South Korea is an Asian republic located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula on an area of 100 thousand square kilometers and inhabited by 51 million people distributed over a group of cities, including some of the largest cities in the world.
The largest city in South Korea
Seoul, or Seoul, is the capital and largest city in South Korea and the fourth largest in the world after Tokyo, New York, and Los Angeles.
The city has a population of 10 million.
Despite the good economy of the city, its population is growing very slowly, and many of its residents are moving to other cities to live due to the high cost of living and overcrowding.
Busan
Busan is located in the far southeast of the Korean Peninsula and is the economic, cultural, and educational center in the country’s southeast. Its port is the busiest in South Korea and the sixth 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, and the metropolitan area’s population is about 8 million.
Incheon
A city located in the northwest of South Korea, it is the third largest city in Japan.
With a population of 2.8 million, Morocco is part of the Seoul metropolitan area, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the world.
The city’s strategic location on the coast makes it a major hub for domestic and international transportation in South Korea, and the city’s airport is the country’s main international airport, serving more than 49 million passengers per year.
The 20 largest cities in South Korea
This list includes provincial-level divisions: special city (특별시/特別市) and metropolitan cities (광역시/廣域市), and municipal-level divisions: cities (시/市). Other municipal-level divisions, counties (군/郡, which have populations under 50K), and districts (구/區) are not included. All population data are based on the South Korean population and housing census 2000–2020.[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 |