Seoul

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Seoul 서울 —  Special City  — 서울특별시 · Seoul Special City   transcription(s)  • Hangul 서울특별시  • Hanja 서울特別市  • Revised Romanization Seoul Teukbyeolsi  • McCune–Reischauer Sŏul T'ŭkpyŏlsi Gangnam District and Samsung Headquarters Flag Seal of Seoul Map of South Korea with Seoul highlighted Coordinates: 37°33′59.53″N 126°58′40.69″E / 37.5665361°N 126.9779694°E / 37.5665361; 126.9779694Coordinates: 37°33′59.53″N 126°58′40.69″E / 37.5665361°N 126.9779694°E / 37.5665361; 126.9779694 Country  South Korea Region Seoul National Capital Area Districts 25 Dobong District Dongdaemun District Dongjak District Eunpyeong District Gangbuk District Gangdong District Gangnam District Gangseo District Geumcheon District Guro District Gwanak District Gwangjin District Jongno District Jung District Jungnang District Mapo District Nowon District Seocho District Seodaemun District Seongbuk District Seongdong District Songpa District Yangcheon District Yeongdeungpo District Yongsan District Government  • Type Seoul Metropolitan Government Mayor-Council  • Mayor Park Won-soon (DUP)  • Council Seoul Metropolitan Council  • National Representation  - National Assembly 48 / 300 16.0% (total seats) 48 / 246 19.5% (constituency seats) List Dobong 1st district In Jae Keun (DUP) Dobong 2nd district Yoo Ihn-tae (DUP) Dongdaemun 1st district Ahn Gyu Baek (DUP) Dongdaemun 2nd district Min Byung Doo (DUP) Dongjak 1st district Jun Byung-Hun (DUP) Dongjak 2nd district Chung Mong Joon (Saenuri) Eunpyeong 1st district Lee Mi Kyung (DUP) Eunpyeong 2nd district Lee Jae Oh (Saenuri) Gangbuk 1st district Oh Young-Sik (DUP) Gangbuk 2nd district You Dae Woon (DUP) Gangdong 1st district Shin Dong-Woo (Saenuri) Gangdong 2nd district Shim Jae Kwon (DUP) Gangnam 1st district Shim Yoon Joe (Saenuri) Gangnam 2nd district Kim Jong Hoon (Saenuri) Gangseo 1st district Shin Ki-Nam (DUP) Gangseo 2nd district Kim Sung Tae (Saenuri) Geumcheon district Rhee Mok Hee (DUP) Guro 1st district Lee In-Young (DUP) Guro 2nd district Park Young-Sun (DUP) Gwanak 1st district Yoo Ki Hong (DUP) Gwanak 2nd district Lee Sang Kyu (UPP) Gwangjin 1st district Kim Han Gil (DUP) Gwangjin 2nd district Choo Mi Ae (DUP) Jongno district Chung Sye-Kyun (DUP) Jung district Chyung Hojoon (DUP) Jungnang 1st district Seo Young Kyo (DUP) Jungnang 2nd district Park Hong Keun (DUP) Mapo 1st district Noh Woong Rae (DUP) Mapo 2nd district Jung Cheong Rae (DUP) Nowon 1st district Lee No Keun (Saenuri) Nowon 2nd district Woo Won-Shik (DUP) Nowon 3rd district Roh Hoe Chan (UPP) Seocho 1st district Kim Hoe Sun (Saenuri) Seocho 2nd district Kang Seoghoon (Saenuri) Seodaemun 1st district Woo Sang Ho (DUP) Seodaemun 2nd district Chung Doo-Un (Saenuri) Seongbuk 1st district You Seung-Hee (DUP) Seongbuk 2nd district Shin Geh-Ryoon (DUP) Seongdong 1st district Choi Jae Cheon (DUP) Seongdong 2nd district Hong Ihk Pyo (DUP) Songpa 1st district Park In-Sook (Saenuri) Songpa 2nd district Yoo Il Ho (Saenuri) Songpa 3rd district Kim Eul Dong (Saenuri) Yangcheon 1st district Kil Jeong Woo (Saenuri) Yangcheon 2nd district Kim Yongtae (Saenuri) Yeongdeungpo 1st district Kim Young Joo (DUP) Yeongdeungpo 2nd district Shin Kyoung Min (DUP) Yongsan district Chin Young (Saenuri) Area  • Special City 605.21 km2 (233.67 sq mi) Population (December 31, 2012)  • Special City 10,442,426  • Density Bad rounding here17,000/km2 (Bad rounding here45,000/sq mi)  • Metro 25,620,000  • Demonym 서울시민(Seoul-simin), Seoulite  • Dialect Seoul Bird Korean Magpie Color Seoul Red Flower Forsythia Font Seoul fonts(Han River and (Namsan (Seoul) Mascot Haechi Slogan “함께 만드는 서울, 함께 누리는 서울”(Literally "Seoul We Create Together, Seoul We Enjoy Together") Song "서울의 빛"("The Lights of Seoul") Tree Ginkgo Website seoul.go.kr

