Seoul
A capital that was rubble in 1953 and now sets the world's taste
Seoul holds around 9.5 million people in the city proper and roughly half of South Korea in its metropolitan area, on a river valley that was largely destroyed within living memory. It is now one of the great technology, culture and food capitals, and it still behaves as if it has something to prove.
Hanyang became the capital of the Joseon dynasty in 1394, when King Taejo moved his court to a basin ringed by mountains north of the Han river and built Gyeongbokgung and the city wall; it stayed the capital for five centuries. Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and ran the city as Keijo; liberation in 1945 was followed by division, and the Korean War of 1950–53 saw Seoul change hands four times and left it largely flattened. What followed was the 'Miracle on the Han': under Park Chung-hee's authoritarian development state the city industrialised at a pace few places have matched, the 1988 Olympics announced it to the world, and the democracy movement of 1987 gave it its politics. The Asian financial crisis of 1997 hurt badly; the decades since have brought Samsung, Hyundai, K-pop and a cultural reach out of all proportion to the country's size.
The Han river divides the city into Gangbuk, the old north, and Gangnam, the new south, and the distinction is social as much as geographic. North of the river is the Joseon core — the palaces, Bukchon's hanok houses, Insadong's galleries, the City Hall and Jongno districts, Myeongdong's shops and Namdaemun market, with Namsan and its tower rising over all of it. Hongdae, around Hongik University to the west, is the youth and music district; Itaewon, below the old American base, is the foreign quarter. South of the river, Gangnam was rice paddies until the 1970s and is now the wealthiest part of the country: Apgujeong and Cheongdam's luxury, the COEX complex, Jamsil's Lotte World Tower and the Olympic park. The city has 25 districts, or gu, and the metropolitan area spills into Incheon and the satellite cities of Gyeonggi province, where most of the region's people actually live.
Seoul is where Korean pop culture — the music, the dramas, the films that have won Oscars and Palmes d'Or — is made, and the city takes it seriously, with agency headquarters in Gangnam and fans queueing outside them. The food is the argument for coming: barbecue and soju until late, the tent bars called pojangmacha, Gwangjang market's mung-bean pancakes, cold naengmyeon in summer, and a café scene that may be the densest on earth. Baseball is the mass sport — the LG Twins and Doosan Bears share Jamsil — and FC Seoul plays football at the World Cup stadium. The palaces and the mountains are the other thing: Bukhansan national park is inside the city limits and a serious hike, and hiking gear is a fashion statement. Seoul is loud, fast, competitive and open all night; it also has a temple within reach of every subway line.
The hard parts begin with the air: fine dust, from local traffic and from across the Yellow sea, makes spring a season of masks and app-checking. Summer is hot and humid with a monsoon in July; winter is dry and bitterly cold under a Siberian wind. Housing is expensive and the jeonse deposit system baffles newcomers; the working hours are among the longest in the OECD, the education pressure is legendary, and the birth rate is the lowest in the world. Politics are polarised and the North is around 50 kilometres away, which locals treat as background noise. What it offers is superb, cheap, near-24-hour transit, extraordinary food, near-total personal safety, the fastest internet anywhere, and a cultural energy that has made it, quite suddenly, one of the places the world watches.
Where People Live
Jongno & Bukchon
The Joseon heart: Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces, the hanok lanes of Bukchon between them, Insadong's tea houses and galleries, and Ikseon-dong's renovated hanok cafés. Where visitors start and where the old city still shows.
Myeongdong & Namdaemun
The cosmetics and street-food strip under Namsan, the Shinsegae and Lotte department stores, and Namdaemun market, the oldest and largest in the city. Crowded, and meant to be.
Hongdae & Yeonnam
The student, indie-music and nightlife district around Hongik University, spreading into Yeonnam-dong's cafés along the old railway park and Mangwon's market. Where the under-30s go out.
