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With over ten million people, Seoul is South Korea's largest city and one of the largest cities in the world by population.[1] Covering an area of only 605 square kilometres, smaller than London or New York City, it is one of the world's most densely populated major cities. Seoul is also one of the world's most digitally-connected cities with more Internet users than all of sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa.[2] The city is considered one of the top 20 "world-class cities". The Greater Seoul metropolitan area, which includes the major port city of Incheon, has almost 23 million inhabitants making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the world, after Greater Tokyo. Almost one half of South Korea's entire population lives in the Greater Seoul area making it the country's political, cultural, and economic center, as well as a center for international business. The city has played a key role in South Korea's economic development and has been referred to as the "Miracle on the Han River". Seoul hosts more than three million registered vehicles and widespread traffic congestion is common. In recent years, the metropolitan government has undertaken extensive cleanup of the city's air and water pollution. The revival of Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through downtown Seoul, was a recent major urban beautification project.
HistoryImage:Seoul Gyeongbokgung Throne.jpg The throne hall in Gyeongbokgung
NamesThe city has been known in the past by the successive names Wiryeseong (위례성; 慰禮城; Baekje), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽) and Hanseong (한성; 漢城; Goryeo and Joseon). Its current name derives from the ancient Korean word Seorabeol or Seobeol, meaning "capital city", which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla. Chinese nameUnlike most place names in Korea, "Seoul" has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language), and Chinese-speaking countries have continued to refer to the city by its former name "Hànchéng" (meaning "City on the Han River" Traditional: 漢城; Simplified: 汉城; Korean: "Hanseong"). In January 2005, the Seoul Metropolitan Government requested that the Chinese name of the city be changed to "Shǒu'ěr" (首爾/首尔; Korean: 수이 Su-i). This is a close transliteration of Seoul in Mandarin Chinese, where 首 (shǒu) can also mean "first" or "capital". Chinese communities have gradually adopted this new name. This change was intended for speakers of Chinese only and has no effect on the Korean language name; unlike standard hanja, the Chinese characters were chosen to best represent the Korean pronunciation of a native Korean word. Geography and climateSeoul is in northwest South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.52km² of area, roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River[3]. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain. In common with the rest of South Korea, Seoul's climate is temperate and continental, despite the fact that South Korea is surrounded on three sides by water.[4] Summers are generally hot and wet, with monsoons taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month, has an average temperature of 22 °C to 30 °C (72 °F to 86 °F). Winters are often very cold when compared to places of a similar latitude, with an average January temperature of -7 °C to 1 °C (19 °F to 33 °F). Winters are generally a lot drier than summers, although on average there are 28 days of snow in Seoul each year. CityscapeImage:Han River.jpg Yeouido seen from the north side of the Han River Bridge. The 63 Building can be seen on the left. This image has an uncertain copyright status and is pending deletion. You can comment on the removal. Image:Seoul Cheonggyecheon night.jpg The beginning of Cheonggyecheon stream. The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon Dynasty city, which is now the downtown area, where most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels, and traditional markets are located. This area occupies the valley of Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs from west to east through the valley before emptying into the Han River. For many years, the stream had been covered by concrete, but was recently restored through an urban revival project. To the north of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan. Further south are the old suburbs of Yongsan-gu and Mapo-gu, and the Han River. Across the Han River are the newer and wealthier areas of Gangnam-gu and surrounding neighborhoods. The World Trade Center of Korea is located in Gangnam-gu and this is where many expositions and conferences are held. Also in Gangnam-gu is the COEX Mall, a large indoor shopping and entertainment complex. Yeouido is an island in the middle of the Han River, downstream from Gangnam-gu, and is home to the National Assembly, major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office buildings, as well as the Korea Finance Building and the world's largest Pentecostal church. The Olympic Stadium, Olympic Park, and Lotte World are located in Songpa-gu, on the south side of the Han River, upstream from Gangnam-gu. South of the sprawling Gangnam area are Namhan Mountain and Gwanak Mountain. Image:Seoul at night from 63 building.jpg Seoul from 63 building. Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the 14th century. The Royal Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty still remain in Seoul, with the main palace (Gyeongbokgung) currently being restored to its original form. Today, there are nine major subway lines stretching for more than 250 kilometers, with a tenth line being planned. The most historically significant street in Seoul is Jongno, meaning "Bell Street". The bell signaled the different times of the day and therefore controlled the four gates to the city. It is still intact in its original form, and hit ceremonially at 0:00 every New Year's Day. Seoul's most important streetcar line ran along Jongno until it was replaced by Line 1 of the Seoul subway system in the early 1970s. Other notable streets in downtown Seoul include Euljiro (을지로; 乙支路), Teheranno (테헤란路), Sejongno (세종로; 世宗路, Chungmuro (충무로; 忠武路), Yulgongno (율곡로; 栗谷路), and Toegyero (퇴계로; 退溪路). Administrative divisions
Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구; 區) (wards), which are sub-divided into 522 dong (동; 洞), which are sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total. Image:Map Seoul districts de.png Seoul Districts
DemographicsNearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. Today, there are an estimated more than 200,000 foreign nationals living in Seoul. These include people from South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and parts of Africa, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, and the United Kingdom. The crime rate in Seoul is very low. Although about half of the population describe themselves as not religious, two major religions in Seoul are Buddhism and Christianity (each around 25%). Other religions include Shamanism and Confucianism, the latter seen more as a pervasive social philosophy rather than a religion. EconomyAs headquarters for some of the world’s top corporations such as Samsung, LG Group, Hyundai, and Kia Motors, the service sector in Seoul has thrived, bringing development and a healthy economy to the country as a whole. South Korea derives 63.2% of its GDP from the service sector, which is above the average for the upper income nations(World Bank 2004). The major exports are electronics, automobiles, and machinery. This economic development has also helped keep unemployment low at around 3.4% and ensured that the informal economy of Seoul is negligible. Foreign direct investment is also high at around $2 billion(World Bank 2004); however, South Korea was expected to be threatened with a slowing economy which could hurt it and its development. As one of the "Four Asian Tigers", it experienced rapid growth in the 1990s. None the less, the CIA fact book denotes that South Korea has shown a moderate economic growth between 2003 and 2006 by 4-5% on average. The constiction of consumer consumption has suffered the maximizing economic growth of South Korea, but the consumption has begun to be rekindled gradually. Seoul and South Korea have a thriving economy that helps to make South Korea a major player in the world economy. As the center of the service sector for South Korea, Seoul is the hub around which the economic growth and health of the country reside in order to ensure the continuing growth of the nation. EducationThere are a large number of universities in Seoul. Most of the country's most prestigious universities are located in Seoul, including the so-called "SKY" schools: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University. CultureImage:Seoul Gyeongbokgung palace exterior view.jpg Gyeongbokgung against Bukaksan Image:Injeongjeon (interior), Changdeokgung - Seoul, Korea.JPG The interior of Injeongjeon in Changdeokgung Image:Gyeonbokgung-March-01.jpg The royal march at Gyeongbokgung Image:Khitai7.jpg The inside of Lotte World Historical structures and museumsThe Joseon Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul:
This is a relatively minor palace:
Museums
Outside the metropolitan area:
Temples and shrines
Parks and outdoor attractionsDue to the efforts of the government with respect to the environment, Seoul's air pollution levels are now on par with those of Tokyo and far lower than those of Beijing.[citation needed] Seoul's metropolitan area accommodates six major parks, including Seoul Forest, which opened in mid-2005. The Seoul National Capital Area also contains a green belt aimed to prevent the city from sprawling out over the neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These lush green areas are frequently sought after by people resting on the weekend and during vacations. In addition, the Seoul area is also home to three amusement parks: Lotte World, Seoul Land, and Everland (located in the nearby city of Yongin). Of these, Lotte World is the most frequently visited. Other recreation centres include the former Olympic and World Cup stadium, the Korea Finance Building, and the City Hall's public lawn. Sports
Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympic Games as well as the 1988 Paralympic Games and also served as one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Taekwondo is Korea national sport and in Seoul is situated the Kukkiwon, WTF headquarters of taekwondo in world. The city is home to two baseball teams in the KBO: the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins & two basketball teams in the KBL: the Seoul Samsung Thunders and Seoul SK Knights. Festivals
TransportationSeoul's transportation boom dates back to the era of the Korean Empire, when the first streetcar lines were laid and a railroad linking Seoul and Incheon was completed. Today, as a result of the diversification of Seoul's transportation network, it has become a great transportation hub for Asia. AirportsImage:Incheon International Airport-2.jpg Incheon International Airport There are two airports that serve Seoul. Gimpo International Airport, formerly in Gimpo but annexed to Seoul in 1963, was the only airport for Seoul from its original construction during the Korean War. Multiple airports were built in and around Seoul immediately before, during, and after the war. The most famous was on Yeouido, which once served as the country’s gateway to the world. Upon opening in March 2001, Incheon International Airport on Yeongjong island near Incheon changed the role of Gimpo Airport significantly. Incheon is now responsible for almost all international flights and some domestic flights, while Gimpo serves only domestic flights with the exception of flights to Haneda Airport in Tokyo. This has led to a significant drop in flights from Gimpo Airport. Meanwhile, Incheon International Airport has become, along with Hong Kong and Singapore, a major transportation centre for East Asia. The 2005 AETRA passenger survey, jointly administered by the IATA and Airports Council International, voted it the best airport in the world.[5] It was named by Skytrax as the world's 5th best airport for 2006.[6] Incheon and Gimpo are linked to Seoul by highways, and Gimpo is also linked by subway (line #5). The Incheon International Airport Railroad, a rail line connecting Incheon Airport to Gimpo Airport opened in March 2007, but the line to Seoul Station in central Seoul will take at least a year more to open. Shuttle buses transfer passengers between Incheon and Gimpo airports. BusSeoul's bus system is operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, with four primary bus configurations available servicing most of the city. Seoul has many big intercity/express bus terminals. These buses are connecting Seoul and cities all around Korea. Major bus terminals are
SubwayImage:Subway seoul (xndr).jpg Subway in Seoul Seoul has nine subway lines that interlink every district of the city with one another and with the surrounding area. The majority of the population now uses the public transportation system due to its convenience and low cost. With more than 8 million passengers a day, Seoul has one of the busiest subway systems in the world. In addition, in order to cope with all of these transportation modes, Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable. TrainSeoul is connected to every major city in Korea by railroad. Seoul is also linked to most major Korean cities by the KTX bullet train which features a normal operation speed of more than 300 km/h, making commuting between cities extremely convenient for commuters and tourists. Major railroad stations include:
Sister citiesSeoul has many sister cities. Washington, D.C. is the latest to become a sister city of Seoul.[7] The year each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below. Gallery
See also
References
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