Seoul Capital Area

The Seoul Capital Area (SCA; Korean: 수도권, [sʰu.do.k͈wʌ̹n]) or Gyeonggi region (경기 지방), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-west South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2020) is ranked as the fourth largest metropolitan area in the world. Its area is about 12,685 km2 (4,898 sq mi). 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.

Seoul Capital Area
수도권
Seoul, the largest city in the metropolitan area
Seoul, the largest city in the metropolitan area
Location of Seoul Capital Area
CountrySouth Korea
Major citiesSeoul
Incheon
Suwon
Ansan
Anyang
Goyang
Seongnam
Bucheon
Yongin
Area
 • Capital area12,685 km2 (4,898 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Metro
26,037,000[1]
 • Metro density2,053/km2 (5,320/sq mi)
 • Percentage of South Korea's total population
~50%
(52 million)
Gross Regional Product (2020)
[2]
 • TotalKR₩1008.4 trillion
US$806.7 billion
HDI (2021)0.952[3]
very high · 1st
Seoul Capital Area
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationSudogwon
McCune–ReischauerSudokwŏn
Gyeonggi Region
Hangul
경기 지방
Hanja
京畿地方
Revised RomanizationGyeonggi Jibang
McCune–ReischauerKyŏnggi Jibang

Table
Subdivision Area km2 Population GDP (KR₩)[4] GDP (US$)[5]
 Gyeonggi Province10,18413,511,676₩ 491.3 trillionUS$ 393.0 billion
 Seoul6059,586,195₩ 444.5 trillionUS$ 355.6 billion
 Incheon1,0632,945,454₩ 89.6 trillionUS$ 71.7 billion
Seoul Capital Area11,85226,043,325₩ 1,008.4 trillionUS$ 806.7 billion

Geography and climate
Satellite image of Seoul and greater area (2020)
See also: Geography of South Korea

The Capital Area occupies a plain in the Han River valley.[6]

History
See also: History of South Korea and History of Seoul

Demographics
See also: Demographics of South Korea

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 ninth 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. In 2020, it was reported that the Seoul Capital Area's population had exceeded 50% of the country's total population, with 25,925,799 people living in the area (50.002% of the total 51,849,861).[7]

Economy
See also: Economy of South Korea and Category:Companies based in Seoul

In 2020, Seoul Capital Area's Gross Regional Product was around US$800 billion, generating around half of the country's total GDP.[4] It is the fourth largest urban economy in the world after Tokyo, New York and Los Angeles but ahead of Paris and London.[8] The region hosts headquarters of 59 Forbes Global 2000 companies.[9] As the economy of Seoul Capital Area transformed to knowledge economy from the manufacturing-based economy of the 20th century, there are a number of high-tech business parks in Seoul Capital Area, such as Digital Media City and Pangyo Techno Valley.

Industrial Clusters in Seoul Capital Area

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.[10]

Government
See also: Government of South Korea

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
See also: Administrative divisions of South Korea

The Seoul Capital Area is divided among the special city of Seoul, the metropolitan city of Incheon, and province of Gyeonggi. Seoul has 25 gu (local government wards),[11] Incheon has 8 gu and 2 counties, and Gyeonggi Province has 28 cities and 3 counties as the subdivisions.

Bundang, Seongnam
Anyang, Gyeonggi Province

Seoul
Main article: List of districts of Seoul
Further information: Seoul

The 25 districts of Seoul.

Incheon
Main article: List of districts and counties of Incheon
Further information: Incheon

The 8 districts and 2 counties of Incheon.

Gyeonggi-do
Main article: List of cities and counties of Gyeonggi Province

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

Suwon
Further information: Suwon

The 4 gu of Suwon (수원; 水原).

Goyang
Further information: Goyang

The 3 gu of Goyang (고양; 高陽).

Yongin
Further information: Yongin

The 3 gu of Yongin (용인; 龍仁).

Seongnam
Further information: Seongnam

The 3 gu of Seongnam (성남; 城南).

Bucheon
Further information: Bucheon

Ansan
Further information: Ansan

The 2 gu of Ansan (안산; 安山).

Anyang
Further information: Anyang, Gyeonggi

The 2 gu of Anyang (안양; 安養).



Transportation
See also: Transport in South Korea and Transportation in Seoul
Incheon International Airport
Seoul Metropolitan subway, Line 3
Map of Seoul Ring Expressway

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, which has lines that serve all districts of Seoul, as well as the city of Incheon and other surrounding cities within Gyeonggi Province.[12][13]

The region is a nexus for travel by air and water. The country's two largest airports, Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport, are in the metropolitan area.[12] International and domestic ferries depart from Incheon's ferry terminals several times a day.[14]

Seoul Ring Expressway (Expressway No. 100) connects satellite cities around Seoul.[15]

See also

Notes
  1. http://kostat.go.kr/portal/korea/kor_nw/1/13/2/index.board?bmode=read&bSeq=&aSeq=379534&pageNo=1&rowNum=10&navCount=10&currPg=&searchInfo=&sTarget=title&sTxt=%7Ctitle=2018년 지역소득(잠정).
  2. "2021년 지역소득(잠정)".
  3. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  4. "2021년 지역소득(잠정)". www.kostat.go.kr.
  5. "South Korean Won to US Dollar Spot Exchange Rates for 2021".
  6. Chase, David (1960). "A Limited Archæological Survey of the Han River Valley in Central Korea". Asian Perspectives. 4 (1/2): 141–149. ISSN 0066-8435. JSTOR 42927497.
  7. "Greater Seoul population exceeds 50% of S. Korea for first time". english.hani.co.kr. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  8. "Global Wealth GDP Nominal Distribution: Who Are The Leaders Of The Global Economy? - Full Size". www.visualcapitalist.com. Retrieved 2022-03-27.
  9. "The World's Largest Public Companies". Forbes.
  10. "미군 잔류로 낙후된 동두천, 특별법 제정해야". www.yonhapnews.co.kr. 2014-12-23.
  11. "The Statistic of Seoul". Seoul Solution. 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  12. "Getting around Seoul is easy for first-timers with these simple tips". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  13. "Seoul public transportation - Seoul metro maps |". Official Website of the. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  14. "Incheon Port International Passenger Terminal". www.icferry.or.kr. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  15. "First DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel coming to Korea". koreatimes. 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  1. ^ Korea National Statistical Office (2008-07-22). e나라지표:수도권 인구 집중 현황 (in Korean).
  2. ^ Ryu Boseon (류보선) (2005-08-23). 수도권 인구 편중현상 계속 (in Korean). Korea National Statistical Office (KNSO) News. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
  3. ^ Hong, Yong-deok (홍용덕) (2005-06-01). 각종 분산정책 불구하고 수도권은 ‘인구 블랙홀’ (in Korean). The Hankyoreh.

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