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133-650: Park Chung Hee seized power in a 1961 coup d'état and ruled as a military strongman until his election and inauguration as the President of South Korea in 1963. The attack at the Blue House took place in the context of the Korean DMZ Conflict (1966–69) , which in turn was influenced by the Vietnam War . Following the 1967 South Korean presidential election and the legislative election ,

266-711: A Military Armistice Commission (MAC) meeting be held to discuss the raid. The UNC requested the meeting for January 23, but the North Koreans asked for a day's delay. On January 23, the USS ; Pueblo , a technical research ship of the United States Navy , was captured by North Korea. Consequently, the MAC meeting held on January 24 had to deal not only with the raid but also with the Pueblo ' s capture. To

399-464: A green belt aimed at preventing the city from sprawling out into neighboring Gyeonggi Province. These areas are frequently sought after by people looking to escape from urban life on weekends and during vacations. Air pollution is a major issue in Seoul. According to the 2016 World Health Organization Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database, the annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2014

532-455: A 12.85% increase from June 2010. The next largest group was Chinese citizens who were not of Korean ethnicity; 29,901 of them resided in Seoul. The next highest group consisted of the 9,999 United States citizens who were not of Korean ancestry. The next highest group were Taiwanese citizens, at 8,717. The two major religions in Seoul are Christianity and Buddhism . Other religions include Muism (indigenous religion) and Confucianism . Seoul

665-513: A clear legal framework of responsibility, publicly checkable results and a major focus on reduction of transport pollutants. In July 2020, South Korea, then the 11th largest world economy, announced a US$ 35 billion position on ending investment in coal. In November 2020, South Korea committed to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. Between 2005 and 2021 annual concentration levels of small particulate matter (PM10) fell by 30-40 % in Seoul, whilst concentrations of larger particulate matter (PM 2.5) in

798-605: A considerable extent, the seizure of the Pueblo diverted U.S. and international attention from the Blue House raid. The Blue House raid occurred on the same day when the Battle of Khe Sanh started in Vietnam and on January 31 the Tet Offensive broke out across South Vietnam, making any U.S. support for South Korean retaliation unlikely. In Saigon, Viet Cong guerrillas attempted to assassinate President Nguyễn Văn Thiệu at

931-570: A coup to unfold, and the problems of the Second Republic provided the context for the coup to be organised and realised. A direct factor in paving the way to the coup was factionalism in the South Korean army itself, one of the largest in the world at the time with 600,000 soldiers. The army had been given a distinctive identity by the dual Japanese and subsequently American training that many of its members had received, "combin[ing]

1064-399: A graveyard." Their training was rigorous and often in adverse conditions, such as running at a speed of 13 km/h (8 mph) with 30 kg (66 pound) rucksacks over broken and unforgiving terrain, which sometimes resulted in injuries such as lost toes and feet from frostbite . On January 16, 1968, Unit 124 left their garrison at Yonsan . On January 17, 1968, at 23:00, they infiltrated

1197-470: A native Korean (as opposed to Sino-Korean ) common noun simply meaning 'capital city.' The word seoul is believed to have descended from Seorabeol (서라벌; historically transliterated into the Hanja form 徐羅伐 ), which originally referred to Gyeongju , the capital of Silla . Wiryeseong ( 위례성 ; 慰禮城 ), the capital settlement of Baekje , was located within the boundaries of modern-day Seoul. Seoul

1330-526: A new capital. After several governmental debates, Yi Seong-gye chose Hanyang (Sindo) instead of Muak in September 1394. As Joseon's new capital, Hanyang was planned as a geographic embodiment of Korean Confucianism . Construction of the city began in October 1394. During its early construction stages, some major palaces, including Gyeongbokgung , were finished in 1395. The Fortress Wall surrounding Hanyang

1463-492: A propaganda basis for the coup. By October, Park had gathered nine core members, tasking his close associate Kim Jong-pil with the role of general secretary. Fortuitously in November, Park was transferred from his post at Pusan to Seoul, and at a meeting on November 9 at his Seoul residence, the core group decided that they would manipulate the anti-corruption movement within the military to support their aims. Furthermore, it

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1596-555: A series of wide-ranging purges of civilian institutions. The KCIA was supported in this latter work by the Inspection Committee on Irregularities in the Public Service. The purges of state ministries were escalated by the announcement on July 20 of a policy programme aiming at the forced retirement of almost 41,000 "excess" bureaucrats and the reduction of the number of civil servants by 200,000. The purges of

1729-480: A vision of society broadly similar to his own. Rhee eliminated any significant source of real opposition, securing for example the execution of Cho Bong-am , who had campaigned against him in the presidential elections of 1956 on a platform of peaceful reunification and had attracted some 30% of the vote, an unacceptably high level of support for an opposition candidate. Even such significant opposition figures as Cho, however, can be considered to have been part of

1862-492: Is evidence of the consumption of cooked grain and fish by 3,000 B.C. Around 1,500 B.C., communities began transitioning into the Bronze Age and farming at scale. Due to modern Seoul's significant urbanization, Amsa-dong Neolithic Site  [ ko ] is the only known major archaeological site in Seoul where Stone Age materials have been found, although such materials have also been found in minor sites throughout

1995-441: Is headed by a mayor and three vice mayors, and is divided into 25 autonomous districts and 522 administrative neighborhoods. Seoul is divided into 25 " gu " ( 구 ; 區 ) (district). The gu vary greatly in area (from 10 to 47 km or 3.9 to 18.1 sq mi) and population (from fewer than 140,000 to 630,000). Songpa has the most people, while Seocho has the largest area. The government of each gu handles many of

2128-453: Is hereby constituted a municipal corporation to be known as SEOUL. The boundaries of the municipal corporation are the present limits of the City of Seoul consisting of the following eight districts: Chong Koo , Chong No Koo , Sur Tai Moon Koo , Tong Tai Moon Koo , Sung Tong Koo , Ma Po Koo , Yong San Koo , and Yang Doung Po Koo , and as such may be extended as provided by law. Seoul under

