Gangnam District ( ; , ) is one of the 25 local government districts which make up the city 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 ...

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 ...

. Gangnam translates to "South of the ( Han) River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of . As of the 2017 census, Gangnam District had a population of 561,052. There is a high concentration of wealth in the district, with prices for an apartment as of 2020 nearly double those in the rest of Seoul. Gangnam district is generally referred to as a part of Gangnam School District Eight (강남 8학군), along with

Seocho District Seocho District () is one of the 25 '' gu'' (local government districts) which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Seocho is generally referred to as a part of Greater Gangnam Area, along with Gangnam District. As of 2022, Seocho District ra ...

. This district shares half of Gangnam-daero

Gangnam Station Gangnam Station is a station located in both the greater Gangnam area Gangnam District and Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, on the Seoul Subway Line 2. This station serves as a crucial transfer point between Line 2 and buses to all over Se ...

area with Seocho District, which is one of the most crowded places in Korea.

Administration

Gangnam is one of two '' gu'' that make up the Greater Gangnam Area with neighboring

. The Gangnam District office has designated two smoke-free zones within the district. The first is the section of Gangnam Boulevard between exit No. 2 of

Gangnam station Gangnam Station is a station located in both the greater Gangnam area Gangnam District and Seocho District of Seoul, South Korea, on the Seoul Subway Line 2. This station serves as a crucial transfer point between Line 2 and buses to all over Se ...

Seoul Subway Line 2 Seoul Subway Line 2 ( ko, 서울 지하철 2호선), also known as the Circle Line, is a circular line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. The line running clockwise is called the "inner circle line" and the counter-clockwise line is called the " ...

and exit No. 5 of Sinnonhyeon station of Line 9; the second is the 836-meter (914-yard) section of sidewalk along Yeongdong Boulevard from exit No. 5 of Samseong station on Line 2, outside

COEX Convention & Exhibition Center Coex Convention & Exhibition Center (Coex) located in Samseong-dong of Gangnam-gu district, Seoul, is one of South Korea's convention and exhibition centers. Coex is serviced by Samseong Station on line 2 and Bongeunsa Station on line 9 of the ...

and

ASEM Tower ASEM Tower is an office building located in Samseong-dong, Gangnam district, Seoul. It was constructed for the 3rd Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM 3) in 2000. The 836-meter (914-yard) section of sidewalk along Yeongdong Boulevard from exit No. 5 of ...

of the

COEX World Trade Center Seoul (WTC Seoul) () is a building complex centered on the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center (Coex) on Teheranno in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu district of Seoul. It is operated by KITA (Korea International Trade Associatio ...

complex.

Divisions

Gangnam District is composed of 26 dong (neighborhoods): *

Apgujeong Apgujeong-dong (; ) is a ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It is considered one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in South Korea. It was reported that housing price of Apgujeong-dong is approximately US$28,300 per one square meter bKorea M ...

* Cheongdam 1 * Cheongdam 2 * Daechi 1 * Daechi 2 * Daechi 3 * Daechi 4 * Dogok 1 * Dogok 2 * Gaepo 1 * Gaepo 2 * Gaepo 3 * Irwon 1 * Irwon 2 * Irwon bon * Nonhyeon 1 * Nonhyeon 2 * Samseong 1 * Samseong 2 * Segok * Sinsa * Suseo * Yeoksam 1 * Yeoksam 2

Economy

Both the Greater Gangnam Area and Gangnam itself are widely known for its heavily concentrated wealth and very high standard of living, which has been compared to cities such as

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

. The most significant indicator is its extremely expensive real estate. Seoul as a whole is known for its expensive housing prices—as of 2011, its average apartment cost approximately US$5,500 per m²—but the average price in Gangnam is almost twice as high, roughly US$10,000 per m², which is 3.5 times the nationwide average. This is driven in part by the price of land: the 40 km² making up Gangnam district rivals in valuation with the entirety of the city of

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea ...

