Hanseong

Hanseong, written 漢城 and often romanized Hansung, is the historical name for the capital city of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. The term literally means “Han City” and is used in historical sources to distinguish the capital during that era. It refers to the urban core that corresponds to the site of present-day Seoul.

The capital was established at Hanseong in 1394 after the ascent of Joseon, with the royal palace complex later known as Gyeongbokgung becoming a ceremonial and political center. The city was laid out within a fortified boundary, the Hanseong Fortress, and grew to include districts that now form central Seoul. Hanseong served as the seat of the monarchy, the central government, and the aristocratic establishment, shaping the political and cultural life of the dynasty.

In official documents and literature of the period, Hanseong appears alongside other names such as Hanyang and Seoul in various usages. Over time, the name Hanseong fell out of routine use as the city evolved and the modern city of Seoul emerged as the capital of Korea. The historical Hanseong landscape roughly corresponds to today’s central-northern Seoul, including parts of the Jongno and Jung districts, where many royal and administrative sites once stood.

Today, Hanseong remains a term of historical reference used to discuss the Joseon capital and early state formation in Korea. It is commonly encountered in studies of Korean history, archaeology, and the urban development of Seoul. See also Seoul, Gyeongbokgung, and Hanyang.