Seoul, South Korea

Seoul is the capital of South Korea and the nation's largest and most populous city. It is located in the northwest portion of South Korea, bordering the Han River. Having served as the capital during many of the nation's imperial dynasties, Seoul contains a mixture of historic architecture and modern urban development.

In addition to serving as the country's administrative capital, Seoul is also the cultural capital of South Korea and is famous for its sports and entertainment. The urban area of Seoul is the center of a growing industrial and service sector and has served as a staging point for a nationwide economic recovery.

As one of the most populous cities in the world, Seoul is home to some of the world's tallest residential and commercial buildings and has a modern public transportation and freeway system. Since emerging from a turbulent past, Seoul has exhibited a rapid pace of economic and cultural growth and is now one of the most prosperous cities in the world.

Landscape

Seoul occupies 605 square kilometers (233 square miles) of South Korea's northwest plains. The urban area surrounds Namsan Mountain, and is itself bordered by mountain ranges on either side. The 514-kilometer (320-mile) Han River flows through Seoul to the Yellow Sea and was originally the southern boundary of the city. The river now divides the historic sections of Seoul in the north from the relatively modern residential and commercial areas in the south.

The urban area is divided into twenty-five gu, or districts, which are further subdivided into neighborhoods and then into subneighborhoods or villages. The skyline is dominated by urban architecture. The International Finance Centre Seoul (IFC Seoul), at 284 meters (932 feet), is currently Seoul's tallest building. The Tower Palace, at 264 meters (866 feet), is the second tallest.

Seoul is located in a temperate zone with extreme temperature variation between the summer and winter. During the summer, temperatures rise above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). High-pressure zones originating in Siberia push the temperature down to –13 degrees Celsius (7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the winter. Heavy rain and monsoons are common from June to September.

People

The population of the Seoul Capital Area, which encompasses Seoul, its suburbs, and several satellite cities (including Incheon), was estimated at more than 25.6 million residents in 2016. The urban area of Seoul, also called Seoul Special City, is one of the largest and most densely populated metropolitan areas in the world. According to The World Factbook in 2022, Seoul was home to 9.976 million people in 2022, while Statistics Korea reported the population was 9,765,623 as of December 2018. Soaring housing prices and improved public transportation are two factors behind the city's decline in population since 2010.

Seoul's once-rapidly growing population necessitated the development of high-rise housing and condensed living spaces. Single-occupancy living quarters are often in the range of 26 to 32.5 square meters (280 to 350 square feet), and two-person apartments typically measure 52 to 58.5 square meters (560 to 630 square feet).

Seoul is subdivided into more than five hundred neighborhoods. Each neighborhood presents a slightly different aspect of the local culture, with some neighborhoods specializing in commercial spaces and others crowded with residential buildings.

Seoul is almost entirely populated by native Korean people, descended from Mongolian tribes. Ethnic Chinese are also present. The native language is Korean, and Seoul pronunciation is accepted as the standard for the rest of the country.

Seoul has a long history of foreign occupation, and many aspects of Korean culture are derived from foreign traditions. The religious composition of the South Korean population is divided between Christianity (31.6 percent) and Buddhism (24 percent), with the remaining population adhering to Confucianism, other religions, or no religion at all (43.3).

Seoul imports produce and meat products from across South Korea and has developed a highly diverse cuisine. Seoul cuisine still retains many aspects of imperial cooking passed down from South Korea's dynastic period.

Economy

South Korea is one of the world's most economically prosperous countries. Its gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$2.035 trillion in 2017. Seoul's economic growth is due largely to the creation of a thriving service industry and reduced dependency on industrial manufacture or agriculture.

South Korea derives about 58.3 percent of its GDP from the service sector. The nation's major exports are semiconductors, petrochemicals, automobiles and auto parts, ships, and wireless communication equipment. Due to an increasing number of job opportunities, the country's unemployment rate has remained steady at between 3 and 4.1 percent since the late 1980, and was estimated to be 3.7 percent in 2017.