Itaewon & Hannam
The foreign quarter beside the former US garrison, with the city's most international restaurants, the mosque and the Leeum museum in Hannam-dong, where the wealthy and the galleries have moved in.
Gangnam, Apgujeong & Cheongdam
The money south of the river: the office towers of Teheran-ro, Apgujeong's plastic-surgery clinics and Rodeo street, Cheongdam's luxury flagships and entertainment agencies, and Garosu-gil's boutiques.
Jamsil & Songpa
Lotte World Tower and the amusement park, the Olympic park from 1988, Seokchon lake's cherry blossom, and the baseball stadium. Family territory with the tallest building in the country.
Seongsu
The old shoe-factory district east of the centre, now the city's warehouse-café and pop-up store quarter, with Seoul Forest park beside it. The neighbourhood every brand wants to be in.
Yeouido
The island in the Han that holds the National Assembly, the stock exchange, the broadcasters and the 63 Building; its riverside park is the spring cherry blossom spot and the summer picnic ground.
Restaurants & places to go
Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters
taekwondo · kukkiwon.or.kr
Cafe Yeonnam-Dong 223-14
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Airports
Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN) 48 km to the centre
Seoul, 28, KR — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 66 airlines (Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, All Nippon Airways, China Southern Airlines…) · direct flights to 131 destinations incl. Bangkok, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Cebu, Fukuoka… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 66 airlines, 131 direct destinations
- Korean Air KE (777-200, 737-800, A330-300, 73J, A330-200, 777-300ER…) · 93 routes: Abu Dhabi, Agana, Akita, Amsterdam, Aomori, Atlanta, Auckland, Babelthuap, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Cebu, Changcha, Cheju, Chiang Mai, Chicago, Colombo, Dalian, Dallas-Fort Worth, Danang, Denpasar, Dubai, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Houston, Huangshan, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jinan, Kagoshima, Kanazawa, Kathmandu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming … +53 more
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A321, A330-300, 767-300, A320, 777-200, 777-200LR…) · 81 routes: Abu Dhabi*, Alma-ata, Angeles City, Babelthuap, Bangkok, Beijing, Cebu, Changcha, Changchun, Cheju, Chengdu, Chicago, Chongqing, Dalian, Danang, Delhi, Denpasar, Doha*, Frankfurt, FSZ, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Harbin, Hiroshima, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Huangshan, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jinan, Kaohsiung, Khabarovsk, Kota Kinabalu, Kumamoto, Lijiang, London … +41 more
- All Nippon Airways NH (A321, A320, 767-300, A330-300, 777-200, 777-200LR…) · 15 routes: FSZ*, Fukuoka*, Hiroshima*, Kumamoto*, Matsuyama*, Miho*, Miyazaki*, Nagoya*, Okinawa*, Osaka*, Sendai*, Takamatsu*, Tokyo*, Tokyo*, Toyama*
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A321, A320, 737-800, 73J, A319, 737-800) · 12 routes: Beijing, Changcha, Changchun, Dalian, Guangzhou, Harbin, Mudanjiang, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan, Yanji, Zhengzhou
- Delta Air Lines DL (777-300ER, 777-200, A380, 747-400, A330-300, 737-800) · 12 routes: Atlanta*, Chicago*, Dallas-Fort Worth*, Detroit, Honolulu*, Las Vegas*, Los Angeles*, New York, San Francisco*, Seattle*, Siem-reap*, Washington*
- Air China CA (A321, 737-800, 330, 767-300) · 11 routes: Beijing, Chengdu*, Chongqing, Dalian*, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan*, Qingdao, Tianjin, Yanji, Yantai
