Facts about Seoul

A large number of universities reside in Seoul.

Seoul and South Korea have a thriving economy that helps to make South Korea a major player in the world economy.

That represents a close transliteration of Seoul in Mandarin Chinese, where ? (sh?u) can also mean "first" or "capital."

Nearly all of Seoul's ten million residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities.

One professional football club in Seoul, FC Seoul, plays in the K-League.

The old Joseon Dynasty city constitutes the traditional heart of Seoul, now the downtown area with most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels, and traditional markets.

Seoul's transportation inaugurated in 1897 during the Joseon Dynasty, when the first streetcar lines linking Seoul and Incheon.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, sits on the Han River (Korea) in the country's northwest situated about 30 miles (~50 km) south of the de-militarized zone (DMZ).

Seoul, one of the world's most digitally-connected cities, has more Internet users than all of sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa.

Seoul derives from the ancient Korean word Seorabeol or Seobeol, meaning "capital city," referring to Gyeongju, the capital of Silla.

Seoul has eight subway lines that interlink every district of the city with one another and with the surrounding area.

The Seoul National Capital Area has a green belt intended to prevent urban sprawl into neighboring Gyeonggi Province.

The most prestigious universities in Korea have their campuses in Seoul, including the so-called "SKY" schools: Seoul National University, Korea University, and Yonsei University.

Jongno, meaning "Bell Street," the most historically significant street in Seoul, serves as the home to Bosingak, a pavilion containing a large bell.

Two K3 League teams have their base in the capital, Seoul United and Eungpyeong Chung-goo FC.

Other notable streets in downtown Seoul include Euljiro (???; ???), Teheranno (????), Sejongno (???; ???, Chungmuro (???; ???), Yulgongno (???; ???), and Toegyero (???; ???).

Seoul now plans to build a 580-metre business center in Sangam Digital Media City district and planning on an 800-metre Lotte World 2 Tower in Jamsil (pronounced "Jam-shil") district.

Seoul sits in northwest South Korea, comprising 605.52kmІ of area while roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River.

Seoul serves as the country's political, cultural, and economic center, as well as a center for international business.

The Korean government has been trying to encourage to students to attend colleges outside Seoul as a way of alleviating the horrific competition to enter the SKY colleges.

Seoul Metropolitan Government operates Seoul's bus system, with four primary bus networks available servicing most of the city.

The KTX bullet train links Seoul to most major Korean cities.

Seoul has established plans to become a transportation hub for Asia.

The city hosts two baseball teams in the KBO: the Doosan Bears and the LG Twins and two basketball teams in the KBL: the Seoul Samsung Thunders and Seoul SK Knights.

Seoul's metropolitan area accommodates six major parks, including Seoul Forest, opened in mid-2005.

Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympic Games as well as the 1988 Paralympic Games, serving as well as one of the host cities of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Seoul has developed a full array of transportation modes, including airports, high speed trains, an elaborate subway system, and an extensive network of highways and road.

The Seoul area boasts three amusement parks: Lotte World, Seoul Land, and Everland (located in the nearby city of Yongin).

Seoul hosts more than three million registered vehicles, making widespread traffic congestion common.

The crime rate in Seoul is comparatively low.

Seoul has several intercity/express bus terminals connecting Seoul and cities all around Korea.

Seoul's per capita GDP in 2005 read US$ 30,510.

Gimpo International Airport, annexed to Seoul in 1963, constituted the only airport for Seoul from its original construction during the Korean War.

Faced with an ever increasingly complex transportation system, Seoul's metropolitan government employs several mathematicians to coordinate the subway, bus, and traffic schedules into one timetable.

The Royal Palaces of the Joseon Dynasty still remain in Seoul, with the main palace (Gyeongbokgung) currently restored to its original form.

Seoul divides into 25 gu (?; ?) (districts), that sub-divide further into 522 dong (?; ?), that sub-divide even further into 13,787 tong (?; ?), which divide into 102,796 ban, the smallest division.

Combined with the subway, bus transportation allows a way to by pass the traffic jams that plague Seoul.

United States Army Corps of Engineers built numerous airports built in and around Seoul during and after the Korea War.

Climate In common with the rest of South Korea, Seoul has a temperate and continental climate, despite water surrounding South Korea on three sides.

During the colonization period, Japan demolished many historical parts of Seoul.

Seoul has the largest number of skyscrapers in Asia.

The history of Seoul traces to 18 B.C.E.

Taekwondo constitutes Korea's national sport, Seoul serving as the location of the Kukkiwon, also known as the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), the world headquarters of Taekwondo.

Seoul links to Incheon and Gimpo by highways, Gimpo also joins Seoul by subway (line #5).

During the Goryeo Dynasty, Seoul had the name Hanseong, picking up the current name during the Joseon Dynasty, designated Seoul.

Designated the status of a Special City, the national government directly administers Seoul.

Urban and civil planning played a key role in the first designs of Seoul as a capital in the fourteenth century, when Korean society was strictly structured as a classed society.

Just as in the Joseon Dynasty period, when yangban seeking office came to Seoul, students flock to Seoul's colleges.

Seoul, an ancient city, served as the historic capital of the Baekje Dynasty (18 B.C.E.

Seoul's most important streetcar line ran along Jongno until replaced by Line 1 of the subway system in the early 1970s.

Railroad connects Seoul to every major city in Korea.

Seoul, one of the world's most densely populated major cities, covers an area of only 605 square kilometers, smaller than New York City or Tokyo.

Almost one fourth of South Korea's population lives in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly one half in the Greater Seoul Area.

Today, an estimated 200,000 foreign nationals live in Seoul.

The largest city in South Korea with over ten million people, Seoul also numbers among the largest cities in the world.