2261-708: Is home to one of the world's largest Christian congregations, Yoido Full Gospel Church , which has around 830,000 members. According to the 2015 census, 10.8% of the population follows Buddhism and 35% follows Christianity (24.3% Protestantism and 10.7% Catholicism). 53.6% of the population is irreligious. Seoul is home to the world's largest modern university founded by a Buddhist Order, Dongguk University . Compulsory education lasts from grade 1–9 (six years of elementary school and three years of middle school). Students spend six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and three years in high school. Secondary schools generally require students to wear uniforms. There

2394-581: Is in the northwest of South Korea. Seoul proper comprises 605.25 km (233.69 sq mi), with a radius of approximately 15 km (9 mi), roughly bisected into northern and southern halves by the Han River . The river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, with civilian entry barred. There are four main mountains in central Seoul: Bugaksan , Inwangsan , Naksan and Namsan . The Seoul Fortress Wall , which historically bounded

2527-664: Is not a Sino-Korean word, 'Seoul' has no inherently corresponding Hanja ( Chinese characters used in the Korean language). Instead of phonetically transcribing 'Seoul' to Chinese, in the Chinese-speaking world, Seoul was called Hànchéng ( 汉城 ; 漢城 ), which is the Chinese pronunciation of Hanseong . On 18 January 2005, the Seoul Metropolitan Government changed Seoul's official Chinese name from

2660-614: The 2002 FIFA World Cup . Seoul is geographically set in a mountainous and hilly terrain, with Bukhansan positioned on its northern edge. Within the Seoul Capital Area lie five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeokgung , Hwaseong Fortress , Jongmyo , Namhansanseong , and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon dynasty . Furthermore, Seoul has witnessed a surge in modern architectural development, with iconic landmarks including

2793-535: The DMZ by cutting through the fencing of the U.S. Army's 2nd Infantry Division 's sector. By 02:00 the next day they had set up camp at Morae-dong and Seokpo-ri . On January 19, at 05:00, after having crossed the Imjin River , they set up camp on Simbong Mountain. At 14:00, four brothers named Woo from Beopwon-ri were out cutting firewood and stumbled across the unit's camp. After a fierce debate over whether to kill

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2926-707: The Hanja ' 漢 ' (a transliteration of a native Korean word 한 ; han ; lit.  great), which may also refer to the Han people or the Han dynasty in Chinese and is associated with 'China' in Japanese context. After World War II and the liberation of Korea , Seoul became the official name for the Korean capital. The Standard Korean Language Dictionary still acknowledges both common and proper noun definitions of seoul . Unlike most place names in Korea, as it

3059-649: The Independence Palace but were quickly beaten back. Some writers have suggested that due to the similarities of both attacks by a similar number of commandos (31 in Seoul and 34 in Saigon, respectively) that the North Korean leaders had a certain insight into Vietnamese Communist military operations, and wanted to take advantage of the Vietnam War. President Lyndon Johnson regarded the seizure of

3192-517: The Japanese militarist ethos with the American spirit of technical efficiency to expand its mission from defending the country against communist aggression to that of helping it build itself into a modern nation". Reformist junior officers viewed the senior generals as having been corrupted by party politics, and the problem was compounded by a bottleneck in promotions caused by the consolidation of

3325-537: The Korean War to consolidate a monopoly on political power in the republic. Rhee represented the interests of a conservative ruling class, the so-called "liberation aristocrats" who had risen to positions of influence under American occupation . These "liberation aristocrats" formed the bulk of the political class, encompassing both Rhee's supporters and his rivals in the Democratic Party , which advanced

3458-755: The N Seoul Tower , the 63 Building , the Lotte World Tower , the Dongdaemun Design Plaza , Lotte World , the Trade Tower , COEX , IFC Seoul , and Parc1 . Seoul was named the World Design Capital in 2010 and has served as the national hub for the music, entertainment, and cultural industries that have propelled K-pop and the Korean Wave to international prominence. Traditionally, seoul ( 서울 ) has been

3591-658: The Pueblo and the timing of the Tet Offensive to have been coordinated to divert U.S. resources away from Vietnam and to force the South Koreans to withdraw their two Divisions and Marine Brigade from South Vietnam. Unlike Johnson, UNC commander, General Charles H. Bonesteel III saw no such connection. He regarded the Blue House Raid as having been planned at the highest levels in North Korea, while

3724-516: The Second Republic , installing a reformist military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction effectively led by Park, who took over as chairman after Chang's arrest in July. The coup was instrumental in bringing to power a new developmentalist elite and in laying the foundations for the rapid industrialization of South Korea under Park's leadership, but its legacy is controversial for

3857-577: The Second Sino-Japanese War , Yeongdeungpo District was annexed into Seoul on April 1, 1936, to function as an industrial complex for steel and other metalworking factories. The city was liberated by U.S. forces at the end of World War II . In 1945, following the liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the American military assumed control of Korea, including its capital city, then referred to as Kyeongseongbu in line with Japanese nomenclature. The U.S. military government published

3990-649: The South Korean 25th Infantry Division began searching Nogo Mountain for the infiltrators, but they had already left the area. By then the commandos in the unit realized that the Park Administration had been notified of their infiltration in the South and changed their tactics accordingly. The unit entered Seoul in two- and three-man cells on the night of January 20 and regrouped at the Seungga-sa Temple, where they made their final preparations for

4123-636: The United Nations Command , simultaneously announced the return to the ROK Army of all rights of operational command. By May 27, the coup leaders were confident in American support and dissolved the martial law they had imposed on the day of the coup. On June 24, American Ambassador Samuel D. Berger arrived in Seoul, and reportedly informed Park that the United States was interested in publicly supporting his government, but required

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4256-431: The "revolt against seniors" ( 하극상 사건 ; 下剋上事件 ; hageuksang sageon ). By this point, initial plans for a coup were already advanced, and they were accelerated by the "revolt against seniors". The first plan for a military coup to evolve was the so-called "May 8 plan", a plan calling for a putsch on May 8, 1960. This plan was discussed and formulated at the start of 1960 by reformist officers including Park, and

4389-491: The 17th century. Thus, the Joseon capital of Hanseong was widely referred to as the seoul. Due to its common usage, French missionaries called the Joseon capital Séoul (/se.ul/) in their writings, hence the common romanization Seoul in various languages today. Under subsequent Japanese colonization , Hanseong was renamed as Keijō (京城, literally 'capital city') by the Imperial authorities to prevent confusion with