Seoul (English pronunciation: /soʊl/; Korean:  ( listen), "Capital City", from ancient Sillan "Seorabeol"), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of more than 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world. The Seoul Capital Area, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, is the world's second largest metropolitan area with over 25.6 million people, home to over half of South Koreans along with 632,000 international residents.

Situated on the Han River, Seoul's history stretches back more than 2,000 years when it was founded in 18 BC by Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It continued as the capital of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The Seoul metropolitan area contains four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. Seoul is surrounded by mountains, the tallest being Mt. Bukhan, the world's most visited national park. Modern landmarks holding Guinness World Records include Lotte World, the world's largest indoor theme park, Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, the world's longest bridge fountain and Times Square's CGV Starium, the world's largest cinema screen. The birthplace of K-pop and the Korean Wave, Seoul was voted the world's most wanted travel destination by Chinese, Japanese and Thai tourists for a third consecutive year in 2011 with over 10 million international visitors in 2012.

Today, Seoul is considered a leading and rapidly rising global city, resulting from an economic boom and growth known as the Miracle on the Han River which transformed it from the ashes of the Korean War to the world's fourth largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$773.9 billion in 2012 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles. A world leading technology hub, it boasts the world's sixth largest number of Fortune Global 500 multinationals such as Samsung, the world's largest technology company, as well as LG and Hyundai-Kia. Gangnam District forms the commercial center along with Central District and the financial center, Yeoui Island and technology hub Digital Media City. Ranked sixth in the Global Power City Index, the metropolis exerts a major influence among global affairs as one of the five leading hosts of global conferences. In 2012, Seoul's quality of life was found to be higher than New York City, London or Melbourne but slightly lower than Tokyo and Paris according to the United Nations. The studios of KBS, MBC and SBS are also located in this city.

Seoul has a very technologically advanced infrastructure. It has the world's highest fibre-optic broadband penetration, resulting in the world's fastest internet connections with speeds up to 1 Gbps. Seoul Station is the main terminal of the KTX high-speed rail and the Seoul Subway is the world's largest subway network by length It is considered the world's best subway and is the world's only subway with all stations having automatic platform gates for safety along with 4G LTE, WiFi, DMB and WiBro. Seoul is connected via AREX to Incheon International Airport, rated the world's best airport for seven years in a row (2005-2012) by Airports Council International.

Seoul hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 G-20 Seoul summit. A UNESCO City of Design, Seoul was named the 2010 World Design Capital.

Etymology

Main article: Names of Seoul

The city has been known in the past by the names Wirye-seong (위례성; 慰禮城, Baekje era), Hanju (한주; 漢州, Silla era), Namgyeong (남경; 南京, Goryeo era), Hanseong (한성; 漢城, Baekje and Joseon era), Hanyang (한양; 漢陽, Joseon era), Gyeongseong (경성; 京城, during colonial era). Its current name originated from the Korean word meaning "capital city," which is believed to be derived from the word, Seorabeol (서라벌; 徐羅伐), which originally referred to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.

Unlike most place names in Korea, "Seoul" has no corresponding hanja (Chinese characters used in the Korean language). On January 18, 2005, Seoul government officially changed its official Chinese language name to Shou'er (simplified Chinese: 首尔; traditional Chinese: 首爾; pinyin: shǒu'ěr) from the historic Hanseong (simplified Chinese: 汉城; traditional Chinese: 漢城; pinyin: hànchéng), whose use is still common though.

