The Seoul Capital Area (SCA), Sudogwon (, ) or Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

Incheon Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...

, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Its

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fifth largest metropolitan area in the world. Its area is about . It forms the cultural, commercial, financial, industrial, and residential center of South Korea. The largest city is Seoul, with a population of approximately 10 million people, followed by Incheon, with 3 million inhabitants.

Geography and climate

The Capital Area occupies a plain in the Han River valley. It contains some of the most fertile land on the

Korean peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

, although relatively little of it is now used for agriculture. The

Gimpo international airport Gimpo International Airport (), commonly known as Gimpo Airport , formerly rendered in English as Kimpo International Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some west of the Central District of Seoul. Gimpo was the main intern ...

, one of the country's larger expanses of level arable land, covers much of the area of the cities of

Gimpo Gimpo () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Incheon, with which it shares the South Korean side of the Han River estuary, as well as Seoul and the lesser cities of Paju and Goyang. North Korea is across the Han River. The c ...

and

Bucheon Bucheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Bucheon is located away from Seoul, of which it is a satellite city. It is located between Incheon and Seoul. Bucheon is the second most densely populated city in South Korea after Seoul, ...

History

The Capital Area has been home to a Korean capital for around 2,000 years. Its central location and relatively gentle landscape have given it a central role in the country's affairs. The first capital to be constructed in the region was that of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder J ...

, one of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...

. The country's first capital was built in 19 BC and was named Wiryeseong. This is believed to have been constructed near the modern-day boundary of

and Gwangju City. However, Baekje was unable to hold this territory, and surrendered the Han River valley to

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

in the 5th century. The land was then taken over by

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms o ...

in the 6th century, at which point it came to play a critical role in helping Silla to establish ties with

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. After the fall of

Taejo of Goryeo Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three ...

established the capital of his kingdom in Kaesŏng, now just north of the Demilitarized Zone. During the

Mongol invasions of Korea A series of campaigns were conducted between 1231 and 1270 by the Mongol Empire against the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. There were seven major campaigns at tremendous cost to civilian lives, the last campaign made Goryeo a vassal state of the ...

in the 12th century, the seat of government briefly shifted to Ganghwa Island, now just south of the DMZ in

metropolitan city, where the Mongol naval attacks were repelled for about a decade before the king voluntarily surrendered to stop the carnage the Mongols committed in the peninsula, in order to lure the king out. After the fall of

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

in 1392, the newly founded

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

had its capital (then called Hanseong or Hanyang), less than south of the old dynasty's capital, Kaesŏng. Hanyang was chosen to be the new capital for mountains surrounding it making it safe from enemies, and for the Han River, separating the north and south parts of the city that let the trade business flourish. During the new dynasty's rule, extensive road systems, administrative buildings, royal palaces, and new ports were built, quickly attracting wealth from all over the kingdom. During the

Korean Empire The Korean Empire () was a Korean monarchical state proclaimed in October 1897 by Emperor Gojong of the Joseon dynasty. The empire stood until Japan's annexation of Korea in August 1910. During the Korean Empire, Emperor Gojong oversaw the Gwan ...

period, Hanseong's public transportation was improved with the installation of streetcars and manually drawn trolleys similar to taxis. Horse carriage systems similar to the ones in Europe were also established. Following the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1910, Hanseong was renamed Keijo (Gyeongseong) and served as Korea's capital. The Korran Republic with its war of resistance against Japan also named it as its capital. Upon Japan's defeat and Korea's liberation in 1945, the capital retained one of its old names, Seoul and became capital of South Korea. In the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

(1950–1953), the Capital Area became the focus of battles so destructive that most of Seoul and the surrounding regions were eradicated. Seoul was especially hit hard, since it exchanged hands four times during the course of the war. During the latter half of the 20th century, the Capital Area began to rapidly develop as South Korea's economic wealth expanded. Population expanded fourfold since the Korean War. In 2001, the new Incheon International Airport took over all international flights to Seoul.

Demographics

Covering only about 12% of the country's area, the Seoul Capital Area is home to more than 48.2% of the national population, and is the world's fifth largest urban area. This percentage has risen steadily since the mid-20th century, and the trend is expected to continue. Currently more than half of the people who move from one region to another are moving to the capital area. By 2020, it is projected that more than 52% of South Korea's population will live within the area, or 26,310,000 people. However, the Seoul Capital Area reached 25,620,000 people by 2015, bringing the chance of reaching a population of 26.31 Million in less than 5 years.