4522-403: The 1960s, urbanization also accelerated and workers began to move to Seoul and other larger cities. In 1963, Seoul went through two major expansions that established the shape and size of the present-day Seoul—barring minor adjustments to the borders later in 1973 and 2000. In August 1963, Seoul annexed parts of Yangju-gun , Gwangju-gun , Siheung-gun , Gimpo-gun , and Bucheon-gun , expanding

4655-554: The 1988 Summer Olympics, is the largest park. The areas near the stream Tancheon are popular for exercise. Cheonggyecheon also has spaces for recreation. In 2017 the Seoullo 7017 Skypark opened, spanning diagonally overtop Seoul Station. There are also many parks along the Han River , such as Ichon Hangang Park, Yeouido Hangang Park, Mangwon Hangang Park, Nanji Hangang Park, Banpo Hangang Park, Ttukseom Hangang Park and Jamsil Hangang Park. The Seoul National Capital Area also contains

4788-530: The 26th Infantry Division's Engineer Battalion killed one commando on Dobong Mountain . On January 24, 1968, the 26th Infantry Division and 1st Infantry Division soldiers killed 12 commandos near Seongu-ri . On January 25, three commandos were killed near Songchu . On January 29, six commandos were killed near Papyeong Mountain. During the course of this assassination attempt, South Korean casualties totaled 26 killed and 66 wounded, including about 24 civilians. Four Americans also were killed in attempts to block

4921-406: The 5th century. However, according to Samguk sagi , both Baekje and Silla described the land as frontier border of Baekje, not as the capital region. Moreover, Jinheung Taewang Stele found at current day Bukhansan tells that the place was underdeveloped as of 6th century AD, suggesting that the first capital Wiryeseong was not located in or nearby Seoul. In July or August 553, Silla took

5054-458: The Charter of the City of Seoul in the official gazette on October 10 of the following year. The charter declared Seoul as the name of the city and established it as a municipal corporation . Seoul's status as a municipal corporation mirrored the independent cities in the United States that do not belong to any county, and Seoul was established as an independent administrative unit, separate from

5187-467: The Democratic Party's "New Faction", had been elected prime minister by the thin margin of three votes. Purges of Rhee's appointees were rendered ineffective in the public eye by Chang's manipulation of the suspect list to favour wealthy businessmen and powerful generals. Although Rhee had been removed and a democratic constitution instituted, the "liberation aristocrats" remained in power, and

5320-575: The Democratic Party, with Rhee's Liberals reduced to a mere two seats in the newly constituted lower house of the National Assembly . The Second Republic adopted a parliamentary system, with a figurehead president as head of state; executive power was effectively vested in the prime minister and cabinet. Democrat Yun Posun was elected as president in August, with former vice-president Chang Myon becoming prime minister. The Second Republic

5453-592: The Improvement of Air Quality in the Seoul Metropolitan Area" was passed in December 2003. Its 1st Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Plan (2005–2014) focused on improving the concentrations of PM10 and nitrogen dioxide by reducing emissions. As a result, the annual average PM10 concentrations decreased from 70.0 μg/m in 2001 to 44.4 μg/m in 2011 and 46 μg/m in 2014. As of 2014,

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5586-523: The North Korean leadership concluded that Park's domestic opposition no longer constituted a serious challenge to his rule. On June 28 – July 3, the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held an extended plenum at which North Korean leader Kim Il Sung called on the cadres "to prepare to give assistance to the struggle of our South Korean brethren." In July 1967, a special squad of

5719-580: The North Koreans in the June 1950 First Battle of Seoul , recaptured by UN forces in the September 1950 Second Battle of Seoul , falling to a combined Chinese-North Korean force in the January 1951 Third Battle of Seoul , and finally being recaptured once more by UN forces in Operation Ripper during the spring of 1951. The extensive fighting left the city heavily damaged after the war. The capital

5852-579: The Seoul Capital Area, which has major technology hubs, such as Gangnam and Digital Media City. Seoul is ranked seventh in the Global Power City Index and the Global Financial Centres Index , and is one of the five leading hosts of global conferences. The city has also hosted major events such as the 1986 Asian Games , the 1988 Summer Olympics , and the 2010 G20 Seoul summit , in addition to three matches at

5985-482: The Sixth District Army now secure under his control, Park chose Colonel Kim Jae-chun to organize the vanguard of the occupation of Seoul and dispatched a message to Chang Do-yong, instructing him to definitively join the coup or suffer the consequences of association with the civilian government. He then departed for Special Warfare Command , where he issued instructions to cross the Han River and occupy

6118-535: The South Korean economy, which remained stagnant, poor and largely agrarian. The lack of development under Rhee provoked a growing nationalistic intellectual reaction which called for a radical restructuring of society and a thorough political and economic reorganization. Park Chung Hee , the later leader of the May Coup who at that time was a second-tier army officer with decidedly ambiguous political leanings,

6251-677: The U.S. military government between 1945 and 1948 was much smaller than it is today. It only covered the Fortress Wall , marked by the Eight Gates , and the districts incorporated during Japanese rule to prosecute imperial Japan's war efforts. During the Korean War , Seoul changed hands between the Soviet- and Chinese-backed North Korean forces and the American-backed South Korean forces four times: falling to

6384-423: The additional offices of Prime Minister and Defense Minister, becoming formal head of the administration. The SCNR was formalized as a junta of the 30 highest-ranking military officers initially arranged in 14 subcommittees, and assumed a wide-ranging responsibility that included the powers to promulgate laws, appoint cabinet posts, and oversee the functioning of the administration as a whole. The constitution of

6517-509: The annual average PM10 concentration was still at least twice than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. The 2nd Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement Plan (2015–2024) added PM2.5 and ozone to its list of managed pollutants. Investment in air quality improvement between 2007 and 2020 in the order of US$ 9 billion on the part of three key local authorities, namely Gyeonggi, Incheon and Seoul, delivered

