Seoul Become a Disney Travel Agent Near Me

Overview

Introduction

Much of Seoul bears the distinct stamp of the 21st century: Multilane highways carry a constant stream of traffic among steel-and-glass skyscrapers. But look closer and you'll find ancient temples miraculously spared destruction in the Korean War, as well as painstakingly restored historic palaces whose designs date back centuries. Great effort has gone into preserving Korean history and culture despite a headlong rush into the future. Mere steps away from the bustle of commerce, you can find the serenity of a traditional garden or an open marketplace overflowing with ginseng, jade and dried squid.

Seoul is the center of South Korea, despite its location in the country's northwest corner. It is the hub of the nation's government, economy, education and culture, and it's where everyone wants to be. Seoul's growth has helped it become a major player in the world economy, but its rapid expansion has come with a price. Transportation, housing, utility and recreation resources have been severely strained.

To ease the congestion, the Korean government has relocated several government offices to Sejong City, 75 mi/120 km south of Seoul, while the President's office and defense ministry, as well as the center of tourism, business and finance, remain in Seoul.

Travelers will find that Seoul has luxurious modern hotels, excellent public transportation and an array of colorful cultural experiences. The city is also an attractive and convenient stopover hub in the heart of east Asia—thanks to the futuristic Incheon International Airport—with convenient connections to Japan and China.

Must See or Do

Sights—Biwon Garden and Changdeok Palace; Gyeongbok Palace; Bongeun Temple; Namdaemun Market; N Seoul Tower; Han River Ferry Cruises.

Museums—The National Museum of Korea; the War Memorial of Korea; Seodaemun Prison History Hall; National Folk Museum.

Memorable Meals—Traditional Korean cuisine at Doore; Italian by candlelight on the terrace at Ahndamiro in Insa-dong; multicourse Korean dinners at Sanchon; authentic French cuisine in an intimate bistro at Le Saint-Ex in Itaewon.

Late Night—Clubbing at Club M2 in the Hongik neighborhood; live jazz at Once in a Blue Moon; karaoke at Luxury Su.

Walks—A hike up one of the many trails on Namsan; strolling in the Insa-dong neighborhood; walking amongst the attractions of the Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project; exploring Olympic Park and the ancient fortress on its grounds; a walk along the Seoul Fortress Wall in Seongbuk-dong.

Especially for Kids—Lotte World Adventure and Magic Island; SeoulLand; one of PMC Production's Nanta performances; a tae kwon do exhibition; COEX Aquarium.

Geography

Seoul is surrounded by mountains, which offered the city natural protection from invading armies. Namsan (South Mountain) is an easily recognizable landmark in the city's center. (As its name implies, it used to be south of the city, but Seoul has grown around it.) The east-west flowing Han River bisects the city. Though no longer much of an island, Yeouido (do means "island"), on the Han's southeastern bank, is home to major broadcasting companies and securities firms and is being established as the financial heart of Seoul, with hotels, parks and shops creating a mini-Manhattan and an ever-growing skyline. Existing attractions include the 63 Building—one of Korea's tallest—with its observatory, aquarium and restaurants.

Downtown covers a broad area north of Namsan, made up of the Jongno-gu and Jung-gu areas (gu means "district"). Jongno (lo and no mean "street") is the major east-west thoroughfare. The major north-south artery changes its name from Sejong-no near Gyeongbok Palace to Taepyeong-no south of Jongno to Hangang-no past Seoul Station (the country's main railway hub) farther south. This area is what might be considered "Old Seoul," with the city's palaces, City Hall and most of Seoul's long-established businesses. It's also where you'll find Namdaemun (Great South Gate) and Dongdaemun (Great East Gate), two of the original nine gates in the protective wall that once surrounded the city. Parts of the fortress wall can still be seen in the northern part of the city on Bugak Mountain in the neighborhood of Seongbuk-dong.

South of Namsan, in Yongsan-gu, is Itaewon-dong. Mainly because of its location next to Yongsan Garrison (the headquarters for the U.N. Command and U.S. Forces Korea), Itaewon is the main place where foreigners congregate, with dozens of shops, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Many embassies are located nearby, giving the area an international flavor.

Gangnam (literally "south of the river") is the district that exemplifies the new generation of Seoul. Mostly farmland until less than a generation ago, Gangnam-gu now has the city's most affluent neighborhoods, trendiest cafes and the biggest underground shopping mall. Most of Korea's leading venture-capital firms and high-tech companies are located in the area, on Teheran-no, with COEX, Seoul's key conference center and one of Asia's largest shopping centers, also nearby.

