Seoul City

Seoul is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With over 10 million people, Seoul is one of the world's largest cities proper and metropolitan cities. The city is located on the basin of the Han River in the countries northwest. Seoul first appears in history in 18 BC, when the Baekje kingdom established its capital Wiryeseong in what is now around Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul. Modern Seoul descends from the Goryeo-era city called Namgyeong, which then became the capital of Korea during the Joseon dynasty. In common with the rest of South Korea, Seoul has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate, despite the fact that South Korea is surrounded on three sides by water. Summers are generally hot and humid with monsoons taking place from June until September. August, the hottest month has an average temperature of 22°C to 30°C with higher temperatures possible. Winters are often very cold when compared to places of similar latitude, with an average January temperature of -7°C to 1°C. Winters are generally much drier than summers, although there are 28 days of snows in Seoul in each year on average. There are many sights to see Seoul, including the 63 Buildings, National Museum of Korea, COEX Mall, and World Trade Center. As of 2007, Seoul became the third most expensive city in the world and the most expensive in Asia.