6650-517: The area of approximately 4 km (2.5 miles) radius surrounding the Fortress Wall (i.e., Outer old Seoul ; 성저십리 ; 城底十里 ). On October 1, 1910, Imperial Japan demoted Seoul as no different than any other city within the Gyeonggi Province . After Imperial Japan's redistricting, Seoul only included the area inside the Fortress Wall and present-day Yongsan District . In the 1930s, as part of Imperial Japan's war efforts leading up to

6783-509: The attack. Meanwhile, the ROK (Republic of Korea) High Command added the 30th Infantry Division and Airborne Corps to the search and police began searching along Hongje-dong , Jeongreung , and Bukak Mountain. Given the increased security measures that had been implemented throughout the city and realizing their original plan had little chance of success, the team leader improvised a new plan. Changing into Republic of Korea Army (ROKA) uniforms of

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6916-470: The broad conservative consensus of the governing class, which rested on a traditionalist, Confucian worldview that saw "pluralism in ideology and equality in human relationships [as] foreign concepts", and which upheld the value of paternalist government and the power of extensive networks of political patronage . Rhee, under this traditionalist model, was the foremost "elder" in Korean society, to whom Koreans owed familial allegiance , and this relationship

7049-629: The brothers, it was decided instead to try to indoctrinate them on the benefits of communism and they were released with a stern warning not to notify the police. However, the brothers immediately reported the presence of the unit to the Changhyeon police station in Beopwon-ri. The unit broke camp and increased their pace to more than 10 km/h (6 mph), carrying 30 kg (70 lb) of equipment each, crossing Nogo Mountain and arriving at Bibong Mountain on January 20 at 07:00. Three battalions from

7182-672: The cessation of "purges and recriminations". Finally, on July 27, Secretary of State Dean Rusk announced the United States' official recognition of the SCNR government at a press conference. A significant development occurred soon after the coup with the planning and subsequent establishment of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). Members of the Military Revolutionary Committee were briefed on May 20 by Kim Jong-pil on

7315-529: The city Gyeongseong ("Kyongsong" in Korean and " Keijō " in Japanese). The city saw significant transformation under Japanese colonial rule. Imperial Japan removed the city walls, paved roads, and built Western-style buildings. Seoul was deprived of its special status as the capital city and downsized under imperial Japan, compared to the traditional notion among people of the Joseon dynasty that Seoul included

7448-458: The city as the provincial capital. Based on the naming system, the actual name of Han River during this time was likely Namcheon (Nam River) itself or should have the word ending with "cheon" ( 천 ; 川 ) not "gang" ( 강 ; 江 ) nor "su" ( 수 ; 水 ). In addition, "Bukhansan" Jinheung Stele clearly states that Silla had possession of Hanseong (modern day Pyongyang ), thus Bukhansan has to be located north of Hanseong. Modern day Pyongyang

7581-423: The city mostly in ruins. Nevertheless, the city has since undergone significant reconstruction and rapid urbanization. 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 $ 40,000. 15 Fortune Global 500 companies, including industry giants such as Samsung , LG , and Hyundai , are headquartered in

7714-597: The city, often through rescue archaeology . Seoul is first recorded as Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje (founded in 18 BC) in the northeastern area of modern Seoul. There are several city walls remaining in the area that date from this time. Pungnaptoseong , an earthen wall located southeast Seoul, is widely believed to have been at the main Wiryeseong site. As the Three Kingdoms competed for this strategic region, control passed from Baekje to Goguryeo in

7847-539: 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. Seoul has a large quantity of parks. One of the most famous parks is Namsan Park , which offers recreational hiking and views of the downtown Seoul skyline, especially via its N Seoul Tower . Seoul Olympic Park , located in Songpa District and built to host

7980-515: The construction of an autonomous national economy, Korean reunification, and the removal of the present generation of politicians. The proclamation was issued in the name of Chang Do-yong, who was referred to as the chairman of the committee, but this was without his prior approval. When dawn broke, a marine corps unit under Kim Yun-geun crossed the Han River and took control of the Blue House as instructed. The civilian government rapidly imploded. Prime Minister Chang Myon had fled Seoul on hearing of

8113-485: The control of the region from Baekje, and the city became a part of newly established Sin Province ( 신주 ; 新州 ). Sin (新) has both meaning of "New" and "Silla", thus literally means New Silla Province. In November 555, Jinheung Taewang made a royal visit to Bukhansan, and inspected the frontier. In 557, Silla abolished Sin Province, and established Bukhansan Province ( 북한산주 ; 北漢山州 ). The word Hanseong ( 한성 ; 漢城 ; lit.  Han Fortress) appears on

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8246-417: The country and according to satellite data, the persistent carbon dioxide anomaly over the city is one of the strongest in the world. Air quality is monitored by geo-stationary satellite measurements centred on Korea and its immediate neighbours. In January 2024 Seoul Metro , whose passengers at the time numbered approximately 7 million a day, announced plans for extensive pollution reduction measures across

8379-433: The country. The Prime Minister and Ministers, however, are mired in corruption, leading the country to the verge of collapse. We shall rise up against the government to save the country. We can accomplish our goals without bloodshed. Let us join in this Revolutionary Army to save the country. The speech was so successful that even the military police who had been dispatched to arrest the mutineers defected to their cause. With

8512-404: The coup had taken place, Chang Do-yong would be placed as head of the Revolutionary Council in order to get the entire army's support. In March 1961, the core group met at the Chungmu-jang Restaurant in Seoul, and fixed the date April 19 for the coup, expecting significant disturbances on that day due to its being the anniversary of the revolution that had overthrown Rhee's regime. Park also secured

8645-437: The coup in Seoul, preventing any realistic chance of its suppression. After three days of hiding, Chang Myon reappeared to announce the resignation of the entire cabinet, and ceded power to the new junta . Army cadets marched through the streets proclaiming their support for the coup. Chang Do-yong now accepted his appointment as chairman of the committee, granting it the final stamp of authority that it required. The May 16 coup

8778-435: The coup, and President Yun Posun accepted the coup as a fait accompli . Yun continued to serve as nominal head of state until 1963, though stripped of all effective power. Commander Lee Han-lim of the First Army had prepared to mobilize the reserves to suppress the coup, but backed down to prevent an opportunity for a North Korean attack. He was arrested two days later. Twenty heavily armed divisions now stood in support of

