Seoul is the capital of South Korea. The official Korean name is
"Special City of Seoul" (서울특별시 Seoul Teukbyeolsi). This name
indicates the status as capital and the administrative equality with
the provinces (see also Administrative divisions of South Korea).
The population of Seoul is about 9.8 million (2019). The city is
the center of the Sudogwon metropolitan area (수도권, 首都圈), in which
about 25.4 million people live (2015), about a third of the entire
Korean peninsula. Sudogwon is considered one of the six largest
metropolitan areas in the world and is the fourth largest economic
area in the world.
In addition to its status as capital,
Seoul is also the financial, cultural and educational center of
South Korea. 15 of the Fortune Global 500 companies have their
headquarters in Seoul, including Samsung, LG and Hyundai. The city
also hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics and was one of the venues for
the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As the historical center of South Korea and
the birthplace of the Korean Wave and K-pop, Seoul recorded over 9.5
million tourists in 2018, making it the tenth most visited city in
the world.
Seoul was the capital of the Baekje Kingdom from
18 BC to 475. From 1394 to 1910 it was the capital of the Joseon
Empire and the Korean Empire. It was elevated to the capital of the
Republic of Korea in 1945. North Korea's constitution also
designated Seoul as the legal capital until a constitutional
amendment in 1972 elevated Pyongyang to the capital of the People's
Republic, where the North Korean leadership had set up a provisional
seat of government since the end of World War II.
Seoul is the educational center of South Korea. It is home to around
40 universities. In 2018, 18 of these universities were among the top
1000 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings.
Seoul National University has consistently ranked highest in recent
years. Seoul is also home to Sungkyunkwan University, the oldest
university in Asia. Dongguk University is also one of the few
universities associated with Buddhism. The three best universities in
South Korea, Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei
University, are collectively known as SKY. The three universities in the
Sinchon district - Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University and Sogang
University - are also grouped together under the abbreviation YES.
List of universities in Seoul in alphabetical order: Catholic
University of Korea Chung-Ang University Chugye University for the Arts
Dongguk University Dongduk Women's University Duksung Women's University
Ewha Womans University Hankuk University of Foreign Studies Hansung
University Hanyang University Hongik University Induk University
Kwangwoon University Korea Development Institute Konkuk University
Kookmin University Korea National Open University Korean National Sports
University Korean National University of Arts Korea University Kyonggi
University Kyung-Hee University Myongji University Sahmyook University
myung University Sejong University Seokyeong University Seoul Cyber
University Seoul National University Seoul National University of
Education Seoul National University of Technology Seoul Women's
University Sogang University Sungshin Women's University Sookmyung
Women's University Soongsil University Sungkyunkwan University
University of Seoul
Yonsei University
There are also 9
vocational colleges, 318 high schools, 384 middle schools and 601
elementary schools as well as 879 kindergartens (as of 2016). There are
also a number of foreign schools, including the German School Seoul.
Since 1974, students in most school districts in Seoul have been
randomly assigned to high schools. This means that schools do not reject
students, but rather a draw decides which student will attend which high
school. This should eliminate inequalities between schools and ease the
burden on students. In recent years, however, some school districts have
adjusted the rules and in some cases students can state preferences when
choosing a school.
As the country's cultural center, Seoul is home to over 100 museums,
including the National Museum of Korea. The extensive collection of over
100,000 exhibits moved to a new, much larger building in the Yongsan
Family Park in October 2005. The holdings of Baekje tiles, Silla
pottery, golden Buddhas, Goryeo pale green and Joseon calligraphy and
paintings offer a panorama of Korean culture. The National Museum also
houses the famous Bosingak Bell, an important cultural treasure of
Korea, which was used to tell the time in Seoul during the Joseon
Dynasty. It was rung 33 times at 4 a.m. in the morning and the city
gates were opened, then 28 times at 7 p.m. in the evening and the gates
were closed again. The first bell was destroyed in a fire in 1455, the
second bell was made in 1468 and is still kept in the museum today. The
bell that is always rung at the turn of the year in Jongno ("Bell
Street") was only made in 1985, and the bell pavilion was built by the
city administration in 1979.
The National Folk Museum of Korea is
located on the grounds of Gyeongbok Palace, in the rear part of the
complex. It shows religious rituals (shamanism), various home decor,
household appliances, tools and everyday objects from Korea. In total,
the museum houses over 10,000 objects. The National Palace Museum of
Korea is also located nearby. Since 2013, there has also been a branch
of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in the Seoul
district of Sogyeok-dong, while the main location is in the city of
Gwacheon.
The Korean War Memorial, a monumental building in the
city center with a museum, provides information about various wars in
which Korea was involved, especially the Korean War. In the museum's
large garden, there are military equipment and monuments commemorating
the US military's involvement in the Korean War and the South Korean
soldiers in the Vietnam War. A replica of a turtle ship stands inside.
The Seodaemun Prison, where the Korean resistance was imprisoned and
tortured during the Japanese occupation, now serves as a historical
museum of that period. In front of the prison is the Independence Park
and the Independence Gate.
The Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art is
considered one of the largest private museums in Seoul. The Korean Film
Archive runs the Korean Film Museum and the Cinematheque KOFA in Digital
Media City (Sangam-dong).
Seoul hosts many cultural performances, including traditional music,
dance and theater performances in modernized or contemporary forms,
classical music, and more. Seoul has a variety of small stages scattered
throughout the city, often experimental. Large stages are also located
in the city. Three theaters for the play Nanta are located in Seoul.
Daehangno is known for its many theaters and is often seen as a theater
district. Seoul is also home to the New Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
The National Theater of Korea (국립극장) was founded in 1973 and is
located on Namsan. It is home to the State Orchestra, the National Dance
Company, and the National Drama Company. The larger of the two halls has
1,500 seats; many of the country's important cultural events are held
here. The theater also has a stage for experimental theater performances
and an amphitheater for less formal performances.
The Sejong
Cultural Center (세종문화회관), named after King Sejong, has the largest stage
in the city with 4,000 seats. It is the headquarters of the Korea
National Opera. Concerts, operas and large productions, including those
of foreign origin, take place here. Choirs usually perform in the
smaller hall. Lectures are also given and some free performances take
place in the courtyard. In addition, there are frequently changing
exhibitions with calligraphy, painting and similar art.
In the
21st century, South Korea developed into a major player in international
pop music. The major entertainment agencies such as Big Hit
Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, SM Entertainment and YG Entertainment
are based in Seoul. These agencies specialize in the development of new
girl and boy groups, but also solo artists. The music of the so-called
idols is known under the term K-pop.
Due to the city's long history, Seoul is home to numerous cultural assets, from relics from the Stone Age to tombs, temples, palaces and fortifications. Seoul combines the past with the modern. Historical buildings stand between skyscrapers and many traces of history can be discovered in the small alleys. Some are highlighted here.
As the capital of the Joseon Dynasty, Seoul had six palaces, five of
which are still preserved today. The Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and
Deoksugung are particularly worth seeing. The Gyeongbokgung (경복궁 "Palace
of Seeming Happiness") was built in 1394 when Seoul was named the
capital. The Geunjeonggung throne and audience hall is particularly
impressive. The palace was burned down during the Imjin War in 1592, not
by Japanese troops, but by slaves in the palace who wanted to destroy
evidence of their serfdom. Reconstruction did not begin until 1865,
which significantly worsened Korea's poor economic situation at the
time. Just 23 years after moving back in, the king moved back to the
Deoksugung, which was located in the embassy district and therefore
supposedly safer, after his wife Queen Min was murdered by Japanese
government assassins in 1895.
