South Korea is an Asian republic located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, covering an area of 100,000 square kilometers and populated by 51 million inhabitants distributed across a range of cities, some of which are among the largest in the world.
The Largest City in South Korea
Seoul is the capital and the largest city of South Korea, as well as the fourth largest city in the world after Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles.
The city has a population of 10 million inhabitants.
Despite the city’s strong economy, its population is growing very slowly, and many of its residents are moving to other cities due to the high cost of living and overpopulation.
Busan
Busan is located in the far southeast of the Korean Peninsula and serves as the economic, cultural, and educational center of the southeastern part of the country. Its port is the busiest in South Korea and the sixth largest in the world.
The city covers an area of 4,400 square kilometers and is divided into 16 administrative districts and one district.
It has a population of 3.6 million inhabitants, while the metropolitan area is home to approximately 8 million people.
Incheon
Incheon, located in the northwest of South Korea, is the third largest city in the country.
With a population of 2.8 million inhabitants, it is part of the Seoul metropolitan area, the fourth largest urban agglomeration in the world.
The city’s strategic location on the coast makes it an important hub for national and international transportation in South Korea. The city’s airport is the country’s main international airport, serving over 49 million passengers a year.
The 20 largest cities in South Korea
This list includes divisions at the provincial level: special city (특별시/特別市) and metropolitan cities (광역시/廣域市), as well as divisions at the municipal level: cities (시/市). Other municipal divisions, such as counties (군/郡, which have populations below 50,000) and districts (구/區), are not included. All demographic data is based on population and housing censuses in South Korea from 2000 to 2020.[1]
Rank | Division | 2020 | 2015 | 2010 | 2005 | 2000 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Seoul | (Special City) | 9,586,195 | 9,904,312 | 9,631,482 | 9,762,546 | 9,853,972 |
2 | Busan | (Metropolitan city) | 3,349,016 | 3,448,737 | 3,393,191 | 3,512,547 | 3,655,437 |
3 | Incheon | (Metropolitan city) | 2,945,454 | 2,890,451 | 2,632,035 | 2,517,680 | 2,466,338 |
4 | Daegu | (Metropolitan city) | 2,410,700 | 2,466,052 | 2,431,774 | 2,456,016 | 2,473,990 |
5 | Daejeon | (Metropolitan city) | 1,488,435 | 1,538,394 | 1,490,158 | 1,438,551 | 1,365,961 |
6 | Gwangju | (Metropolitan city) | 1,477,573 | 1,502,881 | 1,466,143 | 1,413,644 | 1,350,948 |
7 | Suwon | Gyeonggi | 1,210,150 | 1,194,313 | 1,054,053 | 1,039,233 | 944,239 |
8 | Ulsan | (Metropolitan city) | 1,135,423 | 1,166,615 | 1,071,673 | 1,044,934 | 1,012,110 |
9 | Yongin | Gyeonggi | 1,066,975 | 971,327 | 847,138 | 686,842 | 384,741 |
