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 The street before Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 19th century.
The street before Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 19th century.
 Classical Korean Architecture
Classical Korean Architecture
(See also: History of Seoul) Seoul is first recorded as Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje from its legendary founding in 18 BC. It was known as Hanseong (??, "fortified city [on] the Han [River]") during the Goryeo period. During the Joseon period, beginning in 1394, it was the capital, called Hanyang (??)). It was called Gyeongseong (??, Japanese: Keij?) during the Japanese occupation, and finally named Seoul after the 1945 liberation.
Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, was founded in 18 BC, with its capital at Wiryeseong in the Seoul area. There are several city wall remains in the area dating from this time, and Pungnap Toseong, an earthen wall just outside Seoul, is widely believed to be the main Wiryeseong site. As the Three Kingdoms competed for this strategic region, control passed from Baekje to Goguryeo in the 5th century, and from Goguryeo to Silla in the 6th century.
In the 11th century Goryeo, which succeeded Unified Silla, built a palace in Seoul, which was referred to as the "Southern Capital".
When Joseon replaced Goryeo, the capital was moved to Seoul (also known as Hanyang and later as Hanseong), where it remained until the fall of the dynasty.
Originally, the city was entirely surrounded by a massive circular wall (a 20-foot-high circular stone fortress) to provide its citizens security from wild animals such as the tiger, thieves and attacks. The city has grown beyond those walls and although the wall no longer stands (except in the mountains north of the downtown area), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably Sungnyemun (commonly known as Namdaemun) and Honginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun). During the Joseon dynasty, the gates were opened and closed each day, accompanied by the ringing of large bells.
During the Korean War, Seoul changed hands between the Chinese-backed North Korean forces and the UN-backed South Korean forces several times, leaving the city heavily damaged after the war. [1] 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. [2] In addition, a flood of refugees had entered Seoul during the war, swelling the population of Seoul and its metropolitan area to an estimated 2.5 million, more than half of them homeless.
Following the war, Seoul was the focus of an immense reconstruction and modernization effort due mainly to necessity, but also due in part to the symbolic nature of Seoul as the political and economic centre of Korea. Today, the population of the Seoul area makes up 24% of the total population of South Korea, and Seoul ranks seventh in the world in terms of the number of Fortune 500 transnational companies headquartered there. [3]
Seoul was the host city of the 1988 Summer Olympics as well as one of the venues of the Football World Cup 2002.
Relocation of the capital
On August 11, 2004, President Roh Moo-hyun's administration announced plans to move the capital to the Gongju area, approximately 120km south of Seoul, to ease the population pressure on Seoul and to get the government to a safer distance from North Korea. [4]. Although part of Roh's election manifesto, this plan ignited nationwide controversy. On October 21, 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled that the special law relocating the capital was unconstitutional. The administration later announced plans to move almost all national government functions, except the Executive Branch, to Gongju, but no additional details have been announced.
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 Typical street in Seoul
Typical street in Seoul
 Seoul Skyline.
Seoul Skyline.
Seoul's transportation boom dates back to the era of the Korean Empire, when the first streetcar lines were laid and a railroad linking Seoul and Shinuiju was completed. Ever since then, Seoul's transportation has greatly diversified, allowing it to become one of the greatest transportation hubs in Asia. Seoul has nine subway lines, nearly 200 bus routes and six major highways that interlink every district of the city with one another and with the neighbouring metropolitan area, which is the world's most populous. The majority of the population now uses the public transportation system due to its convenience. Seoul is also linked to several other major South Korean cities by the KTX bullet train, one of Asia's fastest high-speed train, making commuting between cities extremely convenient for commuters and domestic tourists. In addition, in order to cope with all of these transportation modes, Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable.
Airports
 Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
There are two airports that serve Seoul. Gimpo Airport, formerly in Gimpo but now annexed to Seoul, was the only airport for Seoul from its original construction during the Korean War. Multiple airports were built in and around Seoul immediately before, during, and after the war. The most famous was on Yoido; that airport is long gone, but it once served as the country’s gateway to the world.
Upon opening in March, 2001, Hong Kong and Singapore, a major transportation centre for East Asia. It was recently voted by IATA as the number one airport in the world. The two airports are linked to Seoul by a highway.
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Seoul is divided into 25 gu (? "wards"), which are sub-divided into 522 dong, which are sub-divided into 13,787 tong, which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.
 Seoul Districts
Seoul Districts
Dongdaemun-gu (????; ????)
Dongjak-gu (???; ???)
Eunpyeong-gu (???; ???)
Gangbuk-gu (???; ???)
Gangdong-gu (???; ???)
Gangnam-gu (???; ???)
Gangseo-gu (???; ???)
Geumcheon-gu (???; ???)
Guro-gu (???; ???)
Gwanak-gu (???; ???)
Gwangjin-gu (???; ???)
Jongno-gu (???; ???)
Jung-gu (??; ??)
Jungnang-gu (???; ???)
Mapo-gu (???; ???)
Nowon-gu (???; ???)
Seocho-gu (???; ???)
Seodaemun-gu (????; ????)
Seongbuk-gu (???; ???)
Seongdong-gu (???; ???)
Songpa-gu (???; ???)
Yangcheon-gu (???; ???)
Yeongdeungpo-gu (????; ????)
Yongsan-gu (???; ???)
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The street before Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 19th century.
