The word Seoul means capital in Korean.
Because at the time, people didn't want to keep the memory of being ruled by Japan nor revive the memory of being a vassal to China in ancient times, and there was no name to use, so they just changed the name to Seoul.
On January 19, 2005, Lee Myung-bak, the mayor of Seoul, South Korea, held a press conference and announced that the Chinese name of the city would be changed to Seoul, and that the word "Seoul" would no longer be used. Lee explained that most countries refer to "Seoul" by its pronunciation, which is similar to that of the English mark, and that the name "Seoul" was causing more and more confusion as the two countries interacted and exchanged information more and more frequently.
The city of Seoul has decided to replace the name "Seoul" with the new Chinese name "首尔" after more than a year of consultation.
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Residential style
On both sides of the Han River, stand a patchwork of slightly dated high-rise condominiums that have been built since the 1960s and 1970s in response to Seoul's extreme population expansion. The buildings are the product of mass industrial manufacturing, with identical shapes and an identical color palette of light gray, dark red and dark green.
If you look close enough, you can also see that almost every apartment is decorated exactly the same. This style of architecture, which puts practicality first and beauty and individuality second, is reflected in Seoul's residential buildings.
Traditional Festivals
Jinhae Military Harbor Cherry Blossom Festival: Held every year in the month of April when spring flowers bloom, the Jinhae Military Harbor Festival has been held since 1963. The festival began as a celebration to commemorate the completion of the bronze statue of General Yi Sun-sin in Jinhae City in 1953, and has since evolved into the famous Cherry Blossom Festival.
Lantern Festival: On the occasion of Buddha's Birthday on May 6, the festival is held along Jongno in central Seoul. Starting from the traditional lantern show held at Bong-eun Temple, the festival is accompanied by colorful Buddhist cultural events in Jongno's Jogyesa Temple and Insa-dong area. The highlight of the festival is the "Lantern Parade" that starts in the evening on the last day of the festival.
Insa-dong Traditional Culture Festival: This festival is held every year at the end of April and the beginning of May in the area of Insa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. During the festival, programs such as traditional wedding ceremony performance, parade of robber generals, Gayageum playing and singing, agricultural music performance, Taepyeong dance, Gobang dance, and ballad singing are held.
Drum Festival: Every year at the beginning of October at Gyeonghee Palace, Sejong Culture Hall open-air stage and other places. The Drum Festival is held mainly at Seoul Square and the open-air stage of Sejong Culture Hall, and includes opening and closing ceremonies, performances, exhibitions, and drumming and instrumental experience activities.
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