The Changdeokgung (창덕궁 "Palace of
Illustrious Righteousness") was built from 1405 to 1412 as an extension
of the Gyeongbokgung. It was also burned down during the Imjin War, but
rebuilt immediately afterwards and, although not originally built for
this purpose, served the country as the seat of government until 1872.
In 1907 it was occupied again by King Sunjong, the last king, who lived
here even after his abdication in 1910 until his death in 1926. The last
members of the royal family also lived here until the last died in 1989.
In addition to the palace buildings, the secret garden Biwon is
particularly worth seeing. The palace was added to the UNESCO World
Heritage List in 1997.
The Deoksugung (덕수궁 "Palace of Righteous
Longevity") was built in the 15th century as a residence for the
grandson of King Sejo. After all of Seoul's palaces were burned down in
the Imjin War in 1592, the Deoksugung served as a palace until 1623 and
again in 1897 after the assassination of Queen Min until 1907.
Preserved palaces from the Goryeo Dynasty are the Changgyeonggung and
the small Unhyeongung. The site where the Gyeonghuigung once stood is
now a park, the Seoul Historical Museum and the Seoul Metropolitan
Museum of Art. In 1988, the main gate Heunghwamun, which had been
located elsewhere in Seoul for a while, was moved back, and in the 1990s
replicas of some of the palace's other buildings were built. Visitors
are treated to traditional cultural rites of Korean culture, such as the
induction events for officials of the Joseon Dynasty at royal palaces,
the changing of the royal guards or the wedding between King Gojeon and
Queen Min.
The headquarters of Korea's Jogyejong Buddhist order is the Jogyesa
Temple. On the main street in front of the temple there are many shops
selling Buddhist props. Once a year in May (8th day of the 4th month of
the Chinese calendar), the Jogyesa Temple is the destination of the
large lantern parade that celebrates Buddha's birthday. Up to 100,000
people in colorful costumes and delegations from many Buddhist countries
take part.
The Bongeunsa Temple (봉은사), the center of the Zen
Buddhist religion in the 15th century, was built in 794 in the Silla
period next to the tomb of King Seongjong (성종) and relocated north of
the current World Trade Center in 1562. Next to the main temple there is
an interesting collection of woodblock inscriptions. The temple burned
down several times and most of the buildings in the complex were built
in more recent times.
The Bongwonsa Temple (봉원사) was built in
889, in the third year of the reign of the Silla Queen Jinseong, under
the guidance of the monk To-seon. The temple's original location was
near Yonsei University. In 1728 it was relocated to the back entrance of
what is now Ewha Women's University. Every weekend, the Yeongsanjae
takes place there, a ritual that celebrates the way Buddha taught the
Lotus Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism. It is recognized as an intangible
cultural heritage of humanity. The Bongwonsa is the main temple of the
Taego sect of Buddhists in the capital. A special feature of this group
is the possibility for monks to marry.
The Namhansanseong Fortress ("Fortress of the Mountain South of the
Han") is a mountain fortress located about 30 kilometers southeast of
Seoul and is easily accessible by subway. This large-scale refuge in the
mountains, with a wall about eight kilometers long and up to seven
meters high, was built around 2000 years ago under the Baekje Dynasty.
Most of the buildings still standing, however, date back to the 17th and
18th centuries, when the fortress served to protect the Joseon kings
from the Chinese invasion armies. In 1637, King Injo and 14,000 soldiers
surrendered in Namhansanseong to a huge Manchu army, whose control then
passed to all of Korea.
The Bukhansanseong Fortress, the
"Fortress of the Mountain North of the Han", is, together with the
Namhansanseong Fortress, the second well-known ancient fortification in
the Seoul area. The fortress is located in the north of the city, built
on the ridge of the Bukhan Mountains. This complex was also built in the
early Baekje period and was fought over several times. After armies of
the Chinese Ming emperors threatened the fortress in the 16th century,
the Joseon King Sukjong (1674-1720) had the walls of the fortress
reinforced. Partially destroyed during the Korean War, the walls have
since been restored due to the historical significance of the fortress.
Seoul is home to several royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty that are
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Seolleung and Jeongneung tombs are
located in the southern Gangnam district. Heolleung and Illeung are
located in Seocho. Taereung and Gangneung are located in the northern
Nowon. Jeongneung and Uireung are located in the east of the city. Most
of the other tombs are located in the surrounding province of
Gyeonggi-do.
Seoul is also home to the Jongmyo Shrine. This was
used to worship the ancestors of the rulers of Joseon. The traditional
rituals in the shrine are still held today. On the first Sunday in May
according to the lunar calendar, the "Jongmyo Daeje" takes place at the
Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul. The procession and ritual is held to worship
the queens and kings of the Joseon Dynasty.
The tallest buildings in South Korea are in Seoul, Busan and Incheon. In 2017, the Lotte World Tower was opened in Gangnam, one of the tallest buildings in the world at 555 m. The Hyundai Global Business Center, Hyundai's new corporate headquarters, is scheduled to be completed in 2026. At 569 m high, it would be the tallest skyscraper in Korea.
Hiking and mountain climbing are among the most popular leisure
activities in South Korea and are considered a popular sport. The
Baekdu-daegan mountain range runs through the entire peninsula. There
are several mountains in Seoul, the highest of which is Bukhansan
(Bagundae mountain peak). Other popular destinations are Suraksan,
Gwanaksan or the Namhansanseong fortress.
The 632-meter-high
Gwanaksan mountain rises on the southern outskirts of the city. Because
of its beauty, Gwanaksan is often called Sogeumgang (small Kŭmgang
mountain) or Seogeumgang (Kŭmgang mountain of the west) after
Kŭmgangsan, which is considered the most beautiful mountain in Korea.
Numerous hiking trails lead through the mountain massif with its dense
and old tree population. The starting point for the excursions is
usually Seoul State University at the foot of the mountain. There is a
radar station and several antenna systems on the rocky summit. The
Wongaksa Temple and the Yeonjuam Hermitage, which King Taejo of the
Joseon Dynasty had built when the Korean capital was moved to what is
now Seoul in 1394, are also located on Gwanaksan.
There are also
several amusement parks in Seoul, such as Lotte World, Seoul Children's
Grand Park and Seoul Land. The disused Yongma Land amusement park is
also a popular filming location for films, series and music videos.
In May 2011, the world's largest floating island at the time,
Floating Island (Sebitseom), was opened. It is a floating amusement park
with restaurants, conference halls and water sports facilities. Around
63 million euros were invested in the Floating Island. Some scenes from
the Hollywood film Avengers: Age of Ultron as well as the K-dramas
Athena and She Was Pretty (그녀는 예뻤다) were filmed there. The German-Korean
Chamber of Industry and Commerce holds its Innovation Awards ceremony
there.
There are numerous parks and recreational areas in Seoul. Compared to
Europe, these have a dense network of publicly accessible and free
toilets, drinking water dispensers and fitness equipment. Some of the
pedestrian paths have soft mats as a surface.
