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Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population. Although Seoul's population peaked at over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at about 9.6 million residents as of 2024.

Seoul's history traces back to 18 BC when it was founded by the people of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. During the Joseon dynasty, Seoul was officially designated as the capital, surrounded by the Fortress Wall of Seoul. In the early 20th century, Seoul was occupied by the Empire of Japan, temporarily renamed "Keijō" ("Gyeongseong" in Korean). The Korean War brought fierce battles, with Seoul changing hands four times and leaving the city mostly in ruins. Nevertheless, the city has since undergone significant reconstruction and rapid urbanization.

The de facto administrative capital has gradually switched to the planned city of Sejong City, which opened in 2012 and is located about 121 kilometers further south. As of 2019, Sejong hosts 10 out of the South Korean government's 18 ministries. Despite this, the Constitutional Court of Korea declared in 2004 that Seoul must remain the national capital due to it being an "unwritten constitutional custom", unless otherwise changed by a nationwide referendum. (Full article...)

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Namsan at dusk

Namsan (Korean: 남산; lit. 'South Mountain') is a 270-metre-high (890 ft) peak in Jung District, Seoul, South Korea. It was also known as Mongmyeoksan (목멱산; 木覓山) in the past. It offers some hiking, picnic areas and views of downtown Seoul's skyline. Namsan Seoul Tower is located at the summit of Namsan.

The mountain and its surrounding area is Namsan Park, a public park maintained by the city government, which has panoramic views of Seoul. It is also the location of a smoke signal station called Mongmyeoksan Beacon Tower (목멱산 봉수대), which was part of an emergency communication system during much of Seoul's history until 1985. From 1925 to 1945 the Shinto shrine known as Chōsen Shrine was situated on Namsan. This is also where the Japanese Residency-General of Korea Building was from 1906-1962 when it was demolished (Full article...)

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Deoksugung Palace (Korean: 덕수궁) is a walled compound of palaces in Seoul that was inhabited by members of Korea's royal family during the Joseon monarchy.

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General images

The following are images from various Seoul-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Emblem of Keijō, 1925–1945 (from History of Seoul)
Image 2Flag of Seoul (1946–1996) (from History of Seoul)
Image 3Seoul, capital city of the Korean Empire, in 1905, showing contrast between tradition and modernity (from History of Seoul)
Image 4Seoul in 1894 (from History of Seoul)
Image 5Seoul City Hall serves as the headquarters for the Seoul Metropolitan Government (from List of districts of Seoul)
Image 6Jibokjae, the Royal Library of Seoul in the late Joseon period (from History of Seoul)
Image 7Map of boundary expansion of modern Seoul (from 1914 to 1995) (from History of Seoul)
Image 8Hanseong Municipal Government (from History of Seoul)
Image 9Waryong-dong, Seoul, in the late Joseon Dynasty (from History of Seoul)
Image 10Seokeodang is a two-storey building of Deoksugung Palace built in the style of a private residence. (from History of Seoul)
Image 11Streetscape in front of Changdeokgung (1931) (from History of Seoul)
Image 12A street of 19th-century Seoul (from History of Seoul)
Image 13Gyeongjo-obu-do, an old map of Seoul (from History of Seoul)
Image 14A narrow street of 19th-century Seoul (from History of Seoul)
Image 15Gyeonghungak was an attached two-storied building of Daejojeon Hall of Changdeok Palace. The first story was Gyeonghungak, and the second story was Jinggwangru. (from History of Seoul)
Image 16Map of Hanseongbu's territory (from History of Seoul)
Image 17The street in front of Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 19th century (from History of Seoul)
Image 18Donggwoldo, Joseon Dynasty painting of main royal palaces of Seoul (from History of Seoul)
Image 19Gwanghwa Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace (from History of Seoul)
Image 20Building of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (from List of districts of Seoul)

Did you know (auto-generated) -

... that Amrom Harry Katz, using aerial photographs of tides, helped to capture Seoul during the Korean War?
... that The Seoul Press was an English-language newspaper created to justify Japan's colonial rule of Korea?
... that the Diocese of Seoul under Bishop Elijah Jang-Whan Kim funded the planting of an "Anglican forest" in desertified areas of Mongolia?
... that North and South Korean politicians have expressed fondness for Seoul's third-oldest restaurant?
... that Kang Ju-hyeok became the youngest player in FC Seoul's history at the age of 17 years, 9 months, and 6 days?
... that a lost stone monument for a park in Seoul that closed in 1919 was discovered lying in the grass in 2002?