Сеул на корейском как пишется

Сеу́л (кор. 서울 Соуль — «столица») — столица и крупнейший город Республики Корея. Население более 10 млн человек.

Название

Слово Соуль происходит от древнекорейского соболь или сораболь («столица») периода Силла. Тогда это слово относили к городу Кёнджу, бывшей столице Силла. В ханчче кён (京) означает «столица»; этот слог встречается, например, в официальном названии административной единицы на территории Сеула в годы японского колониального правления (Кёнсон/Кэйдзё) и в названиях железных и автомобильных дорог (Кёнбусон, 경부선 — железнодорожная линия Сеул-Пусан; Кёнъи н косокторо, 경인고속도로 — скоростная автодорога Сеул-Инчхон).

Китайская транскрипция

В отличие от большинства корейских географических названий, слово «Сеул» не имеет аналога на ханче, и по-китайски город называют его прежним именем (漢城/汉城, китайское чтение Ханьчэн, корейское Хансон; значение — «крепость на реке Ханган», но при желании можно трактовать и как «китайская крепость», «крепость ханьцев»). В январе 2005 года правительство города запросило изменение китайского названия города на 首爾/首尔 (Shǒu’ěr, Шоу-эр), что является приблизительным воспроизведением корейского произношения в китайском языке (в самом корейском, однако, 首爾 читается 수이 , Су-и). При этом 首 (шоу) значит «первый» и «столица». Китайцы приняли это название. Это изменение касается только носителей китайского языка и не оказывает влияние на корейское название города.

География и климат

Климат Сеула определяется как муссонный. Сеул находится на одной широте с югом Турции (Анталья, Аланья), Грецией, Испанией и другими тёплыми странами, тем не менее в городе, несмотря на то, что он окружён морем, отмечается устойчивая, хотя и непродолжительная мягкая зима. Средний минимум в январе достигает −6 °C.

Лето в городе не только очень жаркое (средняя температура августа 25,4 °C), но и очень влажное. Однако сильная жара в городе бывает редко, и температура крайне редко достигает 35 °C и выше. Этим Сеул отличается от городов с тропическим пустынным и степным климатом (Каир, Ташкент, Астрахань и другие), в которых схожа среднеиюльская температура. Летом в город приходит муссон (май-сентябрь), и среднемесячное количество осадков превышает 300 мм. За сутки иногда может выпасть более 100 мм осадков, а при прохождении тайфуна — более 250 мм осадков (для сравнения: годовая норма осадков в Москве составляет примерно 705 мм).

В остальные времена года преобладают ветры с материка, а зимой преобладает антициклониальный тип погоды. Сеул не защищён от северных ветров горами, иногда в городе температура может опускаться до температур в −15 °C и ниже.

Климат Сеула
Показатель	Янв.	Фев.	Март	Апр.	Май	Июнь	Июль	Авг.	Сен.	Окт.	Нояб.	Дек.	Год
Абсолютный максимум, °C	13,5	18,7	23,0	29,8	32,4	37,4	38,4	38,1	36,0	29,6	25,9	19,6	38,4
Средний максимум, °C	1,6	4,1	10,2	17,6	22,8	26,9	28,8	29,5	25,6	19,7	11,5	4,2	16,9
Средняя температура, °C	−2,7	−0,1	5,5	12,2	17,4	21,9	24,9	25,4	20,8	14,4	6,8	0,2	12,2
Средний минимум, °C	−6,1	−4,1	1,1	7,3	12,6	17,8	21,8	22,1	16,7	9,8	2,9	−3,4	8,2
Абсолютный минимум, °C	−22	−19,8	−15,3	−4,6	4,6	7,0	11,9	12,5	3,9	−2,6	−11,5	−18,1	−22
Норма осадков, мм	22	24	46	77	102	133	328	348	138	49	53	25	1345
Источник: worldweather.org, Погода и Климат,[1]

История

Первое название города — Виресон, был столицей государства Пэкче начиная с 370 год н. э. Во времена Корё был известен как Хансон (漢城, «крепость на берегу реки Ханган»). Во времена династии Чосон, начавшейся в 1394 году, был столицей государства и назывался Ханян (漢陽)). В годы японского колониального правления на территории города располагалась административная единица Кёнсон (яп. 京城, Кэйдзё), название Сеул было окончательно утверждено в независимой Корее в 1946 году.

Пэкче, одно из трёх корейских королевств, было основано в 18 году до н. э., со столицей в городе Виресон в районе современного Сеула. С тех пор сохранились развалины городских стен. Управление городом вскоре перешло от Пэкче к Корё в V веке, а затем к Силла в VI веке.

В XI веке правительство Корё, завоевавшее Силла, построило крепость, известную как «Южная Столица».

Когда Чосон сменила Корё, столица была перенесена в Сеул (Хансон, позднее Ханян), где оставалась до конца правления династии.

Изначально город был полностью окружен крепостной стеной высотой до семи метров для защиты населения от диких животных, разбойников и вражеских армий. Затем город разросся за стены и, хотя они сейчас не существуют (кроме небольшого участка к северу от центра города), крепостные ворота существуют по сей день, самые известные из них: Намдэмун и Тондэмун. Во времена Чосон ворота открывались и закрывались каждый день под звуки больших колоколов.

11 февраля 2008 года ворота Намдэмун, построенные в 1398-м году, были почти полностью уничтожены огнем — поджог устроил пожилой горожанин, обращения о рассмотрении жилищной проблемы которого городские власти систематически игнорировали (компания-застройщик выплатила этому горожанину заниженную сумму компенсации за земельный участок, который располагался на территории намечаемой застройки). Позднее, после поимки поджигателя полицией, он раскаялся в содеянном и попросил у нации прощения за свой проступок. Ранее этот же человек устроил поджог в сеульском дворце Чхангёнгун.

Ворота не имели охраны, возможно, потому, что никому в голову прийти не могло покушаться на национальное достояние № 1.

Основная причина практически полной неспособности пожарных справиться с огнём состояла в том, что ворота были деревянными, и вся их конструкция была пропитана водоотталкивающим средством для защиты от осадков. В итоге это же средство отталкивало воду, которой пожарные расчёты в течение нескольких часов поливали горящие ворота.

Правительство Республики Корея пообещало нации в течение трёх лет восстановить ворота, для чего были выделены финансовые средства в размере 21 миллиона долларов США. По информации некоторых сеульских газет, часть компаний-подрядчиков по восстановлению ворот вызвалась производить работы бесплатно.

Во время войны в Корее Сеул дважды переходил в руки северокорейских и китайских войск (в июне—сентябре 1950 и январе—марте 1951 годов). В результате боевых действий город был сильно разрушен. По крайней мере 191 000 построек, 55 000 жилых домов и 1000 предприятий лежало в руинах. Вдобавок, поток беженцев заполнил город, увеличив численность населения до 2,5 миллионов, большей частью бездомных.

После войны Сеул был быстро восстановлен и снова стал политическим и экономическим центром страны. Сегодня население города — это четверть населения Южной Кореи, Сеул занимает седьмое место среди городов мира по количеству штаб-квартир корпораций, входящих в список пятисот крупнейших транснациональных корпораций по версии журнала Fortune^[2].

Административное деление

Сеул разделен на 25 ку (구 — муниципальный округ, имеющий статус самоуправления), которые в свою очередь разделены на 522 тон (동 — административный район), 13 787 тхон и 102 796 пан.

• Каннамгу (강남구; 江南區)
• Кандонгу (강동구; 江東區)
• Канбукку (강북구; 江北區)
• Кансогу (강서구; 江西區)
• Кванакку (관악구; 冠岳區)
• Кванджингу (광진구; 廣津區)
• Курогу (구로구; 九老區)
• Кымчхонгу (금천구; 衿川區)
• Новонгу (노원구; 蘆原區)
• Тобонгу (도봉구; 道峰區)
• Тондэмунгу (동대문구; 東大門區)
• Тонджакку (동작구; 銅雀區)
• Мапхогу (마포구; 麻浦區)
• Содэмунгу (서대문구; 西大門區)
• Сочхогу (서초구; 瑞草區)
• Сондонгу (성동구; 城東區)
• Сонбукку (성북구; 城北區)
• Сонпхагу (송파구; 松坡區)
• Янчхонгу (양천구; 陽川區)
• Йондынпхогу (영등포구; 永登浦區)
• Йонсангу (용산구; 龍山區)
• Ынпхёнгу (은평구; 恩平區)
• Чонногу (종로구; 鍾路區)
• Чунгу (중구; 中區)
• Чуннангу (중랑구; 中浪區)

Население

Год Количество жителей 1428 103 328 1660 200 000 1881 199 100 1890 192 900 1899 211 200 1902 196 600 1906 230 900 1910 278 958 1915 241 085 1920 250 208 1925 336 349 1930 355 426 1935 404 202 1940 930 547

Год Количество жителей 1944 947 630 1949 1 418 025 1952 648 432 1955 1 574 868 1960 2 445 402 1966 3 793 280 1970 5 433 198 1975 6 889 502 1980 8 364 379 1985 9 639 110 1990 10 612 577 1995 10 231 217 2000 9 895 972 2005 10 349 312

Экономика

Сеул — один из крупнейших промышленных и финансовых центров мира. Здесь располагаются штаб-квартиры корпораций Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia и SK. В Сеуле работают около 20 000 предприятий. Хотя Сеул занимает всего 0,6% территории Республики Корея, город производит 21% ВВП страны^[3]. Главные отрасли промышленности: торговля, машиностроение, телекоммуникации, электроника, строительство.

Финансы

В Сеуле находятся штаб-квартиры многих международных компаний^[4]. Интернациональные банки Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Grupo Santander, UBS, Credit Suisse, UniCredit, Société Générale, Calyon, BBVA, Macquarie Group, ING Bank, State Street и Standard Chartered имеют свои филиалы в городе.

• 

  Всемирный Торговый Центр

• 

  Дорога Тегеранно

• 

  Вид на часть Сеула

• 

  Комплекс корпорации Самсунг

• 

  Панорама Сеула

Транспорт

Воздушный транспорт

Город обслуживается двумя аэропортами. Аэропорт Кимпхо (англ.) долгое время был единственным в стране международным аэропортом. В марте 2001 года открылся Международный аэропорт Инчхон в городе Инчхон. После этого аэропорт Кимпхо стал осуществлять только внутренние рейсы (за исключением рейсов в Токио и Шанхай). Инчхонский аэропорт входит в число крупнейших в Восточной Азии, наряду с аэропортами Гонконга и Сингапура. Оба аэропорта связаны с Сеулом скоростными автомагистралями. В 2008 году открыто железнодорожное сообщение между аэропортами Кимпхо и Инчхон, а с 2011 года оба аэропорта связаны с Центральным вокзалом Сеула.

Метрополитен

В городе действует метрополитен, по объёмам пассажироперевозок занимающий одно из первых мест в Азии. Девять линий метро имеют номера от 1 до 9, есть линия Чунъансон (кор. 중앙선), являющаяся железной дорогой, но имеющая общие станции пересадок с линиями метрополитена, и линия Пундансон (кор. 분당선), тоже относящаяся скорее к железной дороге, нежели к линии метрополитена. Эта линия состоит из 20 станций, но на территории города имеет лишь 8 станций.

Определение количества станций метро, принадлежащих городу, является очень сложным ввиду тесного взаимодействия государственного и частного капиталов при строительстве линий метрополитена, а также в связи с тем, что сеульское метро изначально появилось как часть пригородных железных дорог (первая линия метро была всего лишь соединительным участком двух пригородных железных дорог).

Девятая линия метро введена в эксплуатацию в 2009 году. Она протянулась вдоль южного берега реки Ханган и состоит из 36 станций.

На схемах метрополитена линии и станции пронумерованы, что позволяет иностранцам довольно легко ориентироваться при назначении встреч на определённых станциях. Названия всех станций и вообще все указатели в метрополитене продублированы на английском языке (а названия станций имеют аналоги ханча).

Городской транспорт

Транспортный бум в Сеуле берет свое начало в эпоху Корейской империи, когда были проложены первые автодороги и первая железная дорога до Синыйджу. С тех пор транспортная система города сильно разрослась, сделав его одним из крупнейших транспортных узлов Азии. В городе проложен метрополитен с девятью линиями, действует около 200 автобусных маршрутов, и шесть больших автострад (хайвеев), соединяющих районы города и пригороды. Сеул соединяется с другими городами страны посредством скоростной железной дороги KTX, являющейся одной из самых быстрых в мире.

До середины 1970-х гг. в деловом центре Сеула существовал и трамвайный транспорт, однако в связи с началом ввода в эксплуатацию метрополитена, а также с тем обстоятельством, что трамвайные пути занимали слишком много места на узких улочках Сеула в условиях постоянного увеличения численности автотранспорта, было принято решение ликвидировать трамвай как вид транспорта.

В городе и на междугородних маршрутах очень развит автобусный транспорт. Автобусы имеют преимущество перед частным автотранспортом и это правило соблюдается в абсолютном большинстве случаев (основные нарушители этого правила — таксисты, с которыми у водителей автобусов идёт непримиримая вражда — это замечают многие гости Сеула). Однако в связи с неуклонным ростом личного автотранспорта несколько лет назад серьёзно встала проблема пробок на дорогах. Проблему пробок для автобусов отчасти удалось решить благодаря инициативе нынешнего президента, а в то время (2007 год) ещё мэра Сеула Ли Мён Бака — на одной из центральных дорог Ханганно (кор. 한강로) от моста Ханган (кор. 한강대교) до площади сеульского вокзала были проложены специальные автобусные линии. В результате нововведения время поездки горожан из южных районов Сеула в центр города утром и из центра города вечером по этому маршруту сократилось примерно в 2,5-3 раза. Сразу же вслед за этим нововведением в других районах Сеула последовали аналогичные изменения.

Досуг

Исторический центр города — это город династии Чосон, находящийся теперь в деловом квартале. Там соседствуют древние дворцы, штаб-квартиры корпораций, современные офисные здания и гостиницы. Эта часть города находится в долине Чхонгечхон (청계천). К северу от делового центра находится гора Пукхансан, а к югу — небольшая гора Намсан.

Далее на юг находятся бывшие окраины Ёнсангу и Мапогу и протекает река Ханган. На другой стороне реки, в юго-восточной части Сеула находится современный район Каннамгу и его окрестности. Здесь располагается корейский Международный Торговый Центр. Большой популярностью пользуется развлекательный комплекс COEX, в котором сосредоточено огромное количество всевозможных закусочных и ресторанчиков, кинотеатров и магазинов, а также — большой подземный океанариум.

В соседнем районе Сонпхагу расположен парк развлечений Lotte World, который также является очень популярным местом в городе.

На Ёыйдо, небольшом острове посреди реки Ханган, на котором в древние времена была переправа на северный берег реки, и который некогда использовался в качестве военного аэродрома, располагаются Национальная Ассамблея Республики Корея, главные теле- и радиовещательные студии и большое количество офисных зданий.

Аккуратная планировка города была ключевой концепцией при его застройке начиная с XIV века. Королевские дворцы династии Чосон по сей день находятся в Сеуле. Главный императорский дворец (Кёнбоккун) восстановлен в прежнем облике.

