Administrative divisions of South KoreaSouth Korea is made up of 16 first-tier administrative divisions: 5 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi광역시/廣域市), 1 special city (teukbyeolsi특별시/特別市), 1 special metropolitan city (tonghapteukbyeolsi통합특별시/統合特別市), 1 special self-governing city (teukbyeoljachisi특별자치시/特別自治市), and 8 provinces (do도/道), including three special self-governing provinces (teukbyeoljachido특별자치도/特別自治道) and five claimed by the ROK government.
Provinces of South KoreaProvinces are one of the first-level divisions within South Korea. There are 8 provinces in South Korea: North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, Gangwon State, Gyeonggi, North Gyeongsang, South Gyeongsang, North Jeolla, and Jeju Province. South Jeolla was formerly a province, but on July 1, 2026, it was merged with the city of Gwangju into the Special Metropolitan City Jeonnam-Gwangju.Gyeonggi ProvinceGyeonggi Province (Korean: 경기도; Korean pronunciation:) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946. Incheon, the nation's third-largest city, is on the coast of the province and has been similarly administered as a provincial-level metropolitan city since 1981.
Sejong CitySejong or Sejong City (Korean: 세종; Korean:), officially Sejong Special Self-Governing City (세종특별자치시), is a special self-governing city and the de facto administrative capital of South Korea.
Mayor of SeoulThe mayor of Seoul (Korean: 서울특별시장) is the chief executive of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul being the capital and largest city of South Korea. The position is historically one of the most powerful in the country, charged with managing an annual budget of 51 trillion won. Many Seoul mayors have gone on to hold higher office. Yun Bo-seon and Lee Myung-bak both went on to become President of the Republic of Korea.
DaejeonCity in South KoreaMetropolitan City in Hoseo, South KoreaDaejeon (Korean: 대전; Korean pronunciation:) is South Korea's fifth-largest metropolis, with a population of nearly 1.5 million. Located in a central lowland valley between the Sobaek Mountains and the Geum River, the city is known both as a technology and research center, and for its close relationship with the natural environment.
UlsanUlsan (Korean: 울산; pronounced), officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh-largest metropolitan city and the eighth-largest city overall, with a population of over 1.1 million inhabitants. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north. Ulsan is the industrial powerhouse of South Korea, forming the heart of the Ulsan Industrial District.
DaeguDaegu (Korean: 대구; ), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (대구광역시), is a city in southeastern South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; the fourth-largest metropolitan city in the nation with over 2.3 million residents; and the second-largest city after Busan in the Yeongnamregion in southeastern South Korea.
Jeonnam-GwangjuJeonnam-Gwangju (Korean: 전남광주), officially Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City (전남광주통합특별시; lit.'Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City') and also known as Gwangju Special City (광주특별시), is a provincial-level city in South Korea. It was established on July 1, 2026, through the merger of South Jeolla Province and Gwangju.
SeoulSeoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
BusanCity in South KoreaMetropolitan city in Yeongnam, South KoreaBusan (Korean: 부산; pronounced; alternatively romanized as Pusan), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is the second most populous city in South Korea, after Seoul; it has a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. It is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, with its port being South Korea's busiest and the sixth-busiest in the world.
IncheonIncheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, about 3 million people live in the city, making it South Korea's third-most-populous city after Seoul and Busan.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.