History

Donggwoldo, the landscape painting of Changdeokgung Main article: History of Seoul See also: Timeline of Seoul history

Settlement began in Baekje, Wirye-seong, in 17 BC. The location of that site is thought to be within the boundaries of modern day Seoul, and the remains may be at Pungnap Toseong or Mongchon Toseong. It became the capital of the Joseon Dynasty in 1394. There were some modernization efforts by the late 19th century and Seoul became the first city in East Asia to have electricity, trolley cars, water, telephone, and telegraph systems all at the same time. During the Japanese colonial period in the early 20th century, the city was called Gyeongseong (경성, lit. "Capital City"; Japanese: Keijō (京城?)). After independence in 1946, Koreans renamed the city Seoul (which also means "Capital City" in Korean). In 1949, Seoul was separated from Gyeonggi Province and was granted status as "Seoul Special City". In 1950, during the Korean War, Seoul was occupied by North Korean troops and the city was almost entirely destroyed. The city was retaken by UN Forces on 14 March 1951. Since then, the city boundary has steadily grown into surrounding administrative divisions of Shiheung, and Yangju counties. The current boundaries were established in 1995.

Geography

Han River

Seoul is in the northwest of South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.25 km2, with a radius of approximately 15 km, roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River. The Han River and its surrounding area played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to take control of this land, where the river was used as a trade route to China (via the Yellow Sea). The river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, with civilian entry barred. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.

Climate Main article: Climate of Seoul

Seoul has a humid continental/subtropical transitional climate (Köppen climate classification Dwa/Cwa), with characteristics of both. November–April is more like a continental climate while the warmer months are more like a subtropical climate with elements of a tropical wet/dry climate. Summers are generally hot and humid, with the East Asian monsoon taking place from June until July. August, the warmest month, has an average temperature of 22.4 to 29.6 °C (72 to 85 °F) with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often relatively cold with an average January temperature of -5.9 to 1.5 °C (21.4 to 34.7 °F) and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 28 days of snow annually.

Climate data for Seoul (1981−2010) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Average high °C (°F) 1.5 (34.7) 4.7 (40.5) 10.4 (50.7) 17.8 (64) 23.0 (73.4) 27.1 (80.8) 28.6 (83.5) 29.6 (85.3) 25.8 (78.4) 19.8 (67.6) 11.6 (52.9) 4.3 (39.7) 17.0 (62.6) Daily mean °C (°F) −2.4 (27.7) 0.4 (32.7) 5.7 (42.3) 12.5 (54.5) 17.8 (64) 22.2 (72) 24.9 (76.8) 25.7 (78.3) 21.2 (70.2) 14.8 (58.6) 7.2 (45) 0.4 (32.7) 12.5 (54.5) Average low °C (°F) −5.9 (21.4) −3.4 (25.9) 1.6 (34.9) 7.8 (46) 13.2 (55.8) 18.2 (64.8) 21.9 (71.4) 22.4 (72.3) 17.2 (63) 10.3 (50.5) 3.2 (37.8) −3.2 (26.2) 8.6 (47.5) Precipitation mm (inches) 20.8 (0.819) 25.0 (0.984) 47.2 (1.858) 64.5 (2.539) 105.9 (4.169) 133.2 (5.244) 394.7 (15.539) 364.2 (14.339) 169.3 (6.665) 51.8 (2.039) 52.5 (2.067) 21.5 (0.846) 1,450.5 (57.106) Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 6.5 5.8 7.4 7.8 9.0 9.9 16.3 14.6 9.1 6.3 8.7 7.4 108.8  % humidity 59.8 57.9 57.8 56.2 62.7 68.1 78.3 75.6 69.2 64.0 62.0 60.6 64.4 Mean monthly sunshine hours 160.3 163.3 189.0 205.0 213.0 182.0 120.0 152.5 176.2 198.8 153.2 152.6 2,066 Source: Korea Meteorological Administration

Administrative districts

Main article: List of districts of Seoul The old flag of Seoul (1947 - 1996). Seoul Districts

Seoul is divided into 25 gu (구; 區) (district). The gu vary greatly in area (from 10 to 47 km2) and population (from less than 140,000 to 630,000). Songpa has the most people, while Seocho has the largest area. The government of each gu handles many of the functions that are handled by city governments in other jurisdictions. Each gu is divided into "dong" (동; 洞) or neighbourhoods. Some gu have only a few dong while others like Jongno District have a very large number of distinct neighborhoods. Gu of Seoul consist of 522 administrative dongs (행정동) in total. Dong are also sub-divided into 13,787 tong (통; 統), which are further divided into 102,796 ban in total.

