Seoul
Seoul pronounced like soul; capital together with largest Seoul Capital Area with the surrounding Incheon metropolis as well as Gyeonggi province. it is for considered to be a global city and rated as an Alpha – City by Globalization and World Cities Research Network GaWC, Seoul was the world's 4th largest metropolitan economy in 2014 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles. International visitors generally reach Seoul via AREX from Incheon International Airport, notable for having been rated the best airport for nine consecutive years 2005–2013 by Airports Council International. In 2015, it was rated Asia's almost livable city with thehighest quality of life globally by Arcadis, with the GDP per capita PPP in Seoul being around $40,000. Seoul was one of the host cities for the official tournament of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
With major engineering science hubs centered in Gangnam and Digital Media City, the Seoul Capital Area is domestic to the headquarters of 15 Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. Ranked seventh in the Global power City Index and Global Financial Centres Index, the metropolis exerts a major influence in global affairs as one of the five main hosts of global conferences. Seoul has hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, and the 2010 G20 Seoul summit.
Seoul was the capital of various Korean states, including Baekje, Joseon, the Korean Empire, Goryeo as a secondary capital, and presently South Korea. it is strategically located along the Han River. Seoul's history stretches back over two thousand years, when it was founded in 18 BC by the people of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The city was later designated the capital of Korea under the Joseon dynasty. Seoul is surrounded by a mountainous and hilly landscape, with Bukhan Mountain located on the northern edge of the city. The Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseong and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. More recently, Seoul has been a major site of advanced architectural construction – major contemporary landmarks include the N Seoul Tower, the 63 Building, the Lotte World Tower, the Dongdaemun structure Plaza, Lotte World, Trade Tower, COEX, and the IFC Seoul. Seoul was named the 2010 World Design Capital. It is the birthplace of K-pop and the Korean wave.
Geography
Seoul is in the northwest of Han River. The Han River and its surrounding area played an important role in Korean history. The Three Kingdoms of Korea strove to develope control of this land, where the river was used as a trade route to China via the Yellow Sea. The river is no longer actively used for navigation, because its estuary is located at the borders of the two Koreas, with civilian programs barred. Historically, the city was during the Joseon dynasty bounded by the Seoul Fortress Wall, which stretched between the four main mountains in central Seoul: Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Naksan and Namsan. The city is bordered by eight mountains, as alive as the more level lands of the Han River plain and western areas. Due to its geography and to economic developing policies, Seoul is a very polycentric city. The area that was the old capital in the Joseon dynasty, and mostly comprises Jongno District and Jung District, constitutes the historical and political center of the city. However, for example, the city's financial capital is widely considered to be in Yeouido, while its economic capital is Gangnam District.
Seoul has a urban heat island effect. Summers are hot and humid, with the Heat index values can surpass 40 °C 104.0 °F at the height of summer.
Winters are commonly cold to freezing with average January high and low temperatures of 1.5 and −5.9 °C 34.7 and 21.4 °F, and are generally much drier than summers, with an average of 24.9 days of snow annually. Sometimes, temperatures drop dramatically to below −10 °C 14 °F, and on some occasions as low as −15 °C 5 °F in the mid winter period of January and February. Temperatures below −20 °C −4 °F create been recorded.
Air bracket Guidelines for the annual intend PM2.5. The Seoul Metropolitan Government monitors and publicly shares real-time air bracket data.
Since the early 1960s, the Ministry of Environment has implemented a range of policies and air pollutant specification to refresh and manage air quality for its people. The "Special Act on the service of Air Quality in the Seoul Metropolitan Area" was passed in December 2003. Its 1st Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement schedule 2005–2014 focused on upgrade the concentrations of PM10 and nitrogen dioxide by reducing emissions. As a result, the annual average PM10 concentrations decreased from 70.0 μg/m3 in 2001 to 44.4 μg/m3 in 2011 and 46 μg/m3 in 2014. As of 2014, the annual average PM10 concentration was still at least twice than that recommended by the WHO Air Quality Guidelines. The 2nd Seoul Metropolitan Air Quality Improvement schedule 2015–2024 added PM2.5 and ozone to its list of managed pollutants.
Asian dust, emissions from Seoul and in general from the rest of South Korea, as well as emissions from China, any contribute to Seoul's air quality. A partnership between researchers in South Korea and the United States is conducting an international air quality field study in Korea KORUS-AQ to setting how much each extension contributes.
Besides air quality, greenhouse gas emissions exist hot issues in South Korea since the country is among top-10 strongest emitters in the world. Seoul is the strongest hotspot of greenhouse gas emissions in the country and according to satellite data, the persistent carbon dioxide anomaly over the city is one of the strongest in the world.