The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC, although humans have occupied the area now known as Seoul since the Paleolithic Age. It has been the capital of numerous kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula since it was established.
The history of Seoul can be traced back as far as 18 BC, although humans have occupied the area now known as Seoul since the Paleolithic Age. It has been the capital of numerous kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula since it was established.
It is believed that humans were living in the area that is now Seoul along the lower reaches of the Han River during the Paleolithic Age and archaeological research shows that people began to lead settled lives starting in the Neolithic Age. Prehistoric remains that are unearthed in the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site , located in Gangdong District, date back to about 3,000 to 7,000 years ago. With the introduction of bronze ware from about 700 BC, settlements gradually began to spread from the river basin toward inland areas.
In 18 BC, the kingdom of Baekje founded its capital city, Wiryeseong, which is believed to be inside modern-day Seoul. Baekje subsequently developed from a member state of the Mahan confederacy into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. There are several city wall remains in the Seoul area dating from this time. Among them, Pungnap Toseong, an earthen wall in the southeastern part of modern-day Seoul (in Pungnap-dong, just near Jamsil-dong area), is widely believed to be the main Wiryeseong site. Yet another earthen wall, Mongchon Toseong, located nearby, is also dated from the early Baekje era.
All of these sites are in the south of the Han River, and do not belong to the historic Seoul district (centered in modern-day Jongno District), which is well in the north of the river.
| Year (Lunar) | Samguk Sagi Joseon Edition / Goryeosa | Samguk Sagi Goryeo Edition / Stone Scripts | After comparison | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 553 | Silla takes control of northeast frontier of Baekje, and installed Sin Province (신주; 新州; literally New Province). [1] [2] | Not available | ||
| 554 | Combined force of Baekje and Gaya was defeated by Sin Provincial Military Governor Kim Mu-ryeok, and Seong of Baekje was killed during battle. [3] [4] Kim Yu-sin's grandfather Kim Mu-ryeok defeated enemies and captured Seong of Baekje. [5] | |||
| 557 | Silla abolished Sin Province, and established Bukhansan Province (북한산주; 北漢山州; North Hansan Province). [6] | Not available | ||
| 568 | Silla abolished Bukhansan Province, and established Namcheon Province (남천주; 南川州; South River Province). [7] Silla abolished Sin Provincial HQ (신주정; 新州停), and established Namcheon HQ (남천정; 南川停). [8] | |||
| 603 | Goguryeo attacked Bukhansan City (북한산성; 北漢山城; North Hansan City), but retreated after 10,000 Silla reinforcement led by the king himself crossed Hanshui (한수; 漢水). [9] [10] | |||
| 604 | Silla abolished Namcheon Province, and reestablished Bukhansan Province. [11] Silla abolished Namcheon HQ (남천정; 南川停), and established Hansan HQ (한산정, 漢山停). [12] | |||
| 611 | Baekje laid siege and captured Gajam City (가잠성; 椵岑城). [13] [14] | Baekje laid siege on Gajam City (가잠성; 椵岑城). Silla king ordered to dispatch reinforcements from Sang Province (상주; 上州; Upper Province), Ha Province (하주; 下州; Lower Province), and Sin Provincee (신주; 新州; New Silla Province), but was defeated after a battle. [15] | Goryeo Edition overrides Joseon Edition. Sin Province was not abolished. Sin Province and Hansan Province were different entities. | |
| 618 | Byeonpum, the Bukhansan Provincial Army Lord and Haeron fought against Baekje to retake Gajam City. [16] | Haeron, the Banner Master of Geumsan, and Byeonpum, the Governor of Hansan Province (한산주; 漢山州) took control of Gajam City. [17] | Goryeo Edition overrides Joseon Edition. Bukhansan did not exist as province but as a city. In addition, Bukhansanseong should be translated as Bukhansan City (북한산성; 北漢山城; North Hansan City) due to the existence of Hansan Province and Hansan HQ. | |
| 661 | Combined force of Goguryeo and Malgal laid siege on Bukhansan City. [18] | |||
| 668 | Munmu the Great lead an army of 200,000 and arrived at Bukhansan City (북한산성; 北漢山城; North Hansan City). [19] | |||
| 704 | Gim Dae-mun becomes governor of Hansan Province. [20] |
In 554, Baekje and Gaya attempted to retake the region, but the Silla army led by Sin Province Lord (신주군주; 新州軍主) Kim Mu-ryeok (김무력; 金武力) defeated the combined force and killed the Seong of Baekje. [21] [22]
Silla soon gained full control of the city and then the peninsula, and during the Unified Silla period, Hanyang (한양; 漢陽) first referred to a district in the city, and later the city itself.