Namsan is a public
park including a botanical garden, an octagonal pavilion and a museum
village where restored Hanok (traditional houses) can be seen. The N
Seoul Tower with a revolving restaurant stands on the highest elevation.
The tower is considered a landmark of Seoul. Since the mountain is in
the center of Seoul, the tower can be seen from almost every point in
the city.
Behind the Changdeok Palace lies the "Secret Garden",
the former private park of the royal family. Footpaths lead through
wooded, hilly terrain, past ponds and pavilions and over small bridges.
The Bandoji, whose outlines trace the Korean peninsula, was
picturesquely laid out. In the 16th century, King Injo pursued his great
passion for fishing from the fan-shaped pavilion. The Naksonjae complex
is only open to the public twice a year, on the occasion of the royal
ceremony.
Another park in Seoul is Seonyudo. It is located on a
small island of the same name in the Hangang and has a playground,
viewing points, ponds and an interesting garden. This island used to be
the central water supply for Seoul, the pumping stations have been
preserved and can be visited. The Seoul Forest is a park on the Hangang
in the Seongsu-dong district (성수동). In addition to several green spaces,
a large playground and a number of bicycle paths, there is a photo
exhibition on the theme of "forest" and also some animals. A park opened
in 1983 is located around the Samjeondo monument, which was built in
1639. The only national park within the city of Seoul is Bukhansan
National Park. It is equipped with numerous Buddhist temples and rare
animals that inhabit the mountainous area.
At Daehangno
("University Street") you will find Naksan Park, which also houses part
of the Seoul city wall. The park offers a good view of the city. Lake
Seokchon and its park are particularly popular during cherry blossom
season. Tapgol Park (formerly Pagoda Park) is of particular historical
importance. The Wongaksa Pagoda is located in the park. On March 1,
1919, the Declaration of Independence was read out in the park. It was
the birth of Korean resistance against Japanese colonial rule.
Between 2007 and 2014, Dongdaemun-gu was modernized and restored. The
Dongdaemun Stadium was demolished in order to excavate parts of the
historic fortress wall. This created the Dongdaemun History & Culture
Park. The Dongdaemun Gate was also restored. The Dongdaemun Design Plaza
(DDP) was also opened in 2014. This landmark in neo-futuristic design is
the venue for many exhibitions and is one of Seoul's fashion centers.
A park of a special kind is Seoullo 7017, which opened in May 2017.
A 1 km long section of a former elevated road was converted into a
pedestrian crossing and inner-city park based on a similar project in
New York City, the High Line, and has been considered a city attraction
ever since.
There are also plans to convert the US military base
in the Yongsan-gu district, the area of which is to be returned to
South Korea in 2021, into a park. In 2004, South Korean and US officials
decided to withdraw the US Army from Seoul and relocate it to
surrounding areas. The US Army headquarters in South Korea then moved to
Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek. However, there is also criticism of the
plan, which envisages the country as a park, as Seoul also needs more
living space. However, since the country has been under foreign control
since 1904 - until 1945 as a base for the Japanese army when the US
military took over the base after World War II - the area should be as
accessible to the public as possible and not privatized.
Seoul has 12,000 sports facilities, most of which are commercially
operated. About 700 of the facilities are publicly owned or are
company-owned. There are 28 sports facilities operated by the city,
including four stadiums for football, baseball and track and field. In
addition, ten of the 25 districts operate their own sports centers, and
four more districts are currently building such facilities. In addition,
the city has a dense network of publicly accessible and free fitness
equipment.
The most representative sports facilities are the
Jamsil Sports Complex in Songpa-gu district, which cover an area of
0.59 square kilometers. The 1986 Asian Games, the 1988 Summer Olympics
and the 1988 Summer Paralympics were held here, among others. They
include the Olympic Stadium with a capacity of 100,000 spectators, a
baseball stadium, an indoor swimming pool, a gymnasium, a sports field
and a school sports field. There is also a complex of sports facilities
in the Olympic Park Seoul.
One of the largest football stadiums
in Asia is the World Cup Stadium in the Mapo-gu district, built for the
2002 Football World Cup. It has 65,000 seats, is seven stories high and
its basic shape is based on the soban, a traditional Korean octagonal
wooden tea tray. The stadium roof combines the expression of the
Bangpaeyeon, a traditional shield-shaped kite that carries people's
hopes to the sky, with the shape of the Hwangpodotbae, a traditional
sailing ship on the Hangang. The natural lines of the stadium correspond
to the roof and eaves of traditional buildings in Korea. After around
three years of construction work from October 1998, the stadium was
opened in November 2001.
The cherry blossoms bloom at the end of March to the beginning of
April and can be found in large numbers at Lake Seokchon and in Yeouido.
On April 8th according to the lunar calendar, the Lotus Lantern Festival
takes place on Buddha's birthday. The Buddhist monasteries are decorated
with lanterns and a lantern parade is held from Yeouido Plaza to Jogyesa
Temple. The Seoul International Fireworks Festival has taken place
annually since 2000 in October or November on the Hangang near Yeouido.
It is organized by the chemical conglomerate Hanwha and the Seoul
Broadcasting System.
With the "Comic World", Seoul also regularly
hosts an event related to manhwa, manga and anime.
Due to its size, the city has a very large selection of restaurants
serving Korean and international cuisine in various price ranges. There
are many restaurants that are similar to canteens, but are open 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. There are also many well-known fast food chains in
Seoul. The Myeongdong district is known for the dish Kalguksu. Barbecue
restaurants are very popular, where dishes such as Bulgogi, Samgyeopsal
and Galbi are fried at the table. These are thin strips of meat that are
cut into small pieces after frying and eaten with sauces and vegetables.
In recent years, Korean-style fried chicken with beer (Chimaek) has also
become popular, especially for couples and friends.
A kimchi dish
from the capital region is Chunggak. Radish is pickled with the leaves
of the plant or cut into several cubes. There is a Chinatown in
Daerim-dong, where you can eat good Sino-Korean and Chinese food.
By plane
From Incheon International Airport (IATA:ICN), which is
located on Yeongjong Island, you can get there by limousine bus for
about 5-14 thousand won, depending on the part of Seoul you need to get
to (35-40 min.). You can also get to Seoul by AREX (operated by Airport
Express Co.) for 3,200 won to Gimpo Airport (33 min.). In 2010, it is
planned to expand AREX to Seoul Station.
Gimpo (IATA:GMP) is an
international airport with connections to most major Korean cities, as
well as to some cities outside of South Korea (e.g. Vladivostok,
Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Munich, etc.). It is located within Seoul
next to the subway station of the same name, so you can get to the
desired point in the city from it by public transport (subway, bus,
taxi).
By train
There are two stations of the high-speed KTX
(Korean train Express) within the city – Seoul Station and Yongsan. The
ticket price from Busan (the farthest destination) is 45 thousand won.
You can also get to Seoul by regular (non-KTX) trains at Seoul Station,
Yongsan and Cheongnyangni.
By car
You can get to Seoul from
any city in South Korea by expressway or national highway. The most
important expressway is Gyeongbu, which connects Busan and Seoul.
By bus
You can get to Seoul from almost any city in Korea by bus.
In most cases, there is no need to buy a ticket in advance. The only
exceptions are major holidays. Travel from Busan to Seoul will cost
about 20 thousand won.