8911-417: The current Ichon-dong , the Banpo apartment complex , Apgujeong-dong and Jamsil-dong . Until 1972, Seoul was claimed by North Korea as its de jure capital, being specified as such in Article 103 of the 1948 North Korean constitution . Seoul was the host city of the 1986 Asian Games and 1988 Summer Olympics as well as one of the venues of the 2002 FIFA World Cup . South Korea's 2019 population

9044-401: The development of a concerted opposition under Park and its evolution into the Gwangju Democratization Movement after 1980, the coup became the subject of much controversy, with many opponents of the military regime, such as Kim Dae Jung , looking back on the coup as an unjustified act of insurrectionary violence that toppled South Korea's first genuinely democratic government. Others point to

9177-399: The early 1990s, the reasons being the high costs of living, urban sprawling to Gyeonggi region's satellite bed cities and an aging population. As of 2016, the number of foreigners living in Seoul was 404,037, 22.9% of the total foreign population in South Korea. As of June 2011, 186,631 foreigners were Chinese citizens of Korean ancestry. This was an 8.84% increase from the end of 2010 and

9310-423: The escaping infiltrators from crossing the DMZ. Of the 31 members of Unit 124, 29 were killed or committed suicide; one, Kim Shin-jo , was captured, and the other one, Pak Jae-gyong managed to escape back to North Korea. The bodies of the members of Unit 124 killed in the raid were later buried in the Cemetery for North Korean and Chinese Soldiers . On January 22, the United Nations Command (UNC) requested that

9443-492: The event rejected this analysis, and was accompanied by the corresponding recognition of the April 1960 demonstrations as the "April Revolution". This reading was cemented in 1994–95 with curriculum reforms and the issuing of history textbooks applying the new labels. Seoul Seoul , officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City , is the capital and largest city of South Korea . The broader Seoul Capital Area , encompassing Gyeonggi Province and Incheon , emerged as

9576-466: The event was re-designated as a coup or military insurrection ( 군사 정변 ; 軍事政變 ; gunsa jeongbyeon ). Park had described the "May Revolution" as an "unavoidable ... act of self-defense by and for the Korean people", and in the historiography of the military regimes, the Revolution was presented as having been the result of the will of the nation as a whole. Kim Young-sam's re-designation of

9709-544: The existing provinces. The Korean version of the Charter translated " municipal corporation " as " special free city " ( 특별자유시 ; 特別自由市 ), which later became special metropolitan city (or special metropolitan city; 특별시 ) in the Local Autonomy Act of 1949  [ ko ] . Seoul has retained its status as the only special metropolitan city in South Korea (i.e., 서울특별시 ). The City of Seoul

9842-470: The expected disturbances, however, and the planners rescheduled the coup for May 12. Some time shortly after this, the May 12 plan was finally leaked by accident to the military security forces, who reported it to Prime Minister Chang Myon and Defense Minister Hyeon Seok-ho. Chang Myon was dissuaded from commissioning an investigation by the intervention of Army Chief of Staff Chang Do-yong, who convinced him that

9975-430: The fate of the nation and the people cannot be entrusted to the corrupt and incompetent regime and its politicians. (2) We believe that the time has come [for the armed forces] to give direction to our nation, which has gone dangerously astray. The broadcast went on to outline the policy objectives of the coup, including anti-communism, strengthening of ties with the United States, the elimination of political corruption,

10108-403: The financial backing of prominent businessmen, amassing a total of 7.5 million hwan . Finally, on April 10, 1961, Park took the initiative in revealing the details of the plan to Chang Do-yong himself. Chang's subsequent ambivalent response was decisive in allowing the coup to take place. While he turned down the leadership position offered to him, he neither informed the civilian government of

10241-517: The firefight; one commando was captured but managed to commit suicide. On January 22, 1968, the ROK Army's 6th Corps began a massive sweep operation to capture or kill any members of the unit. Soldiers from the 92nd Regiment, 30th Infantry Division captured Kim Shin-jo , who had been hiding in a civilian's house near Inwang Mountain. The 30th Battalion, Capital Defense Command, killed four commandos in Buam-dong and on Bukak Mountain. On January 23,

10374-578: The fortress), and areas 10 Ri (Korean mile) around the Fortress Wall, which were named as Seongjeosimni ( Korean :  성저십리 ; Hanja :  城底十里 ; lit.  10 Ris around the fortress). The Doseong-an area later gained the informal but popular name Sadaemun-an ( 사대문 안 ), which literally means 'areas inside of the Four Great Gates ', and became the one and only downtown (city center) of Hanyang city . In

10507-479: The functions that are handled by city governments in other jurisdictions. Each gu is divided into " dong " ( 동 ; 洞 ), or neighborhoods. Some gu have only a few dong s while others like Jongno District have a very large number of distinct neighborhoods. Seoul has 423 administrative dongs ( 행정동 ) in total. Seoul proper is noted for its population density , which is almost twice that of New York City and eight times greater than Rome . Its metropolitan area

10640-600: The government apparatus, Park's triumph in the power struggles that followed the May coup, and his eventual election as civilian president in 1963 set the stage for the consolidation of his developmental regime. The May 16 coup was the starting point of a series of military regimes that would last in some form until 1993. It also provided a precedent for the December Twelfth and the May Seventeenth coups of Chun Doo-hwan , Park's effective successor. With

10773-629: The headquarters of the Korean Broadcasting System , issuing a proclamation announcing the Military Revolutionary Committee's seizure of power: The military authorities, thus far avoiding conflict, can no longer restrain themselves, and have taken a concerted operation at the dawn of this day to completely take over the three branches of the Government ... and to form the Military Revolutionary Committee. ... The armed services have staged this uprising because: (1) We believe that

10906-405: The historic Hànchéng to Shǒu'ěr ( 首尔 ; 首爾 ). Shǒu'ěr is a phono-semantic match incorporating both sound and meaning (through 首 meaning 'head', 'chief', 'first'). There is evidence of human habitation in the area now corresponding to Seoul from 30,000 to 40,000 years before the present. Around 4,000 B.C., people of the area lived in huts with lowered floors called umjip ( 움집 ). There

