History of Seoul facts for kids

Map of Hanseongbu's territory, an old name for Seoul

Gyeongjo-obu-do, an old map of Seoul

Map showing how modern Seoul grew from 1914 to 1995

The history of Seoul goes back a very long time, even to 18 BC. But people have lived in the area we now call Seoul since the Paleolithic Age, which was the Old Stone Age. Seoul has been the capital city for many kingdoms on the Korean Peninsula since it was first founded.

Early History
Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla
Goryeo Period
Joseon Period
Korean Empire Period
Japanese Colonial Period
Modern History
- Plans to Move the Capital
See also

Early History

People lived near the Han River in the Seoul area during the Paleolithic Age. This was a time when people hunted and gathered food. Later, in the Neolithic Age, people started to settle down and live in one place.

Archaeologists have found ancient remains in a place called the Amsa-dong Prehistoric Settlement Site [ko]. These remains are about 3,000 to 7,000 years old. Around 700 BC, people started using bronze tools. This led to settlements spreading away from the river into other areas.

Three Kingdoms and Unified Silla

Around 18 BC, the kingdom of Baekje built its capital city, Wiryeseong. Many historians believe this city was located in modern-day Seoul. Baekje grew from a small group into one of the powerful Three Kingdoms of Korea.

We can still see parts of old city walls in Seoul from this time. For example, Pungnap Toseong is an earthen wall in southeastern Seoul. Many think it was the main part of Wiryeseong. Another earthen wall, Mongchon Toseong, is also from the early Baekje period. These old sites are south of the Han River. The historic center of Seoul, which is the Jongno District today, is north of the river.

In 554, the Baekje and Gaya kingdoms tried to take back the region. But the Silla army, led by a general named Kim Mu-ryeok, defeated them. The king of Baekje was killed in this battle.

Silla eventually took control of the city and then the whole peninsula. During the Unified Silla period, the name Hanyang (한양; 漢陽) was first used for a part of the city. Later, it referred to the entire city.

Goryeo Period

People believed that controlling the Han River valley was very important. It was a key transportation hub. This meant that the kingdom controlling it would also control the entire peninsula.

In 1104, King Sukjong of the Goryeo Dynasty built a palace. It was near where Gyeongbokgung palace stands today. This area was called Namgyeong (남경; 南京), meaning "Southern Capital." During this time, Seoul grew into an important city with political power.

Joseon Period

Donggwoldo, a Joseon Dynasty painting of Seoul's main royal palaces

In 1394, at the start of the Joseon Dynasty, the capital moved to Seoul. It was also known as Hanyang and later as Hanseong (한성, 漢城). This name means "Fortress city on the Han River." Seoul remained the capital until the Joseon Dynasty ended.

The city was once completely surrounded by a huge stone wall. This wall was about 20 feet (6 meters) high. It protected citizens from wild animals like tigers, as well as thieves and attacks. The city has since grown far beyond these walls. Most of the wall is gone, but some parts remain in the mountains north of the downtown area.

The city's gates are still near the downtown area. The most famous ones are Sungnyemun (South Gate) and Heunginjimun (East Gate). There are also Sukjeongmun (North Gate) and four smaller gates like Changuimun and Hyehwamun. During the Joseon Dynasty, these gates were opened and closed daily. Large bells would ring to mark the times.

The capital area, Hanseong, included inner districts (inside the city wall) and outer districts. These outer districts stretched about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the city wall. Rivers like the Jungnangcheon River and the Han River, and mountains like Mount Bukhan, marked the city's boundaries.

Gyeonghungak was a two-story building at Changdeok Palace.
The street in front of Gyeongbokgung palace in the late 1800s
Gwanghwa Gate, the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace
Seoul in 1894
Waryong-dong, Seoul, in the late Joseon Dynasty
A neighborhood of Seoul in the late Joseon Dynasty
A narrow street of 19th-century Seoul
A street of 19th-century Seoul
Hanseong Municipal Government
Seokeodang is a two-story building at Deoksugung Palace.
Jibokjae, the Royal Library of Seoul in the late Joseon period

Korean Empire Period

Seoul, the capital of the Korean Empire, in 1905. It shows a mix of old and new.

In the late 1800s, after many years of being closed off from the world, Seoul started to welcome foreigners. The city began to modernize. Seoul was the first city in East Asia to have electricity, trolley cars, running water, telephones, and telegraph systems all at the same time.

This modernization happened thanks to trade with countries like France and the United States. For example, the Seoul Electric Company and Seoul Fresh Spring Water Company were partly owned by both Koreans and Americans. In 1904, an American visitor named Angus Hamilton praised Seoul. He said its streets were "magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained." He also noted that "Seoul is within measurable distance of becoming the highest, most interesting and cleanest city in the East."

Funeral of Empress Myeongseong, November 21, 1897
View of Seoul, around 1900
Bigak (Monument for Emperor Gojong's 40th Anniversary), built in 1902
Streetcar in Seoul, 1903
A Korean Drum & Bugle Corps in Seoul, 1903.
Sungnyemun, 1904
Seokjojeon, Imperial palace of Korean Empire
Gwangtonggwan, the main office of a former bank
Hwanggungwu (Imperial Vault of Heaven), where Korean Emperors performed rites, 1906
Taehan Hospital of Seoul during the Gwangmu Reform
Jongno, 1908

Japanese Colonial Period

Emblem of Keijō, 1925–1945

When the Empire of Japan took control of the Korean Empire in 1910, they made Seoul their colonial capital. During this time (1910–1945), the city was called Keijō (京城). This name means "capital city" in Japanese. In Korean, it was called Gyeongseong (Korean: 경성).