В связи с большим объёмом работы, проделанным правительством города для снижения загрязнения окружающей среды, воздух в городе по чистоте равен токийскому, и намного чище, чем в Пекине. В Сеуле и окружающих районах располагается шесть больших парков, включая Сеульский лес, открытый в 2005 году. Зона вокруг Сеула засажена лесополосой для защиты от загрязнения предприятиями, находящимися в провинции Кёнгидо. Кроме того, в Сеуле находятся три больших парка развлечений: Lotte World, Seoul Land и Everland, расположенный в пригороде Йонъин. Самый посещаемый из них — Lotte World. Другие центры отдыха — это, прежде всего, олимпийский стадион и стадион чемпионата мира 2002-го года, а также публичный парк в центре города.

Берег острова Йоидо — пожалуй, самая развитая часть городского парка реки Ханган (кор. 한강시민공원), который протянулся по обоим берегам и проходит через весь город: у берега работают корабли-рестораны, по трём маршрутам курсируют речные трамвайчики, помимо этого есть станция речного такси (перевозка осуществляется небольшими катерами, довольно быстрыми), также на берегу острова расположено большое количество коммерческих палаток, торгующих продуктами быстрого приготовления и напитками (вплоть до алкогольных), есть несколько пунктов аренды велосипедов, спортивные площадки (со штангами, турниками и т. д.), туалеты. Эта часть парка реки Ханган пользуется у горожан огромной популярностью, поскольку далеко не у всех есть время выехать с семьёй/друзьями за город или к морю даже на выходных. Огромные скопления народа наблюдаются в основном ближе к концу недели, на выходных и по праздникам. В будние дни по вечерам у берега можно встретить немало офисных работников, которые приходят отдохнуть с коллегами после окончания трудового дня. Основной контингент приезжающих сюда — молодёжь, однако часто встречаются и люди пожилого возраста.

Специально для любителей велосипедного спорта вдоль обоих берегов реки Ханган протянулись велосипедные трассы. Территория парка в данный момент (март 2009 г.) активно перестраивается городскими властями. Окончание реконструкции намечено на конец 2009 года.

Практически на всём протяжении в пределах города реку Ханган (а также велосипедные дорожки и спортивные площадки) от жилых районов отгораживают скоростные автомагистрали. Для того, чтобы горожанам было удобнее добираться до берегов реки, через автомагистрали в некоторых местах уже построены, а местами ещё строятся пешеходные и велосипедные мостики.

Туризм и достопримечательности

Династия Чосон построила в Сеуле «Пять больших дворцов»:

• Чхандоккун (창덕궁; 昌德宮)
• Чхангёнгун (창경궁; 昌慶宮)
• Токсугун (덕수궁; 德壽宮)
• Кёнбоккун (경복궁; 景福宮)
• Кёнхигун (경희궁; 慶熙宮)

Кроме того, есть один менее значимый дворец:

• Унхёнгун (운현궁; 雲峴宮)

• 

Известные храмы и гробницы:

• Чонмё
• Тонмё
• Мунмё
• Чогеса
• Хвагеса
• Наксондэ

Музеи и галереи:

• Национальный исторический музей
• Военный мемориал

В пригородах:

• Монумент Самджондо
• Намхансон
• Пукхансон
• Парк Намсан
• Парк Сунджюн

Другие:

• Юксам Билдинг
• Фонтан радуги
• Чхонвадэ

• 

  Здание «Юксам», второе в Корее по высоте

• 

Также в Сеуле и в его пригорадах находится множество тематических парков (парков развлечений) и аквапарков:

• Everland
• Lotte World
• Seoul Land
• Ocean World
• Carribean Bay
• Tiger World
• Большой сеульский парк

Высшее образование

В Сеуле располагаются самые престижные университеты страны, включая Сеульский национальный университет, Университет Корё, и Университет Ёнсэ.

Другие университеты:

Университет Чунан Университет искусств Чхуге Университет Танкхук Университет Тонгук Женский университет Тондук Женский университет Туксун Женский университет Ихва Университет иностранных языков Хангук Университет Хансун Университет Ханьян Женский университет Ханьян Университет Хоник Университет Индук Университет Канвун Университет Кхонкхук Университет Кунмин Национальный Открытый Университет Кореи

Национальный Физический Университет Кореи Национальный Университет Искусств Университет Кёнги Университет Кёнгхи Университет Мёнджи Университет Самюк Университет Санмюн Университет Седжон Университет Согён Сеульский женский Университет Университет Соган Женский университет Сонсин Женский университет Сукмюн Университет Сунсиль Университет Сонгюнгван Сеульский муниципальный университет

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Спорт

В 1988 году Сеул стал столицей XX летних Олимпийских игр, а в 2002 году — одним из мест проведения чемпионата мира по футболу.

• 

• 

  Стадион Сеул Уорлд Кап

• 

  Бейсбольный стадион

Международные отношения

Города-побратимы Список городов-побратимов в соответствии с официальным сайтом[5]: Тайбэй, Китайская Республика (23 марта 1968) Анкара, Турция (23 августа 1971) Гонолулу, США (22 октября 1973) Сан-Франциско, США (18 мая 1976) Сан-Паулу, Бразилия (20 апреля 1977) Богота, Колумбия (14 июня 1982) Джакарта, Индонезия (25 июля 1984) Токио, Япония (3 сентября 1988) Москва, Россия (13 июля 1991) Штат Новый Южный Уэльс, Австралия (8 ноября 1991) Париж, Франция (12 ноября 1991) Мехико, Мексика (5 октября 1992) Пекин, Китай (23 октября 1993) Улан-Батор, Монголия (6 октября 1995) Ханой, Вьетнам (1 мая 1996) Варшава, Польша (20 июня 1996) Каир, Египет (27 апреля 1997) Астана, Казахстан (6 ноября 2004) Вашингтон, США (13 марта 2006) Афины, Греция (15 марта 2006) Бангкок, Таиланд (16 июня 2006)

Города-партнёры Список городов-партнёров в соответствии с официальным сайтом[5]: Оттава, Канада (10 января 1997) Берлин, Германия (23 апреля 1997) Амстердам, Нидерланды (15 марта 1999) Будапешт, Венгрия (14 июля 2005) Стамбул, Турция (24 августа 2005) Ташкент, Узбекистан (30 марта 2006) Лос-Анджелес, США (16 октября 2006) Милан, Италия (1 февраля 2007) Минск, Белоруссия (8 июля 2008) Провинция Шаньдун, Китай (19 июля 2008) Провинция Цзянсу, Китай (21 июля 2008) Провинция Гуандун, Китай (22 июля 2008) Провинция Чжэцзян, Китай (10 апреля 2009) Тяньцзинь, Китай (12 апреля 2009)

Известные личности

• Ли Мин Хо — южнокорейский актёр.
• Пэ Ён Джун — южнокорейский актёр.
• Чон Мён Хун — южнокорейский пианист и дирижёр.
• Ли Чхон Ён — южнокорейский футболист.
• Ли, Джим — американско-корейский художник и издатель комиксов.
• Пэк Намджун — американо-корейский художник.
• Пак Чэ Сан — южнокорейский рэпер.
• Пак Чи Сон — южнокорейский футболист.
• Пак, Линда — американская телевизионная актриса.
• Чон Джи Хун — южнокорейский певец, танцор, актёр.
• Юн Сон До — корейский поэт.
• Ли Сын Хун — южнокорейский конькобежец.
• Хон Мён Бо — южнокорейский футболист и тренер.
• Чхве Чин-силь — южнокорейская актриса.
• Ким Хён А — южнокорейская танцовщица и певица.

Галерея

• 

  Аэрофотосъёмка города

• 

• 

  Вокзал Сеула

• 

  Поезд скоростной железной дороги KTX

• 

  Башня Намсан

• 

  Фестиваль Hi! Seoul

См. также

• Особые города Кореи

Примечания

Ссылки

	Сеул на Викискладе?

• Информация о Сеуле Организация Туризма Кореи
• Сайт правительства города
• Фотографии города
• Путеводитель «Сеул» в Викигиде

Карты

• Карта Сеула (кор.)
• Схема сеульского метро
• Карта делового центра Сеула
• Карта Сеула и окраин

Республика Корея в темах
	Герб • Флаг • Гимн • Государственный строй • Конституция • Парламент • Административное деление • География • Города • Столица • Население • Языки • История • Экономика • Валюта • Культура • Религия • Кинематограф • Литература • Музыка • Праздники • Спорт • Образование • Наука • Транспорт • Туризм • Почта (история и марки) • Интернет • Вооружённые силы • Внешняя политика Портал «Республика Корея»

Административное деление Республики Корея
Город особого статуса: Сеул Города прямого подчинения: Инчхон | Кванджу | Пусан | Тэгу | Тэджон | Ульсан Провинции: Канвондо | Кёнгидо | Кёнсан-Намдо | Кёнсан-Пукто | Чеджудо | Чолла-Намдо | Чолла-Пукто | Чхунчхон-Намдо | Чхунчхон-Пукто

Столицы Азии

Страны-члены ООН: Абу-Даби | Амман | Анкара | Астана | Ашхабад | Багдад | Баку | Бандар-Сери-Бегаван | Бангкок | Бейрут | Бишкек | Вьентьян | Дакка | Дамаск | Дили | Доха | Душанбе | Джакарта | Ереван | Иерусалим | Исламабад | Кабул | Катманду | Куала-Лумпур | Мале | Манама | Манила | Маскат | Москва | Нейпьидо | Никосия | Нью-Дели | Пекин | Пномпень | Путраджая | Пхеньян | Сана | Сеул | Сингапур | Ташкент | Тбилиси | Тхимпху | Тегеран | Токио | Улан-Батор | Ханой | Шри-Джаяварденепура-Котте | Эль-Кувейт | Эр-Рияд Непризнанные и частично признанные государства: Рамалла | Степанакерт | Сухум | Тайбэй | Цхинвал

Столицы летних Олимпийских игр

1896: Афины • 1900: Париж • 1904: Сент-Луис • 1908: Лондон • 1912: Стокгольм • 1916: Берлин • 1920: Антверпен • 1924: Париж • 1928: Амстердам • 1932: Лос-Анджелес • 1936: Берлин • 1940: Токио • 1944: Лондон • 1948: Лондон • 1952: Хельсинки • 1956: Мельбурн • 1960: Рим • 1964: Токио • 1968: Мехико • 1972: Мюнхен • 1976: Монреаль • 1980: Москва • 1984: Лос-Анджелес • 1988: Сеул • 1992: Барселона • 1996: Атланта • 2000: Сидней • 2004: Афины • 2008: Пекин • 2012: Лондон • 2016: Рио-де-Жанейро

География Южной Кореи
Литосфера	Острова (Чеджудо) • Горы (Халласан) • Вулканы • Пещеры • Крайние точки • Равнины • Корейский архипелаг
Гидросфера	Моря • Заливы и бухты • Реки (Нактонган) • Озёра • Водохранилища • Каналы • Водопады
Атмосфера	Климат Южной Кореи
Биосфера	Заповедники Южной Кореи • Национальные парки Южной Кореи • Заказники Южной Кореи
Антропосфера	Экология • Административное деление • Столица Южной Кореи • Города • Время

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Город особого подчинения
Сеул
서울
Флаг Герб
37°35′ с. ш. 127°00′ в. д.HGЯO
Страна	Республика Корея
Статус	Особый город Кореи
Регион	Сеульский национальный столичный регион
Внутреннее деление	25 районов
Мэр	Пак Вонсун
История и география
Основан	1394 год
Первое упоминание	IV век до н. э.
Прежние названия	Виресон, Ханян, Хансон, Кёнсон, Кэйдзё
Площадь	605,25[источник не указан 1139 дней] км²
Высота центра	38 м
Часовой пояс	UTC+9:00
Население
Население	10 063 197[1] человек (2015)
Плотность	16 626,5 чел./км²
Агломерация	23 480 000[2] человек (2015)
Цифровые идентификаторы
Телефонный код	+82-2
seoul.go.kr
Сеул
Аудио, фото и видео на Викискладе

Сеу́л (кор. 서울 [sʰʌ.ul], Соуль — букв.: «столица») — город, столица Республики Корея. Образует единственный в стране город особого подчинения, разделённый на 25 самоуправляемых районов. Официальное название города — Город особого подчинения Сеул (кор. 서울특별시 Соуль-тхыкпёльси)

Население — 10,1 млн человек (2015), или 19,5 % населения страны. Образует агломерацию Сеул-Инчхон с населением 23,5 млн человек (2015), четвёртую по величине в мире. Расположен на северо-западе Республики Корея вблизи Жёлтого моря, на равнине в окружении гор, на берегах реки Ханган, в 24 км от границы с КНДР.

Главный политический, экономический и культурный центр Республики Корея. Один из ведущих финансовых центров Восточной Азии.

С 1394 года под названием Ханян — столица Кореи, с 1948 года под названием Сеул — столица Республики Корея. Во время Корейской войны город был сильно разрушен. Сохранились остатки крепостной стены с воротами, восстановлен дворцовый комплекс Кёнбоккун XIV века. Имеются объекты Всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО.

Название города

Слово Соуль происходит от древнекорейского соболь или сораболь («столица») периода Силла. Тогда это слово относили к городу Кёнджу, бывшей столице Силла. В ханчче кён (京) означает «столица»; этот слог встречается, например, в официальном названии административной единицы на территории Сеула в годы японского колониального правления (Кёнсон/Кэйдзё) и в названиях железных и автомобильных дорог (Кёнбусон, 경부선 — железнодорожная линия Сеул-Пусан; Кёнъин косокторо, 경인고속도로 — скоростная автодорога Сеул-Инчхон)^{[источник не указан 1139 дней]}.

Китайская транскрипция

В отличие от большинства корейских географических названий, слово «Сеул» не имеет аналога на ханче, и по-китайски город называют его прежним именем (漢城/汉城, китайское чтение — Ханьчэн, корейское — Хансон; значение — «крепость на реке Ханган», но при желании можно трактовать и как «китайская крепость», «крепость ханьцев»). В январе 2005 года правительство города запросило изменение китайского названия города на 首爾/首尔 (Shǒu’ěr, Шоу-эр), что является приблизительным воспроизведением корейского произношения в китайском языке (в самом корейском, однако, 首爾 читается 수이 , Су-и). При этом 首 (шоу) значит «первый» и «столица». Китайцы приняли это название. Это изменение касается только носителей китайского языка и не оказывает влияние на корейское название города^[3][4][5].

История

Основная статья: История Сеула^[en]

Первое название города — Виресон, он был столицей государства Пэкче, начиная с 370 года до н. э. Во времена Корё был известен как Хансон (漢城, «крепость на берегу реки Ханган»). Во времена династии Чосон, начавшейся в 1394 году, был столицей государства и назывался Ханян (漢陽)). В годы японского колониального правления на территории города располагалась административная единица Кёнсон (яп. 京城, Кэйдзё), название Сеул было окончательно утверждено в независимой Корее в 1946 году.

Пэкче, одно из трёх корейских королевств, было основано в 18 году до н. э., со столицей в городе Виресон в районе современного Сеула. С тех пор сохранились развалины городских стен. Управление городом вскоре перешло от Пэкче к Корё в V веке, а затем к Силла в VI веке. В XI веке правительство Корё, завоевавшее Силла, построило крепость, известную как «Южная Столица». Когда Чосон сменила Корё, столица была перенесена в Сеул (Хансон, позднее Ханян), где оставалась до конца правления династии.

