Seoul

Seoul (??, {{Audio|ko-Seoul.ogg|listen}}) is the capital of South Korea and is one of the most populous cities in the world, located in the northwestern part of the country on the Han River. It is a designated special city. On the establishment of South Korea (the Republic of Korea) in 1948 it became the capital of the country, except for a short time during the Korean War. Seoul is located at {{coor dm|37|35|N|127|0|E|region:KR_type:adm2nd}}.

Geography

The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon Dynasty city, which is now the downtown area, where most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels and traditional markets are located. This area occupies the valley of Cheonggyecheon (청계천), a 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 it has recently undergone restoration. To the north of downtown is Bukhan Mountain, and to the south is the smaller Namsan.

Related Topics:
Cheonggyecheon - Bukhan Mountain - 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 neighbourhoods. The World Trade Center of Korea is located in Gangnam-gu and this is where many expositions and conferences are held. Also in Gangnam-gu is the Coex Mall, a famous indoor mall area. Yeouido is a large island in the middle of the Han River, downstream from Gangnam-gu, and is home to the National Assembly, the major broadcasting studios, and a number of large office buildings, as well as the Korea Finance Building and the world's largest Presbyterian 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.

Related Topics:
Han River - Yeouido - Lotte World - Namhan Mountain - Gwanak Mountain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In addition to the many districts, the skyline of Seoul is also quite amazing. Notable buildings include the Korea Finance Building, Namsan Tower, the World Trade Centre, the six-skyscraper residence Tower Palace, the Star Tower, and I-Park Apartments. These and various high-rise office buildings dominate Seoul's skyline. The number of high-rise buildings in Seoul is among the highest in Asia, after cities like Hong Kong and Singapore.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 100 kilometres, with a tenth line being planned.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are many significant streets to Seoul, but the most historically significant is Jongno, meaning "Bell Street." This bell signalled different time 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), Sejongno (세종로), Chungmuro (충무로), Yulgongno (율곡로), and Toegyero (퇴계로).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~