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| The thumbnail of "The Hangang in Seoul," the first episode of a new 10-part YouTube series about the history of Seoul / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Ko Dong-hwan
For those interested in the history of Korea's modern capital city, a Seoul Metropolitan Government agency has launched a new audiobook series in English on YouTube.
Covering the city's 2,000-year-long history ranging from prehistoric times to the present, the series is divided into 10 parts with a new episode uploaded every two weeks to take listeners on a time-traveling adventure through Seoul's hidden gems and iconic landmarks.
The Seoul Historiography Institute, an affiliate of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, launched the series on Aug. 18 with the first installment titled "The Hangang in Seoul."
In the first episode, a narrator explains in English the history of the Han River against time-lapse images of the river.
The series showcases a variety of Seoul's landmarks, from historic sites like the earthen fortification in Pungnap-dong and the remains of royal palaces to contemporary spaces like department stores and Gangnam's entertainment district. Natural landmarks like local mountains and rivers are also introduced.
The audiobook series is adapted from "SEOUL, A Journey through 2000 Years of History," an English version of a Korean book initially published in 2009. The original book was designed to educate the public about the city's history and is organized into 10 chapters.
Lee Sang-bae, president of the Seoul Historiography Institute, said he has "long been interested in raising awareness among foreigners of Seoul's history." He added that the new audiobook series will serve as an educational resource for international audiences to become more acquainted with Seoul's rich history.
The series is available from the institute's YouTube channel at youtube.com/@historyseoul.
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