Be aware that transliteration of Korean characters into a Roman alphabet yields many different spellings. The names of streets and sites are sometimes written in different ways. Complicating matters further, the South Korean government switched to a different official system of transliteration for use on signage in 2000, and the transition of signs still isn't complete. Many directions are given using the nearest subway station, and street names are rarely used, even in addresses.

History

Human settlements have existed in the area of modern-day Seoul for about 6,000 years. However, the city of Seoul really came into prominence in 1392, when King Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty (sometimes referred to as the Yi Dynasty), decided to move the capital in an effort to build political stability. For his new capital city, he chose the area known as Hanyang because of its strategic location on the Han River, surrounded by mountains. He renamed the area Seoul, after the old Korean word for capital city, "seorabeol" or "seobeol."

Invading armies repeatedly threatened Korea and its capital over the years. As a result of those threats, the country withdrew from the rest of the world to such an extent that it became known as the "Hermit Kingdom." For the most part, Seoul developed quietly, ruled by a series of kings and dynasties. The isolation was shattered in the early part of the 20th century, when Japan formally annexed the country in 1910. Korea remained under Japanese control until the end of World War II. However, the joy of liberation was short-lived—five years later, the Korean War erupted. Seoul was captured twice by communist forces from the north, and fighting leveled most of the buildings, destroying many of the city's palaces and cultural assets. A cease-fire was called in 1953, but with no formal peace agreement, a state of war technically still exists, and tensions between North and South Korea remain.

Since the time of its nuclear testing into the East Sea in the late 2000s, North Korea has agreed to shut down its main nuclear reactor and has participated in six-nation talks aimed at ending any nuclear threat on the Korean peninsula. In October 2007, a second historical meeting took place between the two Koreas. South Korea's then-President Roh Moo-hyun made a symbolic gesture of walking over the border between South and North Korea at the start of the summit. He was the first sitting South Korean president to have done so. Most South Koreans are convinced that a peaceful reconciliation is still possible, provided that their allies support the South's diplomatic efforts rather than undermine them with unilateral actions. But for now, the grim fortifications along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South Korea are about an hour's drive from Seoul.

Following the war, Seoul quickly rebuilt, its economy fueled by a voracious demand for industrial products such as automobiles and electronics. Seoul successfully hosted the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, giving the city renewed international attention, and then celebrated its 600th anniversary as the capital in 1994. Growth was slowed by an economic crisis in Asia during the late 1990s, but recovery is under way.

After a few further glitches, Korea's economy continues to show modest growth, with a reputation for high-tech development, rampant consumerism and heavy reliance on exports. The number of foreign companies almost doubled over recent years, an influx of foreigners means more than a half-million now live in the country, and Seoul is among the world's most expensive cities.

The city took the international spotlight again in 2002, when it co-hosted the World Cup with Japan. In addition to a continuing love affair with soccer, baseball, golf, shopping, online gaming and karaoke also warm the hearts of the next generation of switched-on Seoulites. A thoroughly modern population may seem besotted with some elements of western culture and fashion, but they are still traditional people. Matchmakers maintain an eye out for likely couples, customs are respected and kimchi remains the flavor of the day.

Potpourri

Hallyu (the "Korean wave") refers to the surge in popularity of Korean pop culture, especially in TV dramas shown in China, Japan and much of Southeast Asia, as well as K-Pop music heard around the world.

One of the international premieres for the James Bond movie Casino Royale took place in Seoul in December 2006. Daniel Craig made a personal appearance at the premiere. The premiere was largely seen as a show of goodwill toward South Koreans who felt that the portrayal of soldiers in the Bond film Die Another Day reflected a bad image of Koreans to the world.

In 2007, Korean pop sensation Rain announced plans for a U.S. tour with hopes of making it big in North America. Soon after, comedian Stephen Colbert, of the popular Comedy Central program The Colbert Report as well as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, created a viral music-video spoof of one of Rain's songs (Colbert sang entirely in Korean). This video significantly helped to boost Rain's recognition in the U.S.

Seoul is one of the densest cities in the world.

There are more than 200 varieties of kimchi, a ubiquitous pickled side dish in Korean cuisine. Although kimchi dates from the seventh century, the dish did not get its red color or spicy flavor until the 17th century, after Japanese colonialists introduced red peppers to the region.

The average South Korean consumes 40 pounds of kimchi per year. Many families have second refrigerators specifically dedicated to keeping a year-round supply of the fermented dish.