 View of Yeouido fromDangsan Railway Bridge on theHan River (2025) | |
  Yeouido  Yeouido | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°31′26″N126°55′36″E / 37.52389°N 126.92667°E /37.52389; 126.92667 |
| Area | 8.4 km2 (3.2 sq mi) |
| Administration | |
South Korea | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 34,056 (August 2025)[a] |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 여의도 |
| Hanja | 汝矣島 |
| RR | Yeouido |
| MR | Yŏŭido |
Yeouido (Korean: 여의도;lit. Yeoui Island), alsoYoido, is ariver island on theHan River inSeoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance, media, and investment banking district. It is 8.4 square kilometres (3.2 mi2) large and has a population of 32,674 as of August 2023[update].[1]
The island is located in theYeongdeungpo District of Seoul, and largely corresponds to the precinct ofYeoui-dong. The island contains theNational Assembly Building, where theNational Assembly of South Korea meets, theKorea Financial Investment Association, thelargeYoido Full Gospel Church, the63 Building, and the headquarters ofLG,Korean Broadcasting System, and theKorea Exchange Center. Due mainly to its importance as a financial district and its central location, Yeouido is home to some of Seoul and South Korea's tallest skyscrapers, including theInternational Finance Center Seoul,Parc1 Tower, theFederation of Korea Industries Tower, as well as the iconic63 Building.
It was uninhabited until the construction of the peninsula's first airport,Yeouido Airport. As the airport was prone to flooding, it was eventually replaced by commercial and residential construction beginning in the late 1960s.
In 2024, themetropolitan government permitted buildings with floor area ratios up to 1600% from the previous 1000%, allowing the constructions of buildings over 350 meters.[2]
The island went by a number of names in theJoseon period, including Yanghwado (양화도) and Nauiju (나의주).[3] Some sources claim that "Yeouido" can literally be interpreted as "Your Island", implying that people would want to give the island away because it is useless.[4][5] This is because the island was once seen as an unreliable sandy island that flooded easily.[5] According to theEncyclopedia of Korean Culture, the name originates from jokes people would say, going along the lines of "my island, your island", about the island when it went fully under the water except for the island's 'head', being the mountainYangmalsan [ko], where thenational assembly currently is.[6] On the other hand, an official Seoul tourism website describes the islands name as meaning "Broad Island" (넓은 섬).[7]
The presence of the National Assembly Building has led to Yeouido becoming ametonym for the South Korean government. The term "Yeouidosaturi" (여의도 사투리, "Yeouido dialect") has entered contemporaryKorean as a neologism for vague, gilded words of politicians.[8]
Being a vacant spot convenient to the capital of Joseon, Yeouido was used as a national pasture for sheep and goats according to a 16th-century geographical record.[9] Yeouido remained for the most part an uninhabited sandbar prior to the construction of Korea'sfirst airport in April 1924.[10][11] The airport served both international, domestic, and military flights, and was also the site of a flight school.[12] The airport was prone to flooding that made it unusable during the summer rainy season.Gimpo International Airport took over Yeouido's commercial flights in 1958, andSeoul Air Base took over its military functions in 1971.
Starting in the late 1960s, major housing developments were erected on the island, many of which are still in place in 2020.[citation needed]
The six-lane bridge connecting it to the mainland of Yeongdeungpo was built in 1970 as part of Han River development project led byPresidentPark Chung Hee, after which followed a period of rapid development. Formerly part ofGoyang, Yeouido-dong was formed as a separate entity in 1971.[12] In 1975 the new National Assembly Building opened on the western side of the island. In 1985 the63 building was completed and was the tallest and most well-known building in the country for many years.[citation needed]
Yeouido has an area of 2.9 square kilometers (Yeouido-dong covers 8.4 square kilometers) and is separated fromYeongdeungpo by the small Saetgang stream. The sandy floodplain was previously used for grazing livestock.
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Yeouido is the center of politics in South Korea. Political organizations and their respective buildings dominate the western half of the island. Most prominently, theNational Assembly Building is located to the far west of the island. Construction of the building commenced in 1969 and was completed in 1975 and sits atop the site of the former Yeouido Airport. Prior to the opening of the National Assembly Building, the seat of government was located at theGeneral Government Building which was situated within the grounds ofGyeongbok Palace.[citation needed]
Due to its national importance, the area surrounding the National Assembly Building and its adjoining buildings is home to a significant police presence. Despite this, the grounds are usually open to the public and connect to the Han River Park which surrounds the site on three sides.[citation needed]
Most of the major South Korean political parties including theDemocratic Party and thePeople Power Party maintain their headquarters in Yeouido, close to the National Assembly Building.[citation needed]
Yeouido is considered to be the financial center of Seoul, hosting most of the country's largest financial institutions including:Industrial Bank,Kookmin Bank, Korea Stock Exchange and Federation of Korean Industries, Hana Bank, Shinhan Securities, NH Investment Securities, and Eugene Investment Securities. Most of these institutions are clustered on the eastern side of the island, opposite the political quarter on the western side.
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Five parks are located in Yeouido. Notable among these are the Yeouido district of theHangang Park andYeouido Park. Yeouido Park was formed in 1999 through the reclamation of a patch of land, known as Yeouido Square orMay 16 Square, which had lain underasphalt for 27 years and was used for various large public gatherings.[13] In addition, a terminal for excursionferries stands on the Han River shore.
| Rank | Name | Height | Floors | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parc1 Tower A | 333m | 69 | 2020 | Current tallest building in Yeouido. |
| 2 | Parc1 Tower B | 256m | 53 | 2020 | |
| 3 | Three IFC Office Tower | 279m | 55 | 2012 | |
| 4 | 63 Building | 249m | 60 | 1985 | |
| 5 | Federation of Korean Industries Head Office Building | 245m | 50 | 2013 | |
| 6 | Conrad Seoul | 200m | 37 | 2012 | |
| 7 | One IFC Office Tower | 186m | 32 | 2012 | |
| 8 | Two IFC Office Tower | 176m | 29 | 2012 | |
| 9 | S-Trenue | 154m | 36 | 2009 | |
| 10 | Yeouido Richensia Tower 1 | 151m | 40 | 2003 | |
| 10 | Yeouido Richensia Tower 2 | 151m | 40 | 2003 | |
| 12 | Yeouido Post Tower | 150m | 33 | 2020 | |
| 13 | LG Twin Towers Tower 1 | 144m | 34 | 1987 | |
| 13 | LG Twin Towers Tower 2 | 144m | 34 | 1987 |
There are four colour-coded bus lines that operate in Yeouido:
There are 3 bridges between Yeouido and Mapo:Mapo Bridge,Seogang Bridge, andWonhyo Bridge.
Seoul SubwayLine 5 andLine 9 intersect atYeouido Station. Line 5 also stops atYeouinaru Station. Line 9 also stops atSaetgang Station andNational Assembly Station.
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