Following an economic boom in the 1990s, the economy of Seoul began to show signs of decline, including a reduction of foreign investment by 75 percent and a reduction in the annual growth rate from 10 to 4 percent.

In addition to electronics and automobiles, Seoul is an important contributor to the military weapons industry, with contracts in the United States and Europe. South Korea's steel industry was one of the ten largest in the 1980s but declined during the following decade along with most of the city's manufacturing industries.

Seoul has a large and growing transportation system, and the city is a regional hub for international travel. The nearby Gimpo International Airport services domestic flights throughout Korea and also links to all three of South Korea's International Airports.

The urban area contains an extensive subway system that also serves some of the satellite cities in the capital area. To accommodate tourists, most of Seoul's subway lines are marked in Korean, Chinese, and English languages.

In 2018, South Korea's export-dependent economy slowed and the unemployment rate increased, due in part to a trade war with the United States and a decreasing rate of growth in China's economy. To help the struggling economy, in late 2018, the government of President Moon Jae-in instituted a temporary fuel-tax cut as well as financial support for smaller companies.

Landmarks

In downtown Seoul, tourists often visit Sejong Cultural Center to hear the city's orchestra or to watch performances by local artists specializing in native music. Seoul's 63 Building, named for its number of floors, is another popular attraction in downtown Seoul. In addition to restaurants and shopping, the 63 Building also houses a movie theater and an aquarium.

Surrounding the urban district are Gyeongbok Palace and Deoksugung Palace, located in the oldest portion of northern Seoul, which have been converted into tourist parks and public green spaces. The nearby Bongeunsa Temple is the oldest Buddhist Temple in South Korea and has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, with the most recent renovation completed in 1981.

Namdaemun is a shopping and entertainment area located near the historic South Gate. The gate was built in the late fourteenth century as the city's main entrance before being disassembled and moved to its present location in 1963. Tongdaemon, or the East Gate, is located in the middle of a busy market and shopping district. The fifteenth-century gate is a popular attraction for its historical significance.

History

The area of Seoul was first occupied between 4000 and 3000 BCE. The city was founded in 18 BCE, but was still a minor urban area until 1394 CE, when it was chosen as the capital of a newly unified Korea under the Yi or Joseon dynasty.

Seoul was the site of repeated military conflicts and has changed names several times as the political balance shifted. During the Yi dynasty, the main city walls and much of the city's historic architecture were constructed. Because of its strategic location along the Han River, Seoul remained important to the military.

The Yi dynasty lasted for five centuries despite continued military engagements with both Japan and China. The dynasty ended in 1910, when Japanese forces entered the city and declared it part of the Japanese Empire.

The Japanese expanded the city considerably, developing the area south of the Han River. The Japanese also modernized Seoul with advancements in technology and transportation. The Japanese built the first roads that connected Seoul with the other cities in South Korea and laid the foundation for what is now the Capital Area.

In 1945, following World War II, South Korea gained its independence and the city was named Seoul, meaning "capital." After five years of attempting to rebuild the local government, the Korean War began between Chinese-supported North Koreans and the United Nations–supported South Koreans. Seoul was a disputed region and changed hands several times. Much of the city was destroyed before the 1953 armistice that effectively ended the war.

Seoul was badly damaged and almost deserted following the Korean War. During the late 1950s and 1960s foreign aid from the United States helped rebuild the country. The city's economy gradually shifted toward industrial production, and during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the population grew steadily as the city modernized its road system and residential areas.

During the 1990s, Seoul transformed itself into a technologically advanced metropolis, and the economy began to focus on the service sector. With a rapidly growing population, high-rise residential structures soon dominated the city's skyline and the southern limits of the city continued to expand.

South Korea's first female president, Park Geun-hye, was in office from 2013 to December 2016, when she was impeached regarding her alleged involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scheme. After her impeachment was upheld in March 2017, President Moon Jae-in won the May 2017 presidential election.

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