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The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC, although humans have occupied the area now known as Seoul since the
Paleolithic Age The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος '' lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
. It has been the capital of numerous kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula since it was established.


Early history


Prehistoric

It is believed that humans were living in the area that is now Seoul along the lower reaches of the Han River during the
Paleolithic Age The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος '' lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
and archaeological research shows that people began to lead settled lives starting in the Neolithic Age. Prehistoric remains that are unearthed in the Amsa Prehistoric Site (암사선사유적지, ''Amsa Seonsa Yujeokji''), located in Amsa-dong,
Gangdong District Gangdong District (Gangdong-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Gangdong is literally "east of the (Han) River". It is located on the east side of the city. Jungbu (literally "Central Part") Express Motorw ...
, date back to about 3,000 to 7,000 years ago. With the introduction of
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
ware from about 700 BC, settlements gradually began to spread from the river basin toward inland areas.


Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla period

In 18 BC, the kingdom of
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jumon ...
founded its capital city,
Wiryeseong Wiryeseong was the name of two early capitals of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Both are believed to have been in the modern-day Seoul area. According to ''Samguk Sagi'' (the oldest surviving Korean history book, written in the 12th ...
(위례성), which is believed to be inside modern-day Seoul.
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jumon ...
subsequently developed from a member state of the Mahan confederacy into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. There are several
city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
remains in the Seoul area dating from this time. Among them, Pungnap Toseong (풍납토성), an earthen wall in the southeastern part of modern-day Seoul, (in Pungnap-dong, just near
Jamsil-dong Jamsil-dong is a neighbourhood, ''dong'', of Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. Its name is derived from silkworm breeding during the Joseon dynasty. ''Jamsil'' translates to a room or place for sericulture ("jam" is silkworm, "sil" is room). The st ...
area) is widely believed to be the main Wiryeseong site. Yet another earthen wall,
Mongchon Toseong Mongchontoseong Earthen Fortification () is an ancient earthen rampart dating from the Baekje kingdom. It appears to have played the same role in defending the region the fortifications constructed on Mt. Acha. The fortification walls are estim ...
(몽촌토성), located nearby, is also dated from the early Baekje era. All of these sites are in the south of the Han River, and do not belong to the historic Seoul district (centered in modern-day Jongno District), which is well in the north of the river. As the Three Kingdoms competed for this strategic region of the Korean Peninsula, control passed from Baekje to Goguryeo in 475 and from Goguryeo to the Silla in 553. Silla soon gained full control of the city and then the peninsula, and during the Unified Silla period, ''Hanyang'' (한양; ) first referred to a district in the city, and later the city itself.


Goryeo period

It was thought that the kingdom that controlled the Han River valley would also have strategic control of the whole peninsula, because it was a center of transportation. In 1104, King Sukjong of the Goryeo Dynasty built a palace near present day Gyeongbokgung, which was then referred to as ''Namgyeong'' (남경; ) or "Southern Capital". Seoul grew into a full-scale city with political significance during this time.


