Seoul
Capital Of South Korea; Capital Of The Joseon Dynasty From 1394 · Seoul, Seoul
South Korea's capital and one of the largest metropolitan areas on earth, holding about half the country's 51 million people once Incheon and Gyeonggi are counted, spread along both banks of the Han River and ringed by granite mountains. It became the Joseon capital in 1394, and five royal palaces survive in the old core north of the river, led by Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung, beside the Jongmyo royal shrine and stretches of the old city wall that hikers can follow over the hills. Around them lie the hanok lanes of Bukchon, the craft and tea shops of Insadong, Gwangjang Market's food stalls and the restored Cheonggyecheon stream. South of the river, Gangnam and Jamsil bring glass towers, the COEX mall and the 555-metre Lotte World Tower. Myeongdong, Hongdae and Itaewon run late with street food, cosmetics shops, clubs and buskers, and a fast subway, round-the-clock convenience stores and fried chicken with beer by the river make Seoul one of the easiest and safest great cities in Asia to explore.
Gwanghwamun Square, Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Seoul, 03172, South Korea
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the city itself never closes, with convenience stores and many restaurants open around the clock. Palaces mostly open around 9 am and close around 5 to 6:30 pm by season, with last entry about an hour before closing; Gyeongbokgung closes on Tuesdays and most other palaces on Mondays. The War Memorial closes on Mondays, and many museums close on Mondays or on Lunar New Year and Chuseok. The subway runs from about 5:30 am to about midnight. Traps: arriving at a palace on its closing day, missing the last train home after midnight, and finding small restaurants shut over the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.