Economy

In 2017, Seoul Capital Area's gross regional product was ₩870 trillion( US$770 billion), generating half of the country's total GDP. It is the fourth largest urban economy in the world after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles, and the region hosts headquarters of 59

Forbes Global 2000 The ''Forbes'' Global 2000 is an annual ranking of the top 2000 public companies in the world, published by ''Forbes'' magazine. "The Global 2000" annual ranking is assembled by ''Forbes'' using a weighted assessment of four metrics: sales, profit ...

companies. As the economy of Seoul Capital Area transformed to

knowledge economy The knowledge economy (or the knowledge-based economy) is an economic system in which the production of goods and services is based principally on knowledge-intensive activities that contribute to advancement in technical and scientific inn ...

from the

manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...

-based economy of the 20th century, there are a number of high-tech business parks in Seoul Capital Area, such as

Digital Media City Digital Media City (DMC; ko, 디지털미디어시티) is a high-tech complex for digital technologies, housing ubiquitous networked offices, apartments, exhibitions, conference halls, television network headquarters and cultural centers in Seo ...

and Pangyo Techno Valley. Spatial Structure Of Capital Region

The South Korean government is now implementing a plan to create several centers for economic activities in the Capital Area. According to the plan, for example, Seoul is a 'Northeast Asia's Financial and Business Hub', and southwestern coast, with Incheon and Suwon, is 'International logistics and High-tech Industrial Belt'. The Seoul Capital Area is home to the most affluent and livable cities and apartments in Korea but there are significant discrepancies between cities and districts, particularly between those built in the older and newer generations. Newer areas with more modern and luxurious apartments and infrastructure are more expensive, along with proximity to Gangnam District, the commercial center of the region.

Government

Various agencies have been set up to deal with the intergovernmental problems of the region. Proposals for consolidating some or all of the cities of the capital area into a handful of metropolitan cities have thus far not been implemented. Development in the area is currently governed by the Capital Region Readjustment Planning Act (수도권정비계획법), first passed in 1982 and last revised in 1996.

Subdivisions

The Seoul Capital Area is divided among the special city of

, the metropolitan city of

, and province of

Gyeonggi Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

. Seoul has 25 gu (local government wards), Incheon has 8 gu and 2 counties, and Gyeonggi Province has 28 cities and 3 counties as the subdivisions. Bundang Jeongja

Seoul

The 25 districts of Seoul. * Dobong District (도봉구; 道峰區) *

Dongdaemun District Dongdaemun District (, "Great Eastern Gate") is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Dongdaemun has a population of 346,770 (2010) and has a geographic area of 14.22 km2 (5.49 sq mi), and is divided into 14 ''dong'' (administrative nei ...

(동대문구; 東大門區) * Dongjak District (동작구; 銅雀區) *

Eunpyeong District Eunpyeong District (은평구, ''Eunpyeong-gu'') is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Eunpyeong has a population of 450,583 (2010) and has a geographic area of 29.7 km2 (11.5 sq mi), and is divided into 16 ''dong'' (administrative n ...

(은평구; 恩平區) *

Gangbuk District Gangbuk District (Gangbuk-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Its name is derived from it being located at the north of Han river. It was created from neighbouring ''Dobong District'' (도봉구) in 1995. Th ...

(강북구; 江北區) *

Gangdong District Gangdong District (Gangdong-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Gangdong is literally "east of the (Han) River". It is located on the east side of the city. Jungbu (literally "Central Part") Express Motorw ...

(강동구; 江東區) * Gangnam District (강남구; 江南區) *

Gangseo District Gangseo-gu (), or "''west of river'' district," is the name of a ''gu'' in 2 South Korean cities: *Gangseo-gu, Busan *Gangseo-gu, Seoul Gangseo District (Gangseo-gu) (Hangul: 강서구, Hanja: 江西區, ) is one of the 25 wards (''gu'') of ...

(강서구; 江西區) * Geumcheon District (금천구; 衿川區) *

Guro District Guro District (Guro-gu) is a district of Seoul, South Korea, which was separated from Yeongdeungpo District on April 1, 1980. Located in the southwestern part of the city, where besides Yangcheon District and Geumcheon District Guro Distric ...

(구로구; 九老區) * Gwanak District (관악구; 冠岳區) * Gwangjin District (광진구; 廣津區) * Jongno District (종로구; 鍾路區) * Jung District (중구; 中區) *

Jungnang District Jungnang District (Jungnang-gu) is one of the 25 ''gu'', or districts, of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the north side of the Han River. It is characterized by a typical residential area with many natural green areas such as Yongma, Mang ...

(중랑구; 中浪區) * Mapo District (마포구; 麻浦區) *

Nowon District Gyonggi do District (Nowon-gu) is a residential district of Seoul, South Korea, located in the most northeastern part of the metropolitan city. It has the highest population density in Seoul, with 619,509 people living in the area of 35.44 k ...

(노원구; 蘆原區) * Seocho District (서초구; 瑞草區) * Seodaemun District (서대문구; 西大門區) *

Seongbuk District Seongbuk District (Seongbuk-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is located in the mid-north part of the city. The current Mayor is Kim Young-bae (김영배), who has been mayor since July 1, 2010. Seongbuk ...