Изначально город был полностью окружен крепостной стеной высотой до семи метров для защиты населения от диких животных, разбойников и вражеских армий. Затем город разросся за стены и, хотя они сейчас не существуют (кроме небольшого участка к северу от центра города), крепостные ворота существуют по сей день, самые известные из них: Намдэмун и Тондэмун. Во времена Чосон ворота открывались и закрывались каждый день под звуки больших колоколов.

Во время Корейской войны Сеул дважды переходил в руки северокорейских и китайских войск (в июне—сентябре 1950 и январе—марте 1951 годов). В результате боевых действий город был сильно разрушен. По крайней мере 191 000 построек, 55 000 жилых домов и 1000 предприятий лежало в руинах. Вдобавок, поток беженцев заполнил город, увеличив численность населения до 2,5 миллионов, большей частью бездомных. После войны Сеул был быстро восстановлен и снова стал политическим и экономическим центром страны.

По старой конституции КНДР 1948 года Сеул являлся столицей Северной Кореи^[6]. В 1988 году Сеул стал столицей XX летних Олимпийских игр, а в 2002 году — одним из мест проведения чемпионата мира по футболу^[7].

Физико-географическая характеристика

Сеул расположен на северо-западе Республики Корея, на равнинной местности, на берегах судоходной реки Ханган.

Северная от реки часть города называется Канбук («к северу от реки») и Каннам («к югу от реки»). К Каннаму прилегает остров Ёыйдо. Среди притоков Хангана — Танчон, Чхонгечхон и другие. Исторический центр окружён горами «Нэсасан» (Четыре горы с внутренней стороны крепостной стены): Пугаксан с севера, Наксан с востока, Намсан с юга и Инвансан с запада. На расположенной вблизи исторического центра лесистой горе Намсан (Южная гора) возвышается Сеульская телевизионная башня, к которой ведёт канатная дорога. Город целиком окружают горы «Весасан» (Четыре горы с внешней стороны крепостной стены): Пукхансан (высотою до 836,5 м) с севера, Ёнмасан с востока, Кванаксан с юга и Тогянсан с запада^[8].

В административно-территориальном отношении Сеул с четырёх сторон граничит с провинцией Кёнгидо, а также с городом-метрополией Инчхоном на западе. Расстояние до Жёлтого моря по прямой составляет 15 км, до границы с КНДР — 24 км, до Пхеньяна — 193 км^{[комм. 1]}.

Климат

Климат муссонный. Сеул находится на одной широте с югом Турции (Анталья, Аланья), Грецией, Испанией и другими тёплыми странами, тем не менее в городе отмечается устойчивая, хотя и непродолжительная мягкая зима. Средний температурный минимум января: −6,8 °C.

Лето жаркое (средняя температура августа — +25,5 °C) и очень влажное, из-за чего пот хуже испаряется и меньше охлаждает организм, поэтому жара переносится гораздо тяжелее, чем, например, в Астрахани, где схожая среднеиюльская температура, но из-за полупустынного климата воздух сухой и пот с кожи быстро испаряется. Однако сильная жара в городе бывает редко, и температура крайне редко достигает 35 °C. Этим Сеул отличается от городов с тропическим пустынным и степным климатом (Каир, Ташкент, Астрахань и другие), в которых схожа среднеиюльская температура. Летом в город приходит муссон (май-сентябрь), и среднемесячное количество осадков превышает 300 мм. За сутки иногда может выпасть более 100 мм осадков, а при прохождении тайфуна — более 250 мм осадков (для сравнения: годовая норма осадков в Москве составляет примерно 705 мм).

В остальные времена года преобладают ветры с материка, а зимой преобладает антициклониальный тип погоды. Сеул не защищён от северных ветров горами, иногда в городе температура может опускаться до −15 °C и ниже.

Климат Сеула
Показатель	Янв.	Фев.	Март	Апр.	Май	Июнь	Июль	Авг.	Сен.	Окт.	Нояб.	Дек.	Год
Абсолютный максимум, °C	14	18,7	23,8	29,8	33	36	38,3	39,6	32,4	30	25,9	16,2	39,6
Средний максимум, °C	1,5	4,9	10,4	18	23,1	27,1	28,8	29,8	25,8	19,7	11,4	4,5	17,1
Средняя температура, °C	−2,5	0,4	5,4	12,1	17,5	22,1	25	25,5	20,7	13,9	6,6	0,2	12,2
Средний минимум, °C	−6,8	−4	0,8	6,9	12,4	17,7	21,7	22,1	16,3	9,1	2,2	−3,9	7,9
Абсолютный минимум, °C	−23	−18	−10	−3	3	9	13	14	5	−4	−11	−20	−23
Норма осадков, мм	21	25	47	65	107	136	396	365	170	53	51	21	1455
Средняя влажность, %	60	58	58	56	63	68	78	76	69	64	62	61	64
Источник: Погода и Климат

Административное деление

Сеул разделен на 25 ку (구 — муниципальный округ, имеющий статус самоуправления), которые, в свою очередь, разделены на 522 тон (동 — административный район), 13 787 тхон и 102 796 пан.

Йонсан-гу Чунгу Сондонгу Каннамгу Сочхогу Тонджакку Йондынпхогу Мапхогу

Содэмунгу Чонногу Сонбукку Тондэмунгу Кванджингу Сонпхагу Кванакку Кымчхонгу

Курогу Янчхонгу Кансогу Ынпхёнгу Канбукку Тобонгу Новонгу Чуннангу

Кандонгу

Население

Год Количество жителей 1428 103 328 1660 200 000 1881 199 100 1890 192 900 1899 211 200 1902 196 600 1906 230 900 1910 278 958 1915 241 085 1920 250 208 1925 336 349 1930 355 426 1935 404 202 1940 930 547

Год Количество жителей 1944 947 630 1949 1 418 025 1952 648 432 1955 1 574 868 1960 2 445 402 1966 3 793 280 1970 5 433 198 1975 6 889 502 1980 8 364 379 1985 9 639 110 1990 10 612 577 1995 10 231 217 2000 9 895 972 2005 10 349 312 2015 10 063 197

Экономика

Сегодня население города — это четверть населения Южной Кореи, Сеул занимает (на 2001 год) седьмое место среди городов мира по количеству штаб-квартир корпораций, входящих в список пятисот крупнейших транснациональных корпораций по версии журнала Fortune^[9].

Сеул — один из крупнейших промышленных и финансовых центров мира. Здесь располагаются штаб-квартиры корпораций Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia и SK. В Сеуле работают около 20 000 предприятий. Хотя Сеул занимает всего 0,6 % территории Республики Корея, город производит 21 % ВВП страны^[10]. Главные отрасли промышленности: торговля, машиностроение, телекоммуникации, электроника, строительство.

В Сеуле находятся штаб-квартиры многих международных компаний^[11]. Интернациональные банки Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Grupo Santander, UBS, Credit Suisse, UniCredit, Société Générale, Calyon, BBVA, Macquarie Group, ING Bank, State Street и Standard Chartered имеют свои филиалы в городе.

Сеул по данным The Economist Intelligence Unit в 2015 году вошёл в десятку самых дорогих городов мира^[12].

Транспорт

Городской

Сеульский метрополитен по объёмам пассажироперевозок занимает одно из первых мест в Азии. Девять линий метро имеют номера от 1 до 9, есть линия Чунъансон (кор. 중앙선), являющаяся железной дорогой, но имеющая общие станции пересадок с линиями метрополитена, и линия Пундансон (кор. 분당선), тоже относящаяся скорее к железной дороге, нежели к линии метрополитена. Эта линия состоит из 20 станций, но на территории города имеет лишь 8 станций. Определение количества станций метро, принадлежащих городу, является очень сложным ввиду тесного взаимодействия государственного и частного капиталов при строительстве линий метрополитена, а также в связи с тем, что сеульское метро изначально появилось как часть пригородных железных дорог (первая линия метро была всего лишь соединительным участком двух пригородных железных дорог). Девятая линия метро введена в эксплуатацию в 2009 году. Она протянулась вдоль южного берега реки Ханган и состоит из 36 станций. На схемах метрополитена линии и станции пронумерованы, что позволяет иностранцам довольно легко ориентироваться при назначении встреч на определённых станциях. Названия всех станций и вообще все указатели в метрополитене продублированы на английском языке (а названия станций имеют аналоги ханча).

До середины 1970-х гг. в деловом центре Сеула существовал и трамвайный транспорт, однако в связи с началом ввода в эксплуатацию метрополитена, а также с тем обстоятельством, что трамвайные пути занимали слишком много места на узких улочках Сеула в условиях постоянного увеличения численности автотранспорта, было принято решение ликвидировать трамвай как вид транспорта.

В городе и на междугородних маршрутах очень развит автобусный транспорт. Автобусы имеют преимущество перед частным автотранспортом и это правило соблюдается в абсолютном большинстве случаев (основные нарушители этого правила — таксисты, с которыми у водителей автобусов идёт непримиримая вражда — это замечают многие гости Сеула). Однако в связи с неуклонным ростом количества личного автотранспорта несколько лет назад серьёзно встала проблема пробок на дорогах. Проблему пробок для автобусов отчасти удалось решить благодаря инициативе будущего президента, а в то время (2007 год) ещё мэра Сеула Ли Мён Бака — на одной из центральных дорог Ханганно (кор. 한강로) от моста Ханган (кор. 한강대교) до площади сеульского вокзала были проложены специальные автобусные линии. В результате нововведения время поездки горожан из южных районов Сеула в центр города утром и из центра города вечером по этому маршруту сократилось примерно в 2,5-3 раза. Сразу же вслед за этим нововведением в других районах Сеула последовали аналогичные изменения.

Междугородный

Транспортный бум в Сеуле берёт начало в эпоху Корейской империи, когда были проложены первые автодороги и первая железная дорога до Синыйджу. С тех пор транспортная система города сильно разрослась, сделав его одним из крупнейших транспортных узлов Азии. В городе проложен метрополитен с девятью линиями, действует около 200 автобусных маршрутов и шесть больших автострад (хайвеев), соединяющих районы города и пригороды. Сеул соединяется с другими городами страны посредством Корейской скоростной железной дороги, являющейся одной из самых быстрых в мире.

Город обслуживается двумя аэропортами. Аэропорт Кимпхо (англ.) долгое время был единственным в стране международным аэропортом. В марте 2001 года открылся Международный аэропорт Инчхон в городе Инчхон. После этого аэропорт Кимпхо стал осуществлять только внутренние рейсы (за исключением рейсов в Токио и Шанхай). Инчхонский аэропорт входит в число крупнейших в Восточной Азии, наряду с аэропортами Гонконга и Сингапура. Оба аэропорта связаны с Сеулом скоростными автомагистралями. В 2008 году открыто железнодорожное сообщение между аэропортами Кимпхо и Инчхон, а с 2011 года оба аэропорта связаны с сеульским вокзалом.

Вузы

В Сеуле располагаются самые престижные университеты страны, включая Сеульский национальный университет, университет Корё, и университет Ёнсе. Среди прочих: Университет Чунан, Университет искусств Чхуге, Университет Тонгук, Женский университет Тондок, Женский университет Токсон, Женский университет Ихва, Университет иностранных языков Хангук, Университет Хансон, Университет Ханян, Теологический университет Ханён, Университет Хоник, Университет Индок, Университет Канвун, Университет Конгук, Университет Кунмин, Корейский государственный открытый университет, Корейский государственный спортивный университет, Государственный университет искусств, Университет Кёнги, Университет Кёнхи, Университет Мёнджи, Университет Самюк, Университет Санмён, Университет Седжон, Университет Согён, Сеульский женский университет,
Университет Соган, Женский университет Сонсин, Женский университет Сунмён, Университет Сунсиль, Университет Сонгюнгван, Сеульский муниципальный университет.

Культура

Большой популярностью пользуется развлекательный комплекс COEX, в котором сосредоточено огромное количество всевозможных закусочных и ресторанчиков, кинотеатров и магазинов, а также — большой подземный океанариум. В соседнем районе Сонпхагу расположен парк развлечений Lotte World, который также является очень популярным местом в городе. В связи с большим объёмом работы, проделанным правительством города для снижения загрязнения окружающей среды, воздух в городе по чистоте равен токийскому, и намного чище, чем в Пекине. В Сеуле и окружающих районах располагается шесть больших парков, включая Сеульский лес, открытый в 2005 году. Зона вокруг Сеула засажена лесополосой для защиты от загрязнения предприятиями, находящимися в провинции Кёнгидо. Кроме того, в Сеуле находятся три больших парка развлечений: Lotte World, Seoul Land и Everland, расположенный в пригороде Йонъин. Самый посещаемый из них — Lotte World. Другие центры отдыха — это, прежде всего, олимпийский стадион и стадион чемпионата мира 2002-го года, а также публичный парк в центре города. Берег острова Йоыйдо — пожалуй, самая развитая часть городского парка реки Ханган (кор. 한강시민공원), который протянулся по обоим берегам и проходит через весь город: у берега работают корабли-рестораны, по трём маршрутам курсируют речные трамвайчики, помимо этого есть станция речного такси (перевозка осуществляется небольшими катерами, довольно быстрыми), также на берегу острова расположено большое количество коммерческих палаток, торгующих продуктами быстрого приготовления и напитками (вплоть до алкогольных), есть несколько пунктов аренды велосипедов, спортивные площадки (со штангами, турниками и т. д.), туалеты. Эта часть парка реки Ханган пользуется у горожан огромной популярностью, поскольку далеко не у всех есть время выехать с семьёй/друзьями за город или к морю даже на выходных. Огромные скопления народа наблюдаются в основном ближе к концу недели, на выходных и по праздникам. В будние дни по вечерам у берега можно встретить немало офисных работников, которые приходят отдохнуть с коллегами после окончания трудового дня. Основной контингент приезжающих сюда — молодёжь, однако часто встречаются и люди пожилого возраста.

Специально для любителей велосипедного спорта вдоль обоих берегов реки Ханган протянулись велосипедные трассы. Территория парка в данный момент (март 2009 г.) активно перестраивается городскими властями. Окончание реконструкции намечено на конец 2009 года. Почти на всём протяжении в пределах города реку Ханган (а также велосипедные дорожки и спортивные площадки) от жилых районов отгораживают скоростные автомагистрали. Для того, чтобы горожанам было удобнее добираться до берегов реки, через автомагистрали в некоторых местах уже построены, а местами ещё строятся пешеходные и велосипедные мостики.

Музеи и галереи: Национальный исторический музей, Военный мемориал, Национальный музей современного искусства, Музей оптических иллюзий (Trick Eye Museum) на Хондэ. В пригородах: Монумент Самджондо, Намхансон, Пукхансон, Парк Намсан, Парк Сунджюн. Другие: Юксам Билдинг, Фонтан радуги, Чхонвадэ. Также в Сеуле и в его пригородах находится множество тематических парков (парков развлечений) и аквапарков: Everland, Lotte World, Seoul Land, Ocean World, Carribean Bay, Tiger World, Большой сеульский парк.

Архитектура

Согласно действующему генеральному плану Сеула до 2030 года, город имеет три главных центра: исторический центр города имеет границы Ханяна времён династии Чосон (проспект Чонно и площадь Кванхвамун), деловой центр Каннам и финансовый Ёндынпхо-Ёыйдо^[13].