10 | Goyang | Gyeonggi | 1,045,497 | 990,073 | 897,222 | 864,402 | 762,598 |
11 | Changwon[2] | South Gyeongsang | 1,029,389 | 1,059,241 | 1,047,488 | 1,075,326 | 1,076,448 |
12 | Seongnam | Gyeonggi | 922,025 | 948,757 | 936,267 | 931,019 | 912,222 |
13 | Hwaseong[3] | Gyeonggi | 880,859 | 608,725 | 474,160 | 282,124 | 185,979 |
14 | Cheongju[4] | North Chungcheong | 855,326 | 833,276 | 804,119 | 752,768 | 701,256 |
15 | Bucheon | Gyeonggi | 833,148 | 843,794 | 842,482 | 833,931 | 757,832 |
16 | Ansan | Gyeonggi | 717,345 | 747,035 | 699,063 | 669,839 | 554,998 |
17 | Namyangju | Gyeonggi | 696,033 | 629,061 | 526,639 | 424,446 | 339,545 |
18 | Cheonan | South Chungcheong | 682,199 | 629,062 | 565,201 | 518,171 | 415,818 |
19 | Jeonju | North Jeolla | 666,517 | 658,172 | 646,512 | 622,092 | 615,804 |
20 | Gimhae | South Gyeongsang | 552,427 | 534,124 | 484,244 | 428,893 | 330,829 |
21 | Pyeongtaek | Gyeonggi | 542,522 | 457,873 | 381,731 | 374,262 | 342,806 |
22 | Anyang | Gyeonggi | 542,336 | 585,177 | 596,772 | 609,886 | 578,845 |
23 | Siheung | Gyeonggi | 535,147 | 425,184 | 393,293 | 384,304 | 304,260 |
24 | Pohang | North Gyeongsang | 501,109 | 511,804 | 508,736 | 488,433 | 515,187 |
25 | Jeju (City)[5] | Jeju (Prov.) | 492,306 | 451,758 | 398,677 | 391,132 | 366,809 |
26 | Uijeongbu | Gyeonggi | 449,572 | 421,579 | 415,170 | 397,694 | 354,422 |
27 | Gimpo | Gyeonggi | 474,546 | 352,683 | 217,280 | 192,716 | 148,576 |
28 | Paju | Gyeonggi | 460,541 | 415,345 | 323,955 | 239,823 | 177,128 |
29 | Gumi | North Gyeongsang | 416,603 | 421,075 | 399,019 | 381,583 | 339,457 |
30 | Gwangju[6] | Gyeonggi | 385,141 | 310,278 | 224,269 | 204,266 | 124,789 |
31 | Sejong[7] | (Special autonomous city) | 353,933 | 204,088 | 80,542 | 80,389 | 79,745 |
32 | Wonju | Gangwon | 352,429 | 330,854 | 309,803 | 283,583 | 267,849 |
33 | Jinju | South Gyeongsang | 352,403 | 349,788 | 335,297 | 336,355 | 339,413 |
34 | Yangsan | South Gyeongsang | 351,206 | 297,532 | 249,529 | 215,845 | 191,147 |
35 | Asan | South Chungcheong | 340,518 | 319,929 | 272,282 | 206,851 | 179,900 |
36 | Gwangmyeong | Gyeonggi | 298,116 | 338,509 | 326,418 | 319,452 | 333,596 |
37 | Iksan | North Jeolla | 285,312 | 301,723 | 294,479 | 306,974 | 322,636 |
38 | Chuncheon | Gangwon | 284,645 | 281,596 | 274,220 | 260,234 | 252,177 |
39 | Gyeongsan | North Gyeongsang | 283,733 | 278,500 | 260,643 | 240,371 | 226,713 |
40 | Hanam | Gyeonggi | 279,795 | 154,838 | 137,569 | 121,646 | 120,149 |
41 | Gunpo | Gyeonggi | 275,571 | 285,721 | 274,198 | 268,917 | 262,593 |
42 | Suncheon | South Jeolla | 272,449 | 265,390 | 257,800 | 261,519 | 265,724 |
43 | Yeosu | South Jeolla | 271,505 | 273,761 | 268,727 | 277,420 | 303,115 |
44 | Gunsan | North Jeolla | 269,023 | 275,155 | 258,845 | 249,212 | 272,129 |
45 | Gyeongju | North Gyeongsang | 261,778 | 262,310 | 252,750 | 266,131 | 275,132 |
46 | Geoje | South Gyeongsang | 246,965 | 261,371 | 225,014 | 193,398 | 167,231 |
47 | Osan | Gyeonggi | 240,645 | 213,840 | 180,996 | 131,792 | 102,287 |
