For a closer inspection of Seoul of old, history buffs can get their fill at the Seoul Museum of History , twenty minutes walk from Deoksugung Palace.

CNN: Look into your Seoul for a hit of Korean flavor

They noted how other capitals such as Seoul, with its long history of violent student protests located their new universities far from the city center.

CNN: Say You Want an Education

The relative stabilization of the North Korean economy "formed a background for a backlash against the market-oriented institutions and activities that were grudgingly tolerated for a period of time, " wrote Andrei Lankov, a professor of North Korean history at Kookmin University in Seoul, in a study released this week.

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Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have frequently been troubled by issues from their shared history - including Japan's use of military sex slaves or "comfort women" during World War II, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul.

BBC: Japan sends envoy to soothe ties with South Korea