Там соседствуют древние дворцы, штаб-квартиры корпораций, современные офисные здания и гостиницы. Эта часть города находится в долине Чхонгечхон (청계천). К северу от делового центра находится гора Пукхансан, а к югу — небольшая гора Намсан. Далее на юг находятся бывшие окраины Ёнсангу и Мапогу и протекает река Ханган. На другой стороне реки, в юго-восточной части Сеула находится современный район Каннамгу и его окрестности. Здесь располагается корейский Международный Торговый Центр. На Йоыйдо, небольшом острове посреди реки Ханган, на котором в древние времена была переправа на северный берег реки, и который некогда использовался в качестве военного аэродрома, располагаются Национальная Ассамблея Республики Корея, главные теле- и радиовещательные студии и большое количество офисных зданий. Аккуратная планировка города была ключевой концепцией при его застройке начиная с XIV века. Королевские дворцы династии Чосон по сей день находятся в Сеуле. Главный императорский дворец (Кёнбоккун) восстановлен в прежнем облике. Династия Чосон построила в Сеуле «Пять больших дворцов»: Чхандоккун, Чхангёнгун, Токсугун, Кёнбоккун, Кёнхигун. Кроме того, есть один менее значимый дворец Унхёнгун. Известные храмы и гробницы: Чонмё, Тонмё, Мунмё, Чогеса, Хвагеса, Наксондэ.

Международные отношения

Сеул (на 2015 год) поддерживает отношения, установленные в период с 1997 по 2012 год, с японским островом Хоккайдо, китайскими провинциями Провинция Цзянсу и Провинция Чжэцзян, городами: Оттавой, Будапештом, Миланом, Шэньчжэнем, Мапуту, Барселоной, Берлином, Стамбулом, Минском, Гуанчжоу, Аддис-Абебой, Бухарестом, Амстердамом, Лос-Анджелесом, Шицзячжуаном, Чжэцзяном и Буэнос-Айресом. Установлены побратимские связи с австралийским штатом Новый Южный Уэльс (в 1991 году) и 23 городами Европы, Азии, Африки, Северной и Южной Америки^[14]:

Тайбэй, Китайская Республика (с 1968 года) Анкара, Турция (1971) Гонолулу, США (1973) Сан-Франциско, США (1976) Сан-Паулу, Бразилия (1977)

Богота, Колумбия (1982) Джакарта, Индонезия (1984) Токио, Япония (1988) Москва, Россия (1991) Париж, Франция (1991)

Мехико, Мексика (1992) Пекин, Китай (1993) Улан-Батор, Монголия (1995) Варшава, Польша (1996) Ханой, Вьетнам (1996)

Каир, Египет (1997) Рим, Италия (2000) Астана, Казахстан (2004) Афины, Греция (2006) Бангкок, Таиланд (2006)

Вашингтон, США (2006) Ташкент, Узбекистан (2010)

Угроза обстрела Сеула артиллерией КНДР

Руководство Северной Кореи неоднократно угрожало уничтожением Сеула в случае войны с Южной Кореей и США^[15][16][17]. Вследствие близости к границе вся территория сеульской агломерации может быть обстреляна северокорейской тяжелой артиллерией (по северным окраинам города могут работать и артиллерийские системы средних калибров). На территории КНДР вдоль ДМЗ, в непосредственной близости от сеульской агломерации, располагается несколько тысяч орудий, в том числе РСЗО и тяжелые артиллерийские системы калибром 170 и 240 миллиметров^[18].

Примечания

Комментарии

Источники

Ссылки

	Сеул в Викисловаре
	Сеул на Викискладе
	Сеул в Викиновостях
	Сеул в Викигиде

• Официальный сайт столичной администрации Сеула (кор.), (англ.)
• Сеул На сайте Национальной организации туризма Кореи (кор.), (рус.)
• Фотопрогулки по районам города На сайте globalphotos.org
•  Сеул — краткий видеообзор/ Timelapse: South Korea’s Stunning Seoul

This article is about the capital city of South Korea. For other uses, see Seoul (disambiguation).

Seoul 서울
Special city
Seoul Special City 서울특별시
From top, left to right: Seongsan Bridge over the Han River; Deoksugung; Gangnam District; skyline at night; Gyeongdong Market; Cheonggyecheon; and Gyeongbokgung Palace
Flag Seal Coat of arms Wordmark
Motto:  «I • Seoul • U»[1]
Anthem: none[2]
Seoul Seoul (South Korea) Seoul Seoul (Asia) Seoul Seoul (Earth)
Coordinates: 37°33′36″N 126°59′24″E / 37.56000°N 126.99000°ECoordinates: 37°33′36″N 126°59′24″E / 37.56000°N 126.99000°E
Country	South Korea
Area	Seoul Capital
Founded by	Gen. Yi Sŏng-gye
Districts	25 districts
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Body	Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul Metropolitan Council
• Mayor	Oh Se-hoon (People Power)
• National Assembly	49
Area [3]
• Special city	605.21 km2 (233.67 sq mi)
• Metro	12,685 km2 (4,898 sq mi)
Elevation	38 m (125 ft)
Highest elevation (Bukhan Mountain)	836.5 m (2,744.4 ft)
Lowest elevation (Yellow Sea)	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (October 2022)[5]
• Special city	9,443,722
• Rank	1st
• Density	16,000/km2 (40,000/sq mi)
• Metro	26,037,000[4]
• Metro density	2,053/km2 (5,320/sq mi)
• Demonym	Seoulite
• Dialect	Gyeonggi
Time zone	UTC+9 (Korean Standard Time)
Bird	Korean magpie
Color	Seoul Red[6]
Flower	Forsythia
Font	Seoul fonts (Seoul Hangang and Seoul Namsan)[7]
Mascot	Haechi
Tree	Ginkgo
Nominal GDP (Special City)	US$384 billion[8]
Nominal GDP per capita (Special City)	US$39,558[8]
Website	seoul.go.kr

Seoul (; Korean: [sʰʌul] (listen); lit. ‘Capital’), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.^[9] According to the 2020 census, Seoul has a population of 9.9 million people, and forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area with the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Considered to be a global city and rated as an Alpha – City by Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC),^[10] Seoul was the world’s fourth largest metropolitan economy in 2014, following Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles.

Seoul was rated Asia’s most livable city with the second highest quality of life globally by Arcadis in 2015, with a GDP per capita (PPP) of around $40,000. With major technology hubs centered in Gangnam and Digital Media City,^[11] the Seoul Capital Area is home to the headquarters of 15 Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung,^[12] LG, and Hyundai. Ranked seventh in the Global Power City Index and Global Financial Centres Index, the metropolis exerts a major influence in global affairs as one of the five leading hosts of global conferences.^[13] Seoul has hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, and the 2010 G20 Seoul summit.

Seoul was the capital of various Korean states, including Baekje, Joseon, the Korean Empire, Goryeo (as a secondary capital), and presently South Korea. It is strategically located along the Han River. Seoul’s history stretches back over two thousand years, when it was founded in 18 BC by the people of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The city was later designated the capital of Korea under the Joseon dynasty. Seoul is surrounded by a mountainous and hilly landscape, with Bukhan Mountain located on the northern edge of the city. The Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseong and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.^[14] More recently, Seoul has been a major site of modern architectural construction – major modern landmarks include the N Seoul Tower, the 63 Building, the Lotte World Tower, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Lotte World, Trade Tower, COEX, IFC Seoul, and the Parc1. Seoul was named the 2010 World Design Capital. It is the birthplace of K-pop and the Korean wave, as it is the heart of Korean culture and massive medias, entertainment firms, and broadcasters.

Etymology

The city has been known in the past by the names Wiryeseong (위례성; 慰禮城, during the Baekje era), Namcheon (남천; 南川,^[15] during the Silla era), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽, during the Goryeo era), Hanseong (한성; 漢城, during the Joseon era), and Keijō (京城) or Gyeongseong (경성; 京城) during Japanese rule.^[16]

During Japan’s annexation of Korea, Hanseong (漢城) was renamed Keijō (京城) by the Imperial authorities to prevent confusion with the hanja ‘漢‘ (a transliteration of an ancient Korean word Han (한) meaning «great»), which also refers to Han people or the Han dynasty in Chinese and in Japanese is a term for «China».^[17]

After World War II and Korea’s liberation, the city took its present name, which originated from the Korean word meaning «capital city», which is believed to have descended from an ancient word, Seorabeol (Korean: 서라벌; Hanja: 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.^[18] Ancient Gyeongju was also known in documents by the Chinese-style name Geumseong (金城, literally «Gold Castle or City» or «Metal Castle or City»), but it is unclear whether the native Korean-style name Seorabeol had the same meaning as Geumseong.^{[citation needed]}

Unlike most place names in Korea, «Seoul» has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language). On January 18, 2005, the Seoul government changed its official name in Chinese characters from the historic Hancheng (simplified Chinese: 汉城; traditional Chinese: 漢城; pinyin: Hànchéng) to Shou’er (simplified Chinese: 首尔; traditional Chinese: 首爾; pinyin: Shǒu’ěr).^[19][20]

History

Settlement of the Han River area, where present-day Seoul is located, began around 4000 BC.^[21]

Seoul is first recorded as Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje (founded in 18 BC) in the northeastern area of modern Seoul.^[21] There are several city walls remaining in the area that date from this time. Pungnaptoseong, an earthen wall located southeast Seoul, is widely believed to have been at the main Wiryeseong site.^[22] As the Three Kingdoms competed for this strategic region, control passed from Baekje to Goguryeo in the 5th century.^[23]

However, according to Samguk Sagi, both Baekje and Silla described the land as frontier border of Baekje, not as the capital region.^[24][25] Moreover, Jinheung Taewang Stele found at current day Bukhansan tells that the place was underdeveloped as of 6th century AD,^[15] suggesting that the first capital Wiryeseong was not located in or nearby Seoul.

In July or August 553, Silla took the control of the region from Baekje, and the city became a part of newly established Sin Province (신주; 新州).^[24][25] Sin (新) has both meaning of «New» and «Silla», thus literally means New Silla Province.

In November 555, Jinheung Taewang made royal visit to Bukhansan, and inspected the borderline.^[26] In 557, Silla abolished Sin Province, and established Bukhansan Province (북한산주; 北漢山州).^[27] The word Hanseong (한성; 漢城; Han Fortress) appears on the stone wall of «Pyongyang Fortress», which was presumably built in the mid to late 6th century AD over period of 42 years, located in Pyongyang, while there is no evidence that Seoul had name Hanseong dating the three kingdoms and earlier period.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

In 568, Jinheung Taewang made another royal visit to the northern border, visited Hanseong, and stayed in Namcheon on his way back to the capital. During his stay, he set Jinheung Taewang Stele, abolished Bukhansan Province, and established Namcheon Province (남천주; 南川州; South River Province), appointing the city as the provincial capital.^[15][33] Based on the naming system, the actual name of Han River during this time was likely Namcheon (Nam River) itself or should have the word ending with «cheon» (천; 川) not «gang» (강; 江) nor «su» (수; 水). In addition, «Bukhansan» Jinheung Stele clearly states that Silla had possession of Hanseong (modern day Pyongyang), thus Bukhansan has to be located north of Hanseong. Modern day Pyongyang was not Pyongyang, Taedong River was likely Han River, and Bukhansan was not Bukhansan during the three kingdoms period.^[15][34] Moreover, Pyongyang was a common noun meaning capital used by Goguryeo and Goryeo dynasties, similar to Seoul.^[35]

In 603, Goguryeo attacked Bukhansanseong (북한산성; 北漢山城; Bukhan Mountain Fortress), which Silla ended up winning.^[36][37] In 604, Silla abolished Namcheon Province, and reestablished Bukhansan Province in order to strengthen the northern border. The city lost its provincial capital position and was put under Bukhansan Province once again.^[38] This further proves that Bukhansan was located in the North of modern day Pyongyang as changing the provincial name and objective would not be required if Bukhansan was located within Seoul.

In the 11th century Goryeo, which succeeded Unified Silla, built a summer palace in Seoul, which was referred to as the «Southern Capital». It was only from this period that Seoul became a larger settlement.^[21] When Joseon replaced Goryeo, the capital was moved to Seoul (also known as Hanyang or Hanseong), where it remained until the fall of the dynasty. The Gyeongbok Palace, built in the 14th century, served as the royal residence until 1592. The other large palace, Changdeokgung, constructed in 1405, served as the main royal palace from 1611 to 1872.^[21] After Joseon changed its name to the Korean Empire in 1897, Hwangseong also designated Seoul.^{[clarification needed]}

Originally, the city was entirely surrounded by a massive circular stone wall to provide its citizens security from wild animals, thieves and attacks. The city has grown beyond those walls and although the wall no longer stands (except along Bugaksan Mountain (Korean: 북악산; Hanja: 北岳山), north of the downtown area^[39]), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably Sungnyemun (commonly known as Namdaemun) and Heunginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun).^[40] During the Joseon dynasty, the gates were opened and closed each day, accompanied by the ringing of large bells at the Bosingak belfry.^[41] In the late 19th century, after hundreds of years of isolation, Seoul opened its gates to foreigners and began to modernize. Seoul became the first city in East Asia to introduce electricity in the royal palace, built by the Edison Illuminating Company^[42] and a decade later Seoul also implemented electrical street lights.^[43]

Much of the development was due to trade with foreign countries like France and the United States. For example, the Seoul Electric Company, Seoul Electric Trolley Company, and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were all joint Korean–U.S. owned enterprises.^[44] In 1904, an American by the name of Angus Hamilton visited the city and said, «The streets of Seoul are magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained. The narrow, dirty lanes have been widened, gutters have been covered, roadways broadened. Seoul is within measurable distance of becoming the highest, most interesting and cleanest city in the East.»^[45]

After the annexation treaty in 1910, Japan annexed Korea and renamed the city Gyeongseong («Kyongsong» in Korean and «Keijo» in Japanese). Japanese technology was imported, the city walls were removed, some of the gates demolished. Roads became paved and Western-style buildings were constructed. The city was liberated by U.S. forces at the end of World War II.^[21]

In 1945, the city was officially named Seoul, and was designated as a special city in 1949.^[21]

During the Korean War, Seoul changed hands between the Soviet/Chinese-backed North Korean forces and the American-backed South Korean forces several times, leaving the city heavily damaged after the war. The capital was temporarily relocated to Busan.^[21] One estimate of the extensive damage states that after the war, at least 191,000 buildings, 55,000 houses, and 1,000 factories lay in ruins. In addition, a flood of refugees had entered Seoul during the war, swelling the population of the city and its metropolitan area to an estimated 1.5 million by 1955.^[46]

Following the war, Seoul began to focus on reconstruction and modernization. As South Korea’s economy started to grow rapidly from the 1960s, urbanization also accelerated and workers began to move to Seoul and other larger cities.^[46] From the 1970s, the size of Seoul administrative area greatly expanded as it annexed a number of towns and villages from several surrounding counties.^[47]

Until 1972, Seoul was claimed by North Korea as its de jure capital, being specified as such in Article 103 of the 1948 North Korean constitution.^[48]

South Korea’s 2019 population was estimated at 51.71 million, and according to the 2018 Population and Housing Census, 49.8% of the population resided in the Seoul metropolitan area. This was up by 0.7% from 49.1% in 2010, showing a distinct trend toward the concentration of the population in the capital.^[49] Seoul has become the economic, political and cultural hub of the country,^[21] with several Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung, SK Holdings, Hyundai, POSCO and LG Group headquartered there.^[50]

Seoul was the host city of the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Summer Olympics as well as one of the venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

On 29 October 2022, at least 153 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities in Seoul’s Itaewon district. President Yoon declared a state of official national mourning.^[51]

Geography

Seoul is in the northwest of South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.25 km² (233.69 sq mi),^[3] with a radius of approximately 15 km (9 mi), 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).^[52] The river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, with civilian entry barred. Historically, the city was during the Joseon dynasty bounded by the Seoul Fortress Wall, which stretched between the four main mountains in central Seoul: Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Naksan and Namsan. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas. Due to its geography and to economic development policies, Seoul is a very polycentric city. The area that was the old capital in the Joseon dynasty, and mostly comprises Jongno District and Jung District, constitutes the historical and political center of the city. However, for example, the city’s financial capital is widely considered to be in Yeouido, while its economic capital is Gangnam District.^{[citation needed]}

Climate

Seoul
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 17 2 −6 28 5 −3 37 11 2 73 18 8 104 24 14 130 28 19 414 29 22 348 30 23 142 26 18 52 20 11 51 12 4 23 4 −3 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D 0.7 36 22 1.1 41 26 1.5 52 35 2.9 64 46 4.1 74 56 5.1 82 66 16 84 72 14 86 73 5.6 79 64 2.1 68 51 2 53 38 0.9 40 26 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Seoul has a humid continental climate influenced by the monsoons (Köppen: Dwa). Being in the extreme East Asia, the climate can be described as humid subtropical (Cwa, by -3 °C isotherm) with great variation in temperature and precipitation throughout the year.^[53][54] The suburbs of Seoul are generally cooler than the center of Seoul because of the urban heat island effect.^[55] Summers are hot and humid, with the East Asian monsoon taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month, has average high and low temperatures of 32.6 and 23.4 °C (91 and 74 °F) with higher temperatures possible. Heat index values can surpass 40 °C (104.0 °F) at the height of summer.
Winters are usually cold to freezing with average January high and low temperatures of 1.5 and −5.9 °C (34.7 and 21.4 °F), and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 24.9 days of snow annually. Sometimes, temperatures drop dramatically to below −10 °C (14 °F), and on some occasions as low as −15 °C (5 °F) in the mid winter period of January and February. Temperatures below −20 °C (−4 °F) have been recorded.