, the second-largest city in South Korea which occupies 770 km². Combined with the neighboring districts of Seocho and

Songpa Songpa-gu (Hangul: 송파구) is a ''district'' of Seoul, South Korea. Previously known as Wiryeseong, the first capital of the kingdom of Baekje, Songpa is located in the southeastern part of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. With roug ...

, the Greater Gangnam Area accounts for almost 10% of the land value of the entire country. While Seoul's traditional business centers such as Central District,

Jongno District Bosingak bell pavilion Jongno District () is a district () in central Seoul, South Korea. It takes its name from a major local street, Jongno, which means "Bell Road". Characteristics Jongno District has been the center of the city for 600 ye ...

Yongsan District Yongsan District (, ) is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Yongsan has a population of 231,685 (2020) and has a geographic area of , and is divided into 19 '' dong'' (administrative neighborhoods). Yongsan is located in central Seoul ...

and

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 ...

still maintain their leading roles, Gangnam and its neighboring districts have swiftly become the new core across all areas of business over the last few decades. KOSPI 200 companies based in Gangnam district include KEPCO,

GS Group GS Group is a South Korean conglomerate. GS comprises GS Holdings, subsidiaries & affiliates including GS Caltex, GS Retail, GS Shop, GS EPS, GS Global, GS Sports and GS E&C among others. The asset size is 65.4 trillion KRW at the end of 201 ...

Hyundai Department Store Group Hyundai Department Store Group () is a South Korean retail conglomerate that spun off from Hyundai Group in 1999. The company began as Keumgang Development Industries established in 1971. It opened its first store in Ulsan in 1977. The flagshi ...

HITEJinro HiteJinro Co., Ltd. (; ) is a South Korean multinational drink, brewing and distiller company, founded in 1924. It is the world's leading producer of soju, accounting for more than half of that beverage's domestic sales. It also manufactures ...

Hansol Hansol is a South Korean conglomerate, or chaebol. The corporation's main operations are paper products, electronics, chemicals, logistics, IT technology and solution services, household interiors, and construction. Hansol used to be a part of ...

Hankook Tire Hankook Tire & Technology (; , also known simply as Hankook and stylised ), is a South Korean tire company. Based in Seoul, Hankook is the seventh largest tire company in the world. History Hankook Tire was established by Jae Hun Chung's grandf ...

GLOVIS Hyundai Glovis Co., Ltd. is a logistics company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea and part of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. Its predecessor company, Hankook Logitech Co. Ltd was formed in February 2001. Hyundai Glovis supplies ocean tra ...

and Korea Zinc Corporation. Besides,

POSCO POSCO (formerly Pohang Iron and Steel Company) is a South Korean steel-making company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It had an output of of crude steel in 2015, making it the world's fourth-largest steelmaker by this measure. In 2010, i ...

also operates POSCO Center in Teheran Valley, and

KT&G KT&G Corporation (), originally Korea Tobacco & Ginseng, is the leading tobacco company in South Korea with annual sales over US$4 billion. KT&G was originally a government-owned monopoly but was privatized and today is publicly traded, competing ...

operates Kosmo Tower. Other notable companies based in Gangnam include Dongbu Fire Insurance, Young Poong Group,

T'way Airlines T'way Air Co., Ltd. (), formerly Hansung Airlines, is a South Korean low-cost airline based in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul. In 2018, it is the third largest Korean low-cost carrier in the international market, carried 2.9 million domestic ...

and Hankook P&G. Gangnam is also home to many IT and other internet-related companies including NC Soft and

Pandora TV In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

, and is also a strong hub of the country's financial and banking sectors. Many international companies also operate key offices in Gangnam, including

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

, IBM,

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

, and AMI. Since January 2012, the area has also been home to

FNC Entertainment FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and record producer Han Seong-ho. The label operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, ev ...

, which moved into its own company offices in Cheongdam-dong, separate from its parent company in the

CJ E&M Music Performance Division Stone Music Entertainment (Hangul: 스톤 뮤직 엔터테인먼트), is a South Korean music distribution company under CJ ENM, along with music streaming store Genie Music. It was one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. Th ...