(성북구; 城北區) * Seongdong District (성동구; 城東區) * Songpa District (송파구; 松坡區) *

Yangcheon District The Yangcheon District (Yangcheon-gu) is a ''gu'', or district, of Seoul, South Korea, located on the southwest side of the Han River. At the centre of this district is the Mok-dong area, which is home to numerous shopping outlets, bars and rest ...

(양천구; 陽川區) *

Yeongdeungpo District Yeongdeungpo District () is an administrative district in southwest Seoul, South Korea. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, the first two syllables are thought to be from "''yeongdeung''" (靈登) or "divine ascent", a shamanic rite. T ...

(영등포구; 永登浦區) * Yongsan District (용산구; 龍山區)

Incheon

The 8 districts and 2 counties of Incheon. * Bupyeong District (부평구; 富平區) * Dong District (동구; 東區) *

Gyeyang District Gyeyang District (Gyeyang-gu) is a ward in Incheon, South Korea. History The first historical record of Gyeyang-gu goes back to the Goguryeo kingdom in 470 AD under the name of Jubuto-gun. It was renamed to Bupyeong-dohobu in 1413 AD. It was lat ...

(계양구; 桂陽區) * Jung District (중구; 中區) *

Michuhol District Michuhol District (Michuhol-gu) is a municipal district in Incheon, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border ...

(미추홀구; 彌鄒忽區) (Former Nam District; 남구 南區) * Namdong District (남동구; 南洞區) *

Seo District Seo-gu (), or " Western District," is the name of a ''gu'' in several South Korean cities: * Seo-gu, Busan * Seo-gu, Daegu * Seo-gu, Daejeon * Seo-gu, Gwangju * Seo-gu, Incheon Seo District (Seo-gu) is the largest district in Incheon, South K ...

(서구; 西區) * Yeonsu District (연수구; 延壽區) * Ganghwa County (강화군; 江華郡) *

Ongjin County Ongjin County may refer to: * Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea * Ongjin County, South Hwanghae Ongjin County is a county in southern South Hwanghae Province, North Korea. It is located on the Ongjin Peninsula, which projects into the Yellow ...

(옹진군; 甕津郡)

Gyeonggi-do

27 cities and 4 counties of Gyeonggi-do. Below are seven of the largest cities, sorted by their population size:

Suwon

The 4 gu of Suwon (수원; 水原). *

Paldal-gu Paldal-gu is the central district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Administrative divisions Paldal-gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * Godeung-dong (고등동) * Hwaseo-dong (화서동), divided in turn into Hwaseo 1 a ...

(팔달구; 八達區) *

Yeongtong-gu Yeongtong-gu, established in 2003, is the eastern district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is split from Paldal-gu and Suwon's newest "gu". Administrative divisions Yeongtong Gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * ...

(영통구; 霊通區) *

Jangan-gu Jangan-gu, established on July 1, 1988, is the northern district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. It is approximately 15 km. from central Seoul. Geography Jangan-gu lies in the north of Suwon. It is bordered by Uiwang to the ...

(장안구; 長安區) *

Gwonseon-gu Gwonseon-gu is the south-western district of the city of Suwon in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Administrative divisions Gwonseon-gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. * Geumgok-dong (Hangul: 금곡동) * Homaesil-dong (Hangul: 호매실동) * ...

(권선구; 勸善區)

Goyang

The 3 gu of Goyang (고양; 高陽). * Deogyang-gu (덕양구; 德陽區) * Ilsandong-gu (일산동구; 一山東區) * Ilsanseo-gu (일산서구; 一山西區)

Yongin

The 3 gu of Yongin (용인; 龍仁). * Cheoin-gu (처인구; 處仁區) * Giheung-gu (기흥구; 器興區) *

Suji-gu Suji-gu, or Suji, is one of the three city districts in Yongin City, South Korea which is approximately 29 km south of Seoul. Suji became a city district on October 31, 2005, about nine years after Yongin officially became a city. When Yongin ...

(수지구; 水枝區)

Seongnam

The 3 gu of Seongnam (성남; 城南). * Bundang-gu (분당구; 盆唐區) * Jungwon-gu (중원구; 中原區) * Sujeong-gu (수정구; 壽井區)

Bucheon

Ansan

The 2 gu of Ansan (안산; 安山). *

Danwon-gu 'Danwon-gu'' is a district of the city of Ansan in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. The name `Danwon` came from the nickname of Kim Hong Do, a famous Korean artist of the 18th century. The previous name of Kim Hong Do's Hometown was "Ansan", the residen ...

(단원구; 檀園區) * Sangnok-gu (상록구; 常綠區)

Anyang

The 2 gu of Anyang (안양; 安養). *

Dongan-gu Dongan-gu is a district of the city of Anyang in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Administrative divisions Dongan-gu is divided into the following "''dong''"s. *Bisan-dong (Divided in turn into Bisan 1 to 3 Dong, Buheung-dong and Daran-dong) *Gwanyang-d ...

