[The Editors' Verdict] 'Mega Seoul' Becomes an Issue Black Hole

The farthest boundary point of Seoul from Seoul City Hall is Ogeok-dong in Gangseo-gu. It borders Dongyang-dong in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, and the distance to that point is 18.8 km. If you draw a circle with an 18.8 km radius centered on Seoul City Hall, the entire city of Seoul fits within it.

Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds the capital Seoul, is closer than expected. The closest Gyeonggi apartment to Seoul City Hall is the DMC Hoban Verdiumm Foret Phase 2 complex in Hyangdong-dong, Deogyang-gu, Goyang-si. It is about 8 km away in a straight line from Seoul City Hall. Considering that the distance from Seoul City Hall to Gangnam Station is 8.8 km, residents of Gyeonggi Province actually live closer.

Gwangmyeong City is famous for using the same ‘02’ area code as Seoul. The closest apartment to Seoul City Hall there is Cheolsan Riverbill Jugong Apartment in Cheolsan-dong. It is 12.6 km away from Seoul City Hall. Juam District, a new housing site in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, is about 13 km from Seoul City Hall. The distance from Seoul City Hall to Guri City Hall in Gyeonggi Province is 13.6 km. Based on Seoul City Hall, Guri City Hall is closer than Gimpo Airport Station, Dobong Station, and Suseo Station.

Many Gyeonggi office workers commute to Seoul. This is why transportation issues are important in metropolitan area policies. Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, raised the issue of incorporating Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province into Seoul as a political issue. This is the so-called ‘Mega Seoul’ plan. It succeeded in attracting public attention. The real estate market is also showing signs of change.

Kim Ki-hyun, leader of the People Power Party, is attending the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The ruling party leader pointed to Gimpo because it is a representative city sharing commuting with Seoul. According to the 2020 Population Census by Statistics Korea, the proportion of Gimpo residents commuting to Seoul is 12.7%. Cities like Gwangmyeong, Hanam, and Gwacheon have commuting rates to Seoul around 20%. Gimpo’s rate is lower than Goyang’s (15.1%). This raises questions about why Gimpo became the first target for Seoul incorporation.

A distinctive feature of Gimpo among Seoul-adjacent cities is that it includes the Military Demarcation Line. The farthest area of Gimpo from Seoul is Wolgot-myeon, 46 km from Seoul City Hall. Near Aegibong in Wolgot-myeon, the straight-line distance to North Korea’s Hwanghae Province is only 1.4 km. If Gimpo is incorporated into Seoul, Seoul would be exposed to the Military Demarcation Line. This could directly affect the security risks of our economy.

It is also worth considering that the Mega Seoul strategy, if it intensifies Seoul’s concentration, could impact other regions. As of September this year, Busan’s registered population is 3.3 million. In 2000, Busan had 3.8 million residents, but the population has been steadily declining. It now faces the risk of being surpassed by Incheon.

The Mega Seoul issue ultimately raises questions about the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s philosophy on national balanced development. It is an important matter to carefully consider while preparing a long-term blueprint for national development. A thorough refinement process is necessary to gain recognition for the policy’s validity.

It is also worth thinking about how the current perception of Seoul’s expansion as an urgent national task might affect the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. As soon as Mega Seoul was publicized in the political arena, it became an issue black hole that absorbs major current issues. Because of this, other national tasks that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration should address, such as pension reform, have been pushed to the sidelines.

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