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}}.

Recreation

Due to the efforts of the government in regard with the environment, Seoul's air pollution levels are now on par with those of Tokyo and far lower than those of Beijing. Seoul's metropolitan area accommodates six major parks, including Seoul Forest, that opened in mid-2005. The Seoul Metropolitan Area is also surrounded by 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, Seoul is also home to three amusement parks: Lotte World, Everland, and Seoul Land. Of these, Lotte World is the most frequently visited. Other recreation centers include the former Olympic and World Cup stadium the Korea Finance Building, and the City Hall public lawn. Certainly worthy of mentioning is the level that professional video-gaming has reached in South Korea (the highest in the world). The country has several television channels dedicated to broadcasting video games on TV as spectator sports. A programmer (professional gamer) is a serious profession here. Players get contracts from large companies, much like in baseball or basketball. The fan base, resembling those of some major sports, is large enough to fill grand stadiums for the grand finals of tournaments. There is a lot of support for this form of entertainment. Among the first and most popular video games that made it big in South Korea is Starcraft (by Blizzard Entertainment).

Related Topics:
Seoul Forest - World Cup - Starcraft - Blizzard Entertainment

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