 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Korean. (September 2017)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Gangnam 강남구 | |
|---|---|
| 강남구· 江南區 | |
 Flag | |
 Location of Gangnam District inSeoul | |
 Interactive map of Gangnam | |
| Coordinates:37°29′48″N127°01′39″E / 37.49667°N 127.02750°E /37.49667; 127.02750 | |
| Country |  South Korea |
| Region | Sudogwon |
| Special City | Seoul |
| Administrative dong | 26 |
| Government | |
| • Body | Gangnam-gu Council |
| • Mayor | Cho Seong-myeong (People Power) |
| • MNAs | List of MNAs |
| Area | |
• Total | 39.49 km2 (15.25 sq mi) |
| Population (JULY, 2025)[1] | |
• Total | 556,492 |
| • Density | 14,090/km2 (36,500/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+9 (Korea Standard Time) |
| Postal code. | 06000 – 06499 |
| Area code(s) | +82-2-2226,400,500 |
| Website | gangnam.go.kr |
Gangnam District (Korean: 강남구;RR: Gangnam-gu;IPA:[ka̠ŋna̠m.ɡu]) is one of the25 districts ofSeoul,South Korea. The termGangnam translates to "South of theHan River". Gangnam District is the third-largest district in Seoul, with an area of 39.5 km2 (15.3 sq mi). As of the 2024 census, Gangnam District had a population of 556,570.[1] There is a high concentration of wealth in the district, with prices for an apartment as of 2024 more than double those in the rest of Seoul. Gangnam District is part ofGangnam School District Eight, along with theSeocho District. This district shares half ofGangnam-daeroGangnam station area with Seocho District, one of the most crowded places in South Korea.[2]
It is home toBongeunsa Temple, which dates to the UnifiedSilla period. It also hostsSeonjeongneung, royal tombs of theJoseon Dynasty, and the earlier gravesite ofGwangpyeong Daegun and his family’s land, which are preserved as national treasures.Apgujeong, in particular, became notable from the early Joseon period as the site of the villa of Han Myeong-hoe, a high-ranking official during King Sejo's reign.
Until 1962, the area was part of Gwangju-gun's Eonju-myeon and Daewang-myeon inGyeonggi Province, and it was incorporated intoSeongdong District when Seoul's administrative districts were expanded in 1963. Compared toJongno andJung Districts, which have been the historical heart of Seoul for over 600 years since the Joseon Dynasty established Hanseong (name for Seoul at the time) as its capital, this area has a less prominent historical role.
With the full-scale development of theGangnam (Yeongdong) area in the 1970s, the southern portion of Seongdong District (present-day Gangnam District, Seocho District,Songpa District, andGangdong District) was separated to form Gangnam District in 1975. In 1979, the area east of the Tancheon Stream was divided off to create Gangdong District, which originally included the current Gangdong District and Songpa District. In 1980,Bangbae-dong and part of Banpo-bon-dong, formerly part ofDongjak-dong, were incorporated fromGwanak District.
Gangnam is one of twogu that make up the Greater Gangnam Area together with neighboring Seocho District.
The Gangnam District office has designated twosmoke-free zones within the district. The first is the section of Gangnam Boulevard between exit No. 2 ofGangnam station ofSeoul Subway Line 2 and exit No. 5 ofSinnonhyeon station ofLine 9; the second is the 836-meter (914-yard) section of sidewalk along Yeongdong Boulevard from exit No. 5 ofSamseong station on Line 2, outsideCOEX Convention & Exhibition Center andASEM Tower of theCOEX complex.[3]
Gangnam District is composed of 12 dong (neighborhoods):
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2023) |
Both the Greater Gangnam Area and Gangnam itself are widely known for its heavily concentrated wealth and very high standard of living, which has been compared to cities such asBeverly Hills, California.[4] The most significant indicator is its extremely expensive real estate. Seoul as a whole is known for its expensive housing prices—as of 2011, its average apartment cost approximately US$5,500 per m2—but the average price in Gangnam is almost twice as high, roughly US$10,000 per m2, which is 3.5 times the nationwide average.[5] This is driven in part by the price of land: the 40 km2 making up Gangnam district rivals in valuation with the entirety of the city ofBusan, the second-largest city in South Korea which occupies 770 km2. Combined with the neighboring districts ofSeocho andSongpa, the Greater Gangnam Area accounts for almost 10% of the land value of the entire country.[6]
While Seoul's traditional business centers such asCentral District,Jongno District,Yongsan District andYeongdeungpo District still maintain their leading roles, Gangnam and its neighboring districts have swiftly become the new core across all areas of business over the last few decades.KOSPI 200 companies based in Gangnam district includeKEPCO,GS Group,Hyundai Department Store Group,HiteJinro,Hansol,Hankook,Hyundai Glovis and Korea Zinc Corporation. Besides,POSCO also operates POSCO Center inTeheran Valley, andKT&G operates Kosmo Tower. Other notable companies based in Gangnam includeDongbu Fire Insurance, Young Poong Group,T'way Airlines andProcter & Gamble Korea. Gangnam is also home to manyIT and other internet-related companies includingNC Soft andPandora TV, and is also a strong hub of the country's financial and banking sectors. Many international companies also operate key offices in Gangnam, includingGoogle,[7]IBM,Toyota, andAMI.