Joseon period

At the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty in 1394, the capital was moved to Seoul, also known as ''Hanyang'' and later as ''Hanseong'' (한성, 漢城, "Fortress city nthe Han
iver Iver is a large civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park. Geography, transport and economy Part of the 43-square- ...
), where it remained until the fall of the dynasty. Originally entirely surrounded by a massive circular
wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the super ...
(a -high circular stone
fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
) to provide its citizens security from wild animals such as the
tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
as well as thieves and attacks. The city has grown beyond those walls and although the wall no longer stands (outside of the mountains north of the downtown area), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably
Sungnyemun Namdaemun (, ), officially known as the Sungnyemun (, ), is one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, South Korea, which surrounded the city in the Joseon dynasty. It is located in Jung-gu between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza, ...
(commonly known as Namdaemun, or ''South Gate'') and Heunginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun, or ''East Gate'') but also Sukjeongmun (commonly known as Bukdaemun, or ''North Gate'') and four smaller gates included Changuimun and Hyehwamun. During the Joseon Dynasty, the gates were opened and closed each day, accompanied by the ringing of large bells. A capital
prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
, Hanseong, consisted of inner districts (i.e. ) and outer districts (; approximately off the city wall). The Jungnangcheon River, the Han River, Mount Bukhan, and Hongjecheon formed the administrative prefectural boundary. File:Gyeonghungak.jpg, Gyeonghungak was an attached two-storied building of Daejojeon Hall of
Changdeok Palace Changdeokgung (Hangul: 창덕궁, Hanja: 昌德宮; literally, "The Palace of Prospering Virtue"), also known as Changdeokgung Palace or Changdeok Palace, is set within a large park in Jongno District, Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five G ...
. The first story was Gyeonghungak. and the second story was Jinggwangru. File:Hauptstrasse und Palasttor in Seoul.jpg, The street in front of Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 19th century. File:Stone dog, guardian of palace against fire, Korea c.1900.jpg, Gwanghwa Gate, the main gate of
Gyeongbokgung Palace Gyeongbokgung (), also known as Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the ''Five Grand Palaces'' built by the Joseon ...
File:1894JoseonSeoul.jpg, Seoul in 1894. File:Joseonperiod.jpg, Waryong-dong, Seoul in the late Joseon Dynasty. File:Joseon seoul.PNG, a neighborhood of Seoul in the late Joseon Dynasty. File:Narrow street of 19c Seoul.jpg, A narrow street of 19th-century Seoul. File:Woodsellers19c.jpg, A street of 19th-century Seoul. File:Hanseong Municipal Government.JPG, Hanseong Municipal Government. File:Seokeo dang.JPG, Seokeodang is a two-storey building of
Deoksugung Palace Deoksugung, also known as Gyeongun-gung, Deoksugung Palace, or Deoksu Palace, is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea's Royal Family during the Joseon monarchy until the annexation of Korea by Japan in ...
built in the style of a private residence. File:Courant - Souvenir de Séoul, Corée-10.jpg, Jibokjae, the Royal Library of Seoul in the late Joseon period.


Korean Empire period

In the late 19th century, after hundreds of years of isolation, Seoul opened its gates to foreigners and began to
modernize Modernization theory is used to explain the process of modernization within societies. The "classical" theories of modernization of the 1950s and 1960s drew on sociological analyses of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and a partial reading of Max Weber, ...
. Seoul became the first city in East Asia to have electricity,
trolley car A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ar ...
s, water, telephone, and
telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...
systems all at the same time. Much of this was due to trade with foreign countries like France and United States. For example, the
Seoul Electric Company Korea Electric Power Corporation, better known as KEPCO (Hangul: 켑코) or Hanjeon (Hangul: 한전), is the largest electric utility in South Korea, responsible for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity and the developme ...
, Seoul Electric Trolley Company, and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were all joint Korean-American owned enterprises. In 1904, an American by the name of Angus Hamilton visited the city and said, "The streets of Seoul are magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained. The narrow, dirty lanes have been widened, gutters have been covered, roadways broadened. Seoul is within measurable distance of becoming the highest, most interesting and cleanest city in the East". File:대한문 앞 명성황후 국장행렬-1897.gif, Funeral of Empress Myeongseong, 21 November 1897 File:View of seoul circa 1900.jpg, View of Seoul, circa 1900 File:Bourdaret-EnCorée-p010a.jpg,
Bigak Bigak is a pavilion near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul. The pavilion was built in 1902 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Emperor Gojong’s coronation and his 50th birthday, as well as the founding in 1897 of the Korean Empire. See also *Gwan ...
(Monument for the 40th Anniversary of Emperor Gojong's Enthronement), built in 1902 File:Electric trolley, Korea 1903.jpg, Streetcar in Seoul, 1903 File:A Korean Drum & Bugle Corps Escorts the Grand-Master of the Emperor's Royal Stables Through Seoul in 1903.jpg, A Korean Drum & Bugle corps escorts the Grand-Master of the Emperor's royal stables through Seoul in 1903 File:Sungnyemun 1904.jpg,
Sungnyemun Namdaemun (, ), officially known as the Sungnyemun (, ), is one of the Eight Gates in the Fortress Wall of Seoul, South Korea, which surrounded the city in the Joseon dynasty. It is located in Jung-gu between Seoul Station and Seoul Plaza, ...
, 1904 File:Seokjojeon Deoksugung ROK.jpg, Seokjojeon, Imperial palace of Korean Empire. File:Gwangtonggwan.jpg, Gwangtonggwan, the head office building of former Daehan Cheon-il Bank. File:본단에서 바라본 황궁우 (c. 1906).jpg, ''Hwanggungwu'' (Imperial Vault of Heaven),
Hwangudan Hwangudan Altar, located in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea, was built in 1897 to serve as a site for the performance of the rite of heaven. The site was also known by other names, such as Wongudan (원구단, ), Jecheondan (제천단, ) and Wonda ...
, a site where Korean Emperors performed the rites to Heaven, 1906 File:Hospital during the Korean Empire.jpg, Taehan Hospital of Seoul during the
Gwangmu Reform The Gwangmu Reform (Korean" 광무개혁, Hanja: 光武改革, ''Gwangmu Gaehyeok'') was a collection of reforms that were aimed at modernizing and westernizing the Korean Empire as it felt held back from what other countries had achieved in thei ...
. File:Travelogues; (1908) (65).jpg,
Jongno Jongno or Jong-ro ( ko, 종로), literally meaning "Bell Street", is a trunk road and one of the oldest major east–west thoroughfares in Seoul, South Korea. Jongno connects Gwanghwamun Plaza to Dongdaemun. The area surrounding Jongno is a ...
, 1908


