| Seoul (서울) | |
 | |
| Cheonggyecheon | |
| Information | |
| Country |  South Korea |
|---|---|
| Area | 605,25 km² |
| Population | 9 668 465 hab. () |
| Density | 15 974,33 inhab./km² |
| Spindle | UTC 09:00 |
| Location | |
 37 ° 32 ′ 17 ″ N 126 ° 59 ′ 18 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
Seoul is the capital of South Korea. However, since July 1, 2012 the new administrative capital of South Korea is the new city of Sejong (Sejong City, 세종 / 世宗), located on the banks of the Geumgang in central South Korea a few kilometers north of Daejeon. The project was initiated by President Roh Moo-hyun, with the aim of creating a new administrative capital. It aims to reduce the imbalance between the mega-city of Seoul and the province to the south. The city's inauguration took place on July 1, 2012. As of 2014, Sejong will have 16 ministries and 20 public agencies. Its territory is mainly formed by the ancient district of Yeongi. It is named after King Sejong the Great, the father of the Korean alphabet, the hangeul.
Understand
Geography
The historic center was built on a site backed by the mountain and open to the Han River, thus meeting favorable geomantic criteria. The hill of Namsan (남산 / 南山 (the southern mountain)), just south of the historic center, is now a convenient landmark for spotting the city center from almost anywhere, thanks to its television tower. The very wide Han River (hangang, 한강 / 漢江), 1 km wide in places, is not only a communication route, but also and above all a 'border' separating two very different Seouls: in the south, rich neighborhoods, business buildings with the headquarters of large international companies, and a profusion of luxury shops. It is in this part of course, that the famous Gangnam (강남 / 江南 (the south of the river)), popularized by the singer Psy ... In the north, there are also very lively districts, but also a still sometimes traditional lifestyle.
At the end of the first quarter of 2010, Seoul had 10.46 million inhabitants, including 255,501 foreigners. The density turns out to be particularly high considering the consequent space occupied by mountains and rivers. The majority of the inhabitants live in apartment blocks of up to several thousand units, a model made popular in the late 1960s to accompany the rural exodus parallel to the industrial development of the country.
Neighborhoods
Administratively, Seoul is divided into 25 districts (구 gu), each with an area and population comparable to a small city. The districts are then subdivided into 522 sub-districts (동 dong). The Han River divides the city into two halves: Gangbuk (강북), the northern half, more historic, and Gangnam (강남), the southern half, richer and more modern. The size of the city explains why travelers disembarking in Seoul will have a hard time finding a true 'downtown', rather Seoul looks like a juxtaposition of cities that happen to be linked together, each with their own business hub and neighborhoods. commercial. The two largest centers are Jongno / Jung in the north and Gangnam in the south. For travelers with more time, there are plenty of smaller centers and neighborhoods to explore, such as Yeoui-do Island and the Hongdae / Sinchon University District. For a practical matter, we can divide the city as follows:
 Seoul neighborhoods |
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To go
By plane
Incheon
- 1 Incheon International Airport (인천 국제 공항) 272 Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea – It is the largest airport in South Korea. It is located at 52 km from Seoul. It often appears in the Top 3 of the best airports in the world.
Almost all international flights arrive in Seoul at the new Incheon Airport Incheon International Airport (ICN), located west of the city.
Although Incheon Airport is a major international airport, most of the airport businesses are closed between 21 h and 7 h approximately, but the airport remains open.
Free web access during the day in the boarding and transit area.
To go to Seoul from the airport, you can take the A'REX express train. [1] every 12 min, travel time of 30 min, depending on whether the train is express or omnibus for 3,500 won, or 2,5 € about.
The train stops for the hour at Gimpo airport (where you can take metro 5 to central Seoul).
Other solutions, longer and more expensive, are the limousine bus service of the company KCAT (approximately 11 €) and taxi (approximately 40 €).
Gimpo
- 2 Gimpo Airport (김포 국제 공항) 112 Haneul-gil, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, South Korea
Gimpo Airport Gimpo Airport (GMP) is now assigned to domestic and regional flights, but there are still a few flights for the China, Taiwan and the Japan. It is accessible by metro line 5.
On a boat
By train
- 3 Seoul Station (서울역) 405 Hangang-daero, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea – It is the main train station in the city. From this station, depart in particular the KTX (towards Busan, Mokpo, Gwangju, Daejeon...).
