Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Tourist attractions - What is the name of the capital of South Korea? Where is it?

What is the name of the capital of South Korea? Where is it?

Seoul, the capital of South Korea (formerly translated as "Seoul"), is the political, economic, cultural and educational center of South Korea, and is also the national land, sea and air transportation hub. It is located in the middle of the Korean Peninsula and is located in a basin. The Han River winds through the city, about 30 kilometers from the west coast of the peninsula, about 185 kilometers from the east coast, and about 260 kilometers from Pyongyang to the north. The longest point of the city from north to south is 30.3 kilometers, and the longest point from east to west is 36.78 kilometers. The total area is 605.5 square kilometers and the population is 10.277 million (2003).

In January 2005, Mayor Lee Myung-bak of Seoul (formerly translated as "Seoul") held a press conference at the city hall and announced that the Chinese translation of Seoul City would be changed to "Seoul". The word is no longer used. Seoul has a long history. In ancient times, it was named "Hanyang" because it was located in the north of the Han River. After the Joseon Dynasty established its capital in Hanyang at the end of the 14th century, it was renamed "Seoul". When the Korean Peninsula was under Japanese colonial rule in modern times, Seoul was renamed "the capital". After the liberation of the Korean Peninsula in 1945, it was renamed as an inherent Korean word and marked in Roman letters as "SEOUL", which means "capital".

The entire city of Seoul is surrounded by mountains and hills with an altitude of about 500 meters, and 40% of the urban area is mountains and rivers. The northern part of the city is on higher ground. Bukhansan Mountain, Dobongsan Mountain, and Eagle Peak form a natural barrier. There are Sunasan Mountain and Yongmabong Peak in the northeast, Gwanaksan Mountain, Samseongsan Mountain, and Umyeonsan Mountain in the south. The southeast and west are hills of about 100 meters, forming the outline of Seoul. The southwest part of the city is Gimpo Plain. The central part of the city is surrounded by Beiyue Mountain, Renwang Mountain, Anshan Mountain, etc. to form an inner outline, with a basin formed in the middle.

The Han River, the largest river in South Korea, runs through the city from east to west, dividing Seoul into southern and northern parts. The length of the river flowing through the urban area is about 41.5 kilometers, and the width is 400- 1000 meters, water depth reaches 6-10 meters. The two islands formed by alluvial in the river - Yeouido (approximately 7 square kilometers) and Candao are home to Korea's largest Yeouido Plaza and the city's tallest building, the 63-story National Assembly Hall and the embassy district. .

Seoul has been the capital for nearly 600 years. According to legend, in 18 BC, King Onjo, the founder of Baekje, went south to build Weiryeseong as the capital on the current site of the city, which was later renamed Seoul. From 392 AD to 475 AD, Goguryeo occupied this area, calling the area north and south of the Han River Bukhansanju, and the area near Seoul today called South Pyongyang. In the mid-7th century, after Silla unified Korea, it was incorporated into Hansanzhou. Goryeo Emperor Seongjong (AD 960-997) upgraded this place to Yangjumu (one of the 12 Goryeo nomads). In 1068, he upgraded it to Nanjing, one of the three small capitals (Xijing, Tokyo, and Nanjing), and became a city. The Nanjing New Palace was built in 1104 and upgraded to Hanyang Palace in 1308. Li Chenggui of the Lee Dynasty built a lot of construction here in 1393, and moved the capital here in 1394, calling it Seoul Prefecture. When Japan occupied it in 1910, it was renamed Gyeongseong Prefecture. After the liberation of the Korean Peninsula in 1945, it was renamed as an inherent Korean word and marked in Roman letters as "SEOUL", which means "capital". In August 1949, South Korea designated Seoul as the "Seoul Special City".

Seoul Museum of Art

Seoul’s economy has developed rapidly since the 1960s. In the early 1960s, South Korea implemented an export-oriented economic development strategy, supported large enterprises, and vigorously developed export processing Industry has achieved economic take-off. In addition, Seoul also vigorously develops tourism. Seoul is connected to Japan, Southeast Asia, and European and American countries by air routes. Tourists from all over the world can easily travel between Seoul and European and American countries. Domestically, Seoul is also connected by expressways to major cities such as Busan and Incheon, making transportation very convenient. The Seoul-Incheon Line is South Korea's first modern expressway. The Seoul-Busan expressway passes through the industrial hub cities of Suwon, Cheonan, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu and Gyeongju, marking a major step forward in South Korea's efforts to expand and modernize its transportation network. The Seoul underground railway has 5 lines, and the total length of the railway system is 125.7 kilometers, ranking 7th in the world. The MTR has state-of-the-art facilities, with fully automated ticketing and collection systems.

Seoul is also the cultural and educational center of South Korea, with 34 colleges and universities including Seoul National University and Korea University.

The city retains many places of interest, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Secret Garden (Royal Garden). Under the shade of the urban area, ancient palaces, temples and modern buildings reaching into the sky complement each other, showing the ancient and modern history and era style of Seoul.

Seoul is also an ideal place for tourists to shop. You can buy duty-free goods in large department stores such as Shinsegae, Lotte, Metropol, and Dongbang Plaza in the city center. The duty-free goods in Seoul are all at uniform prices. .

In December 2003, the South Korean Congress passed the "New Administrative Capital Special Law" and decided to move the administrative capital from Seoul to the central region. In August 2004, the South Korean government finally determined and officially announced the address of the new administrative capital. Yeongi-Gongju, located in the central region of South Korea, will become the new administrative capital. The South Korean government is scheduled to start construction of a new administrative capital in Yeongi-Gongju in July 2007, and will form a city with a population of 300,000 and 500,000 in 2020 and 2030 respectively.

From 2012 to 2014, South Korea's main state administrative agencies will be moved to the new administrative capital. In October 2004, the Korean Constitutional Court ruled that the "New Administrative Capital Special Law" passed by the Korean Congress in December 2003 violated the constitution. The South Korean government's plan to move the administrative capital from Seoul to the central region will be forced to stop implementation.