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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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 |
Notes
- The name "Seoul" does not originate from hanja. In China, it is written as 首爾/首尔, which 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.
- The Ma-Chang-Jin metropolian area which consists of the cities Changwon, Masan, and Jinhae has a population of 1.2 million.
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Provincial Cities of Gyeonggi-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Gyeonggi-do
Other Provincial Cities
Main article: Cities and Counties of Chungcheongbuk-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Chungcheongnam-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Gangwon-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Gyeongsangbuk-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Gyeongsangnam-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Jeollabuk-do
Main article: Cities and Counties of Jeollanam-do
Most populous South Korean cities
| Rank | Hangul | City | Population | Image | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 서울 | Seoul | 10,456,034 (2008) |  |
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 | 3,596,076 (2008) |  |
South Korea's second largest city and busiest seaport, Busan is considered a Metropolitan City. |
| 3 | 인천 | Incheon | 2,741,217 (2008) |  |
Incheon is a Metropolitan City and the second largest seaport in South Korea. |
| 4 | 대구 | Daegu | 2,512,601 (2008) |  |
Daegu is a Metropolitan City and the Capital of the Gyeongsangbuk-do province. |
| 5 | 대전 | Daejeon | 1,494,951 (2008) |  |
Daejeon is a Metropolitan City and the Capital of the Chungcheongnam-do province. |
| 6 | 광주 | Gwangju | 1,434,625 (2008) |  |
Gwangju is a Metropolitan City and the site of a political massacre in Korean History. |
| 7 | 울산 | Ulsan | 1,126,879 (2008) |  |
Ulsan is a metropolitan city known for its industrial district. |
| 8 | 수원 | Suwon | 1,090,678 (2008) |  |
Suwon is the capital of Gyeonggi-do province and home to Hwaseong Fortress. It is to the South of Seoul. |
| 9 | 성남 | Seongnam | 958,349 (2008) |  |
Seongnam is a suburban city in Gyeonggi-do. The prosperous district of Bundang is located here and is connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. |
| 10 | 고양 | Goyang | 950,750 (2008) |  |
Goyang is a suburban city located in Gyeonggi-do north of Seoul, and in it is Ilsan |
Sources
See also
External links
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