Seoul

Seoul (listen (help·info) IPA: [soʊl]) is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With over ten million people, Seoul is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area - which includes the major port city of Incheon and satellite towns in Gyeonggi-do, has almost 23 million inhabitants and is the world's second largest metropolitan area.[1] Almost half of South Korea's population live in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly one quarter in Seoul itself, making it the country's chief economic, political and cultural center. As a Special City, it is administered directly by the national government.

As a major world economic and cultural center, Seoul is considered a global city. The city has hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Seoul is consistently placed among the world's top ten financial and commercial cities[2] and is the global headquarters of numerous multinational companies, such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai. It is one of the five most expensive cities in the world and the second most expensive in Asia.[3] With a GDP of over $200 billion, Seoul is the fourth richest city in Asia and one of the top twenty richest cities in the world.[4]

The city is located on the basin of the Han River in the country's northwest. The North Korean border lies about 50 km to the north. Seoul first appears in history in 18 BC, when the Baekje, one of the Three Korean Kingdoms, established its capital Wiryeseong in what is now south-east Seoul. Modern Seoul descends from the Goryeo-era city of Namgyeong, which then became the capital of Korea during the Joseon dynasty.

In recent years, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has undertaken major environmental projects, including the nearly $1 billion restoration of Cheonggyecheon. At the same time, the city has promoted the Seoul Digital Media City, the world's first complex for high-tech digital technologies in IT, multimedia and entertainment, and the proposed future site of the world's second tallest building.[5][6]