history of korea

The Baekjae Dynasty first established Seoul as the capital city of the Korean people
in the year 18 BC. In traditional Korean, the word 'Seoul' actually means 'capital'.
As the capital city for the next 476 years, Seoul – and Korean culture – thrived. 
Much of Korean culture evident today evolved during that period. Even after
the Baekjae Dynasty moved the capital to present-day Gongju, centuries later,
Seoul retained some of its prominence. Underscoring Seoul's importance, 
competing dynasties fought for control over the area of Seoul bordering
the Han River. With the founding of the Choseon Dynasty in 1394, Seoul's
future was assured. In 1394, Seoul once again became the capital and flourished as a cultural and economic center for centuries.

Although Seoul was called “Hanyang” during the Choseon dynasty and “Gyeongseongbu” during the years of Japanese imperialism, the city officially became “Seoul” again after Korea regained its independence on August 15th,1945. In 1946, Seoul became a “do,” a reference to a specific type of region, and was named the capital by the new Korean government.