Seoul is the capital of South Korea, on the Han River. It is the political, commercial, industrial, and cultural center of the nation. The city has a population of about 10 millions as of the end of 2003. This accounts for about a quarter of the total national population. Temperatures in Seoul show large seasonal variation, reaching as high as 38.4 degrees in the summer and dropping as low as minus 19.2 degrees in the winter. At the end of June, the temperature often records an average of 20-27 degrees and 5-0 degrees below zero from December to February.