(1999 pop. 10.3 million). Seoul, the capital of South Korea (Republic of Korea), has an area of 605 square kilometers and is one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Archaeological remains indicate that people inhabited the Seoul region at least as far back as the Neolithic period, although it is likely that prehistoric settlement dates back to Paleolithic times. Throughout history, the region has had numerous names. It was known as Hansong, the capital of the Paekche kingdom (18 BCE–663 CE); Hanyang during the Unified Shilla period (668–935 CE); and Yangju and Hanyang during the Koryo period (918–1392). With the establishment of the Choson dynasty (1392–1910), King T'aejo moved the capital from Kaegyong (present-day Kaesong) to Hanyang in 1394. The region was also called Hansong, and to ensure auspiciousness and longevity for the new Choson kingdom, the city was carefully planned according to geomantic principles, which dictate the proper placement of man-made structures among natural surroundings. An 18-kilometer wall was built to surround the new capital, but the city was ravaged by the Hideyoshi and Manchu invasions of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and gradually rebuilt by the eighteenth century. The capital grew rapidlyfrom the late nineteenth century with the introduction of modern transportation and communication systems.
Seoul is a city that many people compare to New York City, a view supported by this 1990 photo of large, modern buildings in downtown Seoul. (BOHEMIAN NOMAD PICTUREMAKERS/CORBIS)
Under Japanese occupation (1910–1945), the city was called Kyongsong and downgraded from capital status because of the loss of Korean national sovereignty. In 1945, the city's capital status was restored and the city was renamed Seoul, meaning "nation's capital." Seoul twice fell to North Korean forces during the Korean War (1950–1953). The capital has undergone rapid urbanization in the postwar decades, especially with the industrialization of the 1970s and infrastructural improvements of the 1980s in anticipation of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The city has grown vastly beyond its original walls and today has 25 autonomous districts (ku) and 522 wards (dong). The Han River divides the city into nearly equal northern and southern sections. The city also has eight mountains, the most visible being Mount Nam in the center of the city. In 1949, Seoul was designated as a "special city" and became administratively independent from surrounding Kyonggi Province. Kyonggi Province and Seoul's satellite cities make the Seoul metropolitan area the nation's center of politics, economy, and culture.
Further Reading
Korean Overseas Information Service. (1993) A Handbook ofKorea. Seoul: Korean Overseas Information Service.
Nilsen, Robert. (1997) South Korea Handbook. Chico, CA: Moon Publications.
Storey, Robert, and Alex English. (2001) Korea. 5th ed. Berkeley, CA: Lonely Planet Publications.
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