What is the capital of South Korea?
Seoul is the capital of South Korea. Its metropolitan area is home to about half of the country's population, more than 25 million people.
Seoul has been the capital of Korea for more than 600 years, since the Joseon dynasty made it the royal capital in 1394. The Han River flows through the middle of the city. Historic palaces, such as Gyeongbokgung, stand among modern skyscrapers, markets and tech companies.
After the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 left much of Seoul in ruins, the city was rebuilt and grew rapidly. It is now a global center for technology, fashion, food and entertainment, including K-pop and K-dramas. Seoul hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988.
Close to the border
Seoul lies only about 50 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone, the heavily guarded border with North Korea. Because of this, and because of crowding in the capital, many government ministries were moved to a new administrative city called Sejong in the 2010s, although Seoul remains the official capital.
Did You Know?
The name Seoul simply means capital in Korean. The city's former name, used during the Joseon period, was Hanseong or Hanyang.