Seoul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Seoul | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Seoul-Yeouido.at.dawn-01.jpg Yeouido Island, Seoul | ||||||||||||||||
| Korean name | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Short name | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| Location map | ||||||||||||||||
| Image:Seoul map.png Map of location of Seoul. |
Seoul (서울) listen [sʌ.ul] is the capital of South Korea and is located on the basin of the Han River in the country's northwest. The city is situated about 50 km (~30 mi) south of the North Korean border, also known as the de-militarized zone (DMZ). Seoul is a city with ancient history, the area of Seoul appears in history as early as 18 BC, when the kingdom of Baekje founded its capital, Wiryeseong, in what is now around Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul. Modern Seoul descends from a city called Namgyeong, built during the Goryeo era, which then became the capital of the Joseon dynasty in 1394. Seoul has been the capital of successive Korean nations ever since, except for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Designated the status of a Special City, Seoul is administered directly by the national government.
With over ten million people, Seoul is South Korea's largest city and one of the largest cities in the world by population. Covering an area of only 605 square kilometres, smaller than New York City or Tokyo, it is one of the world's most densely populated major cities.
The Seoul National Capital Area - which includes the major port city of Incheon and many satellite towns in Gyeonggi-do which surronds Seoul - has almost 23 million inhabitants making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the world, after Greater Tokyo. Almost half of South Korea's entire population lives in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly one quarter in Seoul itself, making it the country's political, cultural, and economic centre. The rapid economic, social and technological development of the city has played a key role in South Korea's 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 clean up of the city's air and water pollution. The revival of Cheonggyecheon, a stream that flows through the historical CBD of Seoul City, was a recent major urban beautification project.
Contents |
[edit] History
The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC, when it was established as a settlement in Baekje. It's believed that the Wiryeseong site is in the boundaries of modern day Seoul. It has thereafter been the capital of the Joseon Dynasty. In the Japanese colonization period in the early 20th century, many historical and traditional parts of Seoul were changed. The city was almost entirely destroyed in the Korean War, but an aggressive economic policy in the 1960s and 1970s helped to rebuild the city very rapidly. In the 1990s, some important historical buildings were restored, including Gyeongbokgung, one of the royal palace of the Joseon dynasty.
[edit] Names
The city has been known in the past by the successive names Wirye-seong (위례성; 慰禮城, Baekje era), Namgyeong (남경; 南京, Goryeo era), Hanseong (한성; 漢城, Joseon era) or Hanyang (한양; 漢陽). Its current name, Seoul derives from the ancient Korean word Seorabeol (서라벌; 徐羅伐) or Seobeol (서벌; 徐伐), meaning "capital city", which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla, then called Geumseong (금성; 金星).
[edit] Chinese name
| This section does not cite any references or sources. Please improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
| The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. This section has been tagged since January 2008. |
[edit] Translation Problem
Unlike most place names in Korea, "Seoul" has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language), although its name is presumed to derive from 徐羅伐 (Seorabeol), so Chinese-speaking countries, for decades, have referred to the city by its former name: 漢城 ("Hànchéng" in Mandarin Chinese, "Hon3 Sing4" in Cantonese Chinese). For a time during the late 40's and early 50's, the transliterated name 蘇烏, which closely resembles to the English pronunciation for Seoul, was used.
This often caused problems in translation, for in Korean, the terms "Seoul" and "Hanseong" are considered different. There exist many institutions and entities, most of them having no connections whatsoever, which uses the two names. When the names of these institutions and entities are translated into Chinese, "Seoul" and "Hanseong" are automatically translated to 漢城 (Hànchéng).
Typical examples of such errors in translation include the Seoul National University (漢城大學, later 漢城國立大學, officially Seoul大學) and Hanseong University (漢城大學), as well as the Seoul Science High School, and the Hanseong Science High School, which are completely different institutions, but can be confused when their names are translated into Chinese.
[edit] Chinese Name Change
The problem, along with the confusion it caused for years, was solved in January 2005, when the city government requested that the Chinese name of the city be changed to 首爾 ("Shǒu'ěr" in Chinese pronunciation). The name was chosen by a select committee out of two names, the other being 首午爾 ("Shǒuwu'ěr" in Chinese pronunciation).
The chosen name is a close transliteration of Seoul in Mandarin Chinese, where 首 (shǒu) can also mean "first" or "capital". For a some time after the name change, Chinese-language news medias have used both names interchangeably during their publications or broadcasts (首爾 [漢城]) in print, 首爾, 以前的漢城 [literally: Shouer, formerly called Hancheng] in television and radio). Despite the adoption of Shǒu'ěr (首爾) in Chinese media, the name Hànchéng (漢城) is still widely used by ordinary Chinese people.