Korea, Empire of Japan

When the Empire of Japan
annexed Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
the Korean Empire, it made Seoul the colonial capital. While under
colonial rule Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
(1910–1945), the city was called Keijō (); ( ko, 경성, translit=Gyeongseong or ''Kyongsong'', literally meaning "capital city" in Hanja.). Keijō was an urban city (부/府) that had 2 wards: Keijō itself and Ryusan-ku (龍山區, , ).
Gyeongseong Seoul has been known in the past by successive names, including Wiryeseong () and Hanseong (Baekje era), Bukhansangun (Goguryo era), Hanyang (North and South states period), Namgyeong (, Goryeo era), Hanyangbu (Goryeo under Mongol rule), Hanseong ...
was part of Gyeonggi Province, instead of being an independent city or prefecture as in Joseon and present days. In 1914, several outer districts of the prefecture were annexed to neighboring Goyang County (now
Goyang City Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populati ...
, reducing the administrative size of the prefecture. In 1936, Gyeongseong expanded itself as it annexed Yeongdeungpo from Siehung County (Now Siehung City) and recombined some parts of former Gyeongseong districts (Sungin, Yeonghee, etc.) from Goyang County. The Government-General Building served as the seat of the colonial government of Colonial Korea but was torn down in 1995. File:L’Indépendance de la Corée et la Paix-02.jpg, March 1st Movement, 1919 File:Funeral for Sunjong.JPG, Funeral for Emperor Sunjong, 10 June 1926 File:Japanese General Government Building.jpg, Government-General Building, built in 1926 File:Keijo Station.JPG, Keijo Station (currently
Seoul Station Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Services KTX Seoul Station is the terminus of most ...
) File:Keijo City Hall.JPG, Keijo City Hall (currently Seoul Metropolitan Library) File:Mitsukoshi Keijo.jpg, Mitsukoshi department store (now Shinsegae Main store) File:Chosen Commercial Bank Head Office.JPG, Chosen Commercial Bank Head Office File:Keijo Nippo Company Building.JPG, Keijo Nippo(京城日報) Company Building File:First_Street_of_Honmachi_Keijo_Korea_1930s.png, Gate of ''Hommachi'', Japanese main residence area


