Economy of Seoul

Last updated

Economy of Seoul
Outlook of three major business districts in Seoul
Statistics
Population9,501,528 (2021) [1]
GDP 486 trillion (nominal; 2021) [2]
GDP rank 2nd (nominal; 2022)
GDP growth
3.4% (2021) [3]
GDP per capita
US$43,404 (nominal; 2021) [1]
GDP per capita rank
3rd (nominal; 2021)
Average gross salary
26.61 million (nominal; 2022) [2]
Public finances
4.4 trillion (operating; 2019) [4]
Revenues 30.6 trillion (operating; 2019) [4]
Expenses 26.1 trillion (operating; 2019) [4]
AA by S&P (2019) [4]

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is home to giant business groups such as Hyundai, SK, LG, Hanhwa, GS, KB, CJ and Samsung, ranking fifth in global city GDP and second in Asian city GDP. [5] The service sector accounts for the largest portion of the city's labor force. As the center of the country's finance, Seoul is concentrated in Yeouido, where the headquarters of major stock exchanges and banks are located. The city holds many annual trade fairs. [6]

Contents

According to the Union of International Associations, Seoul is the city that hosts the most international conferences in Asia. Seoul's global financial competitiveness ranked 10th out of 130 cities. [7]

Manufacturing

The traditional, labor-intensive manufacturing industries have been continuously replaced by information technology, electronics and assembly-type of industries; [8] [9] however, food and beverage production, as well as printing and publishing remained among the core industries. [8] Major manufacturers are headquartered in the city, including Samsung, LG, Hyundai, Kia and SK. Notable food and beverage companies include Jinro, whose soju is the most sold alcoholic drink in the world, beating out Smirnoff vodka; [10] top selling beer producers Hite (merged with Jinro) and Oriental Brewery. [11] It also hosts food giants like Seoul Dairy Cooperative, Nongshim Group, Ottogi, CJ, Orion, Maeil Holdings, Namyang Dairy Products and Lotte.

Business

Seoul has three central business districts; the Downtown Seoul(CBD), Gangnam(GBD), and Yeouido(YBD). [12] The Downtown Seoul, which has 600 hundred years of history as unparalleled business district in entire Korea, is now a densely concentrated area around Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon with headquarters of major companies, foreign financial institutions, largest news agencies and law firms. Other two business districts are developed in 1970s and have different characteristic; while Gangnam is well known for tech, luxury and private education industries, Yeouido is famous for securities exchange and asset management. [13]

As significant portion of South Korean economy is propelled by manufacturing and tech firms, office market in Seoul is not driven by FIRE companies. Rather, diverse industries creates demand for office in central business districts in Seoul. This characteristic is most clearly evident in Downtown Seoul, where most of foreign companies headquarters South Korean branch office regardless of their industry. Meanwhile, Gangnam office market is also sustained by diverse industries, yet most of its components come from tech and luxury retails. The most homogeneous composition is found in Yeouido, where most of financial institutions, especially most of native stock brokerage firms reside in. [14] :80–82

Finance

According to the Global Financial Centerss Index report released in 2024, Seoul ranked 10th. The city ranked 13th in business environment and financial sector development, seventh in human capital, 10th in infrastructure and 12th in reputation. [15] In 2023, the city announced plans to invest $44.7 million over six years to create a dedicated area to attract foreign investment. [5]

Seoul's nowadays competency in financial industry is mainly found in Yeouido, which is often named as Wall Street of South Korea. [16] Although history of Yeouido got started in 1979 when the national government relocated Korea Stock Exchange out from Downtown Seoul, its distinct fame as financial district of the whole nation started later in 1990s, when South Korea started deregulating stock market to attract foreign investments. [17]

Yet it is notifiable that major functions as financial district are still distributed among big three business districts, as Yeouido leads, Downtown Seoul follows, and Gangnam is in the last. In 2022 survey of the Seoul Institute, about 40% of entire financial institutions were settled in Yeouido. However, its composition was heavily concentrated to native firms on stock brokerage and asset management. Other sectors, such as banking, insurance and credit cards, were found mostly concentrated in Downtown Seoul. Also, most of foreign stock brokerage firms settled in Downtown Seoul. Meanwhile, Gangnam had its distinct competency in fintech start-ups and real estate firms. [18] :20–22

Retail

Myeong-dong is one of the most popular destinations in Seoul. Myeongdong Neon at Night, Seoul.jpg
Myeong-dong is one of the most popular destinations in Seoul.

The largest wholesale and retail market in South Korea, the Dongdaemun Market, is located in Seoul. [19] Myeongdong is a shopping and entertainment area in downtown Seoul with mid- to high-end stores, fashion boutiques and international brand outlets. [20] The nearby Namdaemun Market, named after the Namdaemun Gate, is the oldest continually running market in Seoul. [21]

Insadong is the cultural art market of Seoul, where traditional and modern Korean artworks, such as paintings, sculptures and calligraphy are sold. [22] Hwanghak-dong Flea Market and Janganpyeong Antique Market also offer antique products. [23] [24] Some shops for local designers have opened in Samcheong-dong, where numerous small art galleries are located. While Itaewon had catered mainly to foreign tourists and American soldiers based in the city, Koreans now comprise the majority of visitors to the area. [25] The Gangnam district is one of the most affluent areas in Seoul [25] and is noted for the fashionable and upscale Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong areas and the COEX Mall. Wholesale markets include Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market and Garak Market.