Building in neighbouring Apgujeong-dong. Other entertainment companies located there include

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company h ...

JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate founded in 1997 by J. Y. Park. It is one of the largest entertainment companies in South Korea, and operates as a record label, tale ...

(until 2018),

Cube Entertainment Cube Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean entertainment company. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and music publishing house. Cube are known for h ...

Pledis Entertainment Pledis Entertainment () is a South Korean entertainment company founded by Han Sung-Soo in 2007. The label is home to actress Nana, Hwang Min-hyun, Baekho, and K-pop groups Seventeen and Fromis 9. Its name originates from the pleiades, a star ...

LOEN Entertainment Kakao M (; formerly Seoul Records, YBM Seoul Records and LOEN Entertainment) was a South Korean entertainment company established by Min Yeong-bin in 1978. It is currently one of the largest co-publisher companies in South Korea. The company op ...

, Source Music,

Plan A Entertainment IST Entertainment (Hangul: 아이에스티엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean entertainment company under Kakao Entertainment. History Plan A Entertainment In 2011, A Cube Entertainment was established as an independent label of Cube Entertain ...

DSP Media DSP Media (Hangul: DSP 미디어) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1991 by Lee Ho-yeon. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production company, and ...

, MBK Entertainment,

Nega Network Nega Network (Hangul: 내가네트워크) is an independent South Korean record label, talent agency, producer, and publisher of pop music, founded by Yoon Il-sang, Lance Yoon-suk Choi and Jo Young-chul. It is based in Gangnam District, Seoul. ...

C-JeS Entertainment C-JeS Entertainment is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2009, handling the management of various artists. Its roster includes popular boy band JYJ; singer Gummy; actors Sol Kyung-gu, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Lee Jae-wook; and actres ...

WM Entertainment WM Entertainment (Hangul: WM 엔터테인먼트) is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2008 by former singer Lee Won-min (birth name: Kim Jung-soo). The company is responsible for managing artists such as B1A4, Oh My Girl, and ...

, NH Media, J. Tune Entertainment,

TOP Media TOP Media (),(also known as T.O.P Media) is a South Korean company, founded by Shinhwa's Andy, handling the management of several artists. TOP Media usually works with Sony Music Entertainment Korea for distribution of its musical releases. Hist ...

Happy Face Entertainment Dreamcatcher Company is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2008. History 2008–2010: Establishment, name change and mainstream breakthrough The label was established on August 15, 2008, as Harvest Entertainment (풍년 엔� ...

, Dream Tea Entertainment,

Polaris Entertainment Polaris (; Polaris Entertainment), previously known as Ilgwang Polaris, is a South Korean record label founded in 2006. It was formerly a subsidiary of Ilgwang Group, a large South Korean conglomerate whose main business is arms trade, and is n ...

Jellyfish Entertainment Jellyfish Entertainment (), is a South Korean entertainment company established by composer and producer Hwang Se-jun in Seoul, South Korea. Jellyfish Entertainment is the home of artists including Jang Hye-jin, VIXX, Verivery and formerly g ...

DR Music DR Music (formerly known as ''DR Entertainment''; Hangul: DR뮤직), is a South Korean private-held music company established in 1989 by Yoon Deung-ryeong. It currently manages girl group Blackswan and co-ed group K-Tigers Zero. . The label is ...

Stardom Entertainment Stardom Entertainment ( Korean: ) (formerly known as Brand New Stardom Entertainment) was a music record label based in South Korea. Founded by South Korean entertainer Cho PD during mid-2009, the company was renamed Stardom Entertainment when it ...

, and

HYBE Corporation Hybe Co., Ltd. (, stylized as HYBE Corporation) is a South Korean multinational entertainment company established in 2005 by Bang Si-hyuk as Big Hit Entertainment Co., Ltd. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music productio ...

