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Seoul is South Korea’s capital and also its largest city. It is relatively small, with an area of about 600 square
kilometres, but with a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Not only in terms of people but also in terms of vehicles – about three million of them regularly cause widespread traffic jams. The Seoul National Capital area – Seoul’s commuter belt – has a populace of over 20 million. Around one-quarter of South Korea’s entire population live in and around Seoul, which is located in the northwest of the country, on the Han River.
In 2003, Seoul’s mayor, Lee Myung-bak, initiated a project to uncover and restore the 5.8-km-long Cheong Gye Cheon stream which runs through Seoul’s centre and had been covered over with a road and an elevated highway. The project is estimated to have cost over US$ 900 million and was opened to the public in September of 2005. It was considered a major success in urban renewal and beautification. A further US$12 billion is expected to be invested in redeveloping the around 800,000 m2 area near the stream into a major commercial and residential area in the coming years. |
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