As the capital of South Korea, Seoul is a fascinating place. There are many interesting facts about Seoul, South Korea that you may not have known about.
Let’s dive into some interesting Seoul facts that you have not have know about.
Fun & Interesting Seoul Facts
1. Almost 10 million people call Seoul home. That’s around 20 percent of the South Korean population.
2. Seoul’s population density is twice that of New York’s.
3. Seoul occupies a land area of 605 square km, which is slightly larger than the size of Chicago and around 70 square km smaller than San Jose.
4. Seoul is roughly divided into two halves by the Han River.
5. Humans have lived in the area now known as Seoul as far back as 18 BCE.
6. The city only got its name “Seoul” in 1948 with the founding of South Korea after the partition of Korea.
7. The name “Seoul” is said to have been derived from the Korean word for capital city, “Seoraneol”.
8. Seoul is just 24 km away from the Demilitarized Zone.
9. Seoul is only 50 km from the border with North Korea.
10. Seoul was occupied by North Korean forces for three months in 1950.
11. There are four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Seoul. These are the Changdeokgung Palace, the Hwaseong Fortress, the Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.
12. The old city wall had four main gates. Bukdaemun or Great North Gate, Tongdaemun or Great East Gate, Namdaemun or Great South Gate, and Sodaemun or Great West Gate.
13. Modern Seoul is divided into 25 administrative divisions known as gu. Each of these divisions has their own governments.
14. A dong is a neighbourhood in Seoul. There can be multiple dongs in each gu.
15. There are five royal palaces in Seoul.
16. The tallest building in Seoul is the 123-floor Lotte World Tower. It stands at 555 meters (1,821 feet) tall.
17. The Banpo bridge which spans the Han River is the world’s largest fountain bridge. It has 380 nozzles that create an illuminated water show every evening.
18. Seoul’s Lotte World is the world’s largest indoor theme park.
19. Tipping is not practiced in Seoul and South Korea.
20. There is a street in Seoul dedicated to K-pop.
21. You can visit a poo cafe in Insadong, Seoul.
22. There is a museum in Seoul that is dedicated to Hangeul, the Korean Alphabet.
23. There are spas with hot springs in Seoul.
24. The famous landmark in Seoul, N Seoul Tower, is a communications tower.
25. Seoul’s Incheon International Airport is considered one of the best airports in the world.
26. Incheon airport is built on an island off the western coast of South Korea. It is connected to the mainland by a bridge.
27. Incheon was where the UN forces during the Korean War to retake South Korea. There is a memorial at Incheon that commemorates the landings.
28. Seoul is where the headquarters of Samsung is located.
29. Seoul hosted the 1988 Olympic Games. The Olympic Park is a reminder of those games.
30. Seoul used to have street cars.
31. The Cheonggyecheon Stream in Seoul was once a drain that was rejuvenated. It took three years to restore it, and involved dismantling an elevated highway.
32. The busiest subway station in Seoul is the Gangnam subway station.
33. Many places in Seoul require you to dispose of used toilet paper in a dust bin rather than flushing it down the toilet bowl.
34. There is a museum dedicated to poo in Insadong, Seoul.
35. It is not uncommon to come across a concert on the streets while in Seoul, especially in places such as Hongdae.
We hope you’ve enjoyed these interesting Seoul facts. You may also enjoy these list of things to do in Seoul, South Korea or learning more about the Seoul Olympic Park.
If you are visiting Seoul, you may also be interested to find out how to use Naver Map to get around.