Air quality

Air pollution is a major issue in Seoul.^{[65][66][67][68]} According to the 2016 World Health Organization Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database,^[69] the annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2014 was 24 micrograms per cubic meter (1.0×10⁻⁵ gr/cu ft), which is 2.4 times higher than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines^[70] for the annual mean PM2.5. The Seoul Metropolitan Government monitors and publicly shares real-time air quality data.^[71]

Since the early 1960s, the Ministry of Environment has implemented a range of policies and air pollutant standards to improve and manage air quality for its people.^[72] The «Special Act on the Improvement of Air Quality in the Seoul Metropolitan Area» was passed in December 2003. Its 1st Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Plan (2005–2014) focused on improving the concentrations of PM10 and nitrogen dioxide by reducing emissions.^[73] As a result, the annual average PM10 concentrations decreased from 70.0 μg/m³ in 2001 to 44.4 μg/m³ in 2011^[74] and 46 μg/m³ in 2014.^[69] As of 2014, the annual average PM10 concentration was still at least twice than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines.^[70] The 2nd Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Plan (2015–2024) added PM2.5 and ozone to its list of managed pollutants.^[75]

Asian dust, emissions from Seoul and in general from the rest of South Korea, as well as emissions from China, all contribute to Seoul’s air quality.^[66][76] A partnership between researchers in South Korea and the United States is conducting an international air quality field study in Korea (KORUS-AQ) to determine how much each source contributes.^[77]

Besides air quality, greenhouse gas emissions represent hot issues in South Korea since the country is among top-10 strongest emitters in the world. Seoul is the strongest hotspot of greenhouse gas emissions in the country and according to satellite data, the persistent carbon dioxide anomaly over the city is one of the strongest in the world.^[78]

Government

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is the local government for Seoul, and is responsible for the administration and provision of various services to the city, including correctional institutions, education, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services. It is headed by a mayor and three vice mayors, and is divided into 25 autonomous districts and 522 administrative neighborhoods.^[79][80]

Administrative districts

Seoul is divided into 25 gu (Korean: 구; Hanja: 區) (district).^[81] The gu vary greatly in area (from 10 to 47 km² or 3.9 to 18.1 sq mi) and population (from fewer than 140,000 to 630,000). Songpa has the most people, while Seocho has 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 neighborhoods. Some gu have only a few dong while others like Jongno District have a very large number of distinct neighborhoods. Gu of Seoul consist of 423 administrative dongs (행정동) in total.^[81] Dong are also sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1950	1,021,000	—
1960	2,361,000	+8.74%
1970	5,312,000	+8.45%
1980	8,244,000	+4.49%
1990	10,518,000	+2.47%
2000	9,879,000	−0.62%
2010	9,796,000	−0.08%
2020	9,963,000	+0.17%
source:[82]

Seoul proper is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York City and eight times greater than Rome. Its metropolitan area was the most densely populated among OECD countries in Asia in 2012, and second worldwide after that of Paris.^[83] As of 2015, the population was 9.86 million,^[84] in 2012, it was 10.44 million. As of 2021, the population is 9.59 million.^[85][86] As of the end of June 2011, 10.29 million Republic of Korea citizens lived in the city. This was a 0.24% decrease from the end of 2010. The population of Seoul has been dropping since the early 1990s, the reasons being the high costs of living, urban sprawling to Gyeonggi region’s satellite bed cities and an aging population.^[84]

As of 2016, the number of foreigners living in Seoul was 404,037, 22.9% of the total foreign population in South Korea.^[87] As of June 2011, 186,631 foreigners were Chinese citizens of Korean ancestry. This was an 8.84% increase from the end of 2010 and a 12.85% increase from June 2010. The next largest group was Chinese citizens who are not of Korean ethnicity; 29,901 of them resided in Seoul. The next highest group consisted of the 9,999 United States citizens who were not of Korean ancestry. The next highest group were Taiwanese citizens, at 8,717.^[88]

The two major religions in Seoul are Christianity and Buddhism. Other religions include Muism (indigenous religion) and Confucianism. Seoul is home to one of the world’s largest Christian congregations, Yoido Full Gospel Church, which has around 830,000 members.^[89] According to the 2015 census, 10.8% of the population follows Buddhism and 35% follows Christianity (24.3% Protestantism and 10.7% Catholicism). 53.6% of the population is irreligious.^[90]

Seoul is home to the world’s largest modern university founded by a Buddhist Order, Dongguk University.^[91] Native Seoulites tend to speak the Gyeonggi dialect of Korean.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Seoul is the business and financial hub of South Korea. Although it accounts for only 0.6 percent of the nation’s land area, 48.3 percent of South Korea’s bank deposits were held in Seoul in 2003,^[92] and the city generated 23 percent of the country’s GDP overall in 2012.^[93] In 2008 the Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index ranked Seoul No.9.^[94] The Global Financial Centres Index in 2015 listed Seoul as the 6th financially most competitive city in the world.^[95] The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Seoul 15th in the list of «Overall 2025 City Competitiveness» regarding future competitiveness of cities.^[96]

Manufacturing

The traditional, labor-intensive manufacturing industries have been continuously replaced by information technology, electronics and assembly-type of industries;^[97][98] however, food and beverage production, as well as printing and publishing remained among the core industries.^[97] Major manufacturers are headquartered in the city, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK. Notable food and beverage companies include Jinro, whose soju is the most sold alcoholic drink in the world, beating out Smirnoff vodka;^[99] top selling beer producers Hite (merged with Jinro) and Oriental Brewery.^[100] It also hosts food giants like Seoul Dairy Cooperative, Nongshim Group, Ottogi, CJ, Orion, Maeil Holdings, Namyang Dairy Products and Lotte.

Finance

Seoul hosts large concentration of headquarters of International companies and banks, including 15 companies on Fortune 500 list such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai.^[101] Most bank headquarters and the Korea Exchange are located in Yeouido (Yeoui island),^[97] which is often called «South Korea’s Wall Street» and has been serving as the financial center of the city since the 1980s.^[102] The Seoul international finance center & SIFC MALL, Hanhwa 63 building, the Hanhwa insurance company head office. Hanhwa is one of the three largest South Korean insurance companies, along with Samsung Life and Gangnam & Kyobo life insurance group.

Commerce

The largest wholesale and retail market in South Korea, the Dongdaemun Market, is located in Seoul.^[103] Myeongdong is a shopping and entertainment area in downtown Seoul with mid- to high-end stores, fashion boutiques and international brand outlets.^[104] The nearby Namdaemun Market, named after the Namdaemun Gate, is the oldest continually running market in Seoul.^[105]

Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold.^[106] Hwanghak-dong Flea Market and Janganpyeong Antique Market also offer antique products.^[107][108] Some shops for local designers have opened in Samcheong-dong, where numerous small art galleries are located. While Itaewon had catered mainly to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city, Koreans now comprise the majority of visitors to the area.^[109] The Gangnam district is one of the most affluent areas in Seoul^[109] and is noted for the fashionable and upscale Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong areas and the COEX Mall. Wholesale markets include Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market and Garak Market.

The Yongsan Electronics Market is the largest electronics market in Asia. Electronics markets are Gangbyeon station metro line 2 Techno mart, ENTER6 MALL & Shindorim station Technomart mall complex.^[110]

Times Square is one of Seoul’s largest shopping malls featuring the CGV Starium, the world’s largest permanent 35 mm cinema screen.^[111]

Korea World Trade Center Complex, which comprises COEX mall, congress center, 3 Inter-continental hotels, Business tower (Asem tower), Residence hotel, Casino and City airport terminal was established in 1988 in time for the Seoul Olympics. The 2nd World trade trade center is being planned at Seoul Olympic stadium complex as MICE HUB by Seoul city. Ex-Kepco head office building was purchased by Hyundai motor group with 9billion USD to build 115-storey Hyundai GBC & hotel complex until 2021. Now ex-kepco 25-storey building is under demolition.

Technology

Seoul has been described as the world’s «most wired city»,^[112] ranked first in technology readiness by PwC’s Cities of Opportunity report.^[113] Seoul has a very technologically advanced infrastructure.^[114][115]

Seoul is among the world leaders in Internet connectivity, being the capital of South Korea, which has the world’s highest fiber-optic broadband penetration and highest global average internet speeds of 26.1 Mbit/s.^[116][117] Since 2015, Seoul has provided free Wi-Fi access in outdoor spaces through a 47.7 billion won ($44 million) project with Internet access at 10,430 parks, streets and other public places.^[118] Internet speeds in some apartment buildings reach up to 52.5Gbit/s with assistance from Nokia, and though the average standard consists of 100 Mbit/s services, providers nationwide are rapidly rolling out 1Gbit/s connections at the equivalent of US$20 per month.^[119] In addition, the city is served by the KTX high-speed rail and the Seoul Subway, which provides 4G LTE, WiFi and DMB inside subway cars. 5G will be introduced commercially in March 2019 in Seoul.

Architecture

The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon dynasty city, 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, was for many years covered with concrete, but was recently restored by an urban revival project in 2005.^[120] Jongno street, meaning «Bell Street», has been a principal street and one of the earliest commercial streets of the city,^[121][122] on which one can find Bosingak, a pavilion containing a large bell. The bell signaled the different times of the day and controlled the four major gates to the city. North of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan. Further south are the old suburbs, Yongsan District and Mapo District. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of Gangnam District, Seocho District and surrounding neighborhoods.

Historical architecture

Seoul has many historical and cultural landmarks. In Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, Gangdong District, neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925.^[123]

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 the «Five Grand Palaces» in Seoul – Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung – all of which are located in Jongno and Jung Districts. Among them, Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an «outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design». The main palace, Gyeongbokgung, underwent a large-scale restoration project.^[124] The palaces are considered exemplary architecture of the Joseon period. Beside the palaces, Unhyeongung is known for being the royal residence of Regent Daewongun, the father of Emperor Gojong at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.

Seoul has been surrounded by walls that were built to regulate visitors from other regions and protect the city in case of an invasion. 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 (Korean: 몽촌토성; Hanja: 蒙村土城) is another earthen wall built during the Baekje period that is now located inside the Olympic Park.^[22] The Fortress Wall of Seoul was built early in the Joseon dynasty for protection of the city. After many centuries of destruction and rebuilding, about 2⁄3 of the wall remains, as well as six of the original eight gates. These gates include Sungnyemun and Heunginjimun, commonly known as Namdaemun (South Great Gate) and Dongdaemun (East Great Gate). Namdaemun was the oldest wooden gate until a 2008 arson attack, and was re-opened after complete restoration in 2013.^[125] Located near the gates are the traditional markets and largest shopping center, Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market.

There are also many buildings constructed with international styles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Independence Gate was built in 1897 to inspire an independent spirit. Seoul Station was opened in 1900 as Gyeongseong Station.

Modern architecture

Various high-rise office buildings and residential buildings, like the Gangnam Finance Center, the Tower Palace, Namsan Seoul Tower, and the Lotte World Tower, dominate the city’s skyline. The tallest building is Lotte World Tower, reaching a height of 555m. It opened to the public in April 2017. It is also the 4th highest building in the world.

The World Trade Center Seoul, located in Gangnam District, hosts various expositions and conferences. Also in Gangnam District is the COEX Mall, a large indoor shopping and entertainment complex. Downstream from Gangnam District is Yeouido, an 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 Yoido Full Gospel Church. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, and Lotte World are located in Songpa District, on the south side of the Han River, upstream from Gangnam District. Three new modern landmarks of Seoul are Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park, designed by Zaha Hadid, the new wave-shaped Seoul City Hall, by Yoo Kerl of iArc, and the Lotte World Tower, the 5th tallest building in the world designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

In 2010 Seoul was designated the World Design Capital for the year.^[126]

Culture

Museums

Seoul is home to 115 museums,^[127] including four national and nine official municipal museums. Among the city’s national museum, The National Museum of Korea^[128] is the most representative of museums in not only Seoul but all of South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has built a collection of 220,000 artifacts.^[129] In October 2005, the museum moved to a new building in Yongsan Family Park.

The National Folk Museum is located on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in the district of Jongno District and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the folk history of the Korean people.^[130] The National Palace Museum of Korea is also located on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Finally, the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, whose main museum is located in Gwacheon, opened in 2013, in Sogyeok-dong.

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.^[131][132]

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.^[133][134] The Seodaemun Prison is a former prison built during the Japanese occupation, and is used as a historic museum.^[135]

The Seoul Museum of Art and Ilmin Museum of Art have preserved the appearance of the old building that is visually unique from the neighboring tall, modern buildings. The former is operated by Seoul City Council and sits adjacent to Gyeonghuigung Palace, a Joseon dynasty royal palace. Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, is widely regarded as one of Seoul’s largest private museum. For many Korean film lovers from all over the world, the Korean Film Archive is running the Korean Film Museum and Cinematheque KOFA in its main center located in Digital Media City(DMC), Sangam-dong. The Tteok & Kitchen Utensil Museum and Kimchi Field Museum provide information regarding Korean culinary history.

Religious monuments

There are also religious buildings that take important roles in Korean society and politics. The Wongudan altar was a sacrificial place where Korean rulers held heavenly rituals since the Three Kingdoms period. Since the Joseon dynasty adopted Confucianism as its national ideology in the 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 in the 14th century. Sajikdan, 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 Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Hwagyesa and Bongeunsa are also major Buddhist temples in Seoul.

