Seoul

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Seoul , city (1995 pop. 10,229,262), capital of South Korea, NW South Korea, on the Han River. It has special status equivalent to that of a province. The political, commercial, industrial, and cultural center of the nation, Seoul is by far the most important city in the country, containing almost one quarter of its citizens. In the 15 years between 1970 and 1985 the population grew by over 4,000,000 and Seoul modernized dramatically, becoming one of the world's major cities.

Seoul is linked by rail, expressway, and subway with Incheon (Inchon), its port, and there are airports there and at Gimpo (Kimpo). Before the partition of Korea in 1945, Seoul's easy access to industrial raw materials stimulated the establishment of iron, steel, and other primary industries; with most of the raw materials now in North Korea, the city has emphasized textile manufacturing, agricultural processing, automobiles, electronics, petrochemicals, printing, publishing, and varied consumer and service industries. There are also tanneries, railroad repair shops, and large power plants.

Seoul was an early fortress and trade center, and the modern city was established in 1394 as the capital of the Choson (or Yi) dynasty, which ruled Korea until the country became (1910) a colony of Japan. The Japanese governor-general made Seoul (known as Kyongsong or Keijo) his headquarters. When the country was partitioned after World War II, Seoul became the seat of the U.S. occupation forces. It became the capital of South Korea in 1948. North Korean forces captured the city on June 28, 1950, only three days after the Korean War began; it then changed hands several times until UN troops took it in Mar., 1951, and it became the headquarters of the UN command in Korea. Heavily damaged during the war, the city was rebuilt along modern lines. Its population was greatly increased by refugees.

Seoul retains two gates of the ancient wall that once surrounded it (one was severely damaged by fire in 2008) and three imperial palaces—the Gyeongbok Palace, built in 1394 by the first monarch of the Choson dynasty; the Changdeok Palace, containing many valuable relics; and the Deoksu Palace (1593), which houses the National Museum and Art Gallery. In the center of the city is a huge bronze bell that was cast in 1468. It has a Roman Catholic cathedral and numerous other Christian churches; there are also the soaring Seoul Tower, many museums, theatres, libraries, zoological and botanical gardens, and universities, including Seoul National Univ. Seoul played host to the 1988 summer Olympics, for which it built the Seoul Sports Complex.

Seoul (Sŏul), South Korea Hanyang, Hansŏng, Kyŏngsŏng, Keijō The city became the capital of the unified Korea in 1394 when Yi T'aejo ‘Great Progenitor’, otherwise King Taejo, keen to make a clean break with the past, moved his capital from Namgyong ‘Southern Capital’ to the small city of Hanyang which was in the middle of the country. He built it anew and it became unofficially known as Seoul ‘capital’; the official name, however, was Hansŏng ‘City of the Han (dynasty)’ from sŏng ‘city’. During the period of Japanese rule in 1910–45 the city was renamed Kyŏngsŏng (in Korean) ‘Capital City’, from kyŏng ‘capital’ or ‘metropolis’, and Keijō (in Japanese) with the same meaning. In 1948, when the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was created, Seoul became the official name of its capital. Seoul, or rather Sŏul, is a pure Korean word, chosen with the desire to break away from previous Chinese and Japanese associations. Today the city has ‘special city’ status under the direct control of the national government with the title Sŏul‐t'ŭkpyŏlsi ‘Seoul Special City’.

Seoul (Kyongsong) Capital of South Korea, on the River Han. The political, commercial, industrial and cultural centre of South Korea, it was founded in 1392 as the capital of the Yi dynasty. It developed rapidly under Japanese governorship (1910–45). After World War 2, Seoul was the headquarters for the US army of occupation. Following the 1948 partition, it became capital of South Korea. Seoul's capture by North Korean troops precipitated the beginning of the Korean War (1950–53), and the following months witnessed the city's virtual destruction. In March 1951, it became the headquarters of the UN command in Korea and a rebuilding programme commenced. By the 1970s, it was the hub of one of the most successful economies of Southeast Asia. In 1996, Seoul was the scene of violent student demonstrations for reunification with North Korea. The city hosted the semi-final of the 2002 World Cup. Pop. (2000) 9,853,972.

Seoul sōl the capital of South Korea, situated in the northwest of the country on the Han River. Extensively developed under Japanese rule, it became the capital of South Korea after the partition of 1945. The city was captured and retaken four times during the Korean War, suffering severe damage as a result. On June 28, 1950, Seoul came under North Korean control, and most of the South Korean army was destroyed; the U.N. forces immediately came to the aid of South Korea. South Korea recaptured Seoul on September 26, 1950. When Chinese soldiers entered Korea to assist North Korean troops, they forced U.N. troops to retreat, and Seoul was evacuated on January 4, 1951. The U.S. Army recaptured Seoul on March 15, 1951.

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