Keijō was an urban city with two main areas: Keijō itself and Ryusan-ku. Keijō was part of Gyeonggi Province, not an independent city like it is today. In 1914, some outer parts of the city were added to a nearby county, making the city smaller. But in 1936, Gyeongseong grew again. It took in areas like Yeongdeungpo and some former parts of Gyeongseong. The Government-General Building was the main office for the colonial government. It was torn down in 1995.

March 1st Movement, 1919
Funeral for Emperor Sunjong, June 10, 1926
Government-General Building, built in 1926
Keijo Station (now Seoul Station)
Keijo City Hall (now Seoul Metropolitan Library)
Mitsukoshi department store (now Shinsegae Main store)
Chosen Commercial Bank Head Office
Keijō Nippō Company Building
Gate of Hommachi, a Japanese residential area

Modern History

Flag of Seoul (1946–1996)

After World War II and Korea's freedom from Japanese rule, the city got its current name, Seoul. When Republic of Korea (South Korea) was formed, Seoul became its capital. In 1949, Seoul's administrative area expanded. It included areas like Ui-dong to the north and Guro-dong to the south.

In 1950, the Korean War began. Seoul changed hands between North Korean and South Korean forces four times. By the end of the war, the city was mostly destroyed. It's estimated that over 191,000 buildings, 55,000 houses, and 1,000 factories were ruined. Many refugees from the North came to Seoul, making the population grow to about 2.5 million people. More than half of them had no homes.

After the war, Seoul focused on rebuilding and modernizing. Fast economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s greatly improved the living standards for people in Seoul.

In 1963, Seoul grew much larger. It took in many towns and villages from nearby counties. However, many of these new areas were still rural. The Gangnam area, for example, only started to become urban in the late 1970s.

During the 1980s, many tall office buildings and apartments were built. As more people moved to Seoul, Pollution and traffic jams became big problems. Even with a "green belt" around the city to stop it from spreading too much, the Seoul metropolitan area became one of the largest and most crowded in the world.

Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics. It was also one of the cities for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

In front of Seoul Station, August 15, 1945 (Korea's Liberation Day)
Koreans welcoming Allied army, October 1945
Ceremony starting the government of the Republic of Korea, August 15, 1948
In front of the Bank of Korea, June 1950
War damage in Seoul, October 18, 1950.
The old Central Post Office, 1954
View of Seoul from the Namsan cable car, 1962
Sogong-dong, Seoul, August 1970
Yeouido apartment buildings, 1975
Midopa department store, December 24, 1975
Itaewon-dong, 1986
Seoul Olympic Stadium, built for the 1988 Summer Olympics
Sampoong Department Store collapse, 1995
Young people watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup
Cheonggyecheon under construction, 2004

Today, about 20% of South Korea's total population lives in the Seoul area.

In the 1990s, many workers from other countries started coming to Seoul. This changed the city's population. Before, almost everyone in Seoul was Korean. Now, about 200,000 foreign people live there. These include English teachers from countries like the United States and Canada. There are also workers from countries such as China, India, and the Philippines.

In 1995, a large building called the Sampoong Department Store collapsed. Over 500 people died. This was mainly because of rushed construction and poor management. The collapse caused a lot of anger across the country.

Seoul is a major business and financial center. Many company leaders and business experts from North America, Europe, and Japan work here. Seoul ranks seventh in the world for the number of large international companies based there. It is also one of the most expensive cities to live in.

On October 29, 2022, a crowd crush happened in Seoul. At least 156 people died, including 19 foreign visitors.

Plans to Move the Capital

On August 11, 2004, the South Korean government announced a plan. They wanted to move the capital city from Seoul to the Gongju area. This was to reduce the number of people in Seoul. It also aimed to move the government further away from North Korea for safety. Gongju is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Seoul. The government thought the move would finish by 2012.

This plan caused a lot of debate across the country. On October 21, 2004, the Constitutional Court of Korea decided that the law to move the capital was against the constitution. They said that moving the capital is a very important national matter. It would need a national vote or a change to the constitution. This decision effectively stopped the plan.

However, in late 2004, the government announced new plans. They would move most government offices, except the main executive branch, to Gongju. This way, they would not break the court's ruling. Seoul would still be the main capital. This plan was supported by the president at the time, Roh Moo-hyun. But it was opposed by the next president, Lee Myung-bak, who used to be the mayor of Seoul. So, the plan was greatly reduced when Lee Myung-bak became president.

By 2011, some early work began on new government buildings in the Gongju area. Many government agencies did not want to move away from Seoul. So, deciding which agencies would move became a big discussion.

Sejong City was created in 2007. It was part of the effort to move parts of the capital. It was built using land from South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong provinces. This was to help with crowding in Seoul and encourage growth in the country's central region. Since 2012, the Government of South Korea has moved many ministries and agencies to Sejong. But many important government bodies, like the National Assembly and the Blue House, still remain in Seoul.