- Jin Air LJ (737-800) · 11 routes: Agana, Angeles City, Bangkok, Cebu, Chiang Mai, Hong Kong, Macau, Nagasaki, Okinawa, Sapporo, Vientiane
- Jeju Air 7C (737) · 10 routes: Agana, Bangkok, Cebu, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Manila, Nagoya, Osaka, Qingdao, Tokyo
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A320, A330-200, A321, 73J) · 9 routes: Changcha, Guilin, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Wuhan*, Xi'an*, Yantai
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (737-800, A330-300, 777-200, A330-200, 737-900, 777-300…) · 8 routes: Fukuoka*, Kagoshima*, Kanazawa*, Nagoya*, Niigata*, Osaka*, Sapporo*, Tokyo
- Eastar Jet ZE (737-800) · 6 routes: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jinan, Kota Kinabalu, Osaka, Tokyo
- Turkish Airlines TK (A321, 330, A330-300, A340-300, 767-300, 777-200…) · 6 routes: Fukuoka*, Hiroshima, Istanbul, Nagoya*, Sydney*, Vladivostok
- United Airlines UA (747-400, A321, A330-300, 737-800, 777-200LR, 777-300ER) · 6 routes: Los Angeles*, New York*, San Francisco, Seattle*, Siem-reap*, Tokyo
- Thai Airways International TG (777, 330, 777-300) · 5 routes: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Phuket, Taipei
- Tway Airlines TW (737) · 5 routes: Bangkok, Fukuoka, Jinan, Saga, Sapporo
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines SU (A319, 737, A330-300) · 4 routes: Khabarovsk, Moscow, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-sakhalinsk
- Air India Limited AI (777-300ER, A330-300, 787-8) · 4 routes: Delhi*, Hong Kong, San Francisco*, Singapore*
- BusinessAir 8B (767-300) · 3 routes: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket
- Cebu Pacific 5J (A320, 330) · 3 routes: Cebu, Kalibo, Manila
- Philippine Airlines PR (A320, A321, 330) · 3 routes: Cebu, Kalibo, Manila
- Shandong Airlines SC (737-800, A321) · 3 routes: Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai
- US Airways US (777-300ER, 777) · 3 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco, Singapore
- Vietnam Airlines VN (A321, 330, A330-200) · 3 routes: Danang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
- Zest Air Z2 (A320) · 3 routes: Cebu, Kalibo, Manila
- Air Canada AC (A330-300, 767-300, 777) · 2 routes: Bangkok*, Vancouver
- American Airlines AA (737, 777) · 2 routes: Dallas-Fort Worth, Tokyo
- Cathay Pacific CX (A340-300, 777-200, 777-300, A330-300, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Hong Kong, Taipei
- Ethiopian Airlines ET (A330-300, 777-200, 787-8) · 2 routes: Bangkok*, Hong Kong
- EVA Air BR (A330-200, A330-300, M90) · 2 routes: Kaohsiung, Taipei
- Garuda Indonesia GA (A330-200, A330-300) · 2 routes: Denpasar, Jakarta
- Lufthansa Cargo LH (A340-600, 74H) · 2 routes: Frankfurt, Munich
- Malaysia Airlines MH (A330-300, 737-800) · 2 routes: Kota Kinabalu*, Kuala Lumpur
- Singapore Airlines Cargo SQ (777-300ER, A330-300) · 2 routes: San Francisco, Singapore
- Air Astana KC (767) · 1 route: Alma-ata
- Air Foyle GS (A321) · 1 route: Tianjin
- Air France AF (777-200, 777-300ER) · 1 route: Paris
- Air Macau NX (A319, A320, A321) · 1 route: Macau
- Air Tahiti Nui TN (A330-300) · 1 route: Tokyo
- AirAsia X D7 (330) · 1 route: Kuala Lumpur
- Alitalia AZ (747-400) · 1 route: Milano*
- Arrow Air JW (A320) · 1 route: Tokyo
- British Airways BA (777) · 1 route: London
- China Airlines CI (A330-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Taipei
- Czech Airlines OK (A330-300) · 1 route: Prague
- Emirates EK (A380) · 1 route: Dubai
- Etihad Airways EY (345, A340-600) · 1 route: Abu Dhabi
