A world leading technology hub centered on Gangnam and Digital Media City, the Seoul Capital Area boasts 15 Fortune Global 500 companies such as Samsung, the world’s largest technology company, as well as LG and Hyundai-Kia. In 2015, it was rated Asia’s most livable city with the second highest quality of life globally by Arcadis. Today, Seoul is considered a leading and rising global city, resulting from an economic boom called the Miracle on the Han River which transformed it to the world’s 4th largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$845.9 billion in 2014 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles. The birthplace of K-pop and the Korean Wave, Seoul received over 10 million international visitors in 2014, making it the world’s 9th most visited city and 4th largest earner in tourism. Modern landmarks include the iconic N Seoul Tower, the gold-clad 63 Building, the neofuturistic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Lotte World, the world’s second largest indoor theme park, Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, the world’s longest bridge fountain and the Sevit Floating Islands. Bukhan, the world’s most visited national park per square foot.

Seoul is surrounded by mountains, the tallest being Mt. The Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseong and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. It continued as the capital of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty.

Situated on the Han River, Seoul’s history stretches back more than two thousand years when it was founded in 18 BCE by Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It is home to over half of all South Koreans along with 678,102 international residents. Seoul ( /soʊl/ 서울 Korean: ) – officially the Seoul Special City (서울특별시) – is the capital and largest metropolis of the Republic of Korea (commonly known as South Korea), forming the heart of the Seoul Capital Area, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province, the world’s 16th largest city.

What makes seoul a global city