The Yongsan Electronics Market is the largest electronics market in Asia. Electronics markets are Gangbyeon station metro line 2 Techno mart, ENTER6 MALL & Shindorim station Technomart mall complex. [26] Times Square is one of Seoul's largest shopping malls, and contains the world's largest permanent 35 mm cinema screen, the CGV Starium. [27]

Korea World Trade Center Complex, which comprises COEX mall, congress center, 3 Inter-continental hotels, Business tower (Asem tower), Residence hotel, Casino and City airport terminal was established in 1988 in time for the Seoul Olympics. The 2nd World trade trade center is being planned at Seoul Olympic stadium complex as MICE HUB by Seoul city. Ex-Kepco head office building was purchased by Hyundai motor group with 9billion USD to build 115-storey Hyundai GBC & hotel complex until 2021. Now ex-kepco 25-storey building is under demolition.

Technology

Seoul has been described as the world's "most wired city", [28] ranked first in technology readiness by PwC's Cities of Opportunity report. [29] Seoul has a very technologically advanced infrastructure. [30] [31]

Seoul is among the world leaders in Internet connectivity, being the capital of South Korea, which has the world's highest fiber-optic broadband penetration and highest global average internet speeds of 26.1 Mbit/s. [32] [33] Since 2015, Seoul has provided free Wi-Fi access in outdoor spaces through a 47.7 billion won ($44 million) project with Internet access at 10,430 parks, streets and other public places. [34] Internet speeds in some apartment buildings reach up to 52.5 Gbit/s with assistance from Nokia, and though the average standard consists of 100 Mbit/s services, providers nationwide are rapidly rolling out 1Gbit/s connections at the equivalent of US$20 per month. [35] In addition, the city is served by the KTX high-speed rail and the Seoul Subway, which provides 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, and DMB inside subway cars. 5G will be introduced commercially in March 2019 in Seoul.

GDP

As of 2023, Seoul's GDP is $779.3 billion. [5]

GRDP

YearNominal GRDP (₩TN) [6]
2005232.18
2006245.6
2007266.6
2008282.07
2009293.69
2010313.28
2011326.42
2012340.71
2013340.71
2014350.26
2015370.17
2016387.36
2017404.08
2018423.74
2019435.93
2020444.55
2021472.04
2022485.75

(See List of cities by GDP for more figures.)

Top publicly traded companies in Seoul

In 2023, 11 out of 18 Fortune Global 500 companies based in South Korea, headquartered in Seoul.

Top Eleven Fortune Global 500 companies headquartered in Seoul (2023) [36]
Local rankFG 500 rankCompany nameIndustryLocation
185 Hyundai Motor Company Motor vehicles Yangjae-dong, Seocho District
292 SK Group Electronics, etc Jongno, Jongno District
3196 Kia Motor vehicles Heolleung-ro, Seocho District
4204 LG Electronics Electronics Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo District
5296 Hanwha Group Aerospace, etc Myeong-dong, Jung District
6322 GS Caltex Energy and Chemical Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam District
7339 KB Financial Group Finance Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo District
8371 LG Chem Chemical Yeoui-dong, Yeongdeungpo District
9390 Hyundai Mobis Motor parts Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam
10481 CJ Group Food, Media, etc Namdaemunno, Jung District
11496 Samsung Life Insurance Insurance Seocho-dong, Seocho District
Note: Samsung C&T has its headquarters divided by departments: Some of them are based in Seoul, while the other is based in the city of Yongin. So this company is not included in the table.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of South Korea</span>

The economy of South Korea is a highly developed mixed economy. By nominal GDP, the economy was worth ₩2.24 quadrillion. It has the 4th largest economy in Asia and the 13th largest in the world. South Korea is notable for its rapid economic development from an underdeveloped nation to a developed, high-income country in a few generations. This economic growth has been described as the Miracle on the Han River, which has allowed it to join the OECD and the G20. It is included in the group of Next Eleven countries as having the potential to play a dominant role in the global economy by the middle of the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central business district</span> Commercial and business area of a city

A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city center" or "downtown". However, these concepts are not necessarily synonymous: many cities have a central business district located away from its commercial and/or cultural center and/or downtown/city center, and there may be multiple CBDs within a single urban area. The CBD will often be highly accessible and have a large variety and concentration of specialized goods and services compared to other parts of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation</span> South Korean broadcasting company

Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. Munhwa is the Sino-Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television station MBC TV broadcasts as channel 11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beer in South Korea</span> Overview of beer in South Korea