Buses from other cities arrive at the
following stations:
Honam Terminal (Subway Line 3, Station 339;
Subway Line 7, Station 734; Subway Line 9, Station 923; Express Bus
Terminal station). Serves buses from Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do
provinces.
Gangnam Terminal (Subway Line 3, Station 339; Subway Line
7, Station 734; Subway Line 9, Station 923; Express Bus Terminal
station). It is located next to the Central Terminal and is the largest
in Seoul. Serves buses from almost all of Korea.
Dong Terminal
(Subway Line 2, Station 214 - Gangbyeon). Serves buses from Gangwon-do
(eastbound)
Nambu Terminal (Subway Line 3, Station 341 - Nambu
Terminal). Serves buses from Chungcheongnam-do, Gyeongsang-do (southwest
direction).
Sangbon Terminal (Subway Line 7, Station 720 – Sangbon).
Serves buses from Chungcheongbuk-do, Chungcheong-do, Jeollabuk-do,
Jeollanam-do.
Sinchon Terminal (Subway Line 2, Station 240 – Sinchon
Station). Serves buses from Ganghwa Island. Pay attention to the station
number, as there is a station with a very similar name at the other end
of the same subway line.
By ship
The nearest port city is
Incheon, which has connections to 8 cities in China, including Shanghai.
There is currently no direct connection to Seoul.
Subway
The most convenient and fastest way to travel around Seoul
is the subway. Its network allows you to get to almost any point in the
city, as well as to some nearby cities.
The Seoul subway has 9
main lines and 4 additional lines, with several more lines currently
under construction. Each line is marked with a color. Each station on
the main lines is marked with a number, and each station on the
additional lines is marked with a letter and a number. Some subway
stations have very similar names, while being located in different parts
of the city, so the station numbers make it much easier to navigate. To
travel on the subway, you can use both disposable cards and T-money
cards, which allow you to deposit a certain amount of money into your
account and replenish it as needed. You can buy them at the ticket
office at any subway station. All cards are contactless, old-style
magnetic tickets were cancelled on May 1, 2009.
The cost of
travel depends on the distance. Near each subway ticket office there is
a map that lists the prices to each destination from the point where you
are. The basic price is 1,000 won for 12 km. An additional 100 won is
charged for every 5 km between 10 and 40 km, and 100 won for every 10 km
over 40 km.
When purchasing simple cards, in addition to the
fare, you will need to pay an additional 500 won as a deposit. They can
be returned at any station at any time by handing the card over to a
special return machine. Unlike T-Money, simple cards are only valid on
the subway and do not provide any discounts.
T-Money cards cost
2,500 won (this is the price of the card itself) and can be topped up
not only on the subway, but also in other places (for example, at
newsstands), in addition to the subway, they can be used to pay on
buses, taxis, at many retail outlets, including vending machines, pay
phones, and other places.
When passing through the turnstile, you
just need to hold the card to the reader, and the board will show the
amount withheld for the trip and the remaining balance. Cards are
checked both when entering and exiting.
To change from one subway
line to another, follow the signs. Most subway cars have a board that
shows the name of the station. In addition to the name of the station,
the board also shows which side you need to get off on.
Bus
Seoul's bus route numbering is one of the most advanced in the world.
The entire city is divided into eight numbered zones, the city center is
zone zero, and the other outer zones are numbered clockwise from 1
(northeast) to 7 (northwest), as shown in the diagram. The first two
digits indicate the district numbers, followed by the actual route
number. For example, route 271 connects zones 2 (east) and 7
(northwest), route 701 goes from the center (zone 0) to somewhere in the
northwest (zone 7), etc. If the first two digits match, it means that
the route operates within this zone along its entire length.
There are four types of buses in the city, marked in different colors:
Blue (1,000 won) – express buses connecting the suburbs with the
business part of Seoul. The route numbering is three-digit (departure
zone, destination zone, route number), or four-digit for special routes
(an eight is added in front of the three-digit number).
Green (1,000
won) – feeder routes connecting residential areas outside the business
part of Seoul with subway stations and bus terminals. The route
numbering is four-digit (departure zone, destination zone, two-digit
route number).
Red (1800 won) – luxury express buses connecting the
business part of Seoul with the suburbs and other areas of the
metropolis. The route numbering is similar to the blue ones, with the
difference that it is four-digit and starts with nine (i.e. "9" +
"departure zone" + "destination zone" + "route number").
Yellow (800
won) – local routes, running in particular in the business part of the
city, in tourist areas, shopping centers, etc. The route numbering is
two-digit, the first digit is the zone number, the second is the route
number.
When paying for travel with T-Money electronic cards, the
cost of the trip is reduced by one hundred won. Electronic cards are
also beneficial for trips with transfers (except for red routes, where
each trip is paid separately). A transfer to another bus or entry to the
metro must be made within 30 minutes (from 9:00 PM to 7:00 AM the time
allotted for transfer increases to one hour) from the moment the card
was last read, so in order to have time to take advantage of the
transfer benefit, you need to re-scan the card before exiting the bus.
In total, you can make up to four transfers during the entire trip, a
transfer from a bus to another bus on the same route is considered the
beginning of a new trip and is paid accordingly.
When traveling
with transfers, you should also remember that the fare depends on the
total distance, so at the end of the trip you need to re-scan the card
to avoid overpaying for the rest of the bus route you did not take.
For example, if you pay 900 won for a subway ride and then transfer
to a bus, the first 5 km of the journey will be free, but for each
subsequent 5 km an additional 100 won will be charged. If you do not
scan the card again before exiting the bus, the next time you read it
(enter the subway or bus, pay for a taxi, top up your balance, etc.),
the debt for the previous trip will be deducted from it at the maximum
rate to the final stop.
Taxi
There are three types of taxis in
Seoul:
Regular - gray cars that can either be hailed on the street or
found at special parking lots. The fare is: 2,400 won for boarding and
the first 2 km, plus an additional 100 won for every 144 meters. A night
rate (20% surcharge) is charged between midnight and 4 a.m. Taxi drivers
usually do not speak any language except Korean, and only know the
locations of the most famous landmarks. Therefore, it is recommended
that in addition to the address written in Korean, you have a short map
of the place you need to go.
Deluxe - black cars, distinguished by
improved service. The fare is: 4,500 won - base fee, 200 won extra for
every 164 meters, regardless of the time of day. On the doors of these
taxis you can usually find the inscription "Free Interpretation",
meaning free assistance to passengers who do not know Korean, from the
driver's mobile phone. International taxi - can be called by phone or
via the website http://internationaltaxi.co.kr/ or
http://intltaxi.co.kr/ (both addresses lead to the same website),
drivers speak English, Japanese or Chinese, accept not only cash or
"electronic wallets" but also credit cards. Drivers can also give a
short tour of the city.
There are three types of international
taxi cars: regular (orange), "best driver" (black, similar to the
"Deluxe" described above) and black vans with a capacity of up to 9
people. The fare in a regular car: 2880 won for boarding and the first 2
km, plus 120 won for every 144 meters of travel or 35 seconds of
standing. The fare for a luxury car or van is 4,500 won for boarding and
the first 3 km, plus 200 won for every 164 meters or 39 seconds of
downtime.
The largest market in all of South Korea is the Dongdaemun market at
the old east gate, the Dongdaemun (Dong = east; Dae = big; Mun = door).
