[New Social Geography] Gangnam-gu, Anyang-si, Incheon Seo-gu... Which Area Has a Larger Population?

Seoul Gangnam, Known for Highest Floating Population
Population Decreased Compared to 2000
Incheon Seo-gu Population Surpasses 600,000

Editor's Note‘New Social Atlas’ is a series that approaches national statistics with the same curiosity as when looking at the Social Atlas, which provided both information and fun during school days. It examines South Korea's past and present through various statistics, including population and area.

Gangnam Station in Seoul boasts the highest floating population in South Korea. Every day, countless people use Gangnam Station. As the economic and real estate center, is Seoul’s Gangnam-gu a place where the population is increasing day by day?

Among the first-generation new towns, there is Pyeongchon New Town, located in Anyang-si, one of the representative cities in Gyeonggi-do adjacent to Seoul-Gwacheon. Known as one of the most populous areas in Gyeonggi-do, is Anyang a place where the population is growing daily?

Lastly, Seo-gu in Incheon, home to Cheongna and Geomdan. How many people live in Seo-gu, Incheon, which is traversed by the Incheon International Airport Expressway? Is Seo-gu’s population increasing day by day? If so, by how much?

Among the metropolitan local governments of Gangnam-gu, Seo-gu in Incheon, and Anyang-si, which area has the largest population? Which has the smallest? Most people may not know the detailed population sizes, but generally, many would think Gangnam-gu has the largest population and Seo-gu the smallest.

On July 8, 2021, Gangnam Station in Seoul is bustling with citizens. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Gangnam-gu is so famous that almost no one is unaware of it, but many do not know exactly where Seo-gu in Incheon is located. Anyang has Pyeongchon New Town and has long grown in status as one of Seoul’s satellite cities, making it one of the representative areas in Gyeonggi-do.

To resolve these questions, we can look at the past and present populations of Gangnam-gu, Anyang-si, and Seo-gu in Incheon.

According to Statistics Korea, based on resident registration population, Gangnam-gu had 550,343 people in 2000. Even over 20 years ago, Gangnam-gu was home to more than 500,000 people. How about Anyang-si at that time?

Anyang-si had 581,166 people in 2000, more than Gangnam-gu’s population. Centered around Pyeongchon New Town, many people had their roots in Anyang-si. Lastly, Seo-gu in Incheon was recorded at 342,973 people in 2000. Compared to Anyang-si and Gangnam-gu, this was only about half.

Seo-gu in Incheon also had more residents than expected, but it was not at the level to rival Gangnam-gu or Anyang-si.

Anyang City Hall

So, after more than 20 years, enough time for the landscape to change twice over, how have the statuses of Gangnam-gu, Anyang-si, and Seo-gu in Incheon changed as of June 2023?

First, Gangnam-gu’s resident registration population was recorded at 537,139 in June 2023. Something seems odd. Gangnam-gu’s population has actually decreased compared to 2000.

What about Anyang-si? Anyang-si’s resident registration population in June 2023 was 545,946. Anyang-si has a slightly larger population than Gangnam-gu but has also seen a decrease compared to 2000.

It is commonly believed that population concentration in the metropolitan area has intensified, but the reality is different.

Then, how about Seo-gu in Incheon, which is hard to compare with Gangnam-gu in terms of recognition? Seo-gu’s population reached 604,017 as of June 2023. Seo-gu surpassed 600,000 in April. Unlike Gangnam-gu and Anyang-si, Seo-gu’s population nearly doubled compared to 2000.

This means the truly growing area was elsewhere. As of June, Seo-gu in Incheon has a larger population than Gangnam-gu and Anyang-si. An interesting point is that Seo-gu’s population growth trend is likely to continue.

Among local governments nationwide, Seo-gu in Incheon ranks at the top for population growth.

Panoramic View of Geomdan New Town, Incheon

According to Statistics Korea, based on net migration population (total in-migration minus total out-migration) in 2022, places where the population increased by more than 10,000 include Hwaseong-si, Pyeongtaek-si, Paju-si, Asan-si, Sejong Special Self-Governing City, and Seo-gu in Incheon. There are not many places where the population grows by 10,000 per year.

The top among them is Seo-gu in Incheon. Seo-gu’s population increased by 33,502 in 2022. Seo-gu is the only place nationwide where the population grew by more than 30,000. Last year, Seoul’s net migration population was minus 35,340.

While about 30,000 people left Seoul, Seo-gu in Incheon saw an equivalent influx. At a concert celebrating the '600,000 Seo-gu Era' on June 1, Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said, "Seo-gu, where I served as district mayor 28 years ago, has more than doubled its population to surpass 600,000," adding, "Seo-gu ranks second in population and first in area among South Korea’s autonomous districts, and its future development potential is undoubtedly the highest."

Seo-gu in Incheon is home to Cheongna New Town and Geomdan New Town. Geomdan New Town is still undergoing land development and apartment subscription, so once the large-scale complexes are fully occupied, the population is expected to increase further. It is only a matter of time before Seo-gu surpasses Songpa-gu in Seoul, which has the largest population at 657,101.

Seo-gu in Incheon is becoming a local government with a population that can rival any area in Seoul.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.