48 | Yangju[8] | Gyeonggi | 233,286 | 205,988 | 183,673 | 149,931 | 107,440 |
49 | Icheon | Gyeonggi | 226,212 | 209,003 | 192,918 | 187,514 | 179,081 |
50 | Mokpo | South Jeolla | 224,509 | 239,524 | 248,694 | 244,543 | 250,336 |
51 | Chungju | North Chungcheong | 218,412 | 211,005 | 201,361 | 204,248 | 217,510 |
52 | Gangneung | Gangwon | 216,542 | 215,677 | 217,481 | 220,706 | 227,856 |
53 | Anseong | Gyeonggi | 203,030 | 194,765 | 175,824 | 157,632 | 132,906 |
54 | Guri | Gyeonggi | 192,051 | 180,063 | 184,503 | 186,954 | 160,485 |
55 | Seogwipo[9] | Jeju (Prov.) | 178,552 | 153,861 | 129,734 | 139,554 | 145,732 |
56 | Seosan | South Chungcheong | 176,379 | 169,221 | 155,082 | 143,692 | 142,972 |
57 | Dangjin[10] | South Chungcheong | 168,955 | 163,762 | 135,106 | 112,267 | 117,447 |
58 | Uiwang | Gyeonggi | 160,230 | 154,879 | 143,378 | 143,568 | 117,594 |
59 | Andong | North Gyeongsang | 159,412 | 168,581 | 165,399 | 169,436 | 181,974 |
60 | Pocheon[11] | Gyeonggi | 157,939 | 163,388 | 136,580 | 139,472 | 135,758 |
61 | Gwangyang | South Jeolla | 143,928 | 144,414 | 137,100 | 135,583 | 132,568 |
62 | Gimcheon | North Gyeongsang | 139,145 | 137,540 | 126,823 | 135,166 | 147,269 |
63 | Jecheon | North Chungcheong | 134,768 | 136,350 | 133,626 | 132,483 | 143,537 |
64 | Tongyeong | South Gyeongsang | 127,984 | 137,208 | 127,896 | 121,115 | 123,747 |
65 | Nonsan | South Chungcheong | 119,707 | 124,246 | 117,686 | 124,779 | 137,452 |
66 | Yeoju[12] | Gyeonggi | 113,352 | 109,937 | 100,052 | 98,441 | 97,412 |
67 | Naju | South Jeolla | 113,293 | 92,582 | 77,825 | 86,823 | 99,233 |
68 | Sacheon | South Gyeongsang | 111,184 | 113,335 | 106,175 | 106,532 | 110,912 |
69 | Gongju[13] | South Chungcheong | 108,333 | 113,542 | 120,660 | 126,484 | 130,223 |
70 | Jeongeup | North Jeolla | 106,706 | 110,627 | 109,458 | 115,416 | 128,892 |
71 | Yeongju | North Gyeongsang | 103,818 | 109,266 | 108,268 | 113,670 | 126,415 |
72 | Miryang | South Gyeongsang | 103,228 | 103,069 | 98,564 | 105,651 | 115,787 |
73 | Yeongcheon | North Gyeongsang | 100,353 | 97,669 | 94,350 | 103,289 | 110,918 |
74 | Boryeong | South Chungcheong | 99,088 | 101,852 | 97,091 | 96,992 | 109,423 |
75 | Sangju | North Gyeongsang | 95,473 | 98,760 | 97,559 | 105,600 | 116,365 |
76 | Dongducheon | Gyeonggi | 95,239 | 97,424 | 90,433 | 78,897 | 72,366 |
77 | Donghae | Gangwon | 87,801 | 90,255 | 90,321 | 93,018 | 96,280 |
78 | Sokcho | Gangwon | 80,054 | 79,846 | 80,505 | 84,706 | 87,880 |
79 | Gimje | North Jeolla | 79,733 | 84,269 | 82,739 | 90,376 | 102,428 |
80 | Namwon | North Jeolla | 78,097 | 80,499 | 78,425 | 85,828 | 94,810 |
81 | Mungyeong | North Gyeongsang | 68,212 | 71,863 | 68,692 | 70,813 | 90,778 |
82 | Samcheok | Gangwon | 65,939 | 69,509 | 67,131 | 67,957 | 75,592 |
83 | Gwacheon | Gyeonggi | 58,018 | 64,817 | 66,319 | 56,587 | 66,592 |
84 | Taebaek | Gangwon | 41,494 | 46,715 | 51,400 | 55,241 | 54,164 |
85 | Gyeryong[14] | South Chungcheong | 40,854 | 39,243 | 41,395 | 31,646 | 27,104 |
Article updated on 21 October 2024