Everything from household goods and electrical goods, shoes and clothing
to furniture, can be bought here. Another important market in Seoul is
the Namdaemun market, which stretches to the east of the south gate.
There is also a specialty market there. The Myeongdong district is also
popular, where there are numerous shopping and entertainment options as
well as street food. In addition to the many markets, Seoul also offers
the opportunity to shop in the numerous department stores and shopping
streets. On Namdaemun-ro, directly opposite the entrance to Myeongdong,
you will find AVENUEL on the right and Lotte Young Plaza on the left.
Up the street is Shinsegae, opposite the Bank of Korea. One of the
largest department stores in Seoul, Times Square, is located in
Yeongdeungpo. The second largest cinema screen in the world is also
located there, in the CGV Starium. Film premieres are also often held in
Times Square. Yongsan-gu is home to the Yongsan Electronics Market, the
largest IT market in Asia.
Insadong is a market for art and
culture and is primarily aimed at tourists. Antiques and traditional
souvenirs such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy can be bought
there. Insadong is also home to the popular Ssamzigil. Gangnam is the
richest district of Seoul and is home to several popular shopping
streets and stores. These include Apgujeong-dong, Cheongdam-dong and the
fashion street Garosu-gil there, as well as the COEX Mall.
Entire
shopping streets - such as those below Jongno and Euljiro - have been
built underground. The Sogong Underground Shopping Center is directly
connected to the Lotte Department Store, Young Plaza and Avenuel in
Myeongdong and was popular in the 1980s; The Hoehyon Underground
Shopping Center is located between Myeongdong and Namdaemun and was a
popular shopping spot for LPs in the 1980s. In these and other numerous
arcades you can find a wide range of clothing, jewelry, stationery,
smartphones, cameras, souvenirs and reproductions of antique porcelain.
The city is located in the northwestern part of the country near the
border with North Korea, at an average height of 87 meters above sea
level on the lower reaches of the Hangang River (한강, 漢江 'Han River'),
whose upper reaches, Bukhangang 'North Han River' and Namhangang 'South
Han River', flow together east of the city at Yangsu-ri. The city center
is surrounded by numerous mountains. In the city center rises the Namsan
(남산, 南山 'South Mountain') with a television tower and cable car. The
Bukhansan mountain 'mountain north of the Han[gang]' is in the north of
the city, the Namhansanseong fortress in the southeast. In the
surrounding valleys there are many small villages and old Buddhist
monasteries. South of Seoul is Mount Gwanaksan, an important
recreational area.
56 kilometers north of Seoul, on the 38th
parallel, which has formed the inner-Korean border since the Korean War,
lies the town of Panmunjeom. The armistice agreement between North and
South Korea was signed there on July 27, 1953.
In the urban area
of Seoul, the Hangang flows around several islands, the most important
of which is Yeouido. One branch of the river was drained to reclaim
land. The historic center of Seoul lies in a geomantically favorable
location a little north of the river, which flows in a slight W-shape
here and, after leaving the urban area, continues in a northwesterly
direction towards the island of Ganghwado and the Yellow Sea, while to
the southwest Seoul merges seamlessly into its port city of Incheon.
Seoul's geographical coordinates are ♁37° 34′ N, 126° 59′ E. This
means that it is roughly at the same latitude as Athens (37° 54′ N) and
Lisbon (38° 43′ N).
Although Seoul is a "special city" and is equivalent to a province in South Korea's administrative structure, its subdivision corresponds to that of all other cities - into city districts (구, 區 Gu) and city quarters (동, 洞 Dong). Seoul is divided into 25 city districts, the first seven of which were established in 1943. The districts are divided into 522 Dong, which in turn are divided into 13,787 Tong and these are finally divided into 102,796 Ban. The latter are hardly used in everyday life, however. The districts of Seoul are: Dobong-gu (도봉구, 道峰區) Dongdaemun-gu (동대문구, 東大門區) Dongjak-gu (동작구, 銅雀區) Eunpyeong-gu (은평구, 恩平).區) Gangbuk-gu (강북구, 江北區) Gangdong-gu (강동구, 江東區) Gangnam-gu (강남구, 江南區) Gangseo-gu (강서구, 江西區) Geumcheon-gu (금천구, 衿川區) Guro-gu (구로구, 九老區) Gwanak-gu (관악구, 冠岳區) Gwangjin-gu (광진구, 廣津區) gu (종로구, 鍾路區) Jung-gu (중구, 中區) Jungnang-gu (중랑구, 中浪區) Mapo-gu (마포구, 麻浦區) Nowon-gu (노원구, 蘆原區) Seocho-gu (서초구, 瑞草區) Seodaemun-gu (서대문구, 西大門區) Seongbuk-gu (성북구, 城北區) Seongdong-gu (성동구, 城東區) Songpa-gu (송파구, 松坡區) Yangcheon-gu (양천구, 陽川區) Yeongdeungpo-gu (영등포구, 永登浦區) Yongsan-gu (용산구,龍山區).
Seoul is located in the temperate zone, the average annual
temperature is 12.5 °C. The climate is characterized by strong
contrasts, with the average annual maximum temperature being 29.6 °C in
August and the lowest average temperature being −5.9 °C in January. The
suburbs of Seoul are generally cooler than downtown Seoul due to the
urban heat island effect.
Summers are very warm and humid during
the monsoon season (called Jangma in Korean) from June to September,
especially in August. Daily maximum temperatures are often above 30 °C.
The highest temperature recorded in Seoul was 39.6 °C in August 2018.
August is on average the hottest month in Seoul, with an average
temperature of 25.7 °C. 70% of the annual precipitation, which averages
1450.6 millimeters, falls during the monsoon season, 394.7 millimeters
of which fall in the rainiest month of July alone. Seoul has an
east-facing climate.
Winters are heavily influenced by cold winds
from Siberia and are therefore very cold but dry. Usually, a certain
high pressure constellation alternates between three very cold days and
four warmer days. The coldest month is January with an average
temperature of −2.4 °C, which also has the least precipitation, with an
average of 20.8 millimeters. The lowest temperature in Seoul was
measured on December 31, 1972, and was −23.1 °C. Even though the coldest
temperatures date from the early days of climate records, temperatures
of −10 °C are not uncommon.
In recent years, air pollution and particulate matter have become an increasingly important political issue. According to data from the World Health Organization, the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in Seoul was 24 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014, 2.4 times higher than the maximum recommended value in the WHO air quality guidelines. Yellow dust, emissions from China, and emissions from Korea and Seoul contribute to Seoul's air pollution.
Seoul was known in the past as Wiryeseong (Hangul: 위례성; Hanja: 慰禮城,
during the Baekje period), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽, during the Silla period),
Namgyeong (남경; 南京), and Hanseong (한성; 漢城, during the Joseon period).
During the Japanese occupation, Seoul was called Keijō (경성; 京城; RR:
Gyeongseong).
Seoul is purely Korean and means "capital". Until
2005, the official Chinese name for Seoul was Chinese 漢城 / 汉城, pinyin
Hànchéng, synonymous with the city's official name during the Joseon
Dynasty, Hanseong. However, on January 18, 2005, the Chinese government
changed the name to Chinese 首爾 / 首尔, Pinyin Shǒu’ěr, the Chinese
pronunciation for Seoul.