Modern history

After World War II and Korea's liberation, the city took its present name of ''Seoul''. When the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was declared, the new state adopted the city as its capital. In 1949, Seoul administrative area expanded to Ui-dong to the north, and Guro-dong and
Daerim-dong Daerim-dong is a ''dong'', neighbourhood of Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul, South Korea. See also *Administrative divisions of South Korea South Korea is made up of 17 first-tier administrative divisions: 6 metropolitan cities (''gwangyeoksi'' ) ...
to the south, recombining some areas which were annexed from original Seoul to
Goyang Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populati ...
County in 1914. In 1950, the Korean War broke out and Seoul changed hands between the North Korean forces and South Korean forces four times, leaving the city largely destroyed at the end of the war. One estimate of the extensive damage states that at least 191,000 buildings, 55,000 houses, and 1,000 factories lay in ruins. In addition, there were a flood of refugees from the North, swelling the city's population to an estimated 2.5 million persons. More than half of them were homeless. The government considered moving its
capital city A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city that physically encompasses the go ...
to Yeongdeungpo and Bupyeong, which are south of the Han River. Following the war, Seoul became the focus of an immense reconstruction and
modernization Modernization theory is used to explain the process of modernization within societies. The "classical" theories of modernization of the 1950s and 1960s drew on sociological analyses of Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and a partial reading of Max Weber ...
effort. Rapid economic growth achieved during the industrialization of the 1960s and 1970s raised
living standards Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available, generally applied to a society or location, rather than to an individual. Standard of living is relevant because it is considered to contribute to an individual's quality ...
of residents considerably in Seoul. In 1963, Seoul greatly expanded in size by
annexing Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
a number of towns and villages from several surrounding counties in
Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
, such as
Bucheon Bucheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is located away from Seoul, of which it is a satellite city. It is located between Incheon and Seoul. Bucheon is the second most densely populated city in South Korea after Seoul, ...
, Siheung, Gwangju, Yangju, and
Gimpo Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The c ...
. However, many newly annexed districts were still rural until Gangnam area began to be developed into urban neighborhoods from the late 1970s. At the same time, Gwacheon Township (today's
Gwacheon Gwacheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies close to Seoul in the heart of the Seoul National Capital Area, and also lies just east of Anyang. Seoul Subway Line 4 passes through the city. Various attractions usually associated ...
city) and the northern part of West Township (today's
Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; Korean: 광명시) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the northeast. Gwangmyeong is home to one of t ...
city) in
Siheung County Siheung County, alternatively Shihŭng County was a county (''gun'') in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. This county was abolished in 1989 as its one town(읍) of Sorae and two townships(면) of Gunja and Suam became Siheung City at the same time. T ...
, parts of Ojeong Township in Bucheon County, and Sindo Township in Goyang County were also annexed to the Seoul Metropolitan Urban Planning Districts (), taking these areas as provisional districts for further official municipal
annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
to Seoul in the future. In 1973, some parts of Sindo Township in Goyang County (today's
Jingwan-dong Jingwan-dong is a ''dong'', neighbourhood of Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul, South Korea. Education Schools located in Jingwan-dong: * Jingwan Elementary School * Eunjin Elementary School * Seoul Eunvit Elementary School * Bukhansan Elementary School * J ...
in the
Eunpyeong District Eunpyeong District (은평구, ''Eunpyeong-gu'') is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Eunpyeong has a population of 450,583 (2010) and has a geographic area of 29.7 km2 (11.5 sq mi), and is divided into 16 ''dong'' (administrative n ...
) were officially annexed to Seoul. The remaining parts of Sindo Township, Goyang and the northern part of West Township, Siheung (today's
Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; Korean: 광명시) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the northeast. Gwangmyeong is home to one of t ...
City) were provisionally planned to be annexed to Seoul, but the municipal annexation plan foundered in the end, in which the symbolic event for this was the establishment of Gwangmyeong City (other than annexation to
Guro-gu Guro District (Guro-gu) is a district of Seoul, South Korea, which was separated from Yeongdeungpo District on April 1, 1980. Located in the southwestern part of the city, where besides Yangcheon District and Geumcheon District Guro District h ...
) in 1981, as the rapid growth of Seoul City was a great concern for governmental officials. High-rise office buildings and apartments began sprouting throughout the city during the construction boom of the 1980s. Pollution and
traffic jams Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s. When traffic d ...
became major issues as urbanization in the country accelerated and more and more people began moving to Seoul and its surrounding areas. Despite a
green belt A green belt is a policy and land-use zone designation used in land-use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighboring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges, which hav ...