For some time, Mainland China media stridently refused to adopt the new name, claiming that Chinese people have the right to choose how they name other cities around the world. They relented by the end of the year.
It is argued that this change was intended for Chinese speakers only, and has no effect on the Korean language name. Had the name change affected the city's Korean name, Seoul would have been renamed from 서울 (Seoul) to 수이 (Su-i).
Some linguists have criticized the selection of the new name, claiming that it bears no resemblance to the Korean name at all, and that its intended representation of the Korean pronunciation, while effective in Mandarin, is lost in other regional dialects, such as in Cantonese, where the name is pronounced "sau2 yi5". These critics have said that the names "西蔚" or "徐蔚" (the latter being the ancient name of Seoul) would have been much more effective in representing the city's Korean name.
[edit] Geography
Seoul is in northwest South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.39 km² of area, roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.
[edit] Climate
In common with the rest of South Korea, Seoul has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate (Koppen Dwa), despite the fact that South Korea is surrounded on three sides by water.[2] Summers are generally hot and humid, with monsoons taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month, has an average temperature of 72 °F to 86 °F with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often very cold when compared to places of a similar latitude, with an average January temperature of 19 °F to 33 °F. Winters are generally much drier than summers, although on average there are 28 days of snow in Seoul each year.
| Climate chart for Seoul | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
23
0.8
-7.1
|
25
3
-5
|
47
10
0
|
94
17
7
|
92
23
13
|
134
26
17
|
369
29
22
|
294
30
22
|
169
26
17
|
50
20
10
|
53
11
3
|
21
4
-4
|
| temperatures in °C • precipitation totals in mm source: http://www.climate-charts.com/Locations/k/KO47108.html | |||||||||||
[edit] Cityscape
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,Seocho-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. Bamseom is an island in the middle of the Han River near Yeouido, 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,Cheonggye Mountain and Gwanak Mountain.
Major modern landmarks include the Korea Finance Building, N Seoul Tower, the World Trade Center, the 63 Building and the six-skyscraper residence Tower Palace. These and various high-rise office buildings, like the Seoul Star Tower and Jongno Tower, dominate the city's skyline. Due to its high density, Seoul has been equipped with a grand appearance of skyscrapers and the city council is now planning on building a series of high-rises, including 580-metre business center in Sangam Digital Media City district and an 800-metre Lotte World 2 Tower in the Jamsil (pronounced "Jam-shil") district of Songpa-gu and Gangdong-gu.
Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the late 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 eight major subway lines stretching for more than 250 kilometers, with a ninth and tenth line being planned, and also some other miscellaneous lines.
The most historically significant street in Seoul is Jongno, meaning "Bell Street," on which one can find Bosingak, a pavillion containing a large bell. The bell signaled the different times of the day and therefore controlled the four major gates to the city. The only time it is normally rung nowadays is at midnight on New Year's Eve, when it is rung thirty-three times. It was, however, rung on the day that President Kim Dae-jung took office.
Seoul's most important streetcar line ran along Jongno until it was replaced by Line 1 of the subway system in the early 1970s. Other notable streets in downtown Seoul include Euljiro (을지로; 乙支路), Teheranno (테헤란路, Tehran Street), Sejongno (세종로; 世宗路), Chungmuro (충무로; 忠武路), Yulgongno (율곡로; 栗谷路), and Toegyero (퇴계로; 退溪路).
[edit] Administrative divisions
Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구; 區) (district), 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.
|
|
[edit] Demographics
Nearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. A rapidly growing population of international residents now represent about 2% of the total population [3]. The crime rate in Seoul is very low. Two major religions in Seoul are Buddhism and Christianity. Other religions include Shamanism and Confucianism, the latter seen more as a pervasive social philosophy rather than a religion.
[edit] Economy
As headquarters for some of the world’s largest corporations, such as Samsung, LG Group, Hyundai, and Kia Motors, the service sector in Seoul has thrived, benefiting the national economy and development. South Korea derives 63.2% of its GDP from the service sector, 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 at around 3.4% and ensured that the informal economy of Seoul is negligible. Foreign direct investment is also high at around $2 billion [4]; 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. Nonetheless, the CIA fact book denotes that South Korea has shown a moderate economic growth between 2003 and 2006 by 4-5% on average. The constriction of consumer consumption has restricted South Korea's economic growth, but consumption has begun to increase again gradually. So far, the economy in South Korea has cruised smoothly, and its prospect is also quite positive.
