Seoul has 25 administrative divisions

#. The Picture was captured from www.NAVER.com

What's the capital city of South Korea?

The probability what you get the right answer to the question is only less than 15%.

Guess it! Busan? Daegu? Seoul? Gwangju? Ulsan? Daejeon? Incheon?

What you folks are reading here means that you are interested in Korea. Of course, you already know what the capital city of South Korea is.

With the Korean economy growing up, Seoul, the capital city of seoul, has been up to one of the biggiest cities across the world. Even amazing Korean economic growth has been accepted by some developing coutries as a their own economic growth model. (I cannot deny the Korean ecconomy is affected from the U.S.)

How big is Seoul City? As you visit first itme, you probably have a question how the city is distinguished the boundary. The answer is simple. Seoul city is surrounded by a range of mountains and divided into north and south with the Han river(한강[hangang]).

You can check and feel that with the Seoul map on like the Google Earth.

Seoul is only roghly 50km south from the North Korea. (Isn't it a quite short distance?)

The metropolis has lots of satellite cities as like as other cities. The gross Seoul population including the cities around Seoul is about 25 million inhabitants so that Seoul is being assumpted the second largest metropolitan area in the world.

As many as citizens live in Seoul, the city has 25 administrative divisions. (We call an administrative division "gu"[구].) And all the divisions are divided into 522 small towns named "dong"(동)

I will put 25 divisions (gu) on here. But not put 522 towns(dong). (I don't exactly know because there are too many.) ;-p

1. Dobong-gu (도봉구)

2. Dongdaemu-gu (동대문구)

3. Dongjak-gu (동작구)

4. Eunpyeong-gu(은평구)

5. Gangbuk-gu (강북구)

6. Gangdong-gu (강동구)

7. Gangseo-gu (강서구)

8. Gangnam-gu (강남구)

9. Geumcheon-gu (금천구)

10. Gangseo-gu (강서구)

11. Guro-gu (구로구)

12. Gwanak-gu (관악구)

13. Gwangjin-gu (광진구)

14. Jongno-gu (종로구)

15. Jung-gu (중구)

16. Jungnan-gu (중랑구)

17. Mapo-gu (마포구)

18. Nowon-gu (노원구)

19. Seocho-gu (서초구)

20. Seodaemun-gu (서대문구)

21. Seongdong-gu (성동구)

22. Songpa-gu (송파구)

23. Yangcheon-gu (양천구)

24. Yeongdeungpo-gu (영등포구)

25. Yongsan-gu (용산구)

--NEW WORDS------------------------------------------

강 [gang] : river

한강 [hangang] : the Han River which is across the city of Seoul

남 [nam] : south

북 [buk] : north

서 [seo] : west

동 [dong] : east

강남 [gangnam] : South from the Han River

강북 [gangdong] : North from the river

강서 [gangseo] : West from ~

강동 [gangdong] : East ~

서울[Seoul, sa;ul] : Seoul
~구 [-gu] : a administrative division such as 동대문구, 도봉구, and so on.

Some Words from other languages

There is a ton of Korean words from English. Usually, north Korean language has tendency to create its own vocabulary when foreign words come to. On the contrary, lots of south Korean words are created from sounds of English words. Wow!!

• computer : 컴퓨터 [kom pu toe]
• mouse : 마우스 [m a u s]
• monitor : 모니터 [mo ni toe]
• ice cream : 아이스크림[a i s k rim]
• elevator : 엘리베이터[el li be i teo]
• camera : 카메라[ka mae la]
• microphone, MIC : 마이크[ma i k]
• CD : 시디[si di]
• DVD : 디비디[di vi di]
• date : 데이트[de i t]
• coffee : 커피 [keo pi]
• cola : 콜라 [kol la]
• cider : 사이다 [sa i da]
• McDonald : 맥도날드[maek do nal d]
• Burger King : 버거킹[beo geo king]
• Starbucks : 스타벅스[stabeoks]
• donuts : 도너츠[do neo chu]
• pizza : 피자[pi ja]
• spaghetti : 스파게티 [spageti]
• hamburger : 햄버거 [haembeogeo]
• bagel : 베이글 [beigul]
• sandwich : 샌드위치 [saen d wi chi]
• France : 프랑스 [pu lang su]
• Paris : 파리 [Pa li]
• Sri Lanka : 쓰리랑카 [ssu li lang ka]
• India : 인도 [in do]
• Philliphine : 필리핀 [pil li pin]
• Brazil : 브라질 [Bu la jil]
• Singapore : 싱가포르 [sing ga po ru]
• Turkey : 터키[teo ki]
• Sony : 소니[so ni]
• Toyota : 도요타 [do yo ta]
• Nintendo : 닌텐도[nin ten do]

- NOTES

1. Most of countries are called in the same way with common saying.

EX> Brazil, Singapore, Turkey etc...

2. Some brands doing business and franchizing in Korea are called in the original name.

EX> Sony...

3. Foods originated not in Korea are called in the original.

EX> Pizza, Cola ....

- Conclusion

Anything invented, created or made not in Korea is being used with its original sound using all over the world.

At this point, you may have a question how you guess where words from. I would like to give an answer understanding Korean cultural things is the best way to improve your Korean. I think any other language is NEVER understood without understanding its own culture.

If you have any question, you can email to dooliya@gmail.com at your convenience.