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Why did General Yi Seong-Gye choose the Seoul area as the capital of the Joseon dynasty?
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Seoul
Changgyeong Palace, with downtown Seoul in the background.
General Yi Seong-Gye chose the Seoul area (then known as Hanyang) as the capital of the Joseon dynasty in 1394 for a combination of strategic, practical, and traditional reasons.12
- Strategic and Practical Advantages: The site served as a militarily defensible natural redoubt, situated in a topographic basin surrounded by hills. Its location at the center of the Korean peninsula and its proximity to the navigable Han River provided essential access to inland waterways and coastal sea routes, which were vital for the efficient transport of grain, taxes, and goods.1
- Geomantic Significance: Beyond its physical utility, the site was selected because it was believed to fulfill the requirements of pāungsuchirisol, the traditional Korean practice of geomancy. According to this belief, the natural environment of a location influences the fortune of its inhabitants, and the site was deemed auspicious by a monk for the new capital.13
The district Yi selected remains the center of Seoul today.1