Cities of South Korea
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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 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).
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[edit] Self-governing cities with the status of provinces
| Romanization | Hangul | Hanja | Year of Split | Province split from |
| Seoul Teukbyeolsi | 서울 특별시 | See note below | December, 1067 | Yangju (then Namgyeong) |
| Busan Gwangyeoksi | 부산 광역시 | 釜山廣域市 | January 1, 1963 | S. Gyeongsang |
| Daegu Gwangyeoksi | 대구 광역시 | 大邱廣域市 | July 1, 1981 | N. Gyeongsang |
| Incheon Gwangyeoksi | 인천 광역시 | 仁川廣域市 | July 1, 1981 | Gyeonggi |
| Gwangju Gwangyeoksi | 광주 광역시 | 光州廣域市 | November 1, 1986 | S. Jeolla |
| Daejeon Gwangyeoksi | 대전 광역시 | 大田廣域市 | January 1, 1989 | S. Chungcheong |
| Ulsan Gwangyeoksi | 울산 광역시 | 蔚山廣域市 | July 15, 1997 | S. Gyeongsang |
[edit] Notes
- There is no hanja for "Seoul," but in Chinese, it is written by its Joseon Dynasty name Hanseong (漢城). The new Chinese name, 首爾/首尔, is a transcription based on the pronunciation of "Seoul". 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.
- All of the above cities except Ulsan have metro (subway) systems either in operation or under construction.
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[edit] Provincial Cities of Gyeonggi-do
[edit] Other Provincial Cities
[edit] Largest South Korean Cities (2003 Populations)
| Rank | Hangul | City | Population | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 서울 | Seoul | 11,153,200 |  |
Located along the Han River, Seoul is South Korea's economic powerhouse, capital, and largest city. It is governed as a Special City. |
| 2 | 부산 | Busan | 4,085,300 |  |
South Korea's second largest city and busiest seaport, Busan is considered a Metropolitan City. |
| 3 | 대구 | Daegu | 2,543,800 |  |
Daegu is a Metropolitan City and the Capital of the Gyeongsangbuk-do province. |
| 4 | 인천 | Incheon | 2,433,000 |  |
Incheon is a Metropolitan City and the second largest seaport in South Korea. |
| 5 | 대전 | Daejeon | 1,386,800 |  |
Daejeon is a Metropolitan City and the Capital of the Chungcheongnam-do province. |
| 6 | 광주 | Gwangju | 1,371,000 |  |
Gwangju is a Metropolitan City and the site of a political massacre in Korean History. |
| 7 | 성남 | Seongnam | 1,071,200 |  |
Seongnam is a suburban city in Gyeonggi-do. The prosperous district of Bundang is located here and is connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. |
| 8 | 울산 | Ulsan | 870,300 |  |
Ulsan is a metropolitan city known for its industrial district. |
| 9 | 부천 | Bucheon | 850,000 |  |
Bucheon is a suburban city located in Gyeonggi-do between Seoul and Incheon |
| 10 | 수원 | Suwon | 824,000 |  |
Suwon is the capital of Gyeonggi-do province and home to Hwaseong Fortress. It is to the South of Seoul. |