The street before Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 19th century.
Classical Korean Architecture
Classical Korean Architecture
(See also: History of Seoul) Seoul is first recorded as Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje from its legendary founding in 18 BC. It was known as Hanseong (??, "fortified city [on] the Han [River]") during the Goryeo period. During the Joseon period, beginning in 1394, it was the capital, called Hanyang (??)). It was called Gyeongseong (??, Japanese: Keij?) during the Japanese occupation, and finally named Seoul after the 1945 liberation.
Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, was founded in 18 BC, with its capital at Wiryeseong in the Seoul area. There are several city wall remains in the area dating from this time, and Pungnap Toseong, an earthen wall just outside Seoul, is widely believed to be the main Wiryeseong site. As the Three Kingdoms competed for this strategic region, control passed from Baekje to Goguryeo in the 5th century, and from Goguryeo to Silla in the 6th century.
In the 11th century Goryeo, which succeeded Unified Silla, built a palace in Seoul, which was referred to as the "Southern Capital".
When Joseon replaced Goryeo, the capital was moved to Seoul (also known as Hanyang and later as Hanseong), where it remained until the fall of the dynasty.
Originally, the city was entirely surrounded by a massive circular wall (a 20-foot-high circular stone fortress) to provide its citizens security from wild animals such as the tiger, thieves and attacks. The city has grown beyond those walls and although the wall no longer stands (except in the mountains north of the downtown area), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably Sungnyemun (commonly known as Namdaemun) and Honginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun). During the Joseon dynasty, the gates were opened and closed each day, accompanied by the ringing of large bells.
During the Korean War, Seoul changed hands between the Chinese-backed North Korean forces and the UN-backed South Korean forces several times, leaving the city heavily damaged after the war. [1] 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. [2] In addition, a flood of refugees had entered Seoul during the war, swelling the population of Seoul and its metropolitan area to an estimated 2.5 million, more than half of them homeless.
Following the war, Seoul was the focus of an immense reconstruction and modernization effort due mainly to necessity, but also due in part to the symbolic nature of Seoul as the political and economic centre of Korea. Today, the population of the Seoul area makes up 24% of the total population of South Korea, and Seoul ranks seventh in the world in terms of the number of Fortune 500 transnational companies headquartered there. [3]
Seoul was the host city of the 1988 Summer Olympics as well as one of the venues of the Football World Cup 2002.
Relocation of the capital
On August 11, 2004, President Roh Moo-hyun's administration announced plans to move the capital to the Gongju area, approximately 120km south of Seoul, to ease the population pressure on Seoul and to get the government to a safer distance from North Korea. [4]. Although part of Roh's election manifesto, this plan ignited nationwide controversy. On October 21, 2004, the Constitutional Court ruled that the special law relocating the capital was unconstitutional. The administration later announced plans to move almost all national government functions, except the Executive Branch, to Gongju, but no additional details have been announced.
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Typical street in Seoul
Typical street in Seoul
Seoul Skyline.
Seoul Skyline.
Seoul's transportation boom dates back to the era of the Korean Empire, when the first streetcar lines were laid and a railroad linking Seoul and Shinuiju was completed. Ever since then, Seoul's transportation has greatly diversified, allowing it to become one of the greatest transportation hubs in Asia. Seoul has nine subway lines, nearly 200 bus routes and six major highways that interlink every district of the city with one another and with the neighbouring metropolitan area, which is the world's most populous. The majority of the population now uses the public transportation system due to its convenience. Seoul is also linked to several other major South Korean cities by the KTX bullet train, one of Asia's fastest high-speed train, making commuting between cities extremely convenient for commuters and domestic tourists. In addition, in order to cope with all of these transportation modes, Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable.
Airports
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
There are two airports that serve Seoul. Gimpo Airport, formerly in Gimpo but now annexed to Seoul, was the only airport for Seoul from its original construction during the Korean War. Multiple airports were built in and around Seoul immediately before, during, and after the war. The most famous was on Yoido; that airport is long gone, but it once served as the country’s gateway to the world.
Upon opening in March, 2001, Hong Kong and Singapore, a major transportation centre for East Asia. It was recently voted by IATA as the number one airport in the world. The two airports are linked to Seoul by a highway.
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Seoul is divided into 25 gu (? "wards"), which are sub-divided into 522 dong, which are sub-divided into 13,787 tong, which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.
Seoul Districts
Seoul Districts
Dongdaemun-gu (????; ????)
Dongjak-gu (???; ???)
Eunpyeong-gu (???; ???)
Gangbuk-gu (???; ???)
Gangdong-gu (???; ???)
Gangnam-gu (???; ???)
Gangseo-gu (???; ???)
Geumcheon-gu (???; ???)
Guro-gu (???; ???)
Gwanak-gu (???; ???)
Gwangjin-gu (???; ???)
Jongno-gu (???; ???)
Jung-gu (??; ??)
Jungnang-gu (???; ???)
Mapo-gu (???; ???)
Nowon-gu (???; ???)
Seocho-gu (???; ???)
Seodaemun-gu (????; ????)
Seongbuk-gu (???; ???)
Seongdong-gu (???; ???)
Songpa-gu (???; ???)
Yangcheon-gu (???; ???)
Yeongdeungpo-gu (????; ????)
Yongsan-gu (???; ???)
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Hotels in South Korea - Seoul >>
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