- Finnair AY (A330-300) · 1 route: Helsinki
- Hawaiian Airlines HA (A330-200) · 1 route: Honolulu
- Hong Kong Express Airways UO (A320) · 1 route: Hong Kong
- Kenya Airways KQ (A330-200) · 1 route: Nairobi*
- KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KL (330, 74M) · 1 route: Amsterdam
- Lao Airlines QV (A320) · 1 route: Vientiane
- Mandarin Airlines AE (Embraer 190) · 1 route: Kaohsiung
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines OM (767-300) · 1 route: Ulan Bator
- Myanmar Airways International 8M (737, 767) · 1 route: Yangon
- Peach Aviation MM (A320) · 1 route: Osaka
- Qantas QF (777-200) · 1 route: Sydney*
- Qatar Airways QR (A330-300) · 1 route: Doha
- S7 Airlines S7 (A320) · 1 route: Vladivostok*
- Sat Airlines HZ (737) · 1 route: Yuzhno-sakhalinsk
- Scoot TZ (777-200) · 1 route: Taipei
- Shanghai Airlines FM (737-800) · 1 route: Shanghai
- Shenzhen Airlines ZH (737-800) · 1 route: Shenzhen
- Sichuan Airlines 3U (A321) · 1 route: Chengdu
- Uzbekistan Airways HY (767-400, 767) · 1 route: Tashkent
- Xiamen Airlines MF (737-800, 737-800, 73J) · 1 route: Xiamen
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Gimpo International Airport (GMP) 17 km to the centre
Seoul, 11, KR — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 14 airlines (Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, All Nippon Airways…) · direct flights to 13 destinations incl. Cheju, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 14 airlines, 13 direct destinations
- Korean Air KE (737-800, 777-200, 737-900, 747-400, 777-300, 73J) · 11 routes: Beijing, Busan, Cheju, Kwangju, Osaka, Pohang, Sacheon, Shanghai, Tokyo, Ulsan, Yeosu
- Asiana Airlines OZ (A320, A330-300, A321, 734, 735, 767-300) · 10 routes: Beijing, Busan*, Cheju, Kwangju, Osaka, Pohang, Shanghai, Tokyo, Ulsan, Yeosu
- Jeju Air 7C (737, 737-800) · 3 routes: Cheju, Nagoya, Osaka
- All Nippon Airways NH (A321, 777, 777-300ER) · 2 routes: Osaka*, Tokyo
- Eastar Jet ZE (737, 737-800) · 2 routes: Cheju, Taipei
- Japan Airlines Domestic JL (767, 737-800) · 2 routes: Osaka, Tokyo
- Tway Airlines TW (737) · 2 routes: Cheju, Taipei
- Air China CA (A330-300, 737-800) · 1 route: Beijing
- China Airlines CI (737-800) · 1 route: Taipei
- China Eastern Airlines MU (A321) · 1 route: Shanghai
- China Southern Airlines CZ (A321) · 1 route: Beijing
- EVA Air BR (A321) · 1 route: Taipei
- Jin Air LJ (737-800) · 1 route: Cheju
- Shanghai Airlines FM (A330-300) · 1 route: Shanghai
Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.
Suwon Airport (SWU) 37 km to the centre
Suwon, 41, KR — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Pocheon (G-217) Airport (QJP) 38 km to the centre
Pocheon, 41, KR — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Susaek (G 113) Airport 10 km to the centre
Goyang, 41, KR
Ganap-ri (G-222) Airport 29 km to the centre
Ganap-ri, 41, KR
Getting there by ferry
Hangang Bus Oksu Terminal
Ferry terminal · 4.7 km from the centre
Ferry
Ferry terminal · 4.8 km from the centre
Hangang Bus Apgujeong Terminal
Ferry terminal · 5.6 km from the centre
Hangang Bus Yeouido Terminal
Ferry terminal · 5.7 km from the centre
한강버스 서울숲선착장
Ferry terminal · 6.4 km from the centre
Hangang Bus Manwon Terminal
Ferry terminal · 7.5 km from the centre
Hangang Bus (Rapid-Line)
Ferry route
Hangang Bus
Ferry route
Local transit
Seoul Nambu Terminal
Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data
Trains & rail
Coaches & shuttles
Seoul Express Bus
Coach / shuttle operator
Central City Express Bus
Intercity coach
Kobus
Intercity coach
Private aviation
On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.