. The Korean subsidiary of

American Megatrends AMI (American Megatrends International LLC, formerly American Megatrends Inc.) is an international hardware and software company, specializing in PC hardware and firmware. The company was founded in 1985 by Pat Sarma and Subramonian Shankar. I ...

, AMI Korea, is headquartered in Daechidong, Gangnam District.

Economic development

Until the early 1980s Gangnam and its neighboring areas had remained the least developed in Seoul, but prodigious development over the last 30 years has earned it a reputation of being one of the most affluent, dynamic, and influential areas in both Seoul and South Korea as a whole. In addition, the

in Gangnam recently hosted several international conferences such as the 2010 G-20 summit and the

2012 Nuclear Security Summit The 2012 Nuclear Security Summit was a summit held at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea, on March 26 and 27, 2012.

.Cho Jin-seo
"Seoul unveils G20 summit's symbol,"
''The Korea Times'' (ROK). 8 July 2010. Retrieved 10 November 2010.

Education

South Korea is known for its high standard of education and intense competition for university entrance, and Gangnam is considered the national capital of education, which is one of the decisive factors to make Gangnam the most attractive destination in South Korea. In 2010, roughly 6% of the successful candidates to

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three " ...

, which is considered the best university in South Korea, were from Gangnam district, while Gangnam's population makes up only 1% of the country's population. In 2008, 22.7 out of 1,000 students in Gangnam district went abroad to study, while the nation's average ratio in the same time frame was only 3.6 per 1,000 students. Following the substantial raising of the profile of the Gangnam district internationally, the area has become a popular destination for international students seeking Korean language lessons, marking the rise of Korea as a 'study tourism' destination. Both long-standing locally owned schools such as the Seoul Korean Academy, and more recent foreign-owned entities such as Lexis Korea report a significant increase in interest in the location. International schools: * (한국외국인학교) * (서울아카데미국제학교) Former schools *

Japanese School in Seoul The Japanese School in Seoul (ソウル日本人学校, ''Souru Nihonjin Gakkō'', 서울일본인학교) is a Japanese international school located in the Sangam-dong neighborhood of Mapo District, Seoul, for the children of Japanese citizens resi ...

Attractions

The important business district around Teheranno (Tehran Street) runs east–west from Gangnam station to Samseong station and the

Korean World Trade Center World Trade Center Seoul (WTC Seoul) () is a building complex centered on the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center (Coex) on Teheranno in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu district of Seoul. It is operated by Korea International Trade Association, KITA (K ...

complex. Several popular shopping and entertainment areas are located in Gangnam District, including

, the

COEX Mall Starfield COEX Mall (formerly known as COEX Mall), containing COnvention centers, EXhibition halls and many malls, is an underground shopping mall in Gangnam-gu Seoul, South Korea. It has an area of about , of which are on a single underground ...

and the area around

and Garosugil.

Cheongdam-dong Cheongdam-dong () is a ward of Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. The area is best known in South Korea as an affluent neighborhood populated by a disproportionately high number of high-income individuals and for having some of the most expe ...

is notable as an upmarket shopping area, with stores of global and local luxury brands, such as MCM Haus flagship store;

Vera Wang Vera Ellen Wang (; born June 27, 1949) is an American fashion designer. Early life Vera Ellen Wang was born June 27, 1949 in New York City to Chinese parents who emigrated to the United States in the mid-1940s. Her mother, Florence Wu (Wu ...

's third global and first Asian flagship store 'Vera Wang Bridal Korea'; as well as French jeweler Cartier's ''Cartier Maison'', located on Apgujeong-ro, which is the largest in Korea and at the time of opening, in 2008, the seventh largest in the world. The area has a large concentration of vegetarian and other upscale restaurants that serve Korean cuisine with a modern twist, namely on the main street from Bongeun Temple to Park Hyatt Hotel in

Samseong-dong Samseong-Dong is an affluent neighborhood or ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. The area has a large concentration of upscale shopping malls, popular restaurants and hotels such as the Ramada Seoul Hotel and the Hyatt Park Hotel. Samseon ...