[edit] Financial hub
Seoul plans to be 1 of 3 major financial hubs in Northeast Asia. After the 1988 Olympics and the 2002 World Cup, Seoul became an international city. Major banks in the world have settled in branches in Seoul such as Mizuho Financial Group, Citigroup, HSBC, etc. Seoul also headquarters one of the biggest exchange bank called Korea Exchange Bank which is a Korean banking company.
[edit] Education
There 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. Seoul is now planning to build 2 new universities in the city.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Historical structures and museums
The Joseon Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul:
- Changdeokgung (창덕궁; 昌德宮)
- Changgyeonggung (창경궁; (昌慶宮)
- Deoksugung (덕수궁; 德壽宮)
- Gyeongbokgung (경복궁; 景福宮)
- Gyeonghuigung (경희궁; 慶熙宮)
[edit] Museums
- National Museum of Korea(국립중앙박물관; 國立中央博物館)
- National Folk Museum(국립민속박물관; 國立民俗博物館)
- War Memorial(전쟁기념관; 戰爭紀念館)
Outside the metropolitan area:
- Namhansanseong(남한산성; 南漢山城)
- Bukhansanseong(북한산성; 北漢山城)
- Namsan Park(남산공원; 南山公園)
[edit] Temples and shrines
- Jongmyo(종묘; 宗廟)
- Dongmyo(동묘; 東廟)
- Munmyo(문묘; 文廟)
- Jogyesa(조계사; 曹溪寺)
- Hwagyesa(화계사; 華溪寺)
- Bongeunsa (봉은사; 奉恩寺)
[edit] Parks and outdoor attractions
Seoul's air pollution levels are now on par with those of Tokyo and significantly lower than those of Beijing.[5] 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, Seoul is also home to an indoor amusement park, Lotte World. Other recreation centres include the former Olympic and World Cup stadiums and the City Hall's public lawn.
[edit] Sports
Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It also served as one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Seoul World Cup Stadium hosted the opening ceremony and first game of the tournament.
Taekwondo is Korea's national sport and Seoul is the location of the Kukkiwon, also known as the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), the world headquarters of taekwondo.
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.
There is one professional football club in Seoul, FC Seoul, which plays in the K-League. Two K3 League teams are based in the capital, Seoul United and Eungpyeong Chung-goo FC.
[edit] Transportation
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 Incheon was completed. Today, as a result of the diversification of Seoul's transportation network, it has become a great transportation hub for Asia.
[edit] Airports
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.[6] It was named by Skytrax as the world's 5th best airport for 2006.[7]
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.
[edit] Bus
Seoul'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
- Seoul Express Bus Terminal in Seocho-gu
- Central City in Seocho-gu
- Seoul Nambu Terminal, also in Seocho-gu
- Dongseoul Bus Terminal in Gwangjin-gu
- Sangbong Terminal in Jungnang-gu
[edit] Subway
Seoul has eight 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. The 10 lines are run by Korail, Seoul Metro and SMRT.
[edit] Train
Seoul 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:
- Seoul Station, Jung-gu - Gyeongbu line (KTX/Saemaul/Mugunghwa-ho), Gyeongui line (Saemaul/Commuter)
- Yongsan Station, Yongsan-gu - Honam line (KTX/Saemaul/Mugunghwa), Jeolla/Janghang lines (Saemaul/Mugunghwa)
- Yeongdeungpo Station, Yeongdeungpo-gu - Gyeongbu/Honam/Janghang lines (Saemaul/Mugunghwa)
- Cheongnyangni Station, Dongdaemun-gu - Gyeongchun/Jungang/Yeongdong/Taebaek lines (Mugunghwa)
[edit] Sister cities
Seoul has many sister cities. The year each relationship was formed is shown in parentheses below.