Air Charter Service
Broker · Any aircraft via operators worldwide · Global charter broker with 30+ offices; private jets, group charters and cargo.
ExecuJet
FBO, charter, management · Managed fleet · FBO network and management across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Flexjet
Fractional, jet card · Embraer Praetor, Bombardier Challenger & Global, Gulfstream · Fractional ownership and jet cards in North America and Europe.
Global Jet
Charter, management · Large-cabin & VIP airliners · Geneva-based operator known for large-cabin and VIP airliner charters.
Jet Aviation
Charter, management, FBO, MRO · Managed fleet worldwide · General Dynamics company: charter, completions and FBOs in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the US.
Living Here
Getting about
- Seoul Metro's nine numbered lines plus the Shinbundang, Gyeongui-Jungang and airport lines make one of the largest subway systems anywhere; a T-money card, sold at every convenience store, works on subway, buses and taxis, with free transfers between them. The Climate Card offers unlimited monthly travel within the city.
- Incheon airport is about 45 minutes to Seoul Station on the AREX express train, or roughly an hour on the all-stop service; Gimpo, on lines 5 and 9, handles domestic and short-haul flights. The KTX reaches Busan from Seoul Station in around two and a half hours.
- Taxis are cheap by Western standards and summoned through the Kakao T app; traffic is heavy and the river bridges jam at rush hour. The centre is walkable but hilly, and the Han riverside paths are the cycling route.
- Trains run until around midnight, a little later at weekends, and the last train is a real deadline; night buses cover the main corridors after that.
Health
- Dial 119 for ambulance and fire, 112 for police; 1339 is the medical helpline and 1330 the tourist helpline, both with English. Severance, Seoul National University Hospital, Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center are the top tier, and Severance and Samsung run international clinics.
- Residents, including foreigners after six months, join National Health Insurance and pay a share at the counter; care is fast and good. Visitors should carry travel insurance, as hospitals bill in full.
- Pharmacies are marked by a green cross and are everywhere; many common medicines are behind the counter, and a pharmacist will usually manage in English.
Work & study
- Seoul National University is the country's most prestigious, with Yonsei and Korea University completing the 'SKY' trio; Ewha, Sogang, Hanyang and Hongik (art and design) are among dozens more, and the city has a very large student population.
- The chaebol — Samsung, Hyundai, LG, SK — are headquartered here, with finance on Yeouido, entertainment and games in Gangnam, and the tech startups in Pangyo, just south of the city limits. Semiconductors, cars, shipbuilding and batteries are the national exports.
- The alien registration card is the first errand; most jobs outside the foreign firms and English teaching expect working Korean. Workplaces are hierarchical, after-work dinners are part of the job, and hours are long by Western standards, though the 52-hour week is now the legal limit.
Money & manners
- Korean won; cards are accepted almost everywhere and cash is rarely needed, though some delivery and taxi apps want a Korean phone number. No tipping. VAT of 10% is included in prices, and tourists can reclaim it on larger purchases.
- Give and receive with two hands, pour drinks for others rather than yourself, take shoes off indoors, and expect to be asked your age — it sets the grammar. A slight bow is a greeting; queues at the subway doors are respected.
- Cherry blossom is early April on Yeouido; the monsoon is late June and July; August is a steam bath; October is the best month; and winter, December to February, is dry, bright and very cold. Check the fine-dust forecast in spring.