Capital City in Korea: Seoul, 30 Miles from the DMZ

The capital of South Korea is Seoul. It is the country's capital and largest city. It sits on the Han River in the northwest of the country. It is about 30 miles (50 km) from the DMZ, the demilitarized zone that borders North Korea.

Seoul sits on the Han River, 30 miles from the DMZ

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Seoul is the answer whether you mean the seat of government or the biggest city in Korea. There is no second contender to sort out.

Seoul belongs to South Korea, and it does both jobs

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If you have wondered which country Seoul is in, the answer is South Korea. A capital is the city a government designates as the seat of its legislature. Seoul fills that role, and it is also the country's largest city.

That combination is not a given everywhere. Australia's parliament opened in 1927 in Canberra, a small city chosen as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne.

Seoul is also the country's largest city.

Seoul has been central far longer than most capitals

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Seoul's status is not a recent development. It has stood at the center of the country since prehistoric times, right up to today. It was the capital under Baekje and later under the Joseon dynasty.

A US comparison helps. Washington, D.C. has been the federal capital since 1800. Seoul has been at the center of national life for much longer than that.

Find it on the map: west of central Korea

Seoul sits in the western part of the central Korean Peninsula. When you look at a map, start at the middle of South Korea and slide your eye toward the west coast side.

The DMZ is the strip that borders North Korea, and Seoul lies north of the middle of the country, not far from it. The Han River gives you a second landmark: the city is built along it, so the river is a good anchor on any map.

The name Seoul once simply meant capital

The name Seoul comes from Seorabeol or Seobeol. That was an ancient Korean word meaning "capital." So the name has always been a job title as much as a place name.

The city government carries that idea into its own branding: Seoul designed its city emblem to represent a bright future.

1948: capital again, and the only special city

Here is, step by step, how Seoul became the capital.

1. Baekje period: Seoul serves as a capital.
2. Joseon dynasty: Seoul becomes the permanent capital.
3. 1948: the government of South Korea is founded, and Seoul is the capital again.

The 1948 step also changed Seoul's official standing: Seoul was designated the country's only special city.