Seoul metropolitan area 수도권 | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) Seoul, the largest city in the metropolitan area | |
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| Coordinates:37°34′0.001″N126°58′41.002″E / 37.56666694°N 126.97805611°E /37.56666694; 126.97805611 | |
| Country | South Korea |
| Major cities | |
| Area | |
| • Metropolitan area | 12,685 km2 (4,898 sq mi) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Metro | 26,037,000[1] |
| • Metro density | 2,053/km2 (5,320/sq mi) |
| • Percentage ofSouth Korea's total population | ~55% (51 million) |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | KRW 1,258 trillion US$ 1.006 trillion (2023) |
| HDI (2022) | 0.961[3] very high ·1st |
| Seoul metropolitan area | |
| Hangul | 수도권 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 首都圈 |
| RR | Sudogwon |
| MR | Sudokwŏn |
| Gyeonggi Region | |
| Hangul | 경기 지방 |
| Hanja | 京畿地方 |
| RR | Gyeonggi jibang |
| MR | Kyŏnggi chibang |
TheSeoul metropolitan area (Sudogwon;Korean: 수도권,[sʰu.do.k͈wʌ̹n]) orGyeonggi region (경기 지방), is themetropolitan area ofSeoul,Incheon, andGyeonggi Province, located in north-westernSouth Korea.[4] Its population of 26 million (as of 2024)[1] is ranked as thefourth-largest metropolitan area in the world. Its area is about 12,685 km2 (4,898 sq mi). It forms the cultural, commercial, financial, industrial, and residential center of South Korea. The largest city is Seoul, with a population of approximately 10 million people, followed by Incheon, with three million inhabitants.
The metropolitan area occupies a plain in theHan River valley.[5]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 4,171,614 | — |
| 1960 | 5,194,167 | +24.5% |
| 1970 | 8,730,148 | +68.1% |
| 1980 | 13,298,241 | +52.3% |
| 1990 | 18,586,128 | +39.8% |
| 2000 | 21,354,490 | +14.9% |
| 2010 | 23,836,272 | +11.6% |
| 2020 | 26,043,325 | +9.3% |
| Source:[6] | ||
Covering only about 12% of the country's area, the Seoul Metropolitan Area is home to more than 48.2% of the national population, and is the world'sninth-largest urban area. This percentage has risen steadily since the mid-20th century, and the trend is expected to continue. Currently more than half of the people who move from one region to another are moving to the capital area.[2] In 2020, it was reported that the Seoul Metropolitan Area's population had exceeded 50% of the country's total population, with 25,925,799 people living in the area (50.002% of the total 51,849,861).[7]
| Subdivision | Area (km2) | Population | GDP (KRW)[2] | GDP (USD)[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Seoul | 605 | 9,586,195 | 486 trillion | 438.4 billion |
 Incheon | 1,063 | 2,945,454 | 117 trillion | 93.6 billion |
 Gyeonggi Province | 10,184 | 13,511,676 | 594 trillion | 475.2 billion |
| Seoul Metropolitan Area | 11,852 | 26,043,325 | 1,258 trillion | 1,006.4 billion |
In 2023, the Seoul Metropolitan Area'sgross regional domestic product wasUS$ 1.0 trillion, generating around half of the country's totalGDP.[2] It is the fourth-largest urban economy in the world after Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles but ahead of Paris and London.[9] The region hosts headquarters of 59Forbes Global 2000 companies.[10] As the economy of Seoul Metropolitan Area transformed toknowledge economy from themanufacturing-based economy of the 20th century, there are a number of high-tech business parks in Seoul Metropolitan Area, such asDigital Media City andPangyo Techno Valley.[citation needed]
The Seoul Metropolitan Area is home to the most affluent and livable cities and apartments inKorea but there are significant discrepancies between cities and districts, particularly between those built in the older and newer generations. Newer areas with more modern and luxurious apartments and infrastructure are more expensive, along with proximity toGangnam District, the commercial center of the region.[11]
Various agencies have been set up to deal with the intergovernmental problems of the region. Proposals for consolidating some or all of the cities of the capital area into a handful of metropolitan cities have thus far not been implemented.[citation needed]
Development in the area is currently governed by theCapital Region Readjustment Planning Act (수도권정비계획법), first passed in 1982 and last revised in 1996.[citation needed]
The Seoul Metropolitan Area is divided among the special city ofSeoul, the metropolitan city ofIncheon, and province ofGyeonggi. Seoul has 25 gu (local government wards),[12] Incheon has 8 gu and 2 counties, and Gyeonggi Province has 28 cities and 3 counties as the subdivisions.
The 25 districts of Seoul.
The eight districts and two counties of Incheon.
There are twenty-eight cities and three counties in Gyeonggi-do. Below are seven of the largest cities, sorted by their population size:
The four gu of Suwon (수원;水原).
The three gu of Goyang (고양;高陽).
The three gu of Yongin (용인;龍仁).
The three gu of Seongnam (성남;城南).
The two gu of Ansan (안산;安山)
The two gu of Anyang (안양;安養)
The cities of the capital area are tightly interconnected by road and rail. Many of the country's railroad lines, most notably theGyeongbu Line, terminate in the region. In addition, rapid transit is provided by theSeoul Metropolitan Subway, which has lines that serve all districts of Seoul, as well as the city of Incheon and other surrounding cities within Gyeonggi Province.[13][14]
The region is a nexus for travel by air and water. The country's two largest airports,Incheon International Airport andGimpo International Airport, are in the metropolitan area.[13] International and domestic ferries depart from Incheon's ferry terminals several times a day.[15]
Seoul Ring Expressway (Expressway No. 100) connects satellite cities around Seoul.[16]
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