established around the city to prevent urban sprawl, the
Seoul metropolitan area The Seoul Capital Area (SCA), Sudogwon (, ) or Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fifth larges ...
soon became the third largest in the world in terms of population and one of the most crowded. Seoul was the host city of the
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
as well as one of the venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. File:Seoul Station in 1945.8.15.jpg, In front of
Seoul Station Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The station is served by the Korail Intercity Lines and the commuter trains of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Services KTX Seoul Station is the terminus of most ...
,
15 August Events Pre-1600 * 636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins. * 717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Constan ...
1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Janu ...
( Liberation of Korea) File:Korean Welcome, Seoul 1945.jpg, Korean welcomes Allied army, early October 1945 File:Ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea.JPG, Ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea, 15 August 1948 File:Korean War - 60th Anniversary Photo Archive - A scene on the street of Seoul in front of the Bank of Korea right before the outbreak of the Korean War, June 1950 (Flickr id 14737628002).jpg, In front of the Bank of Korea, June 1950. File:Scene of war damage in residential section of Seoul, Korea. The capitol building can be seen in the background (right). - NARA - 531379.tif, Scene of war damage in residential section of Seoul. The capitol building can be seen in the background (right). 18 October 1950 File:Gyeongseong Government (Central) Post Office 경성우편국.jpg, Old Central Post Office, 1954 (demolished 1957) File:Seoul-from-Namsan-CableCar-1962.jpg, Bird's eye view of Seoul from the Namsan cablecar, 1962 File:Korea (27971985000).jpg,
Sogong-dong Sogong-dong is a ''dong'', neighbourhood of Jung-gu in Seoul, South Korea. Economy All Nippon Airways operates the Seoul Office in Room 1501 on the 15th floor of the Center Building in Sogong-dong. Hainan Airlines operates its South Korea offic ...
, Seoul, August 1970 File:여의도 아파트 단지 전경 (1975).jpg,
Yeouido Yeouido ( Hangul: 여의도, en, Yoi Island or Yeoui Island) is a large island (or eyot) on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance and investment banking district. Its 8.4 square kilometers are home to some 30,988 peopl ...
apartment buildings, 1975 File:서울 미도파백화점 매장 풍경.jpg, ''Midopa'' department store,
24 December Events Pre-1600 * 502 – Chinese emperor Xiao Yan names Xiao Tong his heir designate. * 640 – Pope John IV is elected, several months after his predecessor's death. * 759 – Tang dynasty poet Du Fu departs for Chengdu, wh ...
1975 File:DA-ST-87-13010.jpeg, Itaewon-dong, 1986 File:View from COEX Tower.jpg,
Seoul Olympic Stadium The Seoul Olympic Stadium (), also known as Jamsil Olympic Stadium (formerly romanised as ''Chamshil''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Seoul, South Korea. It is the main stadium built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 10th Asian Games in 1 ...
, built for the
1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
and the 10th Asian Games in 1986 File:Sampungdept25.jpg,
Sampoong Department Store collapse On June 29, 1995, the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul, South Korea, collapsed due to a structural failure. The collapse killed 502 people and injured 937, making it the largest peacetime disaster in South Korean history. It was the deadlies ...
, 1995 File:Seoul, South Korea 2002 World Cup young people watching the game.jpg, Young people watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup File:Cheonggyechun under construction (2004) - panoramio.jpg,
Cheonggyecheon Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...
under construction, 2004
Today, the population of the Seoul area comprises 20% of the total population of South Korea. During the 1990s, the city began to attract many workers from other countries, changing demographics. Previously, nearly all of Seoul's residents were Korean. Today, there are an estimated 200,000 foreign nationals living in Seoul. These include tens of thousands of English teachers from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other English-speaking countries, as well as laborers from
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. In 1995, the boundary between Seoul and Gwangmyeong rearrangement was implemented, merging parts of Cheolsan 3-dong, Gwangmyeong in the
Geumcheon District Geumcheon District (Geumcheon-gu) is one of the 25 ''gu'' (districts) of Seoul, South Korea. It was created from southern parts of ''Guro-gu'' and tiny sections from Gwangmyeong in 1995. Its district office is located in front of Siheung Station ...
of Seoul. Around the time of the 1995 municipal annexation in South Korea, the government once seriously considered a division of Seoul into several municipal or metropolitan cities, but the division plan foundered as it would be expected to cause serious problems in aspects of metropolitan governance in Seoul. In addition, there are many language instructors from English-speaking countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, and the UK. As a major business and financial center, Seoul also has many executives and analysts from North America, Europe, and Japan. Seoul ranks seventh in the world in terms of the number of
Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by '' Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...
transnational companies headquartered there. It is also the world's second most expensive city, ahead of Tokyo and Hong Kong (ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively). On 29 October 2022, a crowd crush ended up killing at least 156 people, including at least 19 foreign nationals.