It was thought that the kingdom that controlled the Han River valley would also have strategic control of the whole peninsula, because it was a center of transportation. [23]
In 1104, King Sukjong of the Goryeo Dynasty built a palace near present-day Gyeongbokgung, which was then referred to as Namgyeong (남경; 南京) or "Southern Capital". Seoul grew into a full-scale city with political significance during this time. [24]
At the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty in 1394, the capital was moved to Seoul, also known as Hanyang and later as Hanseong (한성, 漢城'Fortress city [on] the Han [River]'), where it remained until the fall of the dynasty.
Originally entirely surrounded by a massive circular wall (a 20-foot (6.1 m)-high circular stone fortress) to provide its citizens security from wild animals such as the tigers as well as thieves and attacks. The city has grown beyond those walls and although the wall no longer stands (outside of the mountains north of the downtown area), the gates remain near the downtown district of Seoul, including most notably Sungnyemun (commonly known as Namdaemun'South Gate') and Heunginjimun (commonly known as Dongdaemun'East Gate') but also Sukjeongmun (commonly known as Bukdaemun'North Gate') and four smaller gates included Changuimun and Hyehwamun . During the Joseon Dynasty, the gates were opened and closed each day, accompanied by the ringing of large bells. A capital prefecture, Hanseong, consisted of inner districts (i.e. Korean : 사대문안, romanized: Sadaemun-an, lit. 'inside of the city wall') and outer districts (Korean : 성저십리, lit. 'outside of the city wall'; approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) off the city wall). The Jungnangcheon River, the Han River, Mount Bukhan, and Hongjecheon formed the administrative prefectural boundary.
In the late 19th century, after hundreds of years of isolation, Seoul opened its gates to foreigners and began to modernize. Seoul became the first city in East Asia to have electricity, trolley cars, water, telephone, and telegraph systems all at the same time.[ citation needed ] Much of this was due to trade with foreign countries like France and United States. For example, the Seoul Electric Company, Seoul Electric Trolley Company, and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were all joint Korean-American owned enterprises. In 1904, an American by the name of Angus Hamilton visited the city and said, "The streets of Seoul are magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained. The narrow, dirty lanes have been widened, gutters have been covered, roadways broadened. Seoul is within measurable distance of becoming the highest, most interesting and cleanest city in the East".
When the Empire of Japan annexed the Korean Empire, it made Seoul the colonial capital. While under colonial rule (1910–1945), the city was called Keijō (京城); (Korean : 경성, romanized: Gyeongseong or Kyongsong, literally meaning "capital city" in Hanja.). [25] Keijō was an urban city (부/府) that had 2 wards: Keijō itself and Ryusan-ku (龍山區, 용산구, りゅうさんく). Gyeongseong was part of Gyeonggi Province, instead of being an independent city or prefecture as in Joseon and present days. In 1914, several outer districts of the prefecture were annexed to neighboring Goyang County (now Goyang City), reducing the administrative size of the prefecture. In 1936, Gyeongseong expanded itself as it annexed Yeongdeungpo from Siehung County (Now Siehung City) and recombined some parts of former Gyeongseong districts (Sungin, Yeonghee, etc.) from Goyang County. The Government-General Building served as the seat of the colonial government of Colonial Korea but was torn down in 1995.
After World War II and Korea's liberation, the city took its present name of Seoul. When the Republic of Korea (South Korea) was declared, the new state adopted the city as its capital. In 1949, Seoul administrative area expanded to Ui-dong to the north, and Guro-dong and Daerim-dong to the south, recombining some areas which were annexed from original Seoul to Goyang County in 1914.
In 1950, the Korean War broke out and Seoul changed hands between the North Korean forces and South Korean forces four times, leaving the city largely destroyed at the end of the war. One estimate of the extensive damage states that at least 191,000 buildings, 55,000 houses, and 1,000 factories lay in ruins. In addition, there were a flood of refugees from the North, swelling the city's population to an estimated 2.5 million persons. More than half of them were homeless.
The government considered moving its capital city to Yeongdeungpo and Bupyeong, which are south of the Han River.
Following the war, Seoul became the focus of an immense reconstruction and modernization effort. Rapid economic growth achieved during the industrialization of the 1960s and 1970s raised living standards of residents considerably in Seoul.