By bus
By car
Circulate
By Metro
There are 9 metro lines. They are numbered and differentiated by colors. The indications and names of the stations are in Korean (Hangul alphabet and Chinese characters) and in Latin alphabet. Trains run from 5.30 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays, and from 5.30 a.m. to 12 a.m. on weekends. 06 min between each train, and from 2 to 03 min during peak hours, the price is 900 won (0,58 €) for routes from 0 to 12 km. Beyond 12 km count 100 won (0,064 €) for every 6 km additional.
Information :
- Seoul Metro – For lines 1 to 4.
- SMRT – For lines 5 to 8.
- Seoul Metro – For the future line 9.
- Seoul subway interactive map
- Metro map (T-Money) – it allows you to circulate indifferently in the metro, buses, and taxis. It is a rechargeable magnetic card that costs 2,500 ￦, and that can be recharged in the appropriate device in all metro stations, for an amount of 5,000, 10,000, or 20,000 ￦. To use it, simply present it on the turnstile when entering and exiting the metro, when getting on and off the bus.
Uses in the metro. The passengers line up, perpendicular to the track, on the marks materialized on the ground: the trainsets always stop with the doors facing exactly these marks. The custom is that we first let the passengers get out of the train by moving slightly to the side. Likewise, once inside, leave as much as possible free passage facing the door which will open at the next stop (it is announced). After the climb, the fastest one sits in the free places! But there are places reserved for the elderly, pregnant women, etc. that Koreans often leave free. It is almost systematic to give way to the elderly in the metro and on the bus.
To see
- 1 Cheonggyecheon (청계천) – A pleasant walk that runs alongside a stream for almost 6 km right in the center of Seoul.
- 2 N Seoul Tower (엔 서울 타워) 105 Namsangongwon-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea
10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Monday to Friday and Sunday. 10 a.m. - midnight on Saturday.. 
adult 13 years old / child 3 - 12 years old or senior: 9,000 ￦ / 7,000 ￦. – Located at the top of Namsan Hill, this tower measures 237 meters from above.
10 a.m. - 11 p.m. Monday to Friday and Sunday. 10 a.m. - midnight on Saturday.
adult 13 years old / child 3 - 12 years old or senior: 9,000 ￦ / 7,000 ￦The palaces
In the heart of Seoul, there are several palaces dating from the time of royalty. You can't leave Seoul without having visited at least one of these magnificent palaces.
- 3 Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁) Closed on Tuesdays.. 3000 Won, or 1,75 €.. – Gyenbokgung is Seoul's largest palace and also the most visited. Parts of this palace are currently under renovation but that does not spoil the visit. the Folk museum is located in one of the traditional buildings. Access: Gyeongbokgung metro, line 3.
The doors
- 4 Namdaemun (or Sungnyemun) Gate (남대문 (숭례문)) – Access: The gate is located between Seoul Station and City Hall. It is therefore easy to reach Namdaemun on foot from the station (750 m).
Do
- Drink a cup of tea in a teashop in the traditional Insadong district
To learn
To work
To buy
Typical objects
- Flat stainless steel chopsticks, Korea is the only country in the world to use flat stainless steel chopsticks. This tradition has been around for generations and was adopted for hygienic reasons, compared to wooden chopsticks.
- Tea
The steps
- Namdaemun market, this market is a traditional market. It is a paradise for tourists looking for both South Korean souvenirs and clothing, shoes, etc. You can find everything in Namdaemun.
The Dongdaemun market is the largest in Seoul but where you can find mainly clothes and also where most of the inhabitants of Seoul are found
Districts
- Insadong, this traditional district is full of small shops of art objects, antiques, traditional objects and tea rooms. There are also many art galleries in this area. Do not hesitate to leave the main street to get lost in the small adjacent pedestrian streets.
- Myeongdong is the district where you can find all the fashionable clothing brands of the moment.
- Gangnam is the district where young Koreans do intensive shopping, and where they go out in the evening in a myriad of restaurants and bars ...
- Itaewon is the "international" district. It was mostly the American Quarter, as it is near the American command base in Korea. Bad reputation, girly bars, counterfeit market are gradually giving way to a lively neighborhood that is more frequent.
