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Seoul is the capital of the republic
Seoul is the capital of South Korea
Seoul is a vast metropolis, the capital of the Republic of Korea. It's difficult to write anything new about it, as so much has already been written. Let's start with the name: the way we pronounce it in Russian is the result of a mistake. As happened with many other Korean place names, the word was misread in the Latin transcription. It would be more correct (and more pleasant for the tongue) to pronounce it "Sool," but that's just the way it is. Incidentally, this word translates from Korean as "capital."
Seoul is a city with a very long tradition as a capital. Even before the Common Era, Wiryesong, the capital of Baekje, one of the three Korean kingdoms, stood on its site. It again became the capital of the now-unified Korean state during the Joseon Dynasty, beginning in the late 14th century. Interestingly, since 2002, there has been discussion of moving the capital of the Republic of Korea south, to a new city to be built specifically for this purpose approximately 150 km south of Seoul. In 2003, the relocation plan was even adopted by the parliament and began to be implemented. However, after Lee Myung-bak, the former mayor of Seoul, won the presidential election, the plan was stalled. It is now a major point of contention between the president and his entourage on one side, and the parliament on the other. This dispute recently even led to the resignation of the country's prime minister. The outcome of this dispute is still unclear: the parliament recently approved the continuation of the capital relocation project, despite strong government objections.
The metropolis of Seoul and its attractions
Seoul's population is a contentious issue. Its official administrative boundaries have remained unchanged for a long time, while the metropolis's actual area is constantly growing. Therefore, while its population within its previous boundaries is estimated to be around 10 million, if we draw a circle with a radius of 50 km centered on the southern outskirts of Seoul, it would be home to half of the Republic of Korea's total population, or approximately 25 million citizens.
You're unlikely to find anything truly ancient in Seoul. All the old wooden buildings have burned down and been rebuilt many times. Even the number one national treasure, the ancient Namdaemun city gate, was deliberately set on fire in February 2008 by an old man disgruntled with the government and, alas, burned to the ground. Only the stone foundation remains. The authorities promised to completely restore the gate by 2011. The beautiful wooden palaces (there are six of them: Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeonghuigung, and Unhyeonggung) and temples, of which there are several in Seoul, have also burned down repeatedly, mostly during wars, and were then partially or completely restored. It's enough to remember that during the last war between North and South Korea, control of Seoul changed hands twice. As a result of the fighting, approximately 200,000 different buildings in the city were destroyed. Generally, Seoul doesn't have a tradition of building "to last." Even relatively new structures are regularly torn down, replaced by something even more progressive and sophisticated. For example, to restore the Cheonggyecheon Stream and build a new recreation area along it, a previously constructed and successfully operating highway had to be torn down. The plan seemed utopian, but it was implemented with incredible speed. Seoul builds quickly, but demolishes just as quickly: the passion for rebuilding is incredibly strong here.
Seoul on the banks of the Han River
Seoul is a city on a large river. The river is called the Han River, and its width here reaches a kilometer. Numerous bridges (27 according to the latest data) span the Han River, connecting the northern and southern parts of Seoul. Interestingly, the first bridge, a railway bridge at that, was built only in 1900, during the construction of Korea's first railway between Seoul and Incheon. At that time, the city was located entirely on the right, northern bank of the Han River. If the king (Korean king) and his retinue needed to cross, a temporary pontoon bridge was quickly erected, while ordinary people crossed on ferries and boats. Just 40-50 years ago, the left bank was occupied primarily by rice fields and vegetable gardens. By the start of the Korean War, three bridges had been built across the Han River. During the hasty retreat of the southern forces in June 1950, all of them were blown up. Moreover, the Southerners accidentally blew them up prematurely: they were carrying people, while most of the soldiers and equipment had not yet managed to cross over from Seoul, which was under siege by the Northerners. Interestingly, the triumphant path to success for the then-little-known Hyundai company began with the high-quality restoration of one of Seoul's bridges, the Indogyo Bridge, in the late 1950s.
The Han River is a volatile river. During the summer monsoon rains, it experiences major floods and floods. A record-breaking, catastrophic flood occurred in 1925, when the river level rose nearly 9 meters, half of Seoul was flooded, and bridge supports were swept away. Among Seoul's many bridges is the Fountain Bridge, with numerous jets of water illuminated at night and cascading upward into the river at a 45-degree angle from both sides. It is one of the city's landmarks. The rapid economic development of South Korea has greatly influenced the appearance of the Han River. It was here that sand was mined for the concrete used in the construction of Seoul. This led to the disappearance of sandy beaches, sandbanks, and islands, resulting in the river becoming much wider but shallower (currently, the depth near Seoul is 2-3 meters). Recently, the government has been taking steps to "restore" the river: water quality is being monitored, and two small dams were built under bridges before the Olympics to raise the water level. This allowed tourist boats to operate. Unfortunately, "large-scale" shipping is currently impossible, as the Han River flows into the Yellow Sea right near the border with North Korea.
Seoul is a tourist city
There aren't many tourists from Europe in Seoul yet. You can wander the streets for ages and not see a single one. However, there are plenty from Japan and China. Street crime is virtually nonexistent here. You can safely walk around the city anywhere at any time of day. This is probably why there aren't any special elite neighborhoods to be seen here. New, comfortable housing can peacefully coexist with slums, although the latter are becoming fewer every year.
Seoul's importance to Korea is hard to overstate. Even the North Korean constitution, until 1972, stated that Seoul was the capital and Pyongyang the temporary seat of government. This is where careers are made, where future Korean oligarchs and generals mature, and where fortunes are made. This is where the most beautiful girls are found. If you haven't been to Seoul, you haven't been to Korea!
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