Failed relocation of the capital

On 11 August 2004, the South Korean government announced they would relocate the capital city from Seoul to the Gongju area as of 2007, to ease
population pressure Population pressure, a term summarizing the stress brought about by an excessive population density and its consequences, is used both in conjunction with human overpopulation and with other animal populations that suffer from too many individuals ...
on Seoul and to get the government to a safer distance from North Korea in case of a Northern military invasion.S Korea chooses new capital site
BBC News
Gongju is approximately south of Seoul. The Government estimated that the move would probably not be completed before 2012. Although part of the election manifesto, this plan ignited nationwide controversy. On 21 October 2004, the
Constitutional Court of Korea The Constitutional Court of Korea () is highest constitutional court in judicial branch of South Korea, seated in Jongno, Seoul. Established under Chapter 6 of the Constitution of South Korea, the Court has ultimate jurisdiction over judicia ...
ruled that mostly based on custom law, the special law for the relocation of the capital is unconstitutional since the relocation is a serious national matter requiring national referendum or revision of the constitution, thus effectively ending the dispute. In late 2004, however, the South Korean government announced plans to move most of the national government branches, except the Executive Branch, to Gongju, thus evading violation of the Constitutional Court ruling and still allow Seoul to be a National Capital. Since this plan was supported by the late president Roh Moo-hyun and bitterly opposed by the current ruling party and the former president ( Lee Myung-bak – the former mayor of Seoul) the planned move was scaled back dramatically when Lee Myung-bak took office. As of 2011, some preliminary work has begun on construction of new government buildings in the Gongju area. No government agencies want to move away from the center of power in Seoul, so which agencies will be forced to move is the subject of intense behind-the-scenes debate. Sejong City was founded in 2007 as part of efforts to relocate the national capital. It was created from territory of South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces to ease congestion in Seoul and encourage investment in the country's central region. Since 2012, the Government of South Korea has relocated numerous ministries and agencies to Sejong, but many still reside in other cities - namely Seoul where the National Assembly, the
Blue House Cheong Wa Dae ( ko, 청와대; Hanja: ; ), also known as the Blue House, is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022. It is located in the Jongno distri ...
and many important government bodies remain.


See also

* History of Korea *
Names of Seoul Seoul has been known in the past by successive names, including Wiryeseong () and Hanseong (Baekje era), Bukhansangun (Goguryo era), Hanyang (North and South states period), Namgyeong (, Goryeo era), Hanyangbu (Goryeo under Mongol rule), Hanseong ...
* Timeline of Seoul history


References


Bibliography

{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of Seoul History of Korea Former capitals of Korea