The Myeongdong Cathedral is a landmark of the Myeongdong, Jung District and the biggest Catholic church in Seoul established in 1883. It is a symbol of Catholicism in Korea. It was also a focus for political dissent in the 1980s. In this way the Roman Catholic Church has a very strong influence in Korean society. And Yakhyeon Catholic Church in Jungnim-dong, Jung District is first Catholic parish in Korea. It has been the first Gothic church ever built in Korea.

There are many Protestant churches in Seoul. The most numerous are Presbyterian, but there are also many Methodist and Baptist churches. Yoido Full Gospel Church is a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Assemblies of God on Yeouido in Seoul. With approximately 830,000 members (2007), it is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in the world, which has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.^{[citation needed]}

The St. Nicholas Cathedral, but sometimes called bald church, is the only Byzantine-style church in Seoul. It is located in Ahyeon-dong, Mapo District, and is cathedral of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea. In 2015, it was designated as a Seoul Future Heritage.

Festivals

In October 2012, KBS Hall in Seoul hosted major international music festivals – First ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals within frameworks of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union 49th General Assembly.^{[136][better source needed][137]}
Hi! Seoul Festival is a seasonal cultural festival held four times a year every spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Seoul, South Korea since 2003. It is based on the «Seoul Citizens’ Day» held on every October since 1994 to commemorate the 600 years history of Seoul as the capital of the country. The festival is arranged under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. As of 2012, Seoul has hosted Ultra Music Festival Korea, an annual dance music festival that takes place on the 2nd weekend of June.^[138]

Parks

Despite the city’s population density, Seoul has a large quantity of parks. One of the most famous parks is Namsan Park, which offers recreational hiking and views of the downtown Seoul skyline. The N Seoul Tower is located at Namsan Park. Seoul Olympic Park, located in Songpa District and built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics is Seoul’s largest park. Among the other largest parks in the city are Seoul Forest, Dream Forest, Children’s Grand Park and Haneul Park. The Wongaksa Pagoda 10 tier pagoda is located In Tapgol Park, a small public park with an area of 19,599 m² (210,962 sq ft). Areas around streams serve as public places for relaxation and recreation. Tancheon stream and the nearby area serve as a large park with paths for both walkers and cyclists.
Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs nearly 6 km (4 mi) through downtown Seoul, is popular among both Seoul residents and tourists. In 2017 the Seoullo 7017 Skypark opened, spanning diagonally overtop Seoul Station.

There are also many parks along the Han River, such as Ichon Hangang Park, Yeouido Hangang Park, Mangwon Hangang Park, Nanji Hangang Park, Banpo Hangang Park, Ttukseom Hangang Park and Jamsil Hangang Park.
The Seoul National Capital Area also contains a green belt aimed at preventing the city from sprawling out into neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people looking to escape from urban life on weekends and during vacations.
There are also various parks under construction or in project, such as the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, Seoul Station 7017, Seosomun Memorial Park and Yongsan Park.

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.

Media

Seoul is home of the major South Korean networks KBS, SBS, and MBC. The city is also home to the major South Korean newspapers Chosun Ilbo, Donga Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, and Hankook Ilbo.

Sports

Seoul is a major center of South Korean sports, and has the largest number of professional sports teams and facilities in the country.

In the history of South Korea’s major professional sports league championships, which include the K League, KBO League, KBL, and V-League, Seoul had multiple championship winners during the same season twice; in 1990, when Lucky-Goldstar FC (currently FC Seoul) won the 1990 K League and the LG Twins won the 1990 KBO League, and in 2016, when FC Seoul won the 2016 K League Classic and the Doosan Bears won the 2016 KBO League.^[139]

International competition

Seoul hosted the 1986 Asian Games, also known as Asiad, 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 South Korea’s national sport and Seoul is the location of the Kukkiwon, the world headquarters of taekwondo, as well as the World Taekwondo Federation.

Domestic sports clubs

Football

Seoul’s most well-known football club is FC Seoul.

• Men’s football

Tier	League	Club	Home stadium
Top	K League 1	FC Seoul	Seoul World Cup Stadium
2nd	K League 2	Seoul E-Land	Mokdong Stadium
4th	K4 League	Seoul Jungnang FC	Jungnang Public Ground
Seoul Nowon United	Nowon Madeul Stadium

• Women’s football

Tier	League	Club	Home stadium
Top	WK League	Seoul City WFC	Seoul World Cup Auxiliary Stadium

Baseball

League	Club	Home stadium
KBO League
LG Twins	Jamsil Baseball Stadium
Doosan Bears
Kiwoom Heroes	Gocheok Sky Dome

Basketball

League	Club	Home stadium
KBL
Seoul SK Knights	Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium
Seoul Samsung Thunders	Jamsil Arena

Volleyball

League	Division	Club	Home stadium
V-League
Men	Seoul Woori Card WooriWON	Jangchung Arena
Women	GS Caltex Seoul KIXX

Handball

• Seoul City

Transportation

Seoul has a well developed transportation network. Its system 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.^[140] 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 nine major subway lines stretching for more than 250 km (155 mi), with one additional line planned. As of 2010, 25% of the population has a commute time of an hour or longer.

Bus

Seoul’s bus system is operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (S.M.G.), with four primary bus configurations available servicing most of the city. Seoul has many large intercity/express bus terminals. These buses connect Seoul with cities throughout South Korea. The Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Central City Terminal and Seoul Nambu Terminal are located in the district of Seocho District. In addition, East Seoul Bus Terminal in Gwangjin District and Sangbong Terminal in Jungnang District handles traffics mainly from Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces.

Urban rail

Seoul has a comprehensive urban railway network of 21 rapid transit, light metro and commuter lines that interconnects every district of the city and the surrounding areas of Incheon, Gyeonggi province, western Gangwon province, and northern Chungnam province. With more than 8 million passengers per day, the subway is one of the busiest subway systems in the world and the largest in the world, with a total track length of 940 km (580 mi). In addition, in order to cope with the various modes of transport, 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, NeoTrans Co. Ltd., AREX, and Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation.

Train

Seoul is connected to every major city in South Korea by rail. Most major South Korean cities are linked via the KTX high-speed train, which has a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h (186 mph). The Mugunghwa and Saemaeul trains also stop at all major stations. Major railroad stations include:

• Seoul Station, Yongsan District: Gyeongbu line (KTX/ITX-Saemaeul/Nuriro/Mugunghwa-ho)
• Yongsan station, Yongsan District: Honam line (KTX/ITX-Saemaeul/Nuriro/Mugunghwa), Jeolla/Janghang lines (Saemaul/Mugunghwa)
• Yeongdeungpo station, Yeongdeungpo District: Gyeongbu/Honam/Janghang lines (KTX/ITX-Saemaeul/Saemaul/Nuriro/Mugunghwa)
• Cheongnyangni station, Dongdaemun District: Gyeongchun/Jungang/Yeongdong/Taebaek lines (ITX-Cheongchun/ITX-Saemaeul/Mugunghwa)
• Suseo station (HSR), Gangnam District: Suseo HSR (SRT)

Airports

Seoul is served by two international airports, Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport.

Gimpo International Airport opened in 1939 as an airfield for the Japanese Imperial Army and opened for civil aircraft in 1957. Since the opening of Incheon International, Gimpo International handles domestic flights along with some short haul international flights to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, Taipei Songshan, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Beijing Capital although flights to Osaka Kansai and Beijing Capital also operate from Incheon International.

Incheon International Airport opened in March 2001 in Yeongjong island. It is now responsible for major international flights. Incheon International Airport is Asia’s eighth busiest airport in terms of passengers, the world’s fourth busiest airport by cargo traffic, and the world’s eighth busiest airport in terms of international passengers in 2014. In 2016, 57,765,397 passengers used the airport. Incheon International Airport opened terminal 2 on January 18, 2018.

Incheon and Gimpo are linked to Seoul by expressway, and to each other by the AREX to Seoul Station. Intercity bus services are available to various destinations around the country.

Cycling

Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Seoul and in the entire country. Both banks of the Han River have cycling paths that run all the way across the city along the river. In addition, Seoul introduced in 2015 a bicycle-sharing system named Ddareungi (and named Seoul Bike in English).^[141]

Education

Universities

Seoul is home to the majority of South Korea’s most prestigious universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University.

Seoul ranked 2nd on the QS Best Student Cities 2023.^[142]

Secondary education

Compulsory education lasts from grade 1–9 (six years of elementary school and 3 years of middle school).^[143] Students spend six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and three years in high school. Secondary schools generally require students to wear uniforms. There is an exit exam for graduating from high school and many students proceeding to the university level are required to take the College Scholastic Ability Test that is held every November. Although there is a test for non-high school graduates, called school qualification exam, most Koreans take the test.

Seoul is home to various specialized schools, including three science high schools, and six foreign language High Schools. Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education comprises 235 College-Preparatory High Schools, 80 Vocational Schools, 377 Middle Schools, and 33 Special Education Schools as of 2009.

International relations

Seoul is a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. In addition, Seoul hosts many embassies of countries it has diplomatic ties with.

Sister cities

See also

• Geography of South Korea
• List of cities in South Korea
• List of most populous cities

References

External links

Official sites

• Official website (in English)
• Seoul Information & Communication Plaza website (in Korean)

Tourism and living information

• i Tour Seoul – The Official Seoul Tourism Guide Site

This article is about the capital city of South Korea. For other uses, see Seoul (disambiguation).

Seoul 서울
Special city
Seoul Special City 서울특별시
From top, left to right: Seongsan Bridge over the Han River; Deoksugung; Gangnam District; skyline at night; Gyeongdong Market; Cheonggyecheon; and Gyeongbokgung Palace
Flag Seal Coat of arms Wordmark
Motto:  «I • Seoul • U»[1]
Anthem: none[2]
Seoul Seoul (South Korea) Seoul Seoul (Asia) Seoul Seoul (Earth)
Coordinates: 37°33′36″N 126°59′24″E / 37.56000°N 126.99000°ECoordinates: 37°33′36″N 126°59′24″E / 37.56000°N 126.99000°E
Country	South Korea
Area	Seoul Capital
Founded by	Gen. Yi Sŏng-gye
Districts	25 districts
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Body	Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul Metropolitan Council
• Mayor	Oh Se-hoon (People Power)
• National Assembly	49
Area [3]
• Special city	605.21 km2 (233.67 sq mi)
• Metro	12,685 km2 (4,898 sq mi)
Elevation	38 m (125 ft)
Highest elevation (Bukhan Mountain)	836.5 m (2,744.4 ft)
Lowest elevation (Yellow Sea)	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (October 2022)[5]
• Special city	9,443,722
• Rank	1st
• Density	16,000/km2 (40,000/sq mi)
• Metro	26,037,000[4]
• Metro density	2,053/km2 (5,320/sq mi)
• Demonym	Seoulite
• Dialect	Gyeonggi
Time zone	UTC+9 (Korean Standard Time)
Bird	Korean magpie
Color	Seoul Red[6]
Flower	Forsythia
Font	Seoul fonts (Seoul Hangang and Seoul Namsan)[7]
Mascot	Haechi
Tree	Ginkgo
Nominal GDP (Special City)	US$384 billion[8]
Nominal GDP per capita (Special City)	US$39,558[8]
Website	seoul.go.kr

Seoul (; Korean: [sʰʌul] (listen); lit. ‘Capital’), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.^[9] According to the 2020 census, Seoul has a population of 9.9 million people, and forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area with the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Considered to be a global city and rated as an Alpha – City by Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC),^[10] Seoul was the world’s fourth largest metropolitan economy in 2014, following Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles.

Seoul was rated Asia’s most livable city with the second highest quality of life globally by Arcadis in 2015, with a GDP per capita (PPP) of around $40,000. With major technology hubs centered in Gangnam and Digital Media City,^[11] the Seoul Capital Area is home to the headquarters of 15 Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung,^[12] LG, and Hyundai. Ranked seventh in the Global Power City Index and Global Financial Centres Index, the metropolis exerts a major influence in global affairs as one of the five leading hosts of global conferences.^[13] Seoul has hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, and the 2010 G20 Seoul summit.

Seoul was the capital of various Korean states, including Baekje, Joseon, the Korean Empire, Goryeo (as a secondary capital), and presently South Korea. It is strategically located along the Han River. Seoul’s history stretches back over two thousand years, when it was founded in 18 BC by the people of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The city was later designated the capital of Korea under the Joseon dynasty. Seoul is surrounded by a mountainous and hilly landscape, with Bukhan Mountain located on the northern edge of the city. The Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseong and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.^[14] More recently, Seoul has been a major site of modern architectural construction – major modern landmarks include the N Seoul Tower, the 63 Building, the Lotte World Tower, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Lotte World, Trade Tower, COEX, IFC Seoul, and the Parc1. Seoul was named the 2010 World Design Capital. It is the birthplace of K-pop and the Korean wave, as it is the heart of Korean culture and massive medias, entertainment firms, and broadcasters.

Etymology

The city has been known in the past by the names Wiryeseong (위례성; 慰禮城, during the Baekje era), Namcheon (남천; 南川,^[15] during the Silla era), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽, during the Goryeo era), Hanseong (한성; 漢城, during the Joseon era), and Keijō (京城) or Gyeongseong (경성; 京城) during Japanese rule.^[16]

During Japan’s annexation of Korea, Hanseong (漢城) was renamed Keijō (京城) by the Imperial authorities to prevent confusion with the hanja ‘漢‘ (a transliteration of an ancient Korean word Han (한) meaning «great»), which also refers to Han people or the Han dynasty in Chinese and in Japanese is a term for «China».^[17]

After World War II and Korea’s liberation, the city took its present name, which originated from the Korean word meaning «capital city», which is believed to have descended from an ancient word, Seorabeol (Korean: 서라벌; Hanja: 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.^[18] Ancient Gyeongju was also known in documents by the Chinese-style name Geumseong (金城, literally «Gold Castle or City» or «Metal Castle or City»), but it is unclear whether the native Korean-style name Seorabeol had the same meaning as Geumseong.^{[citation needed]}

Unlike most place names in Korea, «Seoul» has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language). On January 18, 2005, the Seoul government changed its official name in Chinese characters from the historic Hancheng (simplified Chinese: 汉城; traditional Chinese: 漢城; pinyin: Hànchéng) to Shou’er (simplified Chinese: 首尔; traditional Chinese: 首爾; pinyin: Shǒu’ěr).^[19][20]

History

Settlement of the Han River area, where present-day Seoul is located, began around 4000 BC.^[21]

Seoul is first recorded as Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje (founded in 18 BC) in the northeastern area of modern Seoul.^[21] There are several city walls remaining in the area that date from this time. Pungnaptoseong, an earthen wall located southeast Seoul, is widely believed to have been at the main Wiryeseong site.^[22] As the Three Kingdoms competed for this strategic region, control passed from Baekje to Goguryeo in the 5th century.^[23]

However, according to Samguk Sagi, both Baekje and Silla described the land as frontier border of Baekje, not as the capital region.^[24][25] Moreover, Jinheung Taewang Stele found at current day Bukhansan tells that the place was underdeveloped as of 6th century AD,^[15] suggesting that the first capital Wiryeseong was not located in or nearby Seoul.

In July or August 553, Silla took the control of the region from Baekje, and the city became a part of newly established Sin Province (신주; 新州).^[24][25] Sin (新) has both meaning of «New» and «Silla», thus literally means New Silla Province.

