| Special metropolitan city | |
| Hangul | 특별시 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 特別市 |
| Revised Romanization | teukbyeolsi |
| McCune–Reischauer | t'ŭkpyŏlsi |
| Metropolitan city | |
| Hangul | 광역시 |
| Hanja | 廣域市 |
| Revised Romanization | gwangyeoksi |
| McCune–Reischauer | kwangyŏksi |
| Special self-governing city | |
| Hangul | 특별자치시 |
| Hanja | 特別自治市 |
| Revised Romanization | teukbyeoljachisi |
| McCune–Reischauer | t'ŭkpyŏljach'isi |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Administrative divisions ofSouth Korea |
|---|
| Provincial level |
| Province (list) |
| Special self-governing province (Jeju,Gangwon andNorth Jeolla) |
| Special city (Seoul) |
| Metropolitan city (list) |
| Special self-governing city (Sejong) |
| Municipal level |
| Specific city (list) |
| City (list) |
| County (list) |
| Autonomous District (list) |
| Submunicipal level |
| Administrative city (list) |
| Non-autonomous District (list) |
| Neighborhoods and Towns |
| Town (list) |
| Township (list) |
| Neighborhood (list) |
| Villages |
| Village (list) |
| Communities |
| Ward |
Province-level cities are one of thefirst-level administrative divisions within South Korea. There are three types: special, metropolitan, and special self-governing.
Province-level cities have equal status toprovinces in the South Korean administrative scheme, and are among the highest-ranked administrative divisions of South Korea. There are three kinds of first-level city in South Korea.
| Type | Hangul | Hanja | RR | City names | No. of cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Metropolitan City | 특별시 | 特別市 | teukbyeolsi | Seoul | 1 |
| Metropolitan City | 광역시 | 廣域市 | gwangyeoksi | Busan,Daegu,Incheon,Gwangju,Daejeon,Ulsan | 6 |
| Special Self-Governing City | 특별자치시 | 特別自治市 | teukbyeol-jachisi | Sejong | 1 |
In South Korean special metropolitan city and metropolitan cities, the mayor is the highest-ranking official in charge. The mayor is directly elected by the people registered in the city for a duration of four years (e.g., themayor of Seoul).
Metropolitan functions such as water supply and public transport are integrated into the sole prefecture other than scattered to each municipality.
| Name | Hangul | Hanja | Type | ISO | Population (2017) | Area (km2) | Density (/km2) | City seat | Region | Province split from | Year of Split |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan | 부산광역시 | 釜山廣域市 | Metropolitan city | KR-26 | 3,416,918 | 769.89 | 4,438.18 | Yeonje | Yeongnam | South Gyeongsang | 1963 |
| Daegu | 대구광역시 | 大邱廣域市 | Metropolitan city | KR-27 | 2,453,041 | 883.56 | 2,776.31 | Jung | Yeongnam | North Gyeongsang | 1981 |
| Incheon | 인천광역시 | 仁川廣域市 | Metropolitan city | KR-28 | 2,925,967 | 1,062.60 | 2,753.59 | Namdong | Sudogwon | Gyeonggi | 1981 |
| Gwangju | 광주광역시 | 光州廣域市 | Metropolitan city | KR-29 | 1,496,172 | 501.24 | 2,984.94 | Seo | Honam | South Jeolla | 1986 |
| Daejeon | 대전광역시 | 大田廣域市 | Metropolitan city | KR-30 | 1,525,849 | 539.35 | 2,829.05 | Seo | Hoseo | South Chungcheong | 1989 |
| Sejong | 세종특별자치시 | 世宗特別自治市 | Special self-governing city | KR-50 | 356,278 | 465.23 | 594.52 | Boram-dong | Hoseo | South Chungcheong | 2012 |
| Seoul | 서울특별시 | 서울特別市* | Special metropolitan city | KR-11 | 9,741,381 | 605.21 | 16,095.86 | Jung | Sudogwon | Gyeonggi | 1946 |
| Ulsan | 울산광역시 | 蔚山廣域市 | Metropolitan city | KR-31 | 1,157,077 | 1,060.79 | 1,090.76 | Nam | Yeongnam | South Gyeongsang | 1997 |
Notes: There are no Hanja for "Seoul"; inChinese, it is written as首爾/首尔 (pinyin:Shǒu'ěr), a transcription based on the pronunciation of "Seoul". As a suffix, the characterGyeong (경;京) is used, which means "capital".