Seoul(Joseon)

Seoul 서울
Special Metropolitan City
Seoul Special Metropolitan City 서울특별시
Samseong-Dong, Seoul Gwanghwamun and Gyeongbokgung palace Joseon National Assembly Building Lotte World and Lotte World Tower Seokjo-Jeon, Deoksugung palace Gangnam Station Intersection at night
Country	Joseon
Area	Seoul Capital
Founded by	King Taejo
Districts	25 districts
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
• Body	Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul Metropolitan Council
• Mayor	Yang Se-Gun (National Social Party)
• National Assembly	54
Elevation	38 m (125 ft)
Highest elevation (Bukhan Mountain)	836.5 m (2,744.4 ft)
Lowest elevation (Yellow Sea)	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2023)
• Total	22,000,000
• Rank	1st
• Demonym	Seoulite
• Dialect	Gyeonggi
Time zone	UTC+8 (Joseon Standard Time)
Bird	Korean magpie
Color	Seoul Red
Flower	Forsythia
Font	Seoul fonts
Mascot	Haechi
Tree	Ginkgo

Seoul
Hangul	서울
Revised Romanization	Seoul
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏul
Seoul Special City
Hangul	서울특별시
Hanja	서울特別市
Revised Romanization	Seoul Teukbyeolsi
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏul T'ŭkpyŏlsi

Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital of Joseon and the country's most extensive urban center. About a quarter of the Joseon population lives in the metropolitan area, which includes Gyeonggi-do, Incheon, and Kaesong. Seoul's population peaked at over 25 million in 2005, but the population has gradually declined since then, reaching 22 million today.

Seoul's history traces back to 18 BC when it was founded by the people of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. During the pre-modern Joseon, Seoul was officially designated as the capital, surrounded by the Fortress Wall of Seoul. In the late 19th and late 20th centuries, respectively, Seoul embarked on a major reconstruction project, leading to what it is today.

Seoul was rated Asia's most livable city, with the second-highest quality of life globally according to Arcadis in 2015 and a GDP per capita (PPP) of approximately $115,000. 25 Fortune Global 500 companies, including industry giants such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai, are headquartered in the Seoul Capital Area, which has major technology hubs, such as Gangnam and Digital Media City.

In contrast to its relatively high quality of life index, Seoul's population density is the highest in the world. Since modernization in the 18th century, Seoul's population has steadily increased, and in the 20th century, Seoul's population increased explosively. Today, Seoul has a population of 22 million, the third-largest population in the world after Chongqing and Shanghai in China. Social problems caused by excessive population density have become chronic problems in Joseon.

Geography

Seoul is located in the center of the Korean Peninsula. Seoul proper comprises 605.25 km2 (233.69 sq mi), with a radius of approximately 15 km (9 mi), roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River. There are four main mountains in central Seoul: Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Naksan and Namsan. The Seoul Fortress Wall, which historically bounded the city, goes over these mountains. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as well as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas.

Climate

Seoul has a humid continental (Köppen: Dwa) or humid subtropical climate (Cwa, by −3 °C or 26.6 °F isotherm), influenced by the monsoons; there is great variation in temperature and precipitation throughout the year. The suburbs of Seoul are generally cooler than the center of Seoul because of the urban heat island effect. Summers are hot and humid, with the East Asian monsoon taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month, has average high and low temperatures of 30.0 and 22.9 °C (86 and 73 °F) with higher temperatures possible. Heat index values can surpass 40 °C (104.0 °F) at the height of summer. Winters are usually cold to freezing with average January high and low temperatures of 2.1 and −5.5 °C (35.8 and 22.1 °F), and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 24.9 days of snow annually. Sometimes, temperatures drop dramatically to below −10 °C (14 °F), and on some occasions as low as −15 °C (5 °F) in the mid winter period of January and February. Temperatures below −20 °C (−4 °F) have been recorded.