In November 555, Jinheung Taewang made royal visit to Bukhansan, and inspected the borderline.^[26] In 557, Silla abolished Sin Province, and established Bukhansan Province (북한산주; 北漢山州).^[27] The word Hanseong (한성; 漢城; Han Fortress) appears on the stone wall of «Pyongyang Fortress», which was presumably built in the mid to late 6th century AD over period of 42 years, located in Pyongyang, while there is no evidence that Seoul had name Hanseong dating the three kingdoms and earlier period.^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

In 568, Jinheung Taewang made another royal visit to the northern border, visited Hanseong, and stayed in Namcheon on his way back to the capital. During his stay, he set Jinheung Taewang Stele, abolished Bukhansan Province, and established Namcheon Province (남천주; 南川州; South River Province), appointing the city as the provincial capital.^[15][33] Based on the naming system, the actual name of Han River during this time was likely Namcheon (Nam River) itself or should have the word ending with «cheon» (천; 川) not «gang» (강; 江) nor «su» (수; 水). In addition, «Bukhansan» Jinheung Stele clearly states that Silla had possession of Hanseong (modern day Pyongyang), thus Bukhansan has to be located north of Hanseong. Modern day Pyongyang was not Pyongyang, Taedong River was likely Han River, and Bukhansan was not Bukhansan during the three kingdoms period.^[15][34] Moreover, Pyongyang was a common noun meaning capital used by Goguryeo and Goryeo dynasties, similar to Seoul.^[35]

In 603, Goguryeo attacked Bukhansanseong (북한산성; 北漢山城; Bukhan Mountain Fortress), which Silla ended up winning.^[36][37] In 604, Silla abolished Namcheon Province, and reestablished Bukhansan Province in order to strengthen the northern border. The city lost its provincial capital position and was put under Bukhansan Province once again.^[38] This further proves that Bukhansan was located in the North of modern day Pyongyang as changing the provincial name and objective would not be required if Bukhansan was located within Seoul.

In the 11th century Goryeo, which succeeded Unified Silla, built a summer palace in Seoul, which was referred to as the «Southern Capital». It was only from this period that Seoul became a larger settlement.^[21] When Joseon replaced Goryeo, the capital was moved to Seoul (also known as Hanyang or Hanseong), where it remained until the fall of the dynasty. The Gyeongbok Palace, built in the 14th century, served as the royal residence until 1592. The other large palace, Changdeokgung, constructed in 1405, served as the main royal palace from 1611 to 1872.^[21] After Joseon changed its name to the Korean Empire in 1897, Hwangseong also designated Seoul.^{[clarification needed]}

Originally, the city was entirely surrounded by a massive circular stone wall to provide its citizens security from wild animals, thieves and attacks. The city has grown beyond those walls and although the wall no longer stands (except along Bugaksan Mountain (Korean: 북악산; Hanja: 北岳山), north of the downtown area^[39]), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably Sungnyemun (commonly known as Namdaemun) and Heunginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun).^[40] During the Joseon dynasty, the gates were opened and closed each day, accompanied by the ringing of large bells at the Bosingak belfry.^[41] In the late 19th century, after hundreds of years of isolation, Seoul opened its gates to foreigners and began to modernize. Seoul became the first city in East Asia to introduce electricity in the royal palace, built by the Edison Illuminating Company^[42] and a decade later Seoul also implemented electrical street lights.^[43]

Much of the development was due to trade with foreign countries like France and the United States. For example, the Seoul Electric Company, Seoul Electric Trolley Company, and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were all joint Korean–U.S. owned enterprises.^[44] In 1904, an American by the name of Angus Hamilton visited the city and said, «The streets of Seoul are magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained. The narrow, dirty lanes have been widened, gutters have been covered, roadways broadened. Seoul is within measurable distance of becoming the highest, most interesting and cleanest city in the East.»^[45]

After the annexation treaty in 1910, Japan annexed Korea and renamed the city Gyeongseong («Kyongsong» in Korean and «Keijo» in Japanese). Japanese technology was imported, the city walls were removed, some of the gates demolished. Roads became paved and Western-style buildings were constructed. The city was liberated by U.S. forces at the end of World War II.^[21]

In 1945, the city was officially named Seoul, and was designated as a special city in 1949.^[21]

During the Korean War, Seoul changed hands between the Soviet/Chinese-backed North Korean forces and the American-backed South Korean forces several times, leaving the city heavily damaged after the war. The capital was temporarily relocated to Busan.^[21] One estimate of the extensive damage states that after the war, at least 191,000 buildings, 55,000 houses, and 1,000 factories lay in ruins. In addition, a flood of refugees had entered Seoul during the war, swelling the population of the city and its metropolitan area to an estimated 1.5 million by 1955.^[46]

Following the war, Seoul began to focus on reconstruction and modernization. As South Korea’s economy started to grow rapidly from the 1960s, urbanization also accelerated and workers began to move to Seoul and other larger cities.^[46] From the 1970s, the size of Seoul administrative area greatly expanded as it annexed a number of towns and villages from several surrounding counties.^[47]

Until 1972, Seoul was claimed by North Korea as its de jure capital, being specified as such in Article 103 of the 1948 North Korean constitution.^[48]

South Korea’s 2019 population was estimated at 51.71 million, and according to the 2018 Population and Housing Census, 49.8% of the population resided in the Seoul metropolitan area. This was up by 0.7% from 49.1% in 2010, showing a distinct trend toward the concentration of the population in the capital.^[49] Seoul has become the economic, political and cultural hub of the country,^[21] with several Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung, SK Holdings, Hyundai, POSCO and LG Group headquartered there.^[50]

Seoul was the host city of the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Summer Olympics as well as one of the venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

On 29 October 2022, at least 153 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities in Seoul’s Itaewon district. President Yoon declared a state of official national mourning.^[51]

Geography

Seoul is in the northwest of South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.25 km² (233.69 sq mi),^[3] with a radius of approximately 15 km (9 mi), 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).^[52] The river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, with civilian entry barred. Historically, the city was during the Joseon dynasty bounded by the Seoul Fortress Wall, which stretched between the four main mountains in central Seoul: Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Naksan and Namsan. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas. Due to its geography and to economic development policies, Seoul is a very polycentric city. The area that was the old capital in the Joseon dynasty, and mostly comprises Jongno District and Jung District, constitutes the historical and political center of the city. However, for example, the city’s financial capital is widely considered to be in Yeouido, while its economic capital is Gangnam District.^{[citation needed]}

Climate

Seoul
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D 17 2 −6 28 5 −3 37 11 2 73 18 8 104 24 14 130 28 19 414 29 22 348 30 23 142 26 18 52 20 11 51 12 4 23 4 −3 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D 0.7 36 22 1.1 41 26 1.5 52 35 2.9 64 46 4.1 74 56 5.1 82 66 16 84 72 14 86 73 5.6 79 64 2.1 68 51 2 53 38 0.9 40 26 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Seoul has a humid continental climate influenced by the monsoons (Köppen: Dwa). Being in the extreme East Asia, the climate can be described as humid subtropical (Cwa, by -3 °C isotherm) with great variation in temperature and precipitation throughout the year.^[53][54] The suburbs of Seoul are generally cooler than the center of Seoul because of the urban heat island effect.^[55] Summers are hot and humid, with the East Asian monsoon taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month, has average high and low temperatures of 32.6 and 23.4 °C (91 and 74 °F) with higher temperatures possible. Heat index values can surpass 40 °C (104.0 °F) at the height of summer.
Winters are usually cold to freezing with average January high and low temperatures of 1.5 and −5.9 °C (34.7 and 21.4 °F), and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 24.9 days of snow annually. Sometimes, temperatures drop dramatically to below −10 °C (14 °F), and on some occasions as low as −15 °C (5 °F) in the mid winter period of January and February. Temperatures below −20 °C (−4 °F) have been recorded.

Air quality

Air pollution is a major issue in Seoul.^{[65][66][67][68]} According to the 2016 World Health Organization Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database,^[69] the annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2014 was 24 micrograms per cubic meter (1.0×10⁻⁵ gr/cu ft), which is 2.4 times higher than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines^[70] for the annual mean PM2.5. The Seoul Metropolitan Government monitors and publicly shares real-time air quality data.^[71]

Since the early 1960s, the Ministry of Environment has implemented a range of policies and air pollutant standards to improve and manage air quality for its people.^[72] The «Special Act on the Improvement of Air Quality in the Seoul Metropolitan Area» was passed in December 2003. Its 1st Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Plan (2005–2014) focused on improving the concentrations of PM10 and nitrogen dioxide by reducing emissions.^[73] As a result, the annual average PM10 concentrations decreased from 70.0 μg/m³ in 2001 to 44.4 μg/m³ in 2011^[74] and 46 μg/m³ in 2014.^[69] As of 2014, the annual average PM10 concentration was still at least twice than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines.^[70] The 2nd Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Plan (2015–2024) added PM2.5 and ozone to its list of managed pollutants.^[75]

Asian dust, emissions from Seoul and in general from the rest of South Korea, as well as emissions from China, all contribute to Seoul’s air quality.^[66][76] A partnership between researchers in South Korea and the United States is conducting an international air quality field study in Korea (KORUS-AQ) to determine how much each source contributes.^[77]

Besides air quality, greenhouse gas emissions represent hot issues in South Korea since the country is among top-10 strongest emitters in the world. Seoul is the strongest hotspot of greenhouse gas emissions in the country and according to satellite data, the persistent carbon dioxide anomaly over the city is one of the strongest in the world.^[78]

Government

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is the local government for Seoul, and is responsible for the administration and provision of various services to the city, including correctional institutions, education, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services. It is headed by a mayor and three vice mayors, and is divided into 25 autonomous districts and 522 administrative neighborhoods.^[79][80]

Administrative districts

Seoul is divided into 25 gu (Korean: 구; Hanja: 區) (district).^[81] The gu vary greatly in area (from 10 to 47 km² or 3.9 to 18.1 sq mi) and population (from fewer than 140,000 to 630,000). Songpa has the most people, while Seocho has 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 neighborhoods. Some gu have only a few dong while others like Jongno District have a very large number of distinct neighborhoods. Gu of Seoul consist of 423 administrative dongs (행정동) in total.^[81] Dong are also sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1950	1,021,000	—
1960	2,361,000	+8.74%
1970	5,312,000	+8.45%
1980	8,244,000	+4.49%
1990	10,518,000	+2.47%
2000	9,879,000	−0.62%
2010	9,796,000	−0.08%
2020	9,963,000	+0.17%
source:[82]

Seoul proper is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York City and eight times greater than Rome. Its metropolitan area was the most densely populated among OECD countries in Asia in 2012, and second worldwide after that of Paris.^[83] As of 2015, the population was 9.86 million,^[84] in 2012, it was 10.44 million. As of 2021, the population is 9.59 million.^[85][86] As of the end of June 2011, 10.29 million Republic of Korea citizens lived in the city. This was a 0.24% decrease from the end of 2010. The population of Seoul has been dropping since the early 1990s, the reasons being the high costs of living, urban sprawling to Gyeonggi region’s satellite bed cities and an aging population.^[84]

As of 2016, the number of foreigners living in Seoul was 404,037, 22.9% of the total foreign population in South Korea.^[87] As of June 2011, 186,631 foreigners were Chinese citizens of Korean ancestry. This was an 8.84% increase from the end of 2010 and a 12.85% increase from June 2010. The next largest group was Chinese citizens who are not of Korean ethnicity; 29,901 of them resided in Seoul. The next highest group consisted of the 9,999 United States citizens who were not of Korean ancestry. The next highest group were Taiwanese citizens, at 8,717.^[88]

The two major religions in Seoul are Christianity and Buddhism. Other religions include Muism (indigenous religion) and Confucianism. Seoul is home to one of the world’s largest Christian congregations, Yoido Full Gospel Church, which has around 830,000 members.^[89] According to the 2015 census, 10.8% of the population follows Buddhism and 35% follows Christianity (24.3% Protestantism and 10.7% Catholicism). 53.6% of the population is irreligious.^[90]

Seoul is home to the world’s largest modern university founded by a Buddhist Order, Dongguk University.^[91] Native Seoulites tend to speak the Gyeonggi dialect of Korean.^{[citation needed]}

Economy

Seoul is the business and financial hub of South Korea. Although it accounts for only 0.6 percent of the nation’s land area, 48.3 percent of South Korea’s bank deposits were held in Seoul in 2003,^[92] and the city generated 23 percent of the country’s GDP overall in 2012.^[93] In 2008 the Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index ranked Seoul No.9.^[94] The Global Financial Centres Index in 2015 listed Seoul as the 6th financially most competitive city in the world.^[95] The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Seoul 15th in the list of «Overall 2025 City Competitiveness» regarding future competitiveness of cities.^[96]

Manufacturing

The traditional, labor-intensive manufacturing industries have been continuously replaced by information technology, electronics and assembly-type of industries;^[97][98] however, food and beverage production, as well as printing and publishing remained among the core industries.^[97] Major manufacturers are headquartered in the city, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK. Notable food and beverage companies include Jinro, whose soju is the most sold alcoholic drink in the world, beating out Smirnoff vodka;^[99] top selling beer producers Hite (merged with Jinro) and Oriental Brewery.^[100] It also hosts food giants like Seoul Dairy Cooperative, Nongshim Group, Ottogi, CJ, Orion, Maeil Holdings, Namyang Dairy Products and Lotte.

Finance

Seoul hosts large concentration of headquarters of International companies and banks, including 15 companies on Fortune 500 list such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai.^[101] Most bank headquarters and the Korea Exchange are located in Yeouido (Yeoui island),^[97] which is often called «South Korea’s Wall Street» and has been serving as the financial center of the city since the 1980s.^[102] The Seoul international finance center & SIFC MALL, Hanhwa 63 building, the Hanhwa insurance company head office. Hanhwa is one of the three largest South Korean insurance companies, along with Samsung Life and Gangnam & Kyobo life insurance group.

Commerce

The largest wholesale and retail market in South Korea, the Dongdaemun Market, is located in Seoul.^[103] Myeongdong is a shopping and entertainment area in downtown Seoul with mid- to high-end stores, fashion boutiques and international brand outlets.^[104] The nearby Namdaemun Market, named after the Namdaemun Gate, is the oldest continually running market in Seoul.^[105]

Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold.^[106] Hwanghak-dong Flea Market and Janganpyeong Antique Market also offer antique products.^[107][108] Some shops for local designers have opened in Samcheong-dong, where numerous small art galleries are located. While Itaewon had catered mainly to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city, Koreans now comprise the majority of visitors to the area.^[109] The Gangnam district is one of the most affluent areas in Seoul^[109] and is noted for the fashionable and upscale Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong areas and the COEX Mall. Wholesale markets include Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market and Garak Market.

The Yongsan Electronics Market is the largest electronics market in Asia. Electronics markets are Gangbyeon station metro line 2 Techno mart, ENTER6 MALL & Shindorim station Technomart mall complex.^[110]

Times Square is one of Seoul’s largest shopping malls featuring the CGV Starium, the world’s largest permanent 35 mm cinema screen.^[111]

Korea World Trade Center Complex, which comprises COEX mall, congress center, 3 Inter-continental hotels, Business tower (Asem tower), Residence hotel, Casino and City airport terminal was established in 1988 in time for the Seoul Olympics. The 2nd World trade trade center is being planned at Seoul Olympic stadium complex as MICE HUB by Seoul city. Ex-Kepco head office building was purchased by Hyundai motor group with 9billion USD to build 115-storey Hyundai GBC & hotel complex until 2021. Now ex-kepco 25-storey building is under demolition.

