List of provincial-level cities of South Korea explained

Special city
Othername1:	Metropolitan city
Othername2:	Special self-governing city
Hanja:	Korean: {{linktext|特別市
Rr:	teukbyeolsi
Mr:	t'ŭkpyŏlsi
Hanja1:	Korean: {{linktext|廣域市
Rr1:	gwangyeoksi
Mr1:	kwangyŏksi
Hanja2:	Korean: {{linktext|特別自治市
Rr2:	teukbyeol-jachisi
Mr2:	t’ŭkpyŏl-chach’isi

Province-level cities are one of the first-level administrative divisions within South Korea. There are three types: special, metropolitan, and special self-governing.

Position in hierarchy and types

Province-level cities have equal status to provinces in the South Korean administrative scheme, and are among the highest-ranked administrative divisions of South Korea. There are three kinds of first-level city in South Korea.

Type	Hangul	Hanja	RR	City names	No. of cities
Special City	Korean: 특별시	Korean: {{linktext|特|別|市	teukbyeolsi	Seoul	1
Metropolitan City	Korean: 광역시	Korean: {{linktext|廣|域|市	gwangyeoksi	Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan	6
Special Self-Governing City	Korean: 특별자치시	Korean: {{linktext|特|別|自|治|市	teukbyeol-jachisi	Sejong	1

• Seoul was designated a "special free city" (teukbyeol jayusi; Korean: 특별자유시; Korean: 特別自由市) separate from Gyeonggi Province on August 15, 1946; it became a "special city" on August 15, 1949.^[1]
• Metropolitan cities were called "direct control (meaning directly-administered) city" (jikhalsi; Korean: 직할시; Korean: 直轄市) before 1995.

Administration

In South Korean special city and metropolitan cities, the mayor is the highest-ranking official in charge. The mayor is directly elected by the people registered in the city for a duration of four years (e.g., the mayor of Seoul).

Metropolitan functions such as water supply and public transport are integrated into the sole prefecture other than scattered to each municipality.

List of province-level cities

Name	Hangul	Hanja	Type	ISO	Population (2017)	Area (km^2)	Density (/km^2)	City seat	Region	Province split from	Year of Split
Busan	Korean: 부산광역시	Korean: 釜山廣域市	Metropolitan city	KR-26	3,416,918	769.89	4,438.18	Yeonje	Yeongnam	South Gyeongsang	1963
Daegu	Korean: 대구광역시	Korean: 大邱廣域市	Metropolitan city	KR-27	2,453,041	883.56	2,776.31	Jung	Yeongnam	North Gyeongsang	1981
Incheon	Korean: 인천광역시	Korean: 仁川廣域市	Metropolitan city	KR-28	2,925,967	1,062.60	2,753.59	Namdong	Sudogwon	Gyeonggi	1981
Gwangju	Korean: 광주광역시	Korean: 光州廣域市	Metropolitan city	KR-29	1,496,172	501.24	2,984.94	Seo	Honam	South Jeolla	1986
Daejeon	Korean: 대전광역시	Korean: 大田廣域市	Metropolitan city	KR-30	1,525,849	539.35	2,829.05	Seo	Hoseo	South Chungcheong	1989
Sejong	Korean: 세종특별자치시		Special self-governing city	KR-50	356,278	465.23	594.52	Boram-dong	Hoseo	South Chungcheong	2012
Seoul	Korean: 서울특별시	서울Korean: 特別市	Special city	KR-11	9,741,381	605.21	16,095.86	Jung	Sudogwon	Gyeonggi	1946
Ulsan	Korean: 울산광역시	Korean: 蔚山廣域市	Metropolitan city	KR-31	1,157,077	1,060.79	1,090.76	Nam	Yeongnam	South Gyeongsang	1997

Notes: There are no Hanja for "Seoul"; in Chinese, it is written as Chinese: 首爾/Chinese: 首尔, a transcription based on the pronunciation of "Seoul". As a suffix, the character Gyeong (Korean: 경/Korean: 京) is used, which means "capital".

See also

• Administrative divisions of South Korea
• Cities of South Korea
• List of cities in South Korea
• Provinces of South Korea
• Special cities of North Korea

Notes and References

1. Web site: ko:행정연혁. http://www.seoul.go.kr/v2012/seoul/review/general/josun.html. Seoul Metropolitan Government. 15 March 2013. ko. 20 March 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130320015018/http://www.seoul.go.kr/v2012/seoul/review/general/josun.html. live.