11039-585: 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

11172-405: The intended functions of this new agency. The KCIA was realized on June 10 with the enactment of Law No. 619, which brought the agency into being under the direction of Kim Jong-pil. The KCIA would be Park's central power base throughout his leadership of South Korea, and it served an important function from the outset, granting Kim and Park the ability to remove Chang from the council and to initiate

11305-617: The late 19th century, after hundreds of years of isolation, Seoul opened its gates to foreigners and began modernization. Seoul became the first city in East Asia to introduce electricity in the royal palace, which was established by the Edison Illuminating Company . A decade later the city also implemented electrical street lights. After Gojong 's proclamation of Korea as the Korean Empire in 1897, Seoul

11438-434: The local 26th Infantry Division, complete with the correct unit insignia (which they had brought with them), they formed up and prepared to march the last kilometre (1000 yards) to the Blue House, posing as ROKA soldiers returning from a counter-infiltration patrol. The unit marched along Segeomjeong Road near Jahamun toward the Blue House, passing several National Police and ROKA units en route. At 22:00 on January 21, 1968,

11571-420: The mid winter period of January and February. Temperatures below −20 °C (−4 °F) have been recorded. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is the local government for Seoul, and is responsible for the administration and provision of various services to the city, including correctional institutions, education, libraries, public safety, recreational facilities, sanitation, water supply, and welfare services. It

11704-462: The military. Park failed in winning over the army's Counter-Intelligence Command and the 9th Division , but neither organization reported the plans to higher authorities, allowing the planning to proceed unimpeded. As 1960 drew to a close, moreover, Park began parallel talks outside of his core group, structuring a loose network of supporters for his plan; among those brought in by these talks was Major General Lee Chu-il , with whom Park agreed that once

11837-550: The network. The target was to cut pollution to over 30% below the legal limit of 50 μg/m3. It was 32 μg/m3 by 2026. The outset actuality was 38.8 μg/m3 average concentration of pollution.  Starting in 2024, ₩100 billion annually for three years was earmarked for air pollution reduction measures. These included installation of air conditioning, better ventilation systems and filters, replacement of dust-inducing gravel rail tunnel beds with concrete ones, dust-capture matting at turnstiles, and constant public readings for pollution within

11970-514: The new cabinet was the subject of an intense internal power struggle, however, and over the course of the next two months Park soon engineered a rapid transfer of power into his own hands. On June 6, the SCNR promulgated the Law Regarding Extraordinary Measures for National Reconstruction, which stripped Chang of his posts of Defense Minister and Army Chief of Staff. Much of this law was drafted by Yi Seok-che , who

12103-631: The northeastern borders of Seoul. In September, Seoul again annexed present-day Gangnam . The two consecutive expansions more than doubled the size of Seoul from approximately 268 km (103 sq mi) to 613 km (237 sq mi). After annexation, Gangnam 's development was spurred by key infrastructure projects: the construction of the Hannam Bridge (1966–1969) and Gyeongbu Expressway (1968–1970). As Seoul's population kept growing, Park 's regime focused its development plans on Gangnam. The main hurdle for Gangnam's development

12236-462: The northern border. The city lost its provincial capital position and was put under Bukhansan Province once again. This further proves that Bukhansan was located in the North of modern-day Pyongyang as changing the provincial name and objective would not be required if Bukhansan was located within Seoul. In the 11th century Goryeo , which succeeded Unified Silla , built a summer palace in Seoul, which

12369-407: The plan, nor ordered the arrest of the conspirators. This allowed Park to present Chang as an "invisible hand" guiding the organization of the coup. According to Han, this ambivalence was most likely because Chang had calculated that the coup organizers had by this time gathered too much momentum to stop, though this analysis assumes Chang's earlier non-involvement. The date of April 19 passed without

12502-423: The plans for the coup. The historian Kim Hyung-A suggests by contrast that it is possible that Chang, as Army Chief of Staff, deliberately spread the rumors of Park's imminent removal in order to provide political cover for the coup; he concludes that "it is obvious that Park had received extraordinary support from someone in power". Over the course of the next half-year, the coup plans became an open secret within

12635-692: The positions of the senior commanders of the army after the end of its rapid expansion in the Korean War. The army was also divided along regional lines and between factions of officers who had graduated from the same school. Of the latter, the most influential were the competing factions who had graduated from the Japanese Military Academy and from the Manchurian officers' school at Xinjing respectively, while more lower-ranked officers were divided by their class of graduation from

12768-443: The positive legacy of the coup, however, such as the 1994 Freedom House analysis which refers to the rapid industrialization that followed the coup and the "uncorrupt" nature of Park's rule. In official discourse before 1993, the coup was referred to as the "May 16 Revolution" ( 5·16 혁명 ; 五一六革命 ; O-illyuk hyeongmyeong ), but under the reforming non-military administration of erstwhile opposition leader Kim Young-sam ,

12901-797: The post-1966 commando raids as a South Korean guerrilla movement akin to the Viet Cong . Thirty-one men were handpicked from the elite all-officer KPA Unit 124. This special operation commando unit trained for two years and spent their final 15 days rehearsing action on the objective in a full-scale mockup of the Blue House . These specially selected men were trained in infiltration and exfiltration techniques, weaponry, navigation, airborne operations, amphibious infiltration, hand-to-hand combat (with emphasis on knife fighting ) and concealment. Kim Shin-jo , one of only two known survivors, said "It made us fearless—no one would think to look for us in

13034-510: The post-liberation Korean Military Academy . Park had attended all three institutions, and was uniquely positioned to lead what would become the coup coalition, with his extensive ties among both the senior commanders of the army and the younger factions. After the overthrow of the Rhee regime and the institution of the Second Republic, the reformists, led by KMA alumni, began to call for the senior commanders to be held to account for complicity in

13167-462: The presidential residence at the Blue House . Meanwhile, an artillery brigade occupied the central Army Headquarters and secured the downtown areas of Seoul north of the Han. By 4:15am, after a brief exchange of fire with loyalist military police who were guarding the bridge across the Han, Park's forces had occupied the administrative buildings of all three branches of government. They proceeded to seize

