Everything is pali pali (or "faster faster") in Seoul. And that's also what makes Koreans one of the most forward-looking and, at the same time, most impatient people in the world. That's why you'll see a lot of signs saying "New" this or "New" that. In the late 19th century, Seoul even became the first city in East Asia to have electricity, trolley cars, water, telephone, and telegraph systems all at the same time.īut most Koreans only think of the painful episodes of the country's past and, as a result, Koreans are eagerly looking forward to making a new future almost to an obsessive point. The legendary King Sejong also promulgated the invention of the amazingly easy-to-learn and scientifically logical Korean alphabet known as hangul (which was recently selected by the Cia-Cia tribe in Indonesia as their writing system for its efficiency and accuracy). Before all of these tragic episodes in its history, Korea had one of the most advanced civilizations in the world having invented the world's first movable type (200 years before Gutenberg), water clock, astronomical observatory, and ironclad ship (known as the "turtle ship"). This is despite two destructive Japanese invasions (16th century), forced colonization and cultural annihilation by Japan (1910-1945), and the devastating Korean War (1950-1953). History Being the epicenter of over 5,000 years of Korean history, you can still find remnants of ancient Korean civilization here and there. Seoul is aīustling 24-hour neon light-filled mega city and it's a place where you can always find somewhere to eat or drink at any time of the day in almost any area. While New Yorkers or Parisians may get used to the pushing and shoving in the subways at rush hour or the occasional bumping into strangers in the busy shopping malls on the weekends, it can be a new experience for people used to a more sedate and relaxed lifestyle. This makes for a very crowded city with lots of traffic. It is only one-twelfth the size of Beijing in terms of area, but has a larger population. When including Incheon and the surrounding suburbs, Seoul is the second largest metropolitan area in the world (after Tokyo) with over 25 million people.
Seoul (pronounced "Suh-Ool", not "Soul", and DEFINITELY NOT "See-Ole") is the largest city and capital of the Republic of Korea (also known as "South Korea"). Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels in Seoul.Four Points by Sheraton Hotels in Seoul.