seoul Women's University, Sogang University, Songshin Women's University, Sookmyung Women's University, Soongsil University
There are two airports that serve Seoul. Gimpo Airport in Gimpo was the only and main airport for Seoul from its original construction during the Korean War. It also served as the country?s gateway to the world.
Upon completion in 2001 Incheon International Airport in Incheon has changed the role of Gimpo Airport significantly. Incheon now is responsible for almost all international flights, while Gimpo serves mostly domestic flights. This has lead to a significant drop in flights from Gimpo Airport.
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