13300-635: The recently established Unit 124 of the Korean People's Army (KPA) was entrusted with the task of assassinating Park. This decision was probably facilitated by the fact that in 1967, the Vietnam War entered a new stage of escalation, and American military forces, preoccupied as they were with Vietnam, could not easily take retaliatory measures against North Korea. In 1965–1968, North Korea–North Vietnam relations were very close, and North Korea provided substantial military and economic assistance to North Vietnam . North Korean propaganda sought to depict

13433-484: The rigging of the 1960 and 1956 presidential elections. Park, relatively high-ranking as Major General, threw himself into the spotlight by declaring his support for the reformists and demanding the resignation of Army Chief of Staff Song Yo-chan on May 2. On September 24, 16 colonels, led by Kim Jong-pil, demanded the resignation of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Choi Yong-hui in an incident known as

13566-446: The same period fell by 19% across the country and more in Seoul and Gyeonggi. Asian dust , emissions from Seoul and in general from the rest of South Korea, as well as emissions from China, all contribute to Seoul's air quality. Besides air quality, greenhouse gas emissions represent hot issues in South Korea since the country is among top-10 strongest emitters in the world. Seoul is the strongest hotspot of greenhouse gas emissions in

13699-423: The security report was unreliable. Pervasive unrealized rumours of the imminence of a military coup also contributed to Chang Myon's decision, and the report on the May 12 plan was dismissed as a false alarm. The coup organizers responded by aborting the May 12 plan and fixing a new, and final, date and time, 3am on May 16. The plot was leaked once again early in the morning of May 16, and this time immediate action

13832-403: The seizure of the Pueblo seemed merely opportunistic and the timing of the Tet Offensive as helpful but coincidental. In response to the assassination attempt, the South Korean government organized the ill-fated Unit 684 . This group was intended to assassinate the leader of North Korea, Kim Il Sung . However, following an improvement in intra-Korean relations, the unit's assassination mission

13965-427: The singularly problematic economic and political climate of the Second Republic encouraged a military intervention, the roots of the coup go back to the late Rhee period. Historians like Yong-Sup Han argue that the common view of the coup as caused solely by the vagaries of a new regime paralyzed by instability is too simplistic. From 1948, South Korea was governed by President Syngman Rhee, an anti-Communist who used

14098-673: The stone wall of "Pyongyang Fortress", which was presumably built in the mid to late 6th century AD over period of 42 years, located in Pyongyang, while there is no evidence that Seoul had name Hanseong dating the three kingdoms and earlier period. In 568, Jinheung Taewang made another royal visit to the northern border, visited Hanseong, and stayed in Namcheon on his way back to the capital. During his stay, he set Jinheung Taewang Stele, abolished Bukhansan Province, and established Namcheon Province (남천주; 南川州; South River Province), appointing

14231-446: The suppression of democracy and civil liberties it entailed, and the purges enacted in its wake. Termed the "May 16 Military Revolution" by Park and his allies, "a new, mature national debut of spirit", the coup's nature as a "revolution" is controversial and its evaluation contested. The background to the coup can be analysed both in terms of its immediate context and in terms of the development of post- liberation South Korea. Although

14364-529: The system. 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,

14497-594: The unit approached the Segeomjeong–Jahamun checkpoint less than 100 meters from the Blue House, where Jongro police chief Choi Gyushik approached the unit and began to question them. When he grew suspicious of their answers, he drew his pistol and was shot by members of the unit who started firing and throwing grenades at the checkpoint. After several minutes of shooting, the unit dispersed, with some heading off to Inwang Mountain , Bibong Mountain, and Uijeongbu . Choi and Assistant Inspector Jung Jong-su were killed in

14630-439: 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 over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at about 9.6 million residents as of 2024. Seoul is the seat of the South Korean government . Seoul's history traces back to 18 BC when it

14763-516: The worsening problems facing South Korea were proving insurmountable for the new government. The breakdown of South Korean politics and the administrative purges racking the army combined to demoralise and discourage the Military Security Command, which was charged with the maintenance of the chain of command in the military and weeding out insubordination. The reluctance of the Military Security Command to act allowed plans for

14896-596: Was 24 micrograms per cubic meter (1.0 × 10  gr/cu ft), which is 2.4 times higher than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines for the annual mean PM2.5. The Seoul Metropolitan Government monitors and publicly shares real-time air quality data. Since the early 1960s, the Ministry of Environment has implemented a range of policies and air pollutant standards to improve and manage air quality for its people. The "Special Act on

15029-472: Was a military coup d'état in South Korea in 1961, organized and carried out by Park Chung Hee and his allies who formed the Military Revolutionary Committee, nominally led by Army Chief of Staff Chang Do-yong after the latter's acquiescence on the day of the coup. The coup rendered powerless the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Chang Myon and President Yun Posun , and ended

15162-654: Was aimed at unseating Rhee from the presidency. This plan never moved significantly beyond being an idea, and was soon superseded by the April Revolution. From May to October 1960, however, Park assembled a variety of officers to organize a new plan for a coup, largely on the basis of his ties with other graduates of the Manchurian Military Academy. He also secured the loyalty of the editor of the Pusan Daily News , aiming to ensure

15295-636: Was also known by other various historical names, such as Bukhansan-gun (북한산군; 北漢山郡, during the Goguryeo era), Namcheon ( 남천 ; 南川 , during the Silla era), Hanyang ( 한양 ; 漢陽 , during the Northern and Southern States period ), Namgyeong (남경; 南京, during the Goryeo era), and Hanseong ( 한성 ; 漢城 , during the Joseon era). The word seoul was used colloquially to refer to the capital as early as

15428-411: Was amended to allow Park to assume the office of chairman both of the SCNR and its Standing Committee. Part of the immediate task of the coup leaders was to secure American approval for their new government. This approval came quickly, as on May 20, President John F. Kennedy dispatched a message to the SCNR confirming the friendship between the two countries. Carter B. Magruder , commander-in-chief of

