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| PRACTICAL
INFORMATION >> Seoul |
Seoul
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Located
at 126 59' East Longitude and 37 34' North Latitude,
in the west central part of the Korean Peninsula,
Seoul is both the capital and the heart of the
Republic of Korea. The Han River separates Seoul
into two distinct northern and southern areas.
The Hanbuk Mountain Range, which branches off
from the Baekdu-daegan Range, the geological backbone
of the Korean peninsula along the east coast,
stretches southwest, forming the northern contour
of Seoul. The city lies in a natural basin, surrounded
by a series of mountains and hills, whose grandeur
and magnificent scenic beauty make it one of the
most attractive metropolitan cities of the world.
Since 1394, when Seoul became the capital of
Korea, the population has increased 110-fold,
making it one of the most densely populated
cities in the world. As of June 2002, the population
of Seoul totaled 10.3 million, representing
about a quarter of the entire nation. The total
number of males (5,128,205) slightly outnumbers
the total number of females (5,112,110).
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Climate |
Seoul belongs to the Temperate Zone, characterized
by four distinct seasons. The average annual temperature
of Seoul is 12.9° C (55.2° F). However,
it has a wide annual temperature range, with the
highest temperature in the summer reaching 36.1°
C (97.0° F), and the lowest temperature in
the winter falling to 13.7° C (56.7° F).
During the month of May, the temperature in Seoul
averages 17° C (63° F) and average precipitation
is around 88.4 mm (3.5 in). |
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The summer monsoon
brings abundant moisture from the ocean, and
produces heavy rainfalls. The annual precipitation
in Seoul is 1,210.2mm (47.6 in). About 70 percent
of the annual rainfall falls from June to September.
Except for this monsoon season, Seoul enjoys
mostly fair, sunny days throughout the year.
In particular, the sunny sky seen during the
autumn is notable for its deep and rich blue
color. |
Korea
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The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the
northeast part of the Asian continent between
33 degrees and 43 degrees North Latitude and 124
degrees and 132 degrees East Longitude. The standard
meridian of the peninsula is 135 degrees, and
the local time is nine hours ahead of GMT. China
and Russia both border the Amnokgang and Dumangang
to the north, while Japan is just across the East
Sea. As a result of the Cold War tension, the
peninsula has been divided at the 38th parallel
degrees North Latitude into the Republic of Korea,
or South Korea, and the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea, or North Korea, since 1945.
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The
Korean People |
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Koreans,
like many other Asian peoples, are descendants
of the Mongolian Tungus stock. They differ
from the neighboring Japanese and Chinese,
however, in that Koreans are a homogeneous
ethnic group with their own language, culture,
and customs. Korean people are characterized
by their generosity, warmth, and kindness,
and are renowned as some of the hardest
working people in the world. One of the
most subtle, yet heartwarming possessions
of the Korean people is “jeong,” roughly
translated as “affection.” Koreans use this
word to explain the indescribable and intangible,
but ageless bond that exists between people
who have known each other for a long while.
The jeong between Koreans and each other,
and Koreans and visitors is known to have
transcended many cultural, language, and
social barriers. Those who do experience
this magical jeong find Korea a difficult
place to part with.
As of the year 2000, the entire population
of South Korea stood at 46.1 million, while
North Korea had a population of about 22.2
million. The annual population growth rate
was 0.89%, while the urbanization rate was
86.2%. The average family size in Korea
was 3.1 persons per household, and the entire
number of international residents was 149,368.
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