Teach Me Something Tuesday: Seoul, South Korea Part 1

I thought it'd be fun to learn all about Korea before we go there to get our baby. Put your thinking cap on, cause we're going to learn something folks!

I thought to kick things off, we'd start with SEOUL! Okay, I have to admit here: that every time I say/hear/read that word, I sing "hey sister Seoul (soul) sister" in my head. Okay, carry on...

We will divide the lessons on Seoul into multiple parts because there is a lot to cover on this massive city!

Here's a map of Korea (or South Korea, which ever you prefer to say as those terms are used pretty interchangeably).

If you'll notice, Seoul is located in the north-west corner of South Korea. As Korea's capital and most populous city, Seoul represents the country's center for business, education, and modern culture. It offers many activities for everyone, including museums and palaces, parks and mountains, and amusement parks and night clubs. Mountains circle Seoul on all sides with Namsan (South Mountain) springing up in the center. Although the Han River once marked the southern boundary, the city has sprawled across to the southern side with some 2 dozen bridges crossing it and one subway tunnel underneath.

With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities and is by far the most densely-populated city among OECD nations. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the Incheon metropolis and most of Gyeonggi province, has 24.5 million inhabitants, and is the world's second largest metropolitan area. Almost half of South Korea's population live in the Seoul National Capital Area, and nearly a quarter in Seoul itself, making it the country's foremost economic, political, and cultural center.

And for all you visual learners out there, here are some pictures of Seoul.

Clockwise from top left: N Seoul Tower, Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, Namdaemun,Gangnam, 63 Building and Samsung Tower Palace

This is Gyeongbokgung Palace. This is definitely on the visit list and I'm SO having my picture taken with one of those guards. How much you wanna bet that I can make one of them smile?

Seoul hosted the Olympic Games in 1988. This is the Seoul Olympic Stadium seen from the Han River.

Well, that wraps up today's "Teach Me Something Tuesday". Hope you learned something new and enjoyed getting a peek at Seoul. Thanks for joining us on this journey! ~paula