Modernization
Seoul is also a modern city. It opened itself to the outside world in the late 19th century and became the first city in Korea to have trolley cars, railways and telephones. Since the 1960s, it industrialized rapidly and has become an economic giant center. In 1988, it hosted the Summer Olympics. In 2007, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design named Seoul the World Design Capital 2010.
Population
Seoul is a huge city that is home to more than 10 million people. It ranks second to Tokyo in population density. The 23 million inhabitants of the greater metropolitan area amount to about half the population of the country. In addition, it is considered to have the best Internet infrastructure and connections in the world, with widespread cellphone coverage and Internet cafes throughout the metropolis.