[edit] Gallery
Korean royal palace entrance.jpg
Royal palace entrance |
An interesting perspective of the gate.jpg
|
Seoul-Gyeongbokgung-01.jpg
Haetae statue in Gyeongbokgung |
Seoul Deoksu-gung.jpg
Deoksugung, a place to see both the old and new of Seoul |
Seoul-Namdaemun-at.night-01.jpg
Namdaemun at night |
Khitai6.jpg
Seoul Olympic Park, Songpa-gu |
National Museum of Korea.jpg
|
Seoul Cheonggyecheon river.jpg
Cheonggyecheon in Seoul |
Seoul Building63.jpg
63 Building in Yeouido, once the tallest building in Korea |
Seoul.Tower.01.jpg
The underside of N Seoul Tower |
Wtc coex seoul.jpg
|
Seoul-Cityscape-03.jpg
Northern area of Seoul |
Teheran road.jpg
A view of Teheranno, looking west |
Seoul nighview.jpg
Seoul at night |
Seoul-Admiral.Lee-01.jpg
Gwanghwamun avenue at night |
Seoul-Namdaemun.Market-02.jpg
Namdaemun Market scene |
Seoul-festival-Buddha-01.jpg
Korea's famous 'flower-dance' |
Downtown Seoul.jpg
Jongno Street |
Korea gyeongbokgung.jpg
Hyangwonjeong (in Gyeongbokgung) |
Seoulolympicstadium2005.JPG
Seoul Olympic Stadium |
[edit] See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of cities in South Korea
- Names of Asian cities in different languages
- Seoul National Capital Area
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://english.seoul.go.kr/today/about/about_12stat.htm
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT002800 BBC Weather - Country Guide
- ^ Park, Chung-a. "Foreign Population in Seoul Stands at 175,000", Korea Times, 2007-07-24. Retrieved on 2008-01-06. (English)
- ^ World Bank reports, 2004
- ^ http://www.iges.or.jp/en/ue/activity/mega-city/article/htm/far41.htm - Environment Report
- ^ Airport Service Excellence Awards for 2005. ACI (2006-03-07). Retrieved on 2006-08-25.
- ^ Airport of the Year 2006. World Airport Awards. Skytrax. Retrieved on 2007-02-25.
[edit] External links
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
[edit] Official sites
[edit] Tourism and living information
- Seoul travel guide from Wikitravel
- Go Seoul City: Comprehensive guide to the city
- Highlights of Seoul: by Korean National Tourism Organization
- AroundSeoul.com: Seoul Nightlife & Entertainment Guide
[edit] Maps and images
- Seoul Map Browser (from Seoul Metropolitan Government web site)
- Photos of Seoul
- Seoul subway map
[edit] Others
Administrative divisions (Gu) of Seoul |
|---|
Dobong-gu · 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 |
Neighbourhoods of Seoul |
|---|
Apgujeong ·
Cheongdam ·
COEX Mall ·
Daehangno ·
Dongdaemun ·
Gangnam ·
Hongdae ·
Idae ·
Insadong ·
Itaewon · |
Regions and administrative divisions of South Korea | |
|---|---|
| Regions | Capital area · Gwandong (Yeongdong · Yeongseo) · Hoseo · Honam (Jeju) · Yeongnam |
| Provinces | Chungbuk · Chungnam · Gangwon · Gyeonggi · Gyeongbuk · Gyeongnam · Jeonbuk · Jeonnam |
| Autonomous province | Jeju |
| Special city | Seoul |
| Metropolitan cities | Busan · Daegu · Daejeon · Gwangju · Incheon · Ulsan |
Summer Olympic Games host cities |
|---|
1896: Athens • 1900: Paris • 1904: St. Louis • 1908: London • 1912: Stockholm • 1920: Antwerp • 1924: Paris • 1928: Amsterdam • 1932: Los Angeles • 1936: Berlin • 1948: London • 1952: Helsinki • 1956: Melbourne • 1960: Rome • 1964: Tokyo • 1968: Mexico City • 1972: Munich • 1976: Montreal • 1980: Moscow • 1984: Los Angeles • 1988: Seoul • 1992: Barcelona • 1996: Atlanta • 2000: Sydney • 2004: Athens • 2008: Beijing • 2012: London |
am:ሶል ar:سيول ast:Seúl az:Seul bn:সিউল bs:Seul bg:Сеул ca:Seül cs:Soul da:Seoul de:Seoul et:Sŏul el:Σεούλ es:Seúl eo:Seulo eu:Seul fa:سئول fr:Séoul ga:Seoul gl:Seúl - 서울 zh-classical:首爾 ko:서울특별시 hy:Սեուլ hi:सियोल hr:Seul io:Seoul id:Seoul ia:Seoul it:Seoul he:סיאול csb:Seul sw:Seoul ht:Seoul ku:Sêûl la:Seoulum lv:Seula lij:Seoul lt:Seulas hu:Szöul mk:Сеул mr:सोल ms:Seoul nl:Seoel ja:ソウル特別市 no:Seoul nn:Seoul nov:Seoul oc:Seol pms:Seoul pl:Seul pt:Seul ro:Seul rm:Seoul ru:Сеул sq:Seoul scn:Seoul simple:Seoul sk:Soul sl:Seul sr:Сеул sh:Seoul fi:Soul (kaupunki) sv:Söul tl:Seoul ta:சியோல் th:โซล vi:Seoul tg:Сеул tpi:Sol tr:Seul uk:Сеул vo:Söul zh-yue:首爾 zh:首爾
