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Information for international tourists visiting Seoul, South Korea

Seoul officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. According to the 2020 census, Seoul has a population of 9.9 million people, and forms the heart of the Seoul Capital Area with the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Considered to be a global city and rated as an Alpha – City by Globalization and World Cities Research Network GAWC, Seoul was the world’s 4th largest metropolitan economy in 2014 after Tokyo, New York City and Los Angeles.

Seoul was rated Asia’s most liveable city with the second highest quality of life globally by Arcadis in 2015, with a GDP per capita of around $40,000. With major technology hubs cantered in Gangnam and Digital Media City, the Seoul Capital Area is home to the headquarters of 15 Fortune Global 500 companies, including Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. Ranked seventh in the Global Power City Index and Global Financial Centres Index, the metropolis exerts a major influence in global affairs as one of the five leading hosts of global conferences. Seoul has hosted the 1986 Asian Games, 1988 Summer Olympics, and the 2010 G20 Seoul summit.