Seoul is the largest city and capital of South Korea. It lies on the Han River in the northwest of the country and serves as South Korea’s political, economic, and cultural centre.
The city’s history reaches back to 18 BC, when it was founded as Wiryeseong, a capital of the ancient Baekje kingdom. It became the royal capital of the Joseon dynasty in 1394 and remained central to Korean government for centuries. Seoul was heavily damaged during the Korean War but was rebuilt rapidly afterward.
A common mix-up is confusing Seoul proper with the Seoul Capital Area. Seoul city has roughly 9.6 million residents, while the wider metropolitan area—including Incheon and much of Gyeonggi Province—has more than 25 million. Busan is South Korea’s second-largest city, while Incheon is part of the broader metropolitan region but is not the national capital.