Dobong District (도봉구; 道峰區) Dongdaemun District (동대문구; 東大門區) Dongjak District (동작구; 銅雀區) Eunpyeong District (은평구; 恩平區) Gangbuk District (강북구; 江北區) Gangdong District (강동구; 江東區) Gangnam District (강남구; 江南區) Gangseo District (강서구; 江西區) Geumcheon District (금천구; 衿川區) Guro District (구로구; 九老區) Gwanak District (관악구; 冠岳區) Gwangjin District (광진구; 廣津區) Jongno District (종로구; 鍾路區) Jung District (중구; 中區) Jungnang District (중랑구; 中浪區) Mapo District (마포구; 麻浦區) Nowon District (노원구; 蘆原區) Seocho District (서초구; 瑞草區) Seodaemun District (서대문구; 西大門區) Seongbuk District (성북구; 城北區) Seongdong District (성동구; 城東區) Songpa District (송파구; 松坡區) Yangcheon District (양천구; 陽川區) Yeongdeungpo District (영등포구; 永登浦區) Yongsan District (용산구; 龍山區)

Demographics

Seoul proper is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York and eight times greater than Rome. Its metropolitan area is the densest in the OECD. Nearly all of Seoul's residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. As of 2012, the city’s population is 10,442,426. The number of foreigners living in Seoul is 255,501 in 2010 according to Seoul officials. As of the end of June 2011, 10.29 million Republic of Korea citizens lived in the city. This was a .24% decrease from the end of 2010. As of June 2011, 281,780 foreigners were located in Seoul. Of them, 186,631 foreigners (66%) were Chinese citizens of Korean ancestry. This was a 8.84% increase from the end of 2010 and a 12.85% increase from June 2010. The next largest group was Chinese citizens who are not of Korean ethnicity; 29,901 of them resided in Seoul. The next highest group consisted of the 9,999 United States citizens who were not of Korean ancestry. The next highest group were the Republic of China (Taiwan) citizens, at 8,717.

The two major religions in Seoul are Buddhism and Christianity. Other religions include Korean Shamanism and Confucianism.

Economy

See also: Economy of South Korea

As the headquarters for Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK, Seoul has become a major business hub. Although it accounts for only 0.6 percent of South Korea's land area, Seoul generates 21 percent of the country's GDP.

Finance

A large concentration of international companies are headquartered in Seoul. International banks with branches in Seoul include Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Grupo Santander, UBS, Credit Suisse, UniCredit, Société Générale, Calyon, BBVA, Macquarie Group, ING Bank, State Street and Standard Chartered. The Korea Exchange Bank is also headquartered in the city.

Shopping Main article: Shopping in Seoul

The largest market in South Korea, the Dongdaemun Market, is located in Seoul. Myeongdong is a shopping and entertainment area in downtown Seoul with mid- to high-end stores, fashion boutiques and international brand outlets. The nearby Namdaemun Market, named after the Namdaemun Gate, is the oldest continually running market in Seoul. Sinchon is a shopping area that caters mainly to a younger and university student crowd.

Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold. Hwanghak-dong Flea Market and Janganpyeong Antique Market also offer antique products. Some shops for local designers have opened in Samcheong-dong, where numerous small art galleries are located. Itaewon caters mainly to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city. The Gangnam district is one of the most affluent areas in Seoul and is noted for the fashionable and upscale Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong areas and the COEX Mall. Wholesale markets include Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market and Garak Market. The Yongsan Electronics Market is the largest electronics market in Asia. The Gasan Digital Complex also has an extensive variety of electronic products.