Six (6) Largest Cities in South Korea

South Korea’s population size is about 52 million, and nearly 10 million people (approximately 20% of the total population) live in Seoul, the national capital. There are 11 cities in South Korea with more than 1 million people, and 6 of them are introduced in this article with their map positions.

Position of South Korea Relative to Neighboring Countries

1. Seoul

Seoul is the nation’s capital with 9.6 million residents. Many of the central government offices, nearly all of the headquarters of the country’s largest corporations and 45 four-year universities are located in Seoul. It used to be the seat of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea’s last dynastic kingdom, which lasted from 1392 to 1910. Today, Joseon kings’ old palaces are popular tourist attractions. Modern Seoul is bisected by the Han River, flowing from east to west. The neighborhoods north of the river make up the old Seoul, evolved from the Joseon Dynasty era. Until the end of the 19th century, the old Seoul was surrounded by a wall, accessible through four major gates. Although the wall is long gone, three of the gates, with their imposing two-tiered roof towers, still stand. The areas south of the Han River were mostly farm lands and mud fields until the early 1970’s, when the areas first began to be developed. Today, the “Gang-Nam” (literal meaning: “south of the river”) district is by far the most affluent section in Seoul, with many fancy shops and expensive houses.

2. Busan

Busan is South Korea’s second largest city. The Busan Port, facing the Pacific Ocean, is the 6th largest port in the world and a key infrastructure supporting South Korea’s export-import activities. Busan’s importance as a logistics hub was recognized in the early 20th century, and South Korea’s railroads and highways were first developed largely along the Seoul-Busan axis, with branch routes being added later. Busan is close to two industrial zones in the southeastern corner of the country: Ulsan (with large shipbuilding yards and automobile plants) and Changwon (with electronics companies, automobile plants and defense industry complexes). Busan hosted the 2002 World Cup and the 2005 APEC Summit.

3. Incheon

Incheon is a port city on the coast of the Yellow Sea, which is a bay-like inlet facing China. Since antiquity, Incheon was a port of choice for ships carrying diplomats and traders traveling between Korea and China. In 1887, Incheon underwent a dramatic transition – it was “opened” to become what would now be called an international free trade zone. Shortly after the “opening”, a China Town and a Japan Town appeared in the city. Germans, Russians and Americans soon followed suit setting up their own “towns” in Incheon. These foreign “towns” no longer exist (except for a downsized China Town), but Incheon continues to play the role as an interface between Korea and the rest of the world. Incheon International Airport is the primary airport serving the city of Seoul. In 2003, the South Korean government designated three large sections of Incheon as the “Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ)” with the goal of making it an international center of business and finance.

4. Daegu

Daegu, with a population size of 2.4 million, is the largest city in the North Gyeongsang Province. During the second half of the Joseon Dynasty era, Daegu was the provincial capital governing the entire Gyeongsang region (including today’s South Gyeongsang Province and Busan). One of Daegu’s tourist attractions is “Yak Ryung Street”, which is a 360-year-old street market with many shops specializing in medicinal herbs.

5. Daejeon

In the early 20th century, Daejeon was abruptly transformed from an obscure farming village to a bustling city when it was picked as the spot for a midpoint train station in the Seoul-Busan railroad. The railroad route heading for the city of Gwangju was later added using the Daejeon Station as the connecting point. Modern highways were developed in the same pattern, bolstering the importance of Daejeon as an inland transportation hub. Today’s Daejeon is Korea’s research and development mecca, with numerous research centers including, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute and Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

6. Gwangju

With 1.4 million residents, Gwangju is the largest city in the Jeolla region. Gwangju is famously dubbed the “Artists’ Village”, as it has produced many well-known poets, novelists and painters both in the Joseon Dynasty era and modern times. Today’s Gwangju is redefining itself as an emerging powerhouse of technology, research and education in the southwestern part of the nation.