SEOUL, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The Nuclear Security Summit is set to kick off in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, on March 26.
South Korea is playing host to the biennial gathering, which was first convened by U.S. President Barak Obama in Washington in 2010 and seeks ways to deal with nuclear terrorism and secure the world's nuclear material.
Seoul, with a population of over 10 million, is located in the northwestern part of the country on the bank of the Han River. It has been the capital of the country for more than 600 years and serves as the political, cultural and economic center of South Korea.
The name itself has come to mean "capital" in the Korean language. The city was popularly referred to as Seoul during both the Joseon dynasty (13921910) and the period of Japanese colonial rule (19101945), although the official names in those periods were Hansong and Kyongsong, respectively. After the liberation from Japanese occupation in 1945, the newly founded Republic of Korea officially changed its capital city's name to Seoul.
Seoul is divided by the Han River, which flows from east to west toward the Yellow Sea, into two parts. The north is the seat of government, newspapers, banking and finance industry; the south is well known for fashion, IT, entertainment, and venture capital firms.
The city is home to some of the country's most elaborate palaces and temples, including popular Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces.
Seoul is one of the world's top ten financial and commercial centers, and the headquarters for major multinational conglomerates such as Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia. In 2008, Seoul was named the world's sixth most economically powerful city by Forbes.
Besides the upcoming two-day event that will draw more than 50 heads of states and international organizations, Seoul has hosted many international events including 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Olympic Games, 2002 South Korea/Japan FIFA World Cup and 2010 G20 Summit.