. *

Galleria Department Store Galleria Department Store () is an upmarket South Korean department store franchise owned by Hanwha Group. It has 5 branches throughout Korea, notably the Luxury Hall West and Luxury Hall East, both in Apgujeong-dong, as upmarket luxury-brand fas ...

* Seolleung and Jeongneung tombs * Trade Tower * Apgujeong Rodeo street * Sinsa Garosugil *

COEX Aquarium The COEX Aquarium in Gangnam district, Seoul, is one of South Korea's Public Aquariums. The aquarium is housed within the COEX mall, which is, itself, part of the larger COEX Convention & Exhibition Center. The aquarium opened in 2000. Exhibits ...

* Kukkiwon (World

Taekwondo ''Taekwondo'', ''Tae Kwon Do'' or ''Taekwon-Do'' (; ko, 태권도/跆拳道 ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean form of martial arts involving punching and kicking techniques, with emphasis on head-height kicks, spinning jump kicks, and fast k ...

Headquarters) *

Korea City Air Terminal The Korea City Air Terminal in Gangnam district, Seoul, is one of South Korea's Airport terminals. It is part of the COEX complex. The Korea City Air Tower is a public transportation facility in which travellers on certain flights can check i ...

* Simone Handbag Museum * Bongeun Temple, close to COEX Mall *

Dosan Park Dosan Park is a park in the neighborhood of Sinsa-dong, Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea. It was established in 1973 to commemorate the achievement and legacy of independence activist An Chang-ho, whose pen name was ''Dosan''. In Dosan Park, there i ...

* Metasequoia Road * Nonhyun Furniture Road * Yangjae Stream

Transportation

Gangnam District is served by

Seoul Subway Line 3 Seoul Metropolitan Subway Line 3 (dubbed ''The Orange Line'') of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a rapid transit service that connects Eunpyeong District to Gangnam and southeastern Seoul. Most trains head further northwest to serve Goyang via ...

Seoul Subway Line 7 Seoul Subway Line 7 of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway was built from 1990 to 1996 (Jangam- Konkuk Univ.) and was completed on August 1, 2000 (central section 17 km. Konkuk University to Sinpung); the western section between Sinpung and O ...

Seoul Subway Line 9 Seoul Subway Line 9, operated by Seoul Metro Line9 Corporation, is a subway line in Seoul. The line runs east from Gaehwa Station (local train terminal) or Gimpo Airport Station (express train terminal, connecting to Line 5 and Airport Railroad ...

Bundang Line The Bundang Line or Seoul Metropolitan Subway Bundang Line (Sudogwon Jeoncheol Bundangseon 수도권 전철 분당선) was a commuter rail line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway in the Seoul Capital Area operated by Korail. Also it refers physical ...

and the

Shinbundang Line The Shinbundang Line (aka ''Sinbundang Line''; ; literally, ''New Bundang Line'') or DX Line for Dynamic Express Line is a long line of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway. It is the world's fifth subway to run completely driverless and the second com ...

. *

Korail The Korea Railroad Corporation ( Korean: 한국철도공사, Hanja: ), branded as KORAIL (코레일, officially changed to in November 2019), is the national railway operator in South Korea. Currently, KORAIL is a public corporation, manag ...

;;; (

Seongdong-gu Seongdong District (Seongdong-gu) is one of the 25 '' gu'' which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is situated on the north bank of the Han River. It is divided into 20 ''dong'' (neighbourhoods). Administrative divisions Seongdong Dist ...

) ← Apgujeongrodeo – Gangnam-gu Office – Seonjeongreung – Seolleung — Hanti — Dogok — Guryong —

Gaepo-dong Gaepo-dong is a ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea, south of Dogok-dong and Daechi-dong. Gaepodong is divided into three "dong": Gaepo 1, 2, and 4 dong. Gaepo 3-dong had been merged with Gaepo 2-dong in 2009. Education Schools located in ...

