서울

Seoul, the capital of Korea, has a fascinating history behind its name. In the past, Seoul was used to refer to Korea's capital city. However, some people found using a common noun as a city name weird or improper. In 1955, the first Korean President 이승만 suggested researching public opinion. A prominent Korean linguist, 최현배, agreed and suggested alternative names like 한벌 (Han-Beol) or 삼벌 (Sam-Beol). However, the final candidates for the city's name were 우남(雩南, Woo-Nam, President's Ho), 한양(漢陽, Han-Yang), 한경(韓京, Han-Kyeong), and 한성(漢城, Han-Sung). The name "Seoul" eventually stuck. Today, Koreans use "Sudo" to refer to "Capital" instead. It is interesting to note that the terms of other capital cities, like Tokyo and Beijing, also have similar meanings in their respective languages.