Seoul Ranks 7th in Competitiveness Among 48 Global Cities

Evaluation by Japan Morig Memorial Foundation Urban Strategy Research Institute
1st London, 2nd New York... 3rd is Tokyo

Japan Morigikeinen Foundation Urban Strategy Research Institute '2022 Edition Global Power City Index (GPCI)'.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Seoul ranked 7th in the global city competitiveness ranking evaluated by the Urban Strategy Research Institute under the Mori Memorial Foundation, a Japanese private organization.

The Mori Memorial Foundation Urban Strategy Research Institute recently announced the '2022 Edition Global Power City Index (GPCI),' ranking 48 major cities worldwide. The institute assessed city competitiveness based on six categories: economy, research & development, culture & exchange, livability, environment, and transportation & accessibility. London, UK ranked first overall, followed by New York, USA in second place, and Tokyo, Japan in third. Paris, France; Singapore; and Amsterdam, Netherlands ranked 4th to 6th, while Berlin, Germany; Melbourne, Australia; and Shanghai, China were ranked 8th to 10th.

London, which took first place, received high scores in the culture & exchange category and was recognized as "the most international city in the world." New York, ranked second, was highly rated in economy (1st) and research & development (1st) but scored significantly lower in environmental indicators such as "air quality" and "satisfaction with city cleanliness," keeping it in second place. Tokyo maintained its overall 3rd place following 2021 but narrowly surpassed Paris, which ranked 4th, due to a significant drop in scores caused by its passive COVID-19 policies.

Seoul ranked 14th in economy, 6th in research & development, 15th in culture & exchange, 35th in livability, 14th in environment, and 16th in transportation & accessibility. Regarding this, the institute stated, "Like other cities, Seoul faced difficulties due to a decrease in foreign visitors in 2022, but thanks to the popularity of Korean TV dramas that widely promoted Seoul's nighttime attractions, the ranking for 'nighttime activity options' rose significantly," adding, "We expect the evaluation score for culture & exchange to increase further in the future." The institute also noted a significant improvement in Seoul's "economic freedom" indicator.

Seoul ranked 13th in the first evaluation in 2008, rose to 6th place in 2017, but recorded 8th place for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021.

The Mori Memorial Foundation, established in 1981 by Mori Building, a leading urban development company in Tokyo, conducts surveys, research, dissemination, and public interest activities to respond to social, economic, and cultural changes in Japan and to create more livable cities.

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