▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁word ▁“ se o ' ul ” ▁der ives ▁from ▁the ▁native ▁name ▁Se or abe ol ▁( ), ▁which ▁originally ▁referred ▁to ▁G ye ong ju , ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁S illa , ▁then ▁called ▁Ge um se ong ▁( ). ▁ ▁Chinese ▁name ▁for ▁Se oul ▁Un like ▁most ▁place ▁names ▁in ▁Korea , ▁" Se oul " ▁has ▁no ▁corresponding ▁han ja ▁( Ch inese ▁characters ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Korean ▁language ), ▁although ▁its ▁name ▁is ▁pres umed ▁to ▁derive ▁from ▁ ▁( Se or abe ol ), ▁so ▁Chinese - spe aking ▁countries ▁for ▁dec ades ▁have ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁city ▁by ▁its ▁former ▁name : ▁ ▁(" " ▁in ▁Mand arin , ▁" H on ▁S ì h ng " ▁in ▁C anton ese ▁and ▁" H oe ▁Z en " ▁in ▁Shang h ain ese ). ▁On ▁a ▁ 1 7 5 1 ▁map ▁of ▁China ▁and ▁Korea ▁prepared ▁in ▁France , ▁Se oul ▁was ▁marked ▁as ▁" K ing - K i - T ao , ▁Capit ale ▁de ▁la ▁Cor ée ", ▁using ▁an ▁approximation ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁pron unci ation ▁of ▁G ye ong gi ▁Province ▁( ). ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁" K ing - K i - T ao " ▁ ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁Se oul ▁was ▁repeated ▁again ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 1 ▁T all is / R ap kin ▁map ▁of ▁both ▁Japan ▁and ▁Korea . ▁For ▁a ▁time ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9