In 1963, Seoul greatly expanded in size by annexing a number of towns and villages from several surrounding counties in Gyeonggi Province, such as Bucheon, Siheung, Gwangju, Yangju, and Gimpo. However, many newly annexed districts were still rural until Gangnam area began to be developed into urban neighborhoods from the late 1970s. At the same time, Gwacheon Township (today's Gwacheon city) and the northern part of West Township (today's Gwangmyeong city) in Siheung County, parts of Ojeong Township in Bucheon County, and Sindo Township in Goyang County were also annexed to the Seoul Metropolitan Urban Planning Districts (Korean : 서울특별시 도시계획구역), taking these areas as provisional districts for further official municipal annexation to Seoul in the future. In 1973, some parts of Sindo Township in Goyang County (today's Jingwan-dong in the Eunpyeong District) were officially annexed to Seoul. The remaining parts of Sindo Township, Goyang and the northern part of West Township, Siheung (today's Gwangmyeong City) were provisionally planned to be annexed to Seoul, but the municipal annexation plan foundered in the end, in which the symbolic event for this was the establishment of Gwangmyeong City (other than annexation to Guro-gu) in 1981, as the rapid growth of Seoul City was a great concern for governmental officials.
High-rise office buildings and apartments began sprouting throughout the city during the construction boom of the 1980s. Pollution and traffic jams became major issues as urbanization in the country accelerated and more and more people began moving to Seoul and its surrounding areas. Despite a green belt established around the city to prevent urban sprawl, the Seoul metropolitan area soon became the third largest in the world in terms of population and one of the most crowded.
Seoul was the host city of the 1988 Summer Olympics [26] as well as one of the venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. [27]
Today, the population of the Seoul area comprises 20% of the total population of South Korea.
During the 1990s, the city began to attract many workers from other countries, changing demographics. Previously, nearly all of Seoul's residents were Korean. Today, there are an estimated 200,000 foreign nationals living in Seoul. These include tens of thousands of English teachers from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other English-speaking countries, as well as laborers from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
In 1995, the boundary between Seoul and Gwangmyeong rearrangement was implemented, merging parts of Cheolsan 3-dong, Gwangmyeong in the Geumcheon District of Seoul. Around the time of the 1995 municipal annexation in South Korea, the government once seriously considered a division of Seoul into several municipal or metropolitan cities, but the division plan foundered as it would be expected to cause serious problems in aspects of metropolitan governance in Seoul.
In the same year, a building collapse killed over 500 people in Seoul, mainly due to rushed construction, lack of evacuation, and selfish management by the owners. The collapse caused outrage across the country, and it was almost entirely preventable. [28]
In addition, there are many language instructors from English-speaking countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, and the UK. As a major business and financial center, Seoul also has many executives and analysts from North America, Europe, and Japan. Seoul ranks seventh in the world in terms of the number of Fortune 500 transnational companies headquartered there. [29] It is also the world's second most expensive city, ahead of Tokyo and Hong Kong (ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively). [30]
On 29 October 2022, a crowd crush ended up killing at least 156 people, including at least 19 foreign nationals. [31]
On 11 August 2004, the South Korean government announced they would relocate the capital city from Seoul to the Gongju area as of 2007, to ease population pressure on Seoul and to get the government to a safer distance from North Korea in case of a Northern military invasion. [32] Gongju is approximately 120 km (75 mi) south of Seoul. The Government estimated that the move would probably not be completed before 2012. [32] Although part of the election manifesto, this plan ignited nationwide controversy. On 21 October 2004, the Constitutional Court of Korea ruled that mostly based on custom law, the special law for the relocation of the capital is unconstitutional since the relocation is a serious national matter requiring national referendum or revision of the constitution, thus effectively ending the dispute.
In late 2004, however, the South Korean government announced plans to move most of the national government branches, except the Executive Branch, to Gongju, thus evading violation of the Constitutional Court ruling and still allow Seoul to be a National Capital. Since this plan was supported by the late president Roh Moo-hyun and bitterly opposed by the current ruling party and the former president (Lee Myung-bak – the former mayor of Seoul) the planned move was scaled back dramatically when Lee Myung-bak took office. As of 2011, some preliminary work has begun on construction of new government buildings in the Gongju area. No government agencies want to move away from the center of power in Seoul, so which agencies will be forced to move is the subject of intense behind-the-scenes debate.
Sejong City was founded in 2007 as part of efforts to relocate the national capital. It was created from territory of South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces to ease congestion in Seoul and encourage investment in the country's central region. Since 2012, the Government of South Korea has relocated numerous ministries and agencies to Sejong, but many still reside in other cities - namely Seoul where the National Assembly, the Blue House and many important government bodies remain.
Goguryeo also later known as Goryeo, was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of modern-day Northeast China (Manchuria). At its peak of power, Goguryeo conquered most of the Korean Peninsula and large parts of Manchuria, along with parts of eastern Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and modern-day Russia.
