Seoul
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A pavilion in the grounds of the Kyongbuk-kung Palace, Seoul, South Korea. The former seat of the Yi dynasty rulers, the palace grounds are landscaped with lotus ponds, bridges, and several pavilions; the Korean alphabet hangul was invented in one of them by King Sejong in 1443. The palace remained the royal residence for around 200 years. Wars have left only 10 of the original 500 buildings standing today.
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View of Seoul, South Korea, looking north from Namsam Park, with the mountains of Puk'ansan National Park in the background. Seoul was badly damaged during the Korean War in 1950–53, but was rebuilt and is now a busy modern city.
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Workmen in Seoul, South Korea, constructing a traditional building using wooden poles. Korean traditional architecture is characterized by the use of huge wooden beams, set on stone foundations. Notches are often used instead of nails so that the buildings can be dismantled and moved. The roofs are usually made of clay tiles.
Capital and largest city of South Korea, in the northwest of the country, 32 km/20 mi inland on the Han River, and with its chief port at Inchon on the Yellow Sea; population (2002 est) 11,153,200. The metropolitan area, in which about a quarter of the total population of South Korea live, has grown rapidly since the mid-19th century and is now one of the ten largest in the world. Industries, which provide about half the industrial employment in the country, include engineering, textiles, food processing,
electrical and electronic equipment, chemicals, and machinery.
History
Seoul became the capital of the whole of Korea and the seat of the Yi dynasty in 1394. From 1910 to 1945, Seoul was the colonial capital during the Japanese occupation of Korea, when the country was extensively modernized. During the Korean War of 1950–53, the city changed hands on four occasions, and after the war lost its port function because the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea runs through the mouth of the Han River. The massive expansion that has since taken place included major construction work in the 1980s to prepare for the 1986 Asian Games and the 1988 Olympic Games.FeaturesSeoul is the home of a 14th-century Yi palace, the National Museum (1986), a national theatre, and a number of universities, including Seoul National (1885), Hanyang (1939), and Yonsei (1945). An underground railway system was opened in 1986. The city is the hub of the national railway system and is also served by Kimpo International Airport which is the centre of the national airlines. |
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