(동안구; 東安區) * Manan-gu (만안구; 萬安區)
----
*

Anseong Anseong () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, south of Seoul. Its geographical location is . Anseong promotes itself as "The City of Masters". It is known for producing brassware and arts and crafts. From late spring to fall, Anseong ...

(안성; 安城) *

Dongducheon Dongducheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The city, to the north of Seoul, is strategically important for the defense of the Korean capital. The main camps of the United States Second Infantry Division are in the city, and the d ...

(동두천; 東豆川) *

(김포; 金浦) *

Goyang Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a popula ...

(고양; 高陽) * Gunpo (군포; 軍浦) * Guri (구리; 九里) * Gwacheon (과천; 果川) *

Gwangju Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial offic ...

(광주; 廣州) *

Gwangmyeong Gwangmyeong (; Korean: 광명시) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It borders Seoul to the east, north and northeast, Anyang to the southeast, Siheung to the southwest, and Bucheon to the northeast. Gwangmyeong is home to one of the ...

(광명; 光明) *

Hanam Hanam () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Formerly a part of Gwangju County, it was designated a city in 1989. The ancient Baekje capital of Hanam Wiryeseong may have been located there. Lying immediately east of Seoul, Hanam is ...

(하남; 河南) * Hwaseong (화성; 華城) *

Icheon Icheon () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Together with Yeoju, Icheon is known as a center of South Korean ceramic manufacturing and is a UNESCO City of Crafts and Folk Art. Other famous local products include peaches and rice. ...

(이천; 利川) * Namyangju (남양주; 南楊州) * Osan (오산; 烏山) *

Paju Paju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Paju was made a city in 1997; it had previously been a county (''gun''). The city area of Paju is ,"Paju (Gyeonggi-do Province)." ''Naver Encyclopedia of Knowledge''. Naver, 2015. 4 Mar. 2016. ...

(파주; 坡州) * Pocheon (포천; 抱川) * Pyeongtaek (평택; 平澤) * Siheung (시흥; 始興) *

Uijeongbu Uijeongbu () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a defile, with mountains on two sides, and commands a natural choke point across the main traditional in ...

(의정부; 議政府) * Uiwang (의왕; 儀旺) *

Yangju Yangju () is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Yangju is located south of Dongducheon and north of Uijeongbu, not far from Seoul. History * 1395 - Renamed to Yangju. * January 1, 1963 - Uijeongbu is separated and becomes a city. * Apri ...

(양주; 楊州) * Yeoju (여주; 驪州) *

Gapyeong County Gapyeong County is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It was the scene of the Battle of Kapyong, a major battle of the Korean War. Administrative Region and Language Gapyeong County has one eup and five myeon, and its population is ...

(가평군; 加平郡) * Yangpyeong County (양평군; 揚平郡) * Yeoncheon County (연천군; 漣川郡)

Transportation

The cities of the capital area are tightly interconnected by road and rail. Many of the country's railroad lines, most notably the Gyeongbu Line, terminate in the region. In addition, rapid transit is provided by the

Seoul Metropolitan Subway The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area inc ...

, which has lines that serve all districts of Seoul, as well as the city of Incheon and other surrounding cities within Gyeonggi Province. The region is a nexus for travel by air and water. The country's two largest airports, Incheon International Airport and

Gimpo International Airport Gimpo International Airport (), commonly known as Gimpo Airport , formerly rendered in English as Kimpo International Airport, is located in the far western end of Seoul, some west of the Central District of Seoul. Gimpo was the main intern ...

, are in the metropolitan area. International and domestic ferries depart from Incheon's ferry terminals several times a day. Massive volumes of international freight pass through the container terminals of Incheon (primarily bound to and from

). Seoul Ring Expressway (Expressway No. 100) connects satellite cities around Seoul:

Ilsan Ilsan New Town refers to a planned city occupying Ilsandong-gu and Ilsanseo-gu of Goyang. Ilsan is located northwest of Seoul. Like other satellite cities in the Seoul National Capital Area such as Bundang, Ilsan was planned in order to alle ...

, Toegyewon,

Pyeongchon Pyeongchon New Town refers to a planned city surrounding Dongan-gu of Anyang Anyang (; ) is a prefecture-level city in Henan province, China. The northernmost city in Henan, Anyang borders Puyang to the east, Hebi and Xinxiang to the south, ...

, Songnae, Bundang, Pangyo and

Notes

# # #

External links

Official website of Seoul Metropolitan government

Metropolitan Air Quality Management Office, in Korean

Capital Region Development Institute, in Korean

Chosun Ilbo metro news, in Korean

{{Authority control Seoul Capital Area,