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Bookmark & shareFrom Hermit Kingdom to Tiger Economy - Seoul is a city reborn.
Seoul is an intriguing city transforming itself from the Yi Dynasty capital of the Hermit Kingdom to a major mover and shaker on the international scene, especially in the field of commerce and sports. Nowhere else is the Korean drive to come to terms with a turbulent and fractured past so evident.
Seoul was battered by Japanese and Manchu invasions in the 16th and 17th centuries and flattened by the Korean War; most of its cityscape is modern. Overshadowed by high-rises and 12-lane freeways, it yet retains a hidden history of centuries-old temples, palaces, pagodas and pleasure gardens.
Fast Facts
Population
10,300,000
Currency
Name: South Korean Won
Code: KRW
Symbol: ₩
Electrical Plugs
220V 60Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Korean
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +9 (Standard Time)
Country Dialing Code
+82
Weights & Measures
Metric
Seoul - Free Guidebook Chapter
Download the free Getting Started chapter or buy individual chapters from our Seoul guide, in our online Shop.
› Go to the Seoul download page.
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