— Daemosan — Suseo → (

Songpa-gu Songpa-gu (Hangul: 송파구) is a ''district'' of Seoul, South Korea. Previously known as Wiryeseong, the first capital of the kingdom of Baekje, Songpa is located in the southeastern part of Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. With rou ...

) *

Seoul Metro Seoul Transportation Corporation, branded as Seoul Metro (Hangul: ), is a municipal-owned corporation owned by Seoul Metropolitan Government, and one of the two major operators of Seoul Metropolitan Subway with Korail. History * May 31, 2017 ...

Euljiro Circle Line ;;;(

) ← Samseong — Seolleung — Yeoksam — Gangnam → (

Seocho-gu Seocho District () is one of the 25 '' gu'' (local government districts) which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Seocho is generally referred to as a part of Greater Gangnam Area, along with Gangnam District. As of 2022, Seocho District ...

) ;*

;;;(

) ←

— Sinsa → (

) ← Maebong — Dogok — Daechi — Hangnyeoul — Daecheong — Irwon — Suseo – (

) ;*

;;;(

) ← Gangnam ;*

;;;(

Gwangjin-gu Gwangjin District (Gwangjin-gu) is one of the 25 wards (''gu'') of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the north bank of the Han River, to the eastern end of Seoul. It was created from neighboring Seongdong District in 1995. Gwangjin District ...

) ← Cheongdam — Gangnam-gu Office — Hak-dong — Nonhyeon → (

) * Metro 9 corporation ;*

;;;(

) ← Sinnonhyeon ← Eonju ←

Seonjeongneung Seonjeongneung is a burial ground from the Joseon dynasty, located in Seoul, South Korea. The westernmost tomb, called Seonneung, belongs to King Seongjong (1457–1494) the 9th monarch of Joseon. His first wife, Queen Gonghye of the Cheongju H ...

← Samseong Jungang ←

Bongeunsa Bongeunsa () is a Buddhist temple located in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in 794 during the reign of King Wonseong by State Preceptor Yeonhoe (), then the highest ranking monk of Silla. The temple was originall ...

Festivals

There are several festivals held in Gangnam District. * International Peace Marathon Festival in October * Gangnam Fashion Festival in October * Sports Festival for residents in Gangnam Distinct in May * Daemosan Festival Following the anti-American protests in Seoul in the early 2000s, the local authorities in the Gangnam District have organized various cultural and sporting events, such as the International Peace Marathon, jointly with the

United States Forces Korea United States Forces Korea (USFK) is a sub-unified command of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). USFK is the joint headquarters for U.S. combat-ready fighting forces and components under the ROK/US Combined Forces Command (CFC) – a ...

. In 2009 they were awarded a 'special prize' by the US Army for promoting cultural exchanges with American troops.

Popular culture

* The

Caffè Pascucci Caffè Pascucci is an Italian coffeehouse chain, with branches in over 25 countries. The company, Pascucci Torrefazione S.p.a., is headquartered in Monte Cerignone, Province of Pesaro and Urbino. Caffè Pascucci is the principal sponsor of KF T ...

coffee chain in

Apgujeong-dong Apgujeong-dong (; ) is a ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea. It is considered one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in South Korea. It was reported that housing price of Apgujeong-dong is approximately US$28,300 per one square meter bKorea ...

was used as one of the main filming locations for

Seoul Broadcasting System Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) () is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. The broadcaster legally became known as SBS in March 2000, changing its corporate name from Seoul Broadcasting System (서울방송). Its f ...

's 2001 drama '' Beautiful Days'', starring Lee Byung-hun,

Choi Ji-woo Choi Ji-woo (born Choi Mi-hyang on June 11, 1975) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful women, she has received critical acclaim for her work in a wide range of melodramas, most notably '' Beautiful Days'' (2 ...

