Seoul

I fell in love with this city when the first time i 've visited. The city was very beautiful and unique. Modern combined with traditional. Modern, because when you walked around, you'll feel like in western countries. Traditional, because there was a big palace (Gyeongbokgung - from Joseon Dynasty) built in the center of this capital city. It was very interesting, wasn't it ??

Seoul (Korean pronunciation: [sʌ.ul]), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the Incheon metropolis and most of Gyeonggi province, has 24.5 million inhabitants, and is the world's second largest metropolitan area. Almost half of South Korea's population live in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly a quarter in Seoul itself, making it the country's foremost economic, political, and cultural center.

Seoul is located on the Han River in the center of the Korean Peninsula, and historically was settled in 18 B.C. when Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, established its capital in what is now south-east Seoul. The city then became the capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire.



Mountains circle Seoul on all sides with Namsan (South Mountain) springing up in the center. Although the Han River once marked the southern boundary, the city has sprawled across to the southern side with some 2 dozen bridges crossing it and one subway tunnel underneath. As Korea's capital and most populous city, Seoul represents the country's center for business, education, and modern culture. It offers many activities for everyone, including museums and palaces, parks and mountains, and amusement parks and night clubs

Transportation :

Bus: The Express Bus Terminal in southern Seoul has express buses to nearly every major destination in Korea. For less popular destinations, you will need to use one of the 5 inter-city bus terminals:

Nambu (south- Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu)
Dongbu (east- Guii-dong, Gwangjin-gu)
Seobu (west- Daecho-dong, Eunpyeong-gu)
Sangbong (Sangbong-dong, Jungnang-gu)
Sinchon (Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu).

Plane: Gimpo Domestic Airport used to be the main gateway to Korea. Approximately 45 minutes from downtown Seoul, you can get there by subway (line 5), taxi, or bus (regular city bus, special airport bus, and limousine bus). However, in March 2001, the new Incheon International Airport opened to handle the international traffic for the Seoul area. Depending on traffic, it can take 1 1/2 to 2 or more hours between the airport and downtown Seoul by bus or taxi.

Subway: With 8 completed subway lines, you can get almost anywhere you need to go without having to deal with Seoul's infamous traffic. See the subway section for more information.

Train: Seoul Station, located near the downtown area, has trains for destinations south of Seoul. Cheongnyangni Station, located in the northeastern part of Seoul, has trains for destinations north and east of Seoul.