Insadong Main Street
Pedestrian street in Myeongdong
Street in Itaewon
Eat
- Zimbabwe (김밥) – If your ends (or beginnings) of your stay are particularly difficult, you can appease your hunger with rolls of Zimbabwe (see description of main Korean dishes). There are shops everywhere offering different kinds of Zimbabwe, spot the word Zimbabwe written in Korean: 김밥. One or two rolls of Zimbabwe are already enough to calm hunger; the price varies depending on the garnish from 1,000 ￦ to 3,500 ￦. For 1,000 ￦ rolls, ask botong kimbab (보통 김밥, ordinary kimbab), or chon won kimbab (천원 김법, kimbab to 1,000 ￦): 2,000 ￦ (1,35 €) for two rolls, it's unbeatable!
- Another tip for cheap food: as it is inconceivable to put fresh products back on the shelves the next day, department stores and some neighborhood supermarkets sell them off at the end of the day, from 17 h , 17 h 30. For example, there are sets of 3 (sushi, stuffed squid, etc.) for 10,000 ￦ (you will often hear saegae man won (세개 만원), that is to say 3 for 10,000 ￦). Food departments are generally located in the basement or on the ground floor of department stores.
- Yoogane – It is one of Seoul's most famous restaurants. What you must eat if you visit Seoul is called "Dakgalbi". The ingredients are often chicken, vegetables (lettuce, soy garlic, kimchi, etc.), rice cake, mozzarella, sesame oil, gochujang (traditional Korean spicy sauce), etc. You can find restaurants that sell "Dakgalbi" very easily in all popular places in Seoul (eg Gangnam, Hongdae, Myeongdong). The base price is 20 dollars (19 euro) for 2 people (2 drinks are included!). If you can't eat spicy foods, don't worry, there are plenty of delicious foods out there that aren't spicy too.
Have a drink / Go out
- Sideway Wine Bistro 817-38 Yeoksam, Kangnam-Gu (in the bustling Kangnam district),
82-2 555-9925 open until 2 h morning on weekdays, 3 h the weekend. – a modern bistro run by French people. Very long wine list, but also a French restaurant with fresh and original cuisine. - Traditional palaces – If you want, you can rent Korean traditional costumes at ‘Insadong’. And, if you wear traditional Korean costumes, it's free to enter traditional palaces.
Housing
Cheap
- Stay Korea 566-4 Yeonnam-Dong, Mapo-Gu (in a very quiet area but close to the Hongik University metro station) – In a detached house (2 floors), 20,000 beds, single, double, or dormitory rooms, inexpensive (from 19,000 won, i.e. 11 €), the owner speaks French, English. Breakfast included, kitchen available, bathroom x2, internet (free WIFI), washing machine, free linen cleaning service and loan of towels.
- Anguk House 72-3 Anguk-Dong, Jongno-Gu (close to Anguk metro station) – Anguk Guest House is located in a traditional Korean house. Some of the rooms overlook an interior courtyard. Shared kitchen, computer with very high speed internet access, garden, and many other facilities.
- Windflower Guesthouse and Windroad Guesthouse – Two guest houses located in Seoul: the Windflower Guesthouse and the Windroad Guesthouse. Private rooms, dormitories, very high speed internet access, shared kitchen ...
- Banana backpackers 30-1 Iksun-Dong, Jongno-Gu (In Jongno-Gu, not far from Anguk station), 82-2 3672-1973 (English / Korean) – offers single, double, triple and dormitory rooms. Internet access, shared kitchen. 40,000KRW for single room.
- Beewon Guest House 28-2 Woonni Dong, Jong-Ro Gu, Seoul (between Changdeok Palace and Jongmyo Palace), 82-2 765 06 70 (English / Korean) – the Beewon guest house offers private rooms in Korean style, that is to say with futon, or western style, with bed, as well as dormitories. Private or shared bathrooms, shared kitchen, washing machine, internet access, breakfast.
- Seoul Walker Guesthouse & Hostel 441-31, Hapjeong-dong, Mapo-gu, 82-70 4028 6904, e-mail : [email protected] room available from 14 h, to be released before 11 h. 15 000 KRW. – Private rooms, or dormitory, very high speed internet access.
Average price
Luxury
- Walker hill – Luxury hotel from the Sheraton chain. Establishment that combines elegance and comfort, it offers all its customers many facilities.
Communicate
Security
Manage the day-to-day
Diplomatic representations
Canada 21, Jeongdong-gil (Jeong-dong), Jung-gu, 82-2-3783-6000, fax : 82-2-3783-6239
1 France – Embassy
Malawi No. 130-9, Non-Hyen-Dong, Kaong-Wam-Ku Seoul, 82 2 475 1110
