About Seoul Overview Located at the center of the western side of the Korean Peninsula, Seoul has been the capital city of Korea for six centuries since the beginning of the Joseon Dynasty. The city boasts an exquisite natural environment, with the Hangang River crossing through its center and beautiful mountains stretching out in all directions, including Namsan, Bugaksan, and Bukhansan. A long-time political, economic, social, and cultural center of Korea, Seoul is an attractive city that still preserves many of its historic buildings and royal palaces, such as Gyeongbokgung and Deoksugung, and Namdaemun in the old city center, interspersed with countless skyscrapers and works of postmodern architecture. For three years in a row from 2008 to 2010, a poll conducted by Nielsen Korea showed that Seoul was the city Asian travelers most wanted to visit. The New York Times also named the city one of its “Places to Go” in 2010 and again in 2015, and Wallpaper, a renowned monthly lifestyle magazine, ranked Seoul “the Best City of 2013.”