Gangnam

Gangnam (Korean: 강남; Hanja: 江南; pronounced [kaŋnam]; lit. 'South of the [Han] River'), sometimes referred to as the Greater Gangnam Area, is a geographic and cultural region in Seoul. While Gangnam can refer to the entire region of Seoul south of the Han River, the region is generally defined as consisting of the city's affluent Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa districts. Other definitions define Gangnam by the boundaries of the Gangnam Eighth School District or by the commercial zones around Gangnam Highway, Yangjae Station, Sinsa Station, Nonhyeon Station, Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam station. These definitions exclude the Songpa District, which has been argued to be culturally and administratively distinct from the Gangnam and Seocho districts. Historically, the region was also called Yeongdong (영동; 永東; lit. 'East of Yeongdeungpo') and remained undeveloped prior to the state-led urban development of the 1960s. During the 1970s and 1980s, Park Chung Hee, aiming to counteract urban sprawl and the threat of North Korean invasion, promoted development in Gangnam through targeted investment into the region and the suppression of development north of the Han River. As a result of Park's policies, a number of companies, prestigious schools, and government institutions relocated to the region and land prices in Gangnam skyrocketed.