15561-503: Was beset with problems from the start, with bitter factionalism in the ruling Democratic Party competing with implacable popular unrest for the government's attention. The South Korean economy deteriorated under heavy inflation and high rates of unemployment, while recorded crime rates more than doubled; from December 1960 to April 1961, for example, the price of rice increased by 60 percent, while unemployment remained above 23%. Widespread food shortages resulted. Chang, meanwhile, representing

15694-517: Was cancelled and in 1971 the unit revolted and most of its members were killed. In May 1972, Kim Il Sung expressed regret and claimed that the Blue House raid "was entirely plotted by extreme leftists and did not reflect my intent or that of the Party" to the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) Lee Hu-rak during their meeting in Pyongyang. May 16 coup The May 16 military coup d'état ( Korean :  5·16 군사정변 )

15827-495: Was decided that Park would focus on building support for the coup among other generals, while the other core members would recruit younger officers and construct revolutionary cells within and outside Seoul. By Chang Do-yong's account, however, on January 12, 1961, it was discovered that Park had been placed on a list of 153 officers scheduled to be moved to the Reserve Army in May. This discovery would likely have accelerated

15960-497: Was estimated at 51.71 million, and according to the 2018 Population and Housing Census, 49.8% of the population resided in the Seoul metropolitan area. This was up by 0.7% from 49.1% in 2010, showing a distinct trend toward the concentration of the population in the capital. Seoul has become the economic, political and cultural hub of the country, with several Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung , SK Holdings , Hyundai , POSCO and LG Group headquartered there. Seoul

16093-460: Was floods because the area is low-lying and prone to flooding. Then Seoul mayor Kim Hyun-ok ordered construction of an expressway that doubled as embankment , which became the present-day Gangbyeon Expressway . The construction started in March 1967 and completed in September of the same year. Similar projects transformed previously flood-prone areas into usable land for development. Such areas include

16226-529: Was founded by the people of Baekje , one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. During the Joseon dynasty, Seoul was officially designated as the capital, surrounded by the Fortress Wall of Seoul. In the early 20th century, Seoul was occupied by the Japanese Empire , temporarily renamed " Keijō " ("Gyeongseong" in Korean). The Korean War brought fierce battles, with Seoul changing hands four times and leaving

16359-485: Was heavily influenced by this unfolding intellectual reaction. After rigged elections in March 1960 , growing protests developed into the April Revolution , and Rhee was pressured by the United States into a peaceful resignation on April 26. With Rhee out of the way, a new constitution was promulgated establishing the Second Republic , and legislative elections on June 29 resulted in a landslide victory for

16492-510: Was not Pyongyang, Taedong River was likely Han River, and Bukhansan was not Bukhansan during the three kingdoms period. Moreover, Pyongyang was a common noun meaning capital used by Goguryeo and Goryeo dynasties, similar to Seoul. In 603, Goguryeo attacked Bukhansanseong (북한산성; 北漢山城; Bukhan Mountain Fortress), which Silla ended up winning. In 604, Silla abolished Namcheon Province, and reestablished Bukhansan Province in order to strengthen

16625-485: Was now complete. The business of consolidating a new government began soon after the coup had been completed. Martial law was immediately put into force. On May 20, the Military Revolutionary Committee was renamed the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction (SCNR), and the following day a new cabinet was instituted. Chang Do-yong, the chairman of the committee, remained Army Chief of Staff, but also took on

16758-477: Was operating under instructions from Park to "eliminate" Chang. Four days later, on June 10, the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction Law was enacted, which specified that the deputy chairman of the SCNR would be chairman of its standing committee, granting Park additional powers. Finally, on July 3, Chang himself was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to carry out a counter-coup, and the June 10 law

16891-483: Was partially finished around 1396. The city of Hanyang was governed by the Hanseongbu  [ ko ] ( 한성부 ), an agency of the national government dedicated to affairs on the administration of the capital city. The Hanseongbu divided Hanyang into two major categories: areas inside the Fortress Wall, which were typically named Seong-jung ( 성중 ; 城中 ) or Doseong-an ( 도성 안 ; lit.  Inside

17024-408: Was referred to as the "Southern Capital". It was only from this period that Seoul became a larger settlement. Seoul became the planned capital of Korea by Yi Seong-gye , the founding father of the Joseon dynasty. After enthroning himself as King at the capital of old Goryeo in 1392, Yi Seong-gye changed the name of his Kingdom from Goryeo to Joseon in 1393 and began his search for a place for

17157-400: Was strengthened by the ties of obligation that connected Rhee to many in the ruling class. One result of the rule of the "liberation aristocrats" was the stalling of development in South Korea, in marked contrast to the situation in nearby Japan . Where South Korea had been intensively developed under the Japanese colonial system , Rhee's presidency saw little significant effort to develop

17290-532: Was taken. The Counter-Intelligence Command raised an alert that a mutiny was underway, and a detachment of military police was sent to round up the suspected perpetrators. Park moved to the Sixth District Army Headquarters, now Mullae Park , to take personal control of the coup operations and salvage the plan. Park gave a speech to the assembled soldiers, saying: We have been waiting for the civilian government to bring back order to

17423-524: Was temporarily called Hwangseong ( 황성 ; 皇城 ; lit.  the imperial city). Much of modern development around this era was propelled by trade with foreign countries like France and the United States. For example, the Seoul Electric Company , Seoul Electric Trolley Company, and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were all joint Korean–U.S. owned enterprises. After the annexation treaty in 1910, Japan annexed Korea and renamed

17556-486: Was temporarily relocated to Busan . One estimate of the extensive damage states that after the war, at least 191,000 buildings, 55,000 houses, and 1,000 factories lay in ruins. In addition, a flood of refugees had entered Seoul during the war, swelling the population of the city and its metropolitan area to an estimated 1.5 million by 1955. Following the war, Seoul began to focus on reconstruction and modernization. As South Korea's economy started to grow rapidly from

17689-485: Was the most densely populated among OECD countries in Asia in 2012, and second worldwide after that of Paris . As of the end of June 2011, 10.29 million Republic of Korea citizens lived in the city. This was a 0.24% decrease from the end of 2010. The population was 10.44 million in 2012, and 9.86 million in 2015. As of 2021, Seoul's population is 9.59 million. The population of Seoul has been dropping since

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