Archaeological research shows that people have been settling along the Han River, where Seoul is today, since around 4000 BC. The first historical records of Seoul date back to the first century BC. During the Three Kingdoms period, the capital of the Baekje Kingdom, Wiryeseong, was located in the northeastern part of what is now Seoul. There are still remains of the city wall from this period. In 475, the capital was moved to Gongju and the Goguryeo Kingdom took control of the area. Less than a hundred years later, the Silla Empire fought for control of the area. During the Silla period, Seoul was probably just a small village called Hansanju.
In the later phase of the unified Korean Empire of Goryeo, Seoul's importance grew. In 1068, King Munjong had a summer palace built on the site of today's Seoul, and the settlement that developed into a city became the administrative center for the surrounding areas. The city was called Namgyeong ("southern capital"). However, apart from very short sections, the actual capital was present-day Kaesŏng, about 60 km further northwest.
In 1392, Yi Seong-gye ended Goryeo's rule, founded the Joseon
Dynasty, and decided to move the capital. According to a founding story,
the power of the then capital Gaegyeong was considered to be exhausted
by Pungsu geomancers (Feng Shui experts). Therefore, a new city was to
be built at the foot of Gyeryongsan. However, this was not well suited
from a Feng Shui perspective. Instead, the location of Hanyang was
intended for the capital of a future dynasty. The city was protected by
a mountain to the north and a river to the south. Therefore, in 1394
Hanyang was named the capital of Korea and construction began on a new
palace, the Gyeongbokgung, temples and city walls. The wall was 18 km
long and connected the four mountains Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Namsan and
Naksan that surround the city. It still stands there in part today. The
main city gates have also been preserved. Two of the gates, Sungnyemun
(often called Namdaemun) and Dongdaemun, are widely known. The gates
were opened and closed daily. A loud bell was rung to signal this.
Other palace buildings followed. The Changdeokgung was built between
1405 and 1412, and the Gyeonghuigung in 1616. The name of the city was
later changed to Hanseong (한성, 漢城). Although the city was easy to defend
due to its location and was protected by strong walls, it was conquered
by the Japanese in the Imjin War in 1592 after the Battle of Chungju,
and in 1635 it was taken by the Manchurians. It was only under the rule
of King Yeongjo (1724–1776) that the city flourished again, as it was
able to exploit its good position on the Hangang. It grew into the most
important trading center.
In 1872 the king moved back to
Gyeongbokgung. This palace had long fallen into disrepair after being
destroyed in the Imjin War and was only rebuilt in 1865. In the
meantime, Changdeokgung, which was not originally intended for this
purpose, had served as the seat of government.
In 1784, Yi Pyeok, Kweon Il-shin and Yi Seung-hun built the first
church in Seoul with the intention of founding a Catholic religious
community. This was subjected to severe persecution from the beginning.
The rulers saw the Catholics as allies of the European colonial powers.
The country was to remain Confucian. When King Sunjo succeeded his
predecessor Jeongjo to the throne, a massive persecution of Catholicism
began. In the years 1801, 1839–1846 and 1866–1876, Christian
persecutions occurred in Seoul, which spread in waves throughout the
entire country. Despite this, the number of Koreans converting to the
Catholic faith grew. The shrine of the Korean martyrs on Jeoldusan
("Beheading Mountain") on the banks of the Hangang commemorates the time
of persecution and the martyrs.
The missionaries used and
propagated the now almost forgotten Korean alphabet (한글 Hangeul), which
was easier to learn than Chinese characters (Hanja). In the course of
the 19th century, Hangeul was increasingly used in popular education and
became Korea's national script. This development promoted the spread of
the Christian faith, whose writings were all published in Hangeul.
With the "opening" of Korea forced by the USA in 1882, Korea was
obliged to tolerate missionary activities. In 1885, the Methodist
missionaries Horace Underwood and Henry Appenzellar came to Seoul, who
founded the Seoul Union Church, which still exists today, with
Presbyterian missionaries in 1886. In the same year, the first secret
baptisms of locals took place. Protestant missionaries had already come
to Korea before, for example Robert Jermain Thomas, who smuggled Bibles
into Korea and was executed in Pyongyang in 1866.
When Korea
became a Japanese colony in 1910, the Japanese demanded that the Tennō
be worshipped. This was rejected by Korean Christians (unlike Japanese
Christians) as idolatry. This led to Christians being persecuted by the
Japanese, but also led to many Christians working in the national
independence movement. This and the Christians' steadfastness in the
face of persecution led to numerous conversions.
Under pressure from Japan, Korea opened itself to foreign countries
on February 24, 1876. In the following period, embassies of Japan and
Western states were opened, and a German-Korean friendship and trade
agreement was concluded in June 1882. Foreign companies settled in Seoul
and trade continued to flourish. In 1888, telegraph lines to Incheon,
Ŭiju and Busan were opened, and in 1899, the Gyeongin line to nearby
Incheon, Seoul's first railway connection, opened. In the same year, the
Seoul electric tram began operating. On January 1, 1905, the important
Gyeongbu line to Busan was opened, and in November 1905 it was also
opened to general traffic. The population, which had been around 200,000
for over two centuries, began to grow steadily, reaching 730,000 in 1936
and 1,418,000 in 1949.
In 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan and
incorporated into the Japanese Empire with the provincial name Chōsen.
Hanseong was named the colonial capital; the official name of the city
during this time was Keijō (Japanese 京城; 경성 Gyeongseong, "capital"),
capital of the prefecture of the same name (京城府, Keijō-fu;
Gyeongseong-bu). The Japanese built the city into the center of the
province, greatly expanded the urban area and ensured a flourishing of
industry and other economic sectors with large-scale structural
measures. The architectural style of the buildings became more modern
than before. However, a repressive colonial policy was pursued against
the population, particularly during the Second World War, similar to
other Japanese-occupied countries: Korean culture was suppressed, men
were forced or forcibly recruited into the Japanese army, and women were
abducted into war zones and held there as so-called comfort women in war
brothels, sometimes for years. Korean farmers had to give up their land
and Koreans were forced to take Japanese names. Schools were taught in
Japanese.
After Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, this part
of the Japanese colonial empire passed into the American occupation
zone, and Seoul became the seat of the US military government (USAMGIK).
Exactly one year after independence from Japan, the city was renamed
Seoul. This was the first time it had officially borne this name. With
the founding of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) on August 15, 1948,
Seoul became its capital. After it had been merged with the surrounding
province of Gyeonggi-do under Japanese rule, it was now administratively
separated from the province and given the status of a special city,
which corresponds to that of a province.
On June 25, 1950, the North Koreans crossed the demarcation line and
conquered Seoul just three days later. The South Koreans were pushed
back to a narrow strip around Busan. The North Koreans were only
seriously hit by the landing of UN troops (about 90% of which were US
troops) near Incheon (28 km west of Seoul). They entrenched themselves
in Seoul and had to be driven out of the city in house-to-house
fighting, suffering heavy losses. After three days of fighting, the
commander of the US troops declared Seoul liberated on September 25 -
three months after the outbreak of the war - even though gunfire and
artillery could still be heard in the northern suburbs.
On
January 3, 1951, the South Koreans and Americans had to evacuate the
city again because they could not withstand the superior force of the
North Koreans allied with a Chinese "volunteer army". The city was
occupied by North Koreans the following day. When Seoul was recaptured
on March 14, the North Koreans had kidnapped a large part of the
population. The city was also almost completely destroyed. Eyewitnesses
report that the destruction was worse than that of Berlin during the
Second World War.