Ryu Si-won Ryu Si-won (; born 6 October 1972) is a South Korean actor and singer. After he made his debut in the KBS drama ''Feeling'' in 1994, Ryu pursued a singing career. He was convicted of stalking his wife (now ex wife) in 2013. Early life Ryu was ...

Shin Min-a Shin Min-a (; born 5 April 1984) is a South Korean model and actress best known for starring in television dramas ''A Love to Kill'' (2005), ''My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox'' (2010), '' Arang and the Magistrate'' (2012), ''Oh My Venus'' ...

Lee Jung-hyun Lee Jung-hyun (born February 7, 1980), also known by her occasional stage name Ava, is a South Korean pop singer and actress. She was first recognized for her acting abilities with award-winning role in her first film and has been solidified as ...

and Lee Yoo-jin. * Several subway stations in Gangnam and nearby areas were used as filming locations for the 2012 Hollywood film '' The Bourne Legacy'', the fourth installment in the

Bourne film series The ''Bourne'' franchise consists of action-thriller installments based on the character Jason Bourne, created by author Robert Ludlum. The franchise includes five films and a spin-off prequel/ sequel television series. The overall plot centers ...

. * The 2012

K-pop K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, go ...

song "

Gangnam Style "Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The ...

" by South Korean entertainer

Psy Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...

was inspired by and its

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devic ...

was shot in the Gangnam District. The song and video's popularity increased international awareness of the district. In the music video, Psy can be seen dancing on top of the

with the Trade Tower in the background. The two buildings are part of

World Trade Center Seoul World Trade Center Seoul (WTC Seoul) () is a building complex centered on the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center (Coex) on Teheranno in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu district of Seoul. It is operated by KITA (Korea International Trade Association ...

(WTC Seoul), also known as COEX. * In December 2012,

was the setting for the SBS weekend drama series, ''

Cheongdam-dong Alice ''Cheongdam-dong Alice'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series, starring Moon Geun-young, Park Si-hoo, So Yi-hyun and Kim Ji-seok. The series tell the story of a young woman's "journey" to Cheongdam-dong ― one of the wealthiest areas i ...

''. It stars

Moon Geun-young Moon Geun-young (; born May 6, 1987) is a South Korean actress. Affectionately called the "Nation's Little Sister," Moon began modeling at the age of 10, then made her acting debut in 1999 as a child actress. She first rose to stardom through he ...

, Park Si-hoo,

So Yi-hyun So Yi-hyun (; born Jo Woo-jung, 조우정; August 28, 1984) is a South Korean actress, with starring and supporting roles in ''Hyena'', '' Assorted Gems'', ''Gloria'', '' Heartstrings'', ''Glowing She'', ''Cheongdam-dong Alice'', and '' Who Are ...

and Kim Ji-seok and is based on the novel, ''Cheongdamdong Audrey''. * In May 2013, the

branch of

10 Corso Como 10 Corso Como is a shopping and dining complex in Milan, Italy. It combines outlets that show and sell works of art, fashion, music, design, cuisine and culture. It was founded in 1990 by gallerist and publisher Carla Sozzani. History The complex ...

was used as a filming location for the music video of

's single "

Gentleman A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the r ...

". * The

webtoon Webtoons (), are a type of digital comic that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones. While webtoons were mostly unknown outside of Korea during their inception, there has been a surge in popularity internationally ...

''My ID is Gangnam Beauty'' (내 ID는 강남미인!) by Gi Maeng-gi, which is about a girl who underwent plastic surgery due to being bullied because of her appearance, was released on

Naver Webtoon Webtoon (stylized in all caps) is a South Korean webtoon platform launched in 2004 by Naver Corporation. As the name suggests, it is a platform for posting webtoons, compact digital comics in South Korea. The platform first launched in Korea as ...

in 2016. Its title referred to the namesake district being called the "

Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...

plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes cranio ...

", with the term "Gangnam beauty" being used as a pejorative term to those who undergo the process. In 2018, generalist pay TV channel

JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...

aired a television drama adaptation of the webtoon which was produced by ACC Korea.

