Gyeongseong - Definition and Overview

Gyeongseong is the Korean form of Keijō (京城), the former Japanese name of Seoul used during the Japanese Colonial Period (1910-1945).

Seoul was called Hanseong until 1910, but the city's main railway station opened with the name "Gyeongseong Station" in 1900, which name it retained until 1905. It was called Gyeongseong Station again from 1915 to 1947, when it assumed its current name.

Gyeong (경; 京) means "capital" and seong (성; 城) refers to Hanseong (한성; 漢城), the name of Seoul during the Joseon Dynasty (as mentioned above). The name survives today in the names of various railway lines and freeways, including:

• Gyeongbu Line (Gyeongbuseon (경부선; 京釜線) in Korean) and Gyeongbu Expressway (Gyeongbu Gosok Doro; 경부 고속 도로) between Seoul and Busan (부산; 釜山);
• Gyeongin Line (Gyeonginseon; 경인선; 京仁線) and Gyeongin Expressway (Gyeongin Gosok Doro; 경인 고속 도로) between Seoul and Incheon (인천; 仁川);
• Gyeongui Line (Gyeonguiseon; 경의선) between Seoul and Dorasan (the ui comes from Sinuiju, the Revised Romanized spelling of Shinŭiju (신의주) in North Korea, the line's original terminus on the Chinese border--see the article on the Gyeongui Line for details);
• Gyeongwon Line (Gyeongwonseon; 경원선) between Seoul and Shintanni (originally the line went to Wonsan (원산) in what is now North Korea); and
• Gyeongchun Line (Gyeongchunseon; 경춘선) between Seoul and Chuncheon (춘천) in Gangwon Province.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics