| Seoul 서울 특별시 - Seoul Teukbyeolsi | ||
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Coat of arms and flag   | ||
| State | South Korea | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | 605.52 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 12.995.379 (2013) | |
| Name inhabitants | Seoul | |
| Prefix tel | 82 02 | |
| Time zone | UTC 9 | |
Position
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| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Seoul (서울, Seoul) is the capital of the South Korea.
To know
Geographical notes
The entire area of the special city of Seoul has about 13 million inhabitants, while the urban area (i.e. the real city) has 9.7.
When to go
| Climate | gen | Feb | mar | apr | mag | down | Jul | needle | set | Oct | nov | dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum (° C) | 1.5 | 4.7 | 10.4 | 17.8 | 23.0 | 27.1 | 28.6 | 29.6 | 25.8 | 19.8 | 11.6 | 4.3 |
| Minimum (° C) | -5.9 | -3.4 | 1.6 | 7.8 | 13.2 | 18.2 | 21.9 | 22.4 | 17.2 | 10.3 | 3.2 | -3.2 |
| Precipitation (mm) | 20.8 | 25.0 | 47.2 | 64.5 | 105.9 | 133.2 | 394.7 | 364.2 | 169.3 | 51.8 | 52.5 | 21.5 |
Seoul has a cold and dry climate in winter and hot and humid in summer. From December to May, rainfall tends to be scarce. From November to March the temperatures are relatively low up to even -10 ° C. Heliophany is highest in spring and autumn. There are 16 days of precipitation in July, while there are 6 in February.
Background
The history of Seoul can be traced back to 18 BC. In that year, the new kingdom of Paekje founded its capital Wiryeseong in the area of present-day Seoul. Some traces of the walls from this period remain, such as the "Pungnap Toseong", a wall just outside the city. During the time when the Three Kingdoms were fighting for hegemony over Korea, control of the Seoul area was taken in turn by the kingdom subduing the others. After the Paekje period, the city passed into the hands of the kingdom of Koguryŏ in the fifth century, then moved on to the Kingdom of Silla in the sixth. It was believed that only the kingdom that had control of the Han River valley could control the entire peninsula, since it was the central hub of communications. It is for this reason that the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, in the 11th century, built a palace here, intended to become the seat of the rulers of the "Southern Capital" of the kingdom. At the beginning of the Joseon dynasty, the capital was moved to Seoul (also known as Hanyang and later as Hanseong), and remained there until the fall of the dynasty in 1910. Originally, the city was entirely surrounded by massive 6-meter-high circular stone walls, which protected citizens from wild animals, such as tigers, from marauders and enemy armies. The city grew within the walls, which are now only partially visible on the hills north of the historic center, while the gates are still in good condition, the most famous are the Sungnyemun (also known as Namdaemun) and the Honginjimun ( commonly called Dongdaemun). During the Joseon Dynasty, doors were opened and closed every day to the tolling of large bells.During the Korean War, Seoul passed several times from the control of pro-Chinese North Korean forces to that of pro-American South Korean troops. At the end of the conflict Seoul was heavily damaged. A war damage estimate records the destruction of at least 191,000 buildings, 55,000 homes, and 1,000 industries. During that time, 2.5 million refugees flowed into the Seoul metropolitan area. After the war, Seoul led the effort to rebuild and modernize the country, of which it has once again become the main economic and political center.
How to orient yourself
Neighborhoods
Administratively, Seoul is divided into 25 districts (구 gu). The districts are then further divided into 522 sub-districts (동 dong). The Han River divides the city in two: Gangbuk (강북) in the north, the more historic half, and Gangnam (강남), the southern half, richer and more modern. Seoul, due to its size, does not have a real center, the city is almost a set of cities, each with its own specific areas. The main districts are Jongno and Jung in the north, and Gangnam in the south. For travelers with more time on their hands, there are many other smaller districts to explore, such as Yoido Island on the Han River and the university districts of Hongdae and Sincheon. For the typical tourist, the city is divided into the following areas.
How to get
By plane
Most visitors arrive at Incheon International Airport (IATA: ICN), located on Yeongjong Island in the neighboring city of Incheon. A'REX connects the airport to Seoul station (for further connections with KTX high-speed services) and Gimpo airport (mainly intranational flights), which operate from 05:20 until midnight. There are two versions: express services to the city (every half hour) of 43 minutes which cost 8,000 ₩ (with Wi-Fi available on board); and 53-minute commuter services (every 6 minutes) costing 3,700 ₩. If you have a lot of luggage or are heading to the southernmost districts of Seoul, airport buses remain the best solution. in Seoul it costs about 50,000 ₩.