Twin towns – sister cities

Gangnam District is twinned with: *

Chaoyang (Beijing) Chaoyang District () is an urban list of administrative divisions of Beijing, district of Beijing. It borders the districts of Shunyi, Beijing, Shunyi to the northeast, Tongzhou, Beijing, Tongzhou to the east and southeast, Daxing, Beijing, ...

, China *

Gwinnett County Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton ...

, United States * Licheng (Jinan), China * Riverside, United States *

Woluwe-Saint-Pierre Woluwe-Saint-Pierre () or Sint-Pieters-Woluwe () is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the eastern part of the region, it is bordered by Etterbeek, Auderghem and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, as well as th ...

, Belgium * Zhongshan (Dalian), China *

Buyeo Buyeo or Puyŏ ( Korean: 부여; Korean pronunciation: u.jʌ or 扶餘 ''Fúyú''), also rendered as Fuyu, was an ancient kingdom that was centered in northern Manchuria in modern-day northeast China. It is sometimes considered a Korea ...

, South Korea *

Boseong Boseong County (''Boseong-gun'') is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Boseong is famous for its green tea leaves, with 26.71 hectares of land dedicated to its production. It is also the birthplace of the Korean independence activ ...

, South Korea *

Cheongdo Cheongdo County (''Cheongdo-gun'') is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is connected to the national transportation grid by the Gyeongbu Line railroad and the Daegu-Busan Expressway. The seat of government is located in the ...

, South Korea *

Cheorwon Cheorwon County (''Cheorwon-gun'' ), also spelled Chorwon, is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. It is located right next to the border with North Korea. History *Goguryeo - First named ''Moeuldongbi''. *Silla Dynasty - name changed to ...

, South Korea * Ganghwa, South Korea *

Gapyeong 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 ...

, South Korea *

Goesan Goesan County (''Goesan-gun'') is a county in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Demographics As of 2021, Goesan-gun has a population of about 40,000 people. The area has been affected strongly by the graying of the South Korean population ...

, South Korea *

Gunsan Gunsan (), also romanized as Kunsan, is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is on the south bank of the Geum River just upstream from its exit into the Yellow Sea. It has emerged as a high-tech manufacturing industrial city and an i ...

, South Korea *

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. ...

, South Korea *

Sangju Sangju () is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, central South Korea. Although Sangju is rather rural, it is very old and was once a key city. Along with Gyeongju, it gives rise to half of the name of the Gyeongsang provinces. Sangju is nickn ...

, South Korea * Sinan, South Korea *

Tongyeong Tongyeong () is a coastal city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. In 2010, it had an area of and a population of 139,869 people. It is divided into 1 eup (town), 6 myeon (township) and 11 dong (neighborhood). Chungmu city and Tongyeong co ...

, South Korea *

Yangpyeong Yangpyeong County (''Yangpyeong-gun'') is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Climate Yangpyeong has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate ( Köppen: ''Dwa'') with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. Korean War Yangpy ...

, South Korea *

Yeongju Yeongju () is a city in the far north region of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea, covering 668.84 km2 with a population of 113,930 people according to the 2008 census. The city borders Bonghwa county to the east, Danyang county of Nort ...

, South Korea * Yeongdo (Busan), South Korea * Yeongdong, South Korea

References

External links

Gangnam-gu website
* https://www.gangnam.go.kr/global/main.do?lang=en Gangnam-gu website]
Gangnam-gu > Tourism / Culture > Maps (Gangnam-gu maps)
*
Map, status quo and origin of dong names of Gangnam-gu

"Tour The Ritzy Seoul District That Inspired Viral Hit 'Gangnam Style'", photoessay at BusinessInsider.com, 20 September 2012

Gangnam Street Videoclip
{{Authority control Gangnam District, Districts of Seoul

Administration

Divisions

Economy

Economic development

Education

Attractions

Transportation

Festivals

Popular culture

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

References

External links