Technology

Seoul has been described as the world’s «most wired city»,^[112] ranked first in technology readiness by PwC’s Cities of Opportunity report.^[113] Seoul has a very technologically advanced infrastructure.^[114][115]

Seoul is among the world leaders in Internet connectivity, being the capital of South Korea, which has the world’s highest fiber-optic broadband penetration and highest global average internet speeds of 26.1 Mbit/s.^[116][117] Since 2015, Seoul has provided free Wi-Fi access in outdoor spaces through a 47.7 billion won ($44 million) project with Internet access at 10,430 parks, streets and other public places.^[118] Internet speeds in some apartment buildings reach up to 52.5Gbit/s with assistance from Nokia, and though the average standard consists of 100 Mbit/s services, providers nationwide are rapidly rolling out 1Gbit/s connections at the equivalent of US$20 per month.^[119] In addition, the city is served by the KTX high-speed rail and the Seoul Subway, which provides 4G LTE, WiFi and DMB inside subway cars. 5G will be introduced commercially in March 2019 in Seoul.

Architecture

The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon dynasty city, 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, was for many years covered with concrete, but was recently restored by an urban revival project in 2005.^[120] Jongno street, meaning «Bell Street», has been a principal street and one of the earliest commercial streets of the city,^[121][122] on which one can find Bosingak, a pavilion containing a large bell. The bell signaled the different times of the day and controlled the four major gates to the city. North of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan. Further south are the old suburbs, Yongsan District and Mapo District. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of Gangnam District, Seocho District and surrounding neighborhoods.

Historical architecture

Seoul has many historical and cultural landmarks. In Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, Gangdong District, neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925.^[123]

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 the «Five Grand Palaces» in Seoul – Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung – all of which are located in Jongno and Jung Districts. Among them, Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an «outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design». The main palace, Gyeongbokgung, underwent a large-scale restoration project.^[124] The palaces are considered exemplary architecture of the Joseon period. Beside the palaces, Unhyeongung is known for being the royal residence of Regent Daewongun, the father of Emperor Gojong at the end of the Joseon Dynasty.

Seoul has been surrounded by walls that were built to regulate visitors from other regions and protect the city in case of an invasion. 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 (Korean: 몽촌토성; Hanja: 蒙村土城) is another earthen wall built during the Baekje period that is now located inside the Olympic Park.^[22] The Fortress Wall of Seoul was built early in the Joseon dynasty for protection of the city. After many centuries of destruction and rebuilding, about 2⁄3 of the wall remains, as well as six of the original eight gates. These gates include Sungnyemun and Heunginjimun, commonly known as Namdaemun (South Great Gate) and Dongdaemun (East Great Gate). Namdaemun was the oldest wooden gate until a 2008 arson attack, and was re-opened after complete restoration in 2013.^[125] Located near the gates are the traditional markets and largest shopping center, Namdaemun Market and Dongdaemun Market.

There are also many buildings constructed with international styles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Independence Gate was built in 1897 to inspire an independent spirit. Seoul Station was opened in 1900 as Gyeongseong Station.

Modern architecture

Various high-rise office buildings and residential buildings, like the Gangnam Finance Center, the Tower Palace, Namsan Seoul Tower, and the Lotte World Tower, dominate the city’s skyline. The tallest building is Lotte World Tower, reaching a height of 555m. It opened to the public in April 2017. It is also the 4th highest building in the world.

The World Trade Center Seoul, located in Gangnam District, hosts various expositions and conferences. Also in Gangnam District is the COEX Mall, a large indoor shopping and entertainment complex. Downstream from Gangnam District is Yeouido, an 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 Yoido Full Gospel Church. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, and Lotte World are located in Songpa District, on the south side of the Han River, upstream from Gangnam District. Three new modern landmarks of Seoul are Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park, designed by Zaha Hadid, the new wave-shaped Seoul City Hall, by Yoo Kerl of iArc, and the Lotte World Tower, the 5th tallest building in the world designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox.

In 2010 Seoul was designated the World Design Capital for the year.^[126]

Culture

Museums

Seoul is home to 115 museums,^[127] including four national and nine official municipal museums. Among the city’s national museum, The National Museum of Korea^[128] is the most representative of museums in not only Seoul but all of South Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has built a collection of 220,000 artifacts.^[129] In October 2005, the museum moved to a new building in Yongsan Family Park.

The National Folk Museum is located on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in the district of Jongno District and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the folk history of the Korean people.^[130] The National Palace Museum of Korea is also located on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung Palace. Finally, the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, whose main museum is located in Gwacheon, opened in 2013, in Sogyeok-dong.

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.^[131][132]

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.^[133][134] The Seodaemun Prison is a former prison built during the Japanese occupation, and is used as a historic museum.^[135]

The Seoul Museum of Art and Ilmin Museum of Art have preserved the appearance of the old building that is visually unique from the neighboring tall, modern buildings. The former is operated by Seoul City Council and sits adjacent to Gyeonghuigung Palace, a Joseon dynasty royal palace. Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, is widely regarded as one of Seoul’s largest private museum. For many Korean film lovers from all over the world, the Korean Film Archive is running the Korean Film Museum and Cinematheque KOFA in its main center located in Digital Media City(DMC), Sangam-dong. The Tteok & Kitchen Utensil Museum and Kimchi Field Museum provide information regarding Korean culinary history.

Religious monuments

There are also religious buildings that take important roles in Korean society and politics. The Wongudan altar was a sacrificial place where Korean rulers held heavenly rituals since the Three Kingdoms period. Since the Joseon dynasty adopted Confucianism as its national ideology in the 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 in the 14th century. Sajikdan, 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 Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Hwagyesa and Bongeunsa are also major Buddhist temples in Seoul.

The Myeongdong Cathedral is a landmark of the Myeongdong, Jung District and the biggest Catholic church in Seoul established in 1883. It is a symbol of Catholicism in Korea. It was also a focus for political dissent in the 1980s. In this way the Roman Catholic Church has a very strong influence in Korean society. And Yakhyeon Catholic Church in Jungnim-dong, Jung District is first Catholic parish in Korea. It has been the first Gothic church ever built in Korea.

There are many Protestant churches in Seoul. The most numerous are Presbyterian, but there are also many Methodist and Baptist churches. Yoido Full Gospel Church is a Pentecostal church affiliated with the Assemblies of God on Yeouido in Seoul. With approximately 830,000 members (2007), it is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in the world, which has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.^{[citation needed]}

The St. Nicholas Cathedral, but sometimes called bald church, is the only Byzantine-style church in Seoul. It is located in Ahyeon-dong, Mapo District, and is cathedral of the Orthodox Metropolis of Korea. In 2015, it was designated as a Seoul Future Heritage.

Festivals

In October 2012, KBS Hall in Seoul hosted major international music festivals – First ABU TV and Radio Song Festivals within frameworks of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union 49th General Assembly.^{[136][better source needed][137]}
Hi! Seoul Festival is a seasonal cultural festival held four times a year every spring, summer, autumn, and winter in Seoul, South Korea since 2003. It is based on the «Seoul Citizens’ Day» held on every October since 1994 to commemorate the 600 years history of Seoul as the capital of the country. The festival is arranged under the Seoul Metropolitan Government. As of 2012, Seoul has hosted Ultra Music Festival Korea, an annual dance music festival that takes place on the 2nd weekend of June.^[138]

Parks

Despite the city’s population density, Seoul has a large quantity of parks. One of the most famous parks is Namsan Park, which offers recreational hiking and views of the downtown Seoul skyline. The N Seoul Tower is located at Namsan Park. Seoul Olympic Park, located in Songpa District and built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics is Seoul’s largest park. Among the other largest parks in the city are Seoul Forest, Dream Forest, Children’s Grand Park and Haneul Park. The Wongaksa Pagoda 10 tier pagoda is located In Tapgol Park, a small public park with an area of 19,599 m² (210,962 sq ft). Areas around streams serve as public places for relaxation and recreation. Tancheon stream and the nearby area serve as a large park with paths for both walkers and cyclists.
Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs nearly 6 km (4 mi) through downtown Seoul, is popular among both Seoul residents and tourists. In 2017 the Seoullo 7017 Skypark opened, spanning diagonally overtop Seoul Station.

There are also many parks along the Han River, such as Ichon Hangang Park, Yeouido Hangang Park, Mangwon Hangang Park, Nanji Hangang Park, Banpo Hangang Park, Ttukseom Hangang Park and Jamsil Hangang Park.
The Seoul National Capital Area also contains a green belt aimed at preventing the city from sprawling out into neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people looking to escape from urban life on weekends and during vacations.
There are also various parks under construction or in project, such as the Gyeongui Line Forest Trail, Seoul Station 7017, Seosomun Memorial Park and Yongsan Park.

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.

Media

Seoul is home of the major South Korean networks KBS, SBS, and MBC. The city is also home to the major South Korean newspapers Chosun Ilbo, Donga Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo, and Hankook Ilbo.

Sports

Seoul is a major center of South Korean sports, and has the largest number of professional sports teams and facilities in the country.

In the history of South Korea’s major professional sports league championships, which include the K League, KBO League, KBL, and V-League, Seoul had multiple championship winners during the same season twice; in 1990, when Lucky-Goldstar FC (currently FC Seoul) won the 1990 K League and the LG Twins won the 1990 KBO League, and in 2016, when FC Seoul won the 2016 K League Classic and the Doosan Bears won the 2016 KBO League.^[139]

International competition

Seoul hosted the 1986 Asian Games, also known as Asiad, 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 South Korea’s national sport and Seoul is the location of the Kukkiwon, the world headquarters of taekwondo, as well as the World Taekwondo Federation.

Domestic sports clubs

Football

Seoul’s most well-known football club is FC Seoul.

• Men’s football

Tier	League	Club	Home stadium
Top	K League 1	FC Seoul	Seoul World Cup Stadium
2nd	K League 2	Seoul E-Land	Mokdong Stadium
4th	K4 League	Seoul Jungnang FC	Jungnang Public Ground
Seoul Nowon United	Nowon Madeul Stadium

• Women’s football

Tier	League	Club	Home stadium
Top	WK League	Seoul City WFC	Seoul World Cup Auxiliary Stadium

Baseball

League	Club	Home stadium
KBO League
LG Twins	Jamsil Baseball Stadium
Doosan Bears
Kiwoom Heroes	Gocheok Sky Dome

Basketball

League	Club	Home stadium
KBL
Seoul SK Knights	Jamsil Students’ Gymnasium
Seoul Samsung Thunders	Jamsil Arena

Volleyball

League	Division	Club	Home stadium
V-League
Men	Seoul Woori Card WooriWON	Jangchung Arena
Women	GS Caltex Seoul KIXX

Handball

• Seoul City

Transportation

Seoul has a well developed transportation network. Its system 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.^[140] 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 nine major subway lines stretching for more than 250 km (155 mi), with one additional line planned. As of 2010, 25% of the population has a commute time of an hour or longer.

Bus

Seoul’s bus system is operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government (S.M.G.), with four primary bus configurations available servicing most of the city. Seoul has many large intercity/express bus terminals. These buses connect Seoul with cities throughout South Korea. The Seoul Express Bus Terminal, Central City Terminal and Seoul Nambu Terminal are located in the district of Seocho District. In addition, East Seoul Bus Terminal in Gwangjin District and Sangbong Terminal in Jungnang District handles traffics mainly from Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces.

Urban rail

Seoul has a comprehensive urban railway network of 21 rapid transit, light metro and commuter lines that interconnects every district of the city and the surrounding areas of Incheon, Gyeonggi province, western Gangwon province, and northern Chungnam province. With more than 8 million passengers per day, the subway is one of the busiest subway systems in the world and the largest in the world, with a total track length of 940 km (580 mi). In addition, in order to cope with the various modes of transport, 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, NeoTrans Co. Ltd., AREX, and Seoul Metro Line 9 Corporation.

Train

Seoul is connected to every major city in South Korea by rail. Most major South Korean cities are linked via the KTX high-speed train, which has a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h (186 mph). The Mugunghwa and Saemaeul trains also stop at all major stations. Major railroad stations include:

• Seoul Station, Yongsan District: Gyeongbu line (KTX/ITX-Saemaeul/Nuriro/Mugunghwa-ho)
• Yongsan station, Yongsan District: Honam line (KTX/ITX-Saemaeul/Nuriro/Mugunghwa), Jeolla/Janghang lines (Saemaul/Mugunghwa)
• Yeongdeungpo station, Yeongdeungpo District: Gyeongbu/Honam/Janghang lines (KTX/ITX-Saemaeul/Saemaul/Nuriro/Mugunghwa)
• Cheongnyangni station, Dongdaemun District: Gyeongchun/Jungang/Yeongdong/Taebaek lines (ITX-Cheongchun/ITX-Saemaeul/Mugunghwa)
• Suseo station (HSR), Gangnam District: Suseo HSR (SRT)

Airports

Seoul is served by two international airports, Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport.

Gimpo International Airport opened in 1939 as an airfield for the Japanese Imperial Army and opened for civil aircraft in 1957. Since the opening of Incheon International, Gimpo International handles domestic flights along with some short haul international flights to Tokyo Haneda, Osaka Kansai, Taipei Songshan, Shanghai Hongqiao, and Beijing Capital although flights to Osaka Kansai and Beijing Capital also operate from Incheon International.

Incheon International Airport opened in March 2001 in Yeongjong island. It is now responsible for major international flights. Incheon International Airport is Asia’s eighth busiest airport in terms of passengers, the world’s fourth busiest airport by cargo traffic, and the world’s eighth busiest airport in terms of international passengers in 2014. In 2016, 57,765,397 passengers used the airport. Incheon International Airport opened terminal 2 on January 18, 2018.

Incheon and Gimpo are linked to Seoul by expressway, and to each other by the AREX to Seoul Station. Intercity bus services are available to various destinations around the country.

Cycling

Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Seoul and in the entire country. Both banks of the Han River have cycling paths that run all the way across the city along the river. In addition, Seoul introduced in 2015 a bicycle-sharing system named Ddareungi (and named Seoul Bike in English).^[141]

Education

Universities

Seoul is home to the majority of South Korea’s most prestigious universities, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University.

Seoul ranked 2nd on the QS Best Student Cities 2023.^[142]

Secondary education

Compulsory education lasts from grade 1–9 (six years of elementary school and 3 years of middle school).^[143] Students spend six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and three years in high school. Secondary schools generally require students to wear uniforms. There is an exit exam for graduating from high school and many students proceeding to the university level are required to take the College Scholastic Ability Test that is held every November. Although there is a test for non-high school graduates, called school qualification exam, most Koreans take the test.

Seoul is home to various specialized schools, including three science high schools, and six foreign language High Schools. Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education comprises 235 College-Preparatory High Schools, 80 Vocational Schools, 377 Middle Schools, and 33 Special Education Schools as of 2009.

International relations

Seoul is a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. In addition, Seoul hosts many embassies of countries it has diplomatic ties with.

Sister cities

See also

• Geography of South Korea
• List of cities in South Korea
• List of most populous cities

References

External links

Official sites

• Official website (in English)
• Seoul Information & Communication Plaza website (in Korean)

Tourism and living information

• i Tour Seoul – The Official Seoul Tourism Guide Site