I believe that to understand a culture well, we have to look at the history. As the capital of South Korea, Seoul is one of the top ten richest cities in the world. (Zaib, 2015) The Han River divided this old town into two sections Gangbuk and Gangnam. Gangbuk, on the northern side of Han River, was the political, economic and cultural centre during ancient times. There are many historical and cultural heritages in the area. While Gangnam, which is on the Han River’s southeastern edge, has surpassed Gangbuk and grown up to be the heart of Seoul due to the rapid economic development in recent decades.

 

In the 1970s, South Korea managed to achieve the economic takeoff from poverty and backwardness, which is known as the "miracle of the Han River.” Taking the preparation for the 1988 Seoul Olympic games as an opportunity, South Korea conducted a large-scale development of the southern region of Han River to showcase for the nation’s future modernization. The construction of a sound infrastructure made the farmland become South Korea's most prosperous business district.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, because of the development of heavy industry, air pollution became increasingly severe in Gangbuk. In 1970, Seoul's population reached 5.43 million, and overcrowded Gangbuk made people unbearable. During this period, moving to the southern part of Seoul was considered fashionable, as Gangnam’s was more livable comparing to Gangbuk. Today, people of Seoul still retain a good impression of the environment in Gangnam. A famous drawing published in the 1980s conveys the idea that people believed moving to the south equal to leaving the dirty and messy environment and entering a stylish and contemporary urban world.

 

In this process, the Gangnam area has become a gathering place for the upper-class elite. Including leaders of major companies and the Chaebol families (families with large enterprises) like Lee Kun-hee (Samsung Group) and Koo Bon-moo (LG Corp), as well as political officials like Lee Myung-bak (ex-president). A lot of multinational corporations are located at places like Samseong-dong, Yeoksam-dong and Sinsa-dong while Apgujeong is famous for high fashion boutiques, and Nonhyeon-dong is the location of many entertainment companies. Underwritten by the state, promotion of private ownership and land speculation in Gangnam bred a highly materialistic urban culture and superior sense of citizen. (Kim, 2014) Since then, living in the southern region has become a symbol of identity, as it is the new economic, political and cultural centre of Korea.