SEOUL

Seoul is the capital and the largest city of South Korea. Located on the northwestern Han River, it is ranked as the third most populous megapolis in the world after Tokyo and Mexico, and just ahead of New York. In addition, the city is home to nearly half of the South Korean population.

Seoul is known by modern skyscrapers, high-tech subways and pop culture alongside Buddhist temples, palaces and street markets. Notable attractions include the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, a curvaceous congress palace with rooftop park, Gyeongbokgung Palace, which once housed more than 7,000 rooms, and Jogyesa Temple, which houses pine trees. Acacia trees several hundred years old.