SEOUL

Korean Soul, formally Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Special City of Seoul), city and capital of the Republic of Korea (South Korea), located in the northwestern part of the country on the Han-gang (Han River) 37 miles (60 kilometres) from the Yellow Sea. Except for a brief interregnum (13991405), Seoul was the capital of Korea from 1394 until the formal division of the country in 1948. The name itself has come to mean capital in the Korean language. The city was popularly called Seoul in Korean during both the Yi dynasty (13921910) and the period of Japanese rule (191045), although the official names in those periods were Hansong and Kyongsong, respectively. The city was also popularly and, during most of the 14th century, officially known as Hanyang. Seoul became the official name of the city only with the founding of South Korea. Korean Soul, formally Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Special City of Seoul) city and capital of the Republic of Korea (South Korea). Its location, in the northwestern part of the country on the Han River, which flows northwestward into the Yellow Sea 37 miles (60 km) downstream, was favourable for a capital city because it was near the centre of a previously undivided Korea and on a navigable river. Seoul was the capital of Korea from 1394 and was later the centre of Japanese rule in the country. The 20th-century demilitarized zone, which divides North and South Korea, runs partially through the mouth of the Han, diminishing Seoul's role as a river port. Seoul has the status of a special city under the direct control of the home minister, with administrative status equal to that of a province. Central Seoul lies within the lowland of a topographic basin encircled by low hills ranging up to 1,000 feet (300 m) high. The basin is drained by a small tributary of the Han River. The central city is located in the lower part of the basin. The climate of Seoul is characterized by large variations in temperature, from a mean in January of 26 F (-3 C) to an August mean of 78 F (25 C). Precipitation averages 54 inches (1,370 mm), with summer being the wettest season. Manufacturing, commerce, and service industries account for most of Seoul's economic activity. Within the manufacturing sector the production of textiles, machinery, and chemicals is most prominent; other important industries are food processing, printing, and publishing. Most manufacturing operations are small scale. Two large shopping areas, located near the south and east gates of the old city, attract shoppers from all parts of the country. Rectangular street patterns predominate in the city centre, but toward the foothills surrounding the city the streets accommodate the irregular terrain. The capitol and other government offices are located along Sejong-no. The areas of Chong-no, Myong-dong, and Ulchi-ro contain the central business district. Urban expansion has included the construction of new streets, the establishment of satellite cities, the scattering of industry throughout the city, and the renewal of the old section. The city is a centre of higher education, and its major institutions include Seoul National, Yonsei (Yonse), Korea, and Ewha Woman's universities. It is the home of the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, and the National Classical Music Institute, which is engaged in the preservation of the traditional court music of Korea. Other cultural institutions include a national theatre, national and private museums, and public libraries. Subways, automobiles, buses, taxis, and railroads are the principal means of transportation in the increasingly congested city; motor vehicles contribute significantly to air pollution. Railway lines connect Seoul with most major provincial cities and seaports. Kimp'o, the city's international airport, is located in the western part of Seoul and is the centre of the national airline network. Metropolitan area, 234 sq mi (605 sq km). Pop. (1984 est.) 9,501,400. History The earliest historical mention of Seoul and the surrounding area dates from the 1st century BC. During the Three Kingdoms period (57 BCAD 668) of Silla, Koguryo, and Paekche, the area formed a borderland between the three countries, although during the early part of the period it was most closely associated with the Kingdom of Paekche. Historical accounts as well as archaeological records indicate that the original site of Paekche's capital, Wiryesong, was in the northeastern part of present-day Seoul. Shortly thereafter the capital was moved south across the Han-gang; a number of remains, including earthen walls, dwellings, and tombs have been uncovered at that site. It was not, however, until King Munjong of Koryo built a summer palace in 1068 that a fairly large settlement existed on the site of the modern city. After the formal establishment of Seoul as the capital of the unified Yi state in 1394, construction and growth were very rapid. Construction on the Kyongbok Palace began in 1392; it was the residence of the Yi kings from 1395 until 1592. Before residence had even been established, the construction of the city's defensive walls had been completed, although so hastily that they had to be reconstructed in 1422. The Toksu Palace, the construction of which began in the late 15th century, was the residence of the Yi kings from 1593 until 1611. The Ch'angdok Palace, begun in 1405, was the residence from 1611 to 1872, when the king moved back into the reconstructed Kyongbok Palace (it had been burned by the Japanese in 1592 and was not rebuilt until 1867). Throughout this period Seoul remained the centre of the Hermit Kingdom, with little contact permitted with the outside world. The opening of Korea to diplomatic contacts with the West in 1876, at a time when the weakening Yi dynasty was unable to control Western influence, led in 1905 to the establishment of a Japanese protectorate over the kingdom. A year after the annexation of Korea to Japan in 1910, the name of the Seoul area was changed to Kyongsong, and minor changes were made in the boundary. Seoul served as the centre of Japanese rule, and modern technology was imported. Roads were paved, old gates and walls partly removed, new Western-style buildings built, and streetcars introduced. After the end of Japanese control in 1945, Seoul came under the direct control of the central government, and in 1962 it was placed directly under the control of the prime minister. The city was left devastated by the Korean War. Out of the rubble has risen a modern city of skyscrapers and highways that has become one of the largest metropolises in the world.