Since January 2012, the area has also been home toFNC Entertainment, which moved into its own company offices in Cheongdam-dong, separate from its parent company in theCJ E&M Music Performance Division Building in neighbouring Apgujeong-dong.[8] Other entertainment companies located there includeSM Entertainment,JYP Entertainment (until 2018),Cube Entertainment,Pledis Entertainment,LOEN Entertainment,[9]Source Music,Plan A Entertainment,DSP Media,MBK Entertainment,Nega Network,C-JeS Entertainment,WM Entertainment,NH Media,J. Tune Entertainment,TOP Media,Happy Face Entertainment, Dream Tea Entertainment,Polaris Entertainment,Jellyfish Entertainment,DR Music,Stardom Entertainment, andHYBE Corporation.
The Korean subsidiary ofAmerican Megatrends, AMI Korea, is headquartered inDaechidong, Gangnam District.[10]
Until the early 1980s Gangnam and its neighboring areas had remained the least developed in Seoul, but prodigious development over the last 30 years has earned it a reputation of being one of the most affluent, dynamic, and influential areas in both Seoul and South Korea as a whole.[11]
In addition, theCOEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Gangnam recently hosted several international conferences such as the2010 G-20 summit and the2012 Nuclear Security Summit.[12][13]
South Korea is known for its high standard of education and intense competition for university entrance, and Gangnam is considered the national capital of education, which is one of the decisive factors to make Gangnam the most attractive destination in South Korea. In 2010, roughly 6% of the successful candidates toSeoul National University, which is considered the best university in South Korea, were from Gangnam district, while Gangnam's population makes up only 1% of the country's population.[14][15] In 2008, 22.7 out of 1,000 students in Gangnam district went abroad to study, while the nation's average ratio in the same time frame was only 3.6 per 1,000 students.[16] Following the substantial raising of the profile of the Gangnam district internationally, the area has become a popular destination for international students seeking Korean language lessons, marking the rise of Korea as a 'study tourism' destination. Both long-standing locally owned schools such as the Seoul Korean Academy, and more recent foreign-owned entities such as Lexis Korea report a significant increase in interest in the location.
International schools:
Former schools
The important business district aroundTeheranno (Tehran Street) runs east–west from Gangnam station toSamseong station and theCOEX Convention & Exhibition Center-Korean World Trade Center complex. Several popular shopping and entertainment areas are located in Gangnam District, includingApgujeong, theCOEX Mall and the area aroundGangnam station andGarosugil.
Cheongdam-dong is notable as an upmarket shopping area, with stores of global and local luxury brands, such asMCM Haus flagship store;[18]Vera Wang's third global and first Asian flagship store 'Vera Wang Bridal Korea';[19] as well as French jewelerCartier'sCartier Maison, located on Apgujeong-ro, which is the largest in Korea and at the time of opening, in 2008, the seventh largest in the world.[20]
The area has a large concentration of vegetarian and other upscale restaurants that serve Korean cuisine with a modern twist, namely on the main street fromBongeunsa to Park Hyatt Hotel inSamseong-dong.[21]
|
|
Gangnam District is served bySeoul Subway Line 2,Seoul Subway Line 3,Seoul Subway Line 7,Seoul Subway Line 9,Bundang Line and theShinbundang Line.
There are several festivals held in Gangnam District.
Following theanti-American protests in Seoul in the early 2000s, the local authorities in the Gangnam District have organized various cultural and sporting events, such as the International Peace Marathon, jointly with theUnited States Forces Korea. In 2009 they were awarded a 'special prize' by the US Army for promoting cultural exchanges with American troops.[24][25][26]
Gangnam District istwinned with:[36]
Chaoyang (Beijing), China
Gwinnett County, United StatesLicheng (Jinan), ChinaRiverside, United States
Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, BelgiumZhongshan (Dalian), ChinaBuyeo, South KoreaBoseong, South KoreaCheongdo, South KoreaCheorwon, South KoreaGanghwa, South KoreaGapyeong, South KoreaGoesan, South KoreaGrand Rapids, Michigan, United StatesGunsan, South KoreaPaju, South KoreaSangju, South KoreaSinan, South KoreaTongyeong, South KoreaYangpyeong, South KoreaYeongju, South KoreaYeongdo (Busan), South KoreaYeongdong, South KoreaI've heard it said that Gangnam is the Beverly Hills of Korea. But I would say that Gangnam is the capital of Seoul, which, of course, is the capital of Korea.
| Districts |
|  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business districts | ||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
