History of Seoul
The Korean peninsula, which is where the Republic of Korea is located on, is approximated to have been inhabited by people since 700,000 years ago. 40,000 years ago marked the start of what is modern humans residing in the area and establishing a clan society. After the New Stone Age, clan society is generally accepted to have evolved to tribal society.
Historical architecture
Architecture
The traditional heart of Seoul is the old Joseon Dynasty city, now the downtown area, where most palaces, government offices, corporate headquarters, hotels, and traditional markets are located. Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs from west to east through the valley, was for many years covered with concrete, but was recently restored.
Seoul has many historical and cultural landmarks. In Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site, Gangdong District, neolithic remains were excavated and accidentally discovered by a flood in 1925. Urban and civil planning was a key concept when Seoul was first designed to serve as a capital in the late 14th century. The Joseon Dynasty built Five Grand Palaces in Seoul: Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung, all of which are located in the district of Jongno District and Jung District. Among them, Changdeokgung was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 as an outstanding example of Far Eastern palace architecture and garden design. The main palace, Gyeongbokgung. is currently being restored to its original form.
Modern architecture
Major modern landmarks in Seoul include the Korea Finance Building, N Seoul Tower, the World Trade Center and the seven-skyscraper residence Tower Palace. These and various high-rise office buildings, like the Gangnam Finance Center and Jongno Tower, dominate the citys skyline. Due to its high density, Seoul has a vast array of skyscrapers; the city council is now planning a series of new highrises, including a 640-meter business center in Sangam Digital Media City district and the 523-meter Lotte World 2 Tower in the Jamsil district of Songpa District and Gangdong District. The World Trade Center of Korea, located in Gangnam District, hosts various expositions and conferences.
Parks
Namsan Park offers hiking, recreation and views of the downtown Seoul skyline. The N Seoul Tower is located here. Seoul Olympic Park is located in Songpa District and was built to host the 1988 Summer Olympics. The Wongaksa Pagoda 10 tier pagoda is situated In Tapgol Park, a small public park with an area of 19,599 m2 (210,962 sq ft). Areas around streams serve as public places for relaxation and recreation. Tancheon stream and the nearby area serve as a large park with paths for both walkers and cyclists. Cheonggyecheon, a stream that runs nearly 6 km through downtown Seoul, is popular among both Seoul residents and tourists.
www.visitseoul.net
Demographics
Seoul proper is noted for its population density, which is almost twice that of New York and eight times greater than Rome. Its metropolitan area is the densest in the OECD. Nearly all of Seouls residents are Korean, with some small Chinese and Japanese minorities. As of 2009, the citys population is 10,208,302. The number of foreigners living in Seoul is 255,501 in 2010 according to Seoul officials.
Helpful Numbers
Emergency Medical Information Center: 1339
the Capital of Korea
Seoul,
International Call Service: 00799 Local telephone number guide Local area code + 114
Emergency Call
Dial 112 for the police 119 for the fire department
Economy
As the headquarters for Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK, Seoul has become a major business hub. Although it accounts for only 0.6 percent of South Koreas land area, Seoul generates 21 percent of the countrys GDP.
Welcome to Seoul
Information Service: 00794
Seoul is the capital of Korea. The word Seoul means capital in traditional Korean. Seoul is a city in which the Hangang (River) flows through, from east to west, and is surrounded by great mountains, and the city contains both history and tradition, as well as the latest IT technology, making it a kind of a city which is quite rare anywhere on the globe. Seoul first became the capital of the Korean people in the year 18 BC, when the Baekjae Dynasty established it as the capital of its establishing dynasty. The dynasty then kept Seoul as the capital for 476 years and presented prosperous culture, which served as the basis of todays Seouls traditional culture.Sevastopol is also an important centre of marine biology and ecology research. In particular, studying and training of dolphins has been conducted in the city since the end of World War II. It was first conducted as a secret naval program to use the animals for special undersea operations.
Hospital
Severance Hospital: 134, Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul Tel: +82-2-2228-5800 Asan Medical Center: 388-1, Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul Tel: +82-2-3010-5001 Samsung Medical Center: 50, Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul Tel: +82-2-3410-0200