From the outbreak of the war until August 1,
1953, Busan was the seat of government. However, Seoul's status as the
capital of South Korea was never denied.
After the end of the Korean War, reconstruction began and Seoul grew
very quickly. The population had fallen significantly during the Korean
War, but it rose rapidly in the years that followed. In 1963, the 3
million mark was exceeded. Together with the five-year plans with which
the military government of Park Chung-hee founded South Korea's economic
boom, a plan for the development and modernization of Seoul was also
drawn up. The administration of the city was placed directly under the
Prime Minister. The cityscape changed massively and little consideration
was given to tradition. In addition to monuments such as palaces and
temples, there are hardly any buildings older than those from the 1960s.
Due to its proximity to the North Korean border, Seoul could not expand
northwards. Population growth was initially concentrated in areas south
of the Hangang River. Seoul grew into the political, cultural and
economic center of South Korea.
In 1968, the Seoul tram service
was discontinued before the first subway line opened on August 15, 1974.
The route network is constantly being expanded, also serving the
surrounding cities and is connected to the Incheon subway in the west.
It is one of the largest subway systems in the world.
In 1986,
Seoul hosted the 10th Asian Games before becoming the host city for the
Summer Olympics two years later. Until 1991, the mayor was appointed by
the president, since then he and the city council have been directly
elected by the population.
In 1994, the city celebrated its 600th
birthday, and a time capsule containing 600 objects representing the
city's modern life was buried on the northern slope of Namsan. The year
1995 caused concern among residents because various buildings in the
city were destroyed by construction defects and ineffective official
construction supervision. It began with the collapse of the Seongsu
Bridge over the Han River in October 1994 (32 fatalities), continued
with two gas explosions in houses (113 fatalities in total) and reached
a tragic climax with the collapse of the Sampoong building. This most
serious man-made disaster in South Korea claimed 501 lives, injured 937
people and left six missing.
During the 2002 World Cup, which was
held jointly in South Korea and Japan, the opening match, a preliminary
round match and a semi-final match were played in Seoul.
Plans by
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun to move the country's seat of
government to the Chungcheongnam-do province, 120 kilometers south of
Seoul, in the area of the city of Gongju or the neighboring county of
Yeongi, have largely failed following massive protests and the negative
decision of the Korean Constitutional Court on October 21, 2004. The
relocation was a promise made by Roh Moo-hyun during the 2002
presidential election campaign, who wanted to achieve a decentralization
of administration. The city of Sejong was established in 2007 and some
ministries and agencies were relocated there, while many state organs
remained in Seoul.
In 2009, Gwanghwamun Square was opened in
front of Gyeongbokgung. The main gate of the palace is the Gwanghwamun,
after which the square is named. Statues of King Sejong and Yi Sun-sin
can be found on the square. King Sejong developed the Korean alphabet
and renamed the Sajeongmun to Gwanghwamun. The square quickly became
Seoul's central square. In 2016, millions of people gathered along the
square to protest against then-President Park Geun-hye. Directly behind
the palace are the Presidential House and Mount Bugak.
At least 156 people were killed and at least 152 injured in a crowd during Halloween celebrations in the Itaewon-dong nightlife district on the night of October 29-30, 2022.
The city of Seoul has a very high population density, almost twice
that of New York City. The metropolitan area has the highest population
density in the OECD in Asia and the second highest in the world, after
Paris.
As of 2016, 404,037 foreign residents lived in Seoul.
Almost 60% of all foreigners in South Korea live in Seoul and the
surrounding province of Gyeonggi-do.
In a ranking of cities based
on their quality of life, Seoul ranked 79th out of 231 cities worldwide
in 2018.
Due to its political, economic and cultural predominance, Seoul
experienced uncontrolled population growth after the Second World War
and the withdrawal of the Japanese colonial power. The strong influx of
people, especially rural ones, the widespread destruction in the Korean
War (1950-1953) and chaotic political and economic conditions led to a
gap between the number of inhabitants and the urban infrastructure.
After the population fell from 1.4 million to 650,000 during the Korean
War, it rose again to one million in 1953 and to ten million by the end
of the 1980s. In 2019, the number of inhabitants is around 9.8 million.
Since the early 1970s, attempts have been made to resettle the
population south of the Hangang. In 1975, only 30 percent of the
inhabitants lived there, but today it is 60 percent. Efforts to resettle
more of the population in the satellite cities have also been
successful. Since the 1980s, population growth in the actual urban area
has stagnated. These cities are connected to Seoul by a dense network of
highways, bus lines and subways. The agglomeration with around 20 major
cities, including Seoul, is home to a population of 25.4 million, making
it one of the largest metropolitan regions in the world.
The
following overview shows the population figures of the actual city area
according to the respective area status. Up to 1952 these are mostly
estimates, from 1955 onwards they are census results.
Seoul's urbanization was mainly due to the construction of apartment
buildings. The buildings often border closely on the agricultural or
forested surrounding areas. In the 1960s and 1970s, numerous farmers
came to Seoul from the countryside to look for better-paying jobs in the
capital's industrial plants. The dense settlements of rural refugees,
mostly built without permission on state land, grew mainly in existing
neighborhoods. The dwellings there were partly built in solid
construction with tiled roofs and hardly differed from the buildings
built with official permission in the regular development areas.
Nevertheless, from the end of the 1970s onwards, the city administration
relocated the residents of the unofficial settlements to areas further
away from the city center. These areas were only inadequately connected
to the city's water, sewage and transport networks, which led to a
deterioration in the living standards of the resettlers. In the center
of Seoul, numerous five- to fifteen-story, and sometimes over
twenty-story, apartment buildings were built for middle- to high-income
families, whose rents were unaffordable for the former low-income
residents. These are still being built today and characterize the
appearance of many parts of the city.
Since the 1980s, Seoul has
undergone extensive reconstruction work and the existing public
infrastructure has been significantly expanded. In this context, for
example, new subway lines and highways were built. In the wider area
around the capital, in scenic locations, the country houses of the upper
class working in Seoul, i.e. mainly artists, business people in senior
positions, university professors and high-ranking military officers,
were built. There is a building ban on industrial companies and housing
developments with apartment buildings.
Since the 1990s, many
planned cities have been built in the area around Seoul to solve the
problem of the shortage of living space in the overcrowded capital.
These new cities, located outside Seoul in Gyeonggi-do Province, are
developing into large satellite towns and together with Seoul and the
other three million cities of Incheon, Suwon and Goyang, form the
Sudogwon metropolitan region.
Seoul is administered by a city council and the Seoul Metropolitan
Government. The city council consists of 104 members who are elected for
a four-year term. The mayor, who heads the Seoul Metropolitan
Government, is also elected directly and for four years. He is assisted
by three vice mayors, two for administrative tasks and one for political
affairs. The 25 districts are largely autonomous, and their mayors have
also been directly elected by the population since 1995.
The 33rd
mayor of Seoul was Oh Se-hoon of the Hannara-dang (Grand National Party,
GNP for short). He took over the office on July 1, 2006 from his
predecessor Lee Myung-bak, who had governed the city since July 1, 2002.