Hwarang were an elite warrior group of male youth in Silla, an ancient kingdom of the Korean Peninsula that originated from the mid 6th century and lasted until the early 10th century. There were educational institutions as well as social clubs where members gathered for all aspects of study, originally for arts and culture as well as religious teachings stemming mainly from Korean Buddhism. Chinese sources referred only to the physical beauty of the "Flower Youths". The history of the hwarang was not widely known until after the National Liberation Day of Korea in 1945, after which the hwarang became elevated to symbolic importance.
Samguk sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history.
The Three Kingdoms of Korea or Samhan competed for hegemony over the Korean Peninsula during the ancient period of Korean history. During the Three Kingdoms period (Korean: 삼국시대), many states and statelets consolidated until, after Buyeo was annexed in 494 and Gaya was annexed in 562, only three remained on the Korean Peninsula: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The "Korean Three Kingdoms" contributed to what would become Korea; and the Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla peoples became the Korean people.
Silla, was a Korean kingdom that existed between 57 BCE – 935 CE and was located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Silla had the lowest population of the three, approximately 850,000 people, significantly smaller than those of Baekje and Goguryeo.
Samguk yusa or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms is a collection of legends, folktales and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea, as well as to other periods and states before, during and after the Three Kingdoms period. "Samguk yusa is a historical record compiled by the Buddhist monk Il-yeon in 1281 in the late Goryeo Dynasty." It is the earliest extant record of the Dangun legend, which records the founding of Gojoseon as the first Korean nation. The Samguk yusa is National Treasure No. 306.
Gaeru of Baekje was the fourth king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Gwangmyeong is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the northeast.
King Mu of Baekje (581?–641) was the 30th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the 4th son of King Baekje.
Dongseong of Baekje was the 24th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Korean architecture refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea. Throughout the history of Korea, various kingdoms and royal dynasties have developed a unique style of architecture with influences from Buddhism and Korean Confucianism.
Queen Jindeok of Silla (600–654), reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 647 to 654. She was the kingdom's 28th ruler, and its second reigning queen following her predecessor Queen Seondeok. During her reign, Silla jockeyed with Baekje for favor in the Chinese Tang court. She is also known for writing a poem of the Emperor Gaozong of Tang. According to Samguk Sagi, she was voluptuous, beautiful and tall.
Jinpyeong was the 26th king of the Silla dynasty, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. King Jinpyeong followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, King Jinji, by reorganizing the central ruling system of Silla. Upon the onset of a multitude of conflicts between Baekje and Goguryeo, he sent emissaries to improve relations and strengthen ties between Silla and the Chinese dynasties Sui and Tang. He is also known for his promotion of Buddhism as a spiritual guide for the kingdom and encouraging Buddhist teachings. His 54 year long reign is the longest in Silla's history.
Kim Mu-ryeok was a Silla general under King Jinheung in the mid-6th century. The events of his life are known solely through a brief account in the 12th-century chronicle Samguk Sagi. He was the second son of King Guhae, the last ruler of Geumgwan Gaya, who had joined his family with the true-bone elites of Silla. After his father's surrender in 532, Kim joined the Silla military at the high rank of gakgan. In 553, he led his army to seize the northeastern frontier of Baekje. After taking the area, Kim was made the military governor of Sinju. In 554, he met the Baekje armies at Gwansanseong Fortress, killing King Seong and four of his ministers, and taking some 29,000 prisoners.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has been called by a number of formal and informal names over time. The word seoul was originally a common noun that simply meant "capital city", and was used colloquially to refer to the capital throughout Korean history. Seoul became the official name of the South Korean capital after its liberation from Japan after the Second World War.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Capital Area, encompassing Gyeonggi province and Incheon Metropolitan City, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, trailing behind Paris, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and New York, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population. Although Seoul's population peaked at slightly over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at approximately 9.97 million residents as of 2020. Seoul is the seat of the South Korean government.
Mishil was a Silla aristocrat whose historical existence is debatable. According to the Hwarang Segi, she was a concubine to several kings and, along with her aunt Queen Sado, played an instrumental role in dethroning King Jinji. However, it has been questioned whether Misil was truly a historical figure, as she is only mentioned in the Hwarang Segi, and not in the historical texts Samguk Sagi or Samguk Yusa.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Seoul, South Korea.
Keijō (京城), or Gyeongseong (Korean: 경성), was an administrative district of Korea under Japanese rule that corresponds to the present Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
Queen Sado of the Park clan was a Queen Consort of Silla as the spouse of king King Jinheung of Silla, and the mother of his successor, King Jinji of Silla. According to the disputed text Hwarang Segi, she was regent during the minority of her grandson King Jinpyeong but her regent is not mentioned in the historical texts Samguk sagi or Samguk yusa. She later became a Buddhist nun under the name Myobeop.
| Districts |
|  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business districts |
| |||||