The closest, but older Gimpo airport (김포 국제 공항, GMP) is easily accessible on the A'REX link from Seoul station, Incheon airport, or subway lines 5 and 9. All lines intersect Line 2 which runs through much of Seoul. Line 9 runs three express trains per hour. Travelers entering Seoul should first of all have detailed directions to their destination and consult the subway map before deciding which line and route to take. All three lines cost 1,000-2,100 (depending on distance), while a taxi to central Seoul will cost around 30,000.
By car
No matter where the journey begins, there are freeways (Gosok Doro) and national highways (Guk Do) leading to Seoul; the most important is Gyeongbu, which connects Seoul with Pusan. To avoid the daily traffic congestion on the Gyeongbu Expressway near Seoul, take the Jungbu, Seohaean or Yongin-Seoul Highways.
On the train
Seoul is the northernmost terminus of the KTX high-speed line. There are three KTX stations within the city limits:
- Seoul (서울역) station for trains from Pusan, Ulsan, Gyeongju, Daegu, Daejeon Cheonan and Suwon. Accessible via metro lines 1 and 4.
- Yongsan Station (용산역), for trains from Mokpo, Gwangju, Daejeon and Cheonan. Also accessible from lines 1 and 4 (Sinyongsan station).
- KTX is active from southern destinations.
By bus
The city has five large intercity bus stations.
- Honam Station, (subway lines 3, 7 or 9, terminal station). Buses from the provinces of Southern Jeolla and Northern Jeolla arrive at this station.
- Dong Seoul Station, (동서울 버스 터미널), Gangbyeon STN (Line 2). Buses point east to Seoul (Gangwon and a part of North Chungcheong).
- Gangnam Station, (서울 고속 버스 터미널), (subway lines 3, 7, 9, terminal station). Also known as Gyeongbu-Yeongdong Station, it is one of the largest stations in South Korea and serves practically the entire country, but mostly routes from the east (incl. Busan, Daegu, Daejeon). Lines from Jeolla, however, use the nearby Honam station. For the most part there is no need to purchase a ticket in advance except on public holidays. There is also a "Tickets for foreigners" ticket office, where the operator speaks English. The fare for a Seoul-Pusan trip is about 20,000 ₩. The station has a bar and a small restaurant. Trips can last for more than 2 hours. Usually the bus stops briefly at a designated area. Most buses are comfortable and extremely safe.
- Nambu Station, (line 3). It serves routes from southwest of Seoul (i.e. from south of Gyeonggi, South Chungcheong and north of South Jeolla).
Sinchon Station, Sinchon STN (Gyeongeui Line). Need buses from Ganghwa Island.
How to get around
By public transport
Seoul has an extensive metro network. Often, you can visit the main tourist attractions by metro. The lines are numbered and have different colors. Information at the stops is written in Korean and English. To facilitate orientation, the stops are written with 3 digits: the first digit indicates the line number and the following ones indicate the stop number. For example, stop 201 will correspond to line 2, stop 1. This numbering does not usually appear in underground equipment, but in the tracks, and is particularly useful for ensuring that you are going in the correct direction. At each platform there are signs indicating the stop (with its corresponding number), the front and rear stops, and an arrow indicating the correct direction. Fares depend on the distance traveled, 900 ₩ is the minimum fare.
If you want to stay for several days, a recommendable option is to purchase a call card T-Money. They're cards about the size of a credit card. They cost 2500 ₩. T-Money cards are reloaded with an initial balance at the time of purchase. It is also possible to reload them at a window or with an automatic machine. Once purchased and with the initial balance, the card is shown to the sensor at the entrance to the vehicle (the machine automatically deducts 900 ₩ and shows the remaining balance.
The cards T-Money have several advantages:
- it is not necessary to purchase a ticket for each journey;
- if you exceed the number of stations that allow you to travel with the minimum cost of the ticket (900 ₩), at the exit it is automatically deducted (provided there is the balance), avoiding having to pay the difference in cash;
- Compared to regular prices, the travel price is cheaper when using the card T-Money.
However, the card (which costs 2500 ₩) cannot be refunded.
By taxi
There are mainly two types of taxis:
- regular taxis usually have a silver color. They are relatively cheap, although it can be very difficult to find free ones;
- the mobeon taxi, black, more expensive.
By car
Traveling by car is not a little difficult, due to the considerable traffic and the difficulty of orientation in the city; in fact most of the roads have no road signs and only the main roads have them.
