List of cities in South Korea

Administrative divisions of South Korea
Provincial level
Province (도 道 do)
Special self-governing province (특별자치도 特別自治道 teukbyeol-jachi-do)
Special city (특별시 特別市 teukbyeol-si)
Metropolitan city (광역시 廣域市 gwangyeok-si)
Special self-governing city (특별자치시 特別自治市 teukbyeol-jachi-si)
Municipal level
City (시 市 si)
County (군 郡 gun)
District (구 區 gu)
Submunicipal level
District (구 區 gu)
Town (읍 邑 eup)
Township (면 面 myeon)
Neighbourhood (동 洞 dong)
Village (리 里 ri)

The largest cities of South Korea have self-governing status equivalent to that of provinces. Seoul, the largest city and capital, is classified as a teukbyeolsi (Special City), while the next 6 largest cities (see the list below) are classified as gwangyeoksi (Metropolitan Cities; see Special cities of South Korea). Smaller cities are classified as si ("cities") and are under provincial jurisdiction, at the same level as counties (see Administrative divisions of South Korea).

List of cities in South Korea

Notes

• The name "Seoul" does not originate from Hanja. The official Chinese translation is written as 首爾/首尔, which is a transcription based on the pronunciation of "Seoul", but 漢城/汉城 remains frequently used. As a suffix, the character gyeong (京) is used, which means "capital".
• Seoul was designated a "Special Free City" (Teukbyeol Jayusi; 특별 자유시; 特別自由市) separate from Gyeonggi Province on August 15, 1946; it became a "Special City" on August 15, 1949.

City	Hangul	Hanja	Province	Population (2012)	Area	Founded (ROK)
Andong	안동	安東	North Gyeongsang	168,009	1521.26	1963-01-01
Ansan	안산	安山	Gyeonggi	715,313	149.06	1986-01-01
Anseong	안성	安城	Gyeonggi	180,900	553.47	1998-04-01
Anyang	안양	安養	Gyeonggi	614,170	58.46	1973-07-01
Asan	아산	牙山	South Chungcheong	275,350	542.15	1986-01-01
Boryeong	보령	保寧	South Chungcheong	106,106	569.01	1986-01-01
Bucheon	부천	富川	Gyeonggi	872,662	53.40	1973-07-01
Busan	부산	釜山	CityMetropolitan city	3,548,640	765.94	1914-04-01
Changwon	창원	昌原	South Gyeongsang	1,091,733	736.34	1980-04-01
Cheonan	천안	天安	South Chungcheong	574,148	636.22	1963-01-01
Cheongju	청주	淸州	North Chungcheong	662,852	153.45	1946-06-01
Chuncheon	춘천	春川	Gangwon	273,130	1116.35	1946-06-01
Chungju	충주	忠州	North Chungcheong	208,266	983.70	1956-07-08
Daegu	대구	大邱	CityMetropolitan city	2,508,563	885.60	1914-04-01
Daejeon	대전	大田	CityMetropolitan city	1,518,651	539.86	1935-10-01
Dangjin	당진	唐津	South Chungcheong	151,013	694.08	2012-01-01
Dongducheon	동두천	東豆川	Gyeonggi	96,215	95.66	1981-07-01
Donghae	동해	東海	Gangwon	94,617	180.17	1980-04-01
Gangneung	강릉	江陵	Gangwon	217,494	1040.07	1955-09-01
Geoje	거제	巨濟	South Gyeongsang	232,891	401.61	1989-01-01
Gimcheon	김천	金泉	North Gyeongsang	135,421	1009.50	1949-08-14
Gimhae	김해	金海	South Gyeongsang	507,726	463.28	1981-07-01
Gimje	김제	金堤	North Jeolla	92,911	544.99	1989-01-01
Gimpo	김포	金浦	Gyeonggi	260,997	276.64	1998-04-01
Gongju	공주	公州	South Chungcheong	124,359	940.36	1986-01-01
Goyang	고양	高陽	Gyeonggi	961,451	267.31	1992-02-01
Gumi	구미	龜尾	North Gyeongsang	413,893	615.52	1978-02-15
Gunpo	군포	軍浦	Gyeonggi	287,311	36.36	1989-01-01
Gunsan	군산	群山	North Jeolla	276,538	675.38	1914-04-01
Guri	구리	九里	Gyeonggi	194,537	33.30	1986-01-01
Gwacheon	과천	果川	Gyeonggi	71,799	35.86	1986-01-01
Gwangju	광주	光州	CityMetropolitan city	1,466,516	501.26	1935-10-01
Gwangju	광주	廣州	Gyeonggi	266,444	430.96	2001-03-21
Gwangmyeong	광명	光明	Gyeonggi	355,618	38.50	1981-07-01
Gwangyang	광양	光陽	South Jeolla	150,565	453.84	1989-01-01
Gyeongju	경주	慶州	North Gyeongsang	265,028	1324.39	1955-09-01
Gyeongsan	경산	慶山	North Gyeongsang	243,746	411.70	1989-01-01
Gyeryong	계룡	鷄龍	South Chungcheong	42,427	60.74	2003-09-19
Hanam	하남	河南	Gyeonggi	148,122	93.07	1989-01-01
Hwaseong	화성	華城	Gyeonggi	517,505	687.54	2001-03-21
Icheon	이천	利川	Gyeonggi	204,331	531.09	1996-03-01
Iksan	익산	益山	North Jeolla	308,458	506.70	1947-02-23
Incheon	인천	仁川	CityMetropolitan city	2,808,286	1032.41	1914-04-01
Jecheon	제천	堤川	North Chungcheong	137,317	883.09	1980-04-01
Jeongeup	정읍	井邑	North Jeolla	120,114	692.93	1981-07-01
Jeonju	전주	全州	North Jeolla	647,504	206.22	1935-10-01
Jeju	제주	濟州	Jeju	423,853	977.80	1955-09-01
Jinju	진주	晋州	South Gyeongsang	336,310	712.62	1939-10-01
Naju	나주	羅州	South Jeolla	88,094	608.15	1981-07-01
Namyangju	남양주	南楊州	Gyeonggi	580,151	458.54	1989-01-01
Namwon	남원	南原	North Jeolla	87,367	752.50	1981-07-01
Nonsan	논산	論山	South Chungcheong	127,056	554.85	1996-03-01
Miryang	밀양	密陽	South Gyeongsang	109,087	799.01	1989-01-01
Mokpo	목포	木浦	South Jeolla	244,256	50.08	1914-04-01
Mungyeong	문경	聞慶	North Gyeongsang	76,045	911.17	1986-01-01
Osan	오산	烏山	Gyeonggi	194,775	42.76	1989-01-01
Paju	파주	坡州	Gyeonggi	382,816	672.57	1996-03-01
Pocheon	포천	抱川	Gyeonggi	157,684	826.50	2003-10-19
Pohang	포항	浦項	North Gyeongsang	517,322	1128.76	1949-08-14
Pyeongtaek	평택	平澤	Gyeonggi	428,075	454.62	1986-01-01
Sacheon	사천	泗川	South Gyeongsang	114,654	398.25	1956-07-08
Sangju	상주	尙州	North Gyeongsang	104,652	1254.83	1986-01-01
Samcheok	삼척	三陟	Gangwon	71,825	1185.86	1986-01-01
Sejong	세종	世宗	CitySpecial self-governing city	122,263	465.23	2012-07-01
Seogwipo	서귀포	西歸浦	Jeju	153,241	870.87	1981-07-01
Seongnam	성남	城南	Gyeonggi	979,412	141.82	1973-07-01
Seosan	서산	瑞山	South Chungcheong	161,610	740.66	1989-01-01
Seoul	서울	서울	CitySpecial city	10,251,297	605.27	1914-04-01
Siheung	시흥	始興	Gyeonggi	400,891	135.02	1989-01-01
Sokcho	속초	束草	Gangwon	88,723	105.00	1963-01-01
Suncheon	순천	順天	South Jeolla	272,274	907.41	1949-08-14
Suwon	수원	水原	Gyeonggi	1,098,010	121.09	1949-08-14
Taebaek	태백	太白	Gangwon	49,837	303.57	1981-07-01
Tongyeong	통영	統營	South Gyeongsang	140,140	238.85	1955-09-01
Uijeongbu	의정부	議政府	Gyeonggi	430,198	81.59	1963-01-01
Uiwang	의왕	儀旺	Gyeonggi	150,379	54.00	1989-01-01
Ulsan	울산	蔚山	CityMetropolitan city	1,136,948	1057.50	1962-06-01
Wonju	원주	原州	Gangwon	321,146	872.56	1955-09-01
Yangju	양주	楊州	Gyeonggi	199,956	309.77	2003-10-19
Yangsan	양산	梁山	South Gyeongsang	267,108	485.18	1996-03-01
Yeongcheon	영천	永川	North Gyeongsang	103,174	920.29	1981-07-01
Yeongju	영주	榮州	North Gyeongsang	114,446	669.05	1980-04-01
Yeosu	여수	麗水	South Jeolla	292,627	501.27	1949-08-14
Yongin	용인	龍仁	Gyeonggi	898,530	591.36	1996-03-01