In August 2011, one year after his re-election, he resigned due to a
failed referendum to abolish free school meals for all students. Park
Won-soon has been mayor since October 27, 2011. He was found dead
shortly after midnight on July 10, 2020. Seo Jung-hyup then took over
the office of mayor on an interim basis until the election in April
2021. In this election, Oh Se-hoon was re-elected mayor after ten years.
Air pollution and traffic noise are problems. Seoul has the worst
air quality of all capital cities in the OECD. The demolition of an
expressway over the Cheonggyecheon (translated as "clear water stream"),
a branch of the Han, and the renaturation of the river were among the
city administration's largest projects. The 3,670-meter-long
Cheonggyecheon was concreted over in 1961 and covered with an elevated
road in 1971. On October 1, 2005, the restored river and the associated
green spaces in central Seoul were officially opened to the public.
According to a 2014 study, the greater Seoul area generated a gross domestic product of 846 billion US dollars (GDP). This put it in 4th place in the ranking of the world's strongest economic metropolitan regions. The technological infrastructure is highly developed. Seoul is called the "best-wired city" in the world. The city came first in the technology-savvy category in a PwC study. There is free Wi-Fi in most public places. Since April 2019, SK Telecom and KT have been providing the 5G mobile communications standard nationwide. Compared to Europe, Seoul also has a dense network of publicly accessible and free toilets, drinking water dispensers and fitness equipment. Some of the pedestrian paths have soft mats as a surface.
The capital has undergone a rapid modernization process since the
Korean War (1950-1953) up to the present day. This includes the rapid
change from a pre-modern to an industrial society and rapid economic
growth. Between 1989 and 1998, South Korea's economy grew by an average
of 11.6% annually. The unemployment rate in 1997 was only 2.7%. However,
like the rest of Korea, Seoul was also shaken by the Asian crisis at the
end of 1997, unemployment jumped to over 9%, and South Korea's GDP
shrank by 5.5% in 1998. Since then, however, the situation has quickly
improved.
Seoul is now home to a number of conglomerates such as
Samsung, LG, Hyundai, SK, Hanwha and utilities such as Korea Electric
Power Corporation. For a long time, the city's most important industrial
products were chemical products, textiles and clothing, as well as
machinery and printing products, but these were gradually replaced by IT
and electrical and electronic devices. Most people work in the service
sector. The most important industrial area is the Korea Export
Industrial Complex, also known as the Guro Industrial Complex, where
around 8,000 companies are located on an area of 1.98 km². They employ
over 100,000 people and are mainly active in the fields of development,
IT, assembly and paper production. Most banks have their headquarters in
Yeouido, where the Korea Exchange is also based.
Seoul was
nominated as World Design Capital by the World Design Organization in
2010.
Tourism is also of economic importance. With 10.2 million
foreign visitors, Seoul was the 10th most visited city in the world in
2016. Tourists brought in revenues of 12.3 billion US dollars in the
same year. Most foreign visitors came from the People's Republic of
China.
In the agricultural area around Seoul, soy, millet and
wheat are grown.
With nearby Incheon on the Yellow Sea, the city
has a large port for the import and export of industrial goods and an
important passenger and freight airport. Seoul is increasingly
benefiting from South Korea's central location between the People's
Republic of China and Japan. These and Taiwan can be reached in less
than two hours by plane, and the equally rapidly growing markets of
Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines can be reached within five
hours.
Due to successful decentralization policies, Seoul has
lost its position as the country's most important industrial location,
which it had developed during the Japanese colonial period, but has
retained its leading position in the service sector. Almost all
institutions with the highest state and private administrative, planning
and control powers, as well as their employees, are located in the
capital. Almost all of South Korea's large corporations, banks, trading
companies and insurance companies also have their headquarters in Seoul.
Incheon International Airport, opened in 2001, is the capital's most
important international airport. The majority of South Korea's
international flights start or end here. It is located about 50
kilometers west of the capital on the island of Yeongjongdo and is
connected to the Seoul Metro network. The airport also has a highway
connection, which is also used by a large number of shuttle buses. The
airport replaces Gimpo Airport, 18 kilometers from Seoul, as the
country's international hub, which today mainly serves domestic routes
and connections to other East Asian cities.
Seoul has three major
train stations: Seoul Station, Yongsan Station and Cheongnyangni
Station. Seoul Station was originally built by the Japanese and expanded
between 1989 and 1990. Nevertheless, Yongsan Station, which opened in
2004, had to be rebuilt to relieve the congestion. The South Korean
railway network connects Seoul with almost all major cities, most of
which are south of the capital. On March 30, 2004, the Korea Train
Express (KTX) ran on the first high-speed line between Seoul and Busan.
South Korea was thus the first Asian country to use the French TGV
(high-speed train) technology and now produces it itself under license.
Seoul is directly connected to almost every city in South Korea via
an extensive highway network of express and long-distance buses.
Important bus stations for connections to other cities are the Gangnam
Express Bus Terminal in the south of the city, the Dong Seoul Bus
Terminal in the east and the Seoul Sangbong Bus Terminal in the north of
the city. Of the approximately 70 destinations that can be reached by
express bus from Seoul, most are served at least every hour, the most
important every 10 to 20 minutes. In addition to the lines that usually
run from around 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., there are also some special night
lines that run until 2 a.m. Intercity buses are lines that serve smaller
and closer places. They do not necessarily travel on motorways, but also
on other roads and have more frequent stops. However, they travel to
significantly more destinations and are therefore cheaper than the
express buses.
Seoul has a dense and well-developed road network with six highways.
19 large spur roads lead in all directions from the city center, and
there are also three ring roads around the city center. The total length
of the road network is 7,801 kilometers (as of 1999). All important
roads have multiple lanes, the widest being Sejongno with 20 lanes.
The Seoul subway is one of the largest subway systems in the world.
The first section of the Seoul subway was opened on August 15, 1974.
Today it operates on a network of nine lines with a length of 352
kilometers, which is constantly being expanded. However, the Seoul
subway is also connected to the Incheon line and the AREX, etc., which
are not included in the route length here. The subway trains run from
5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., on some routes even longer, usually every four
to six minutes, and every three to four minutes during rush hours. The
subway is used by up to seven million people every day. Some new routes
have three tracks, with trains on the middle track that only stop at
transfer stations and are therefore faster. From May 1, 1899, there was
an electric tram in Seoul, but its service was discontinued on November
29, 1968.
The city bus system is also very well developed. Over
seven million passengers are transported daily on the more than 400
lines. There are four types of buses: main buses (blue), neighborhood
lines (green), express buses (red) and circulating buses (yellow). Main
lines usually run from 5 a.m. to midnight, and buses usually run every
few minutes. Travel times are usually displayed electronically. Today,
many passengers use their smartphone applications to check times or
connections. The direct bus lines are served by more comfortable buses
and stop less frequently. Many of these lines are commuter lines that
connect Seoul with the satellite cities. Neighborhood lines connect
otherwise unconnected residential areas with the rest of the bus
network.
Both individual bus trips and distance-based subway
trips are very cheap compared to Central European prices. The Tmoney
card or a smartphone via NFC is usually used to pay.
The bicycle
is becoming increasingly popular as a means of transport. The Hangang is
a popular place for short bike tours. There is usually more space
outside Seoul, so there are many cyclists in the parks there. Seoul's
bike rental system is called Ttareungi (따릉이) and in English Seoul Bike.