Renamed cities

• Chungmu (충무; 忠武) → Tongyeong (1 January 1995)
• Daecheon (대천; 大川) → Boryeong (1 January 1995)
• Donggwangyang (동광양; 東光陽) → Gwangyang (1 January 1995)
• Geumseong (금성; 錦城) → Naju (1 January 1986)
• Gyeongseong (경성; 京城) → Seoul (15 August 1946)
• Iri (이리; 裡里) → Iksan (10 May 1995)
• Jangseungpo (장승포; 長承浦) → Geoje (1 January 1995)
• Jeomchon (점촌; 店村) → Mungyeong (1 January 1995)
• Jeongju (정주; 井州) → Jeongeup (1 January 1995)
• Migeum (미금; 渼金) → Namyangju (1 January 1995)
• Onyang (온양; 溫陽) → Asan (1 January 1995)
• Samcheonpo (삼천포; 三千浦) → Sacheon (10 May 1995)

Defunct cities

• Masan (마산; 馬山, established 1 April 1914) and Jinhae (진해; 鎭海, established 1 September 1955) merged into Changwon on 1 July 2010.
• Songjeong (송정; 松汀, established 1 November 1986) merged into Gwangju (Metropolitan city) on 1 January 1988.
• Songtan (송탄; 松炭, established 1 July 1981) merged into Pyeongtaek on 10 May 1995.
• Yeocheon (여천; 麗川, established 1 January 1986) merged into Yeosu on 1 April 1998.

See also

• List of cities in South Korea by population

Sources

• The Principal Cities of South Korea
• Korea.net-Facts about Korea
• Korea.net-Facts about Korea

See also

• List of cities in South Korea by population
• List of South Korean regions by GDP

External links

• Largest cities in South Korea