Beer, called maekju in Korean, was first introduced to Korea in the early 20th century. Seoul's first brewery opened in 1908. Two current major breweries date back to the 1930s. The third brewery established in Korea, Jinro Coors Brewery, was founded in the 1990s. It was later acquired by Oriental Breweries (OB). Hite Breweries's former name was Chosun Breweries, which was established in 1933. The company changed its name to Hite Breweries in 1998. OB Breweries established as Showa Kirin Breweries in 1933. The company changed its name to OB Breweries in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangnam District</span> Autonomous and third largest district of Seoul, South Korea

Gangnam District is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. The term Gangnam translates to "South of the [Han] River". Gangnam District is the third largest district in Seoul, with an area of 39.5 km2 (15.3 sq mi). As of the 2017 census, Gangnam District had a population of 561,052. There is a high concentration of wealth in the district, with prices for an apartment as of 2020 nearly double those in the rest of Seoul. Gangnam District is part of Gangnam School District Eight, along with the Seocho District. This district shares half of Gangnam-daero Gangnam Station area with Seocho District, which is one of the most crowded places in South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeongdeungpo District</span> Autonomous district in Seoul, South Korea

Yeongdeungpo District is an administrative district in southwest Seoul, South Korea. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, the first two syllables are thought to be from "yeongdeung" (靈登) or "divine ascent", a shamanic rite. The third syllable is "po", representing the bank of a river (浦), referring to the district's position on the Han River. The 2006 population was 408,819.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeouido</span> River island in Seoul, South Korea

Yeouido is a large island on the Han River in Seoul, South Korea. It is Seoul's main finance and investment banking district. It is 8.4 square kilometres (3.2 sq mi) large and has a population of 32,674 as of August 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seocho District</span> Autonomous district in Seoul, South Korea

Seocho District is one of the 25 local government districts which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. Seocho is a part of the Gangnam region, along with the Gangnam district of Seoul. Seocho District ranks as one of the richest neighborhoods in South Korea and among the most expensive areas in Seoul with an average sales price of 47.75 million South Korean won per 3.3 square meters. Many of the wealthiest residents are concentrated in the three Gangnam districts including Seocho, known as Gangnam School District Eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Express Bus Terminal station</span> Train station in South Korea

Express Bus Terminal Station is a station on the Seoul Subway Line 3, Line 7, and Line 9. The stations are located in the Greater Gangnam Area, Banpo-dong, Seocho District, Seoul, Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Finance Center Seoul</span> Commercial area in Seoul, South Korea

International Finance Center Seoul (Korean: 서울국제금융센터), commonly known as IFC Seoul, is a mixed-use integrated commercial development in Seoul, South Korea. It is located in Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The IFC project is one of the first large-scale developments in Korea, led by an international consortium. It was officially launched in 2005, and is part of Seoul Metropolitan Government's plan to rejuvenate the Yeouido area as a regional financial hub.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheongdam-dong</span> Neighbourhood in Seoul, South Korea

Cheongdam-dong (Korean: 청담동) is a ward of Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. The area is best known in South Korea as an affluent neighborhood populated by a disproportionately high number of high-income individuals and for having some of the most expensive real estate in the country. It is known as an upmarket shopping area, with the main shopping street dubbed Cheongdam Fashion Street. Along with Apgujeong's Rodeo Street in Apgujeong-dong and Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, which are connected by the main Apgujeong-ro, they are seen as fashionable and trendsetting destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samseong-dong</span> Neighbourhood in Seoul, South Korea

Samseong-Dong is an affluent neighborhood or ward of Gangnam-gu in Seoul, South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banpo-dong</span> Place in South Korea

Banpo-dong is a dong, neighborhood of Seocho-gu, the greater Gangnam area in Seoul, South Korea. Banpo-dong is divided into five different dong which are Banpobon-dong, Banpo 1-dong, 2-dong, 3-dong and 4-dong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yeoui-dong</span> Place in South Korea

Yeoui-dong is a dong (neighborhood) of Yeongdeungpo-gu in Seoul, South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shopping in Seoul</span>

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has many shopping areas and markets throughout the city. Famous ones include Myeong-dong, Cheongdam-dong, the Hongdae area, and the Dongdaemun and Namdaemun markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seoul</span> Capital of South Korea

Seoul, officially Seoul Special City, and formerly known as Hanseong and Keijō, is the capital of the Republic of Korea (ROK), commonly known as South Korea, and the country's most extensive urban center. The broader Seoul Capital Area, encompassing Gyeonggi province and Incheon metropolitan city, emerged as the world's fourth largest metropolitan economy in 2014, trailing only Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles, hosting more than half of South Korea's population. Although Seoul's population peaked at slightly over 10 million, it has gradually decreased since 2014, standing at approximately 9.97 million residents as of 2020. Seoul is the seat of the South Korean government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samsung</span> South Korean multinational conglomerate

Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Digital City, Suwon, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the Samsung brand, and is the largest South Korean chaebol. As of 2020, Samsung has the eighth-highest global brand value.

Retailing in South Korea consists of hypermarkets, department stores, flea markets, traditional markets, and underground shopping malls. Hypermarkets sell dry goods and groceries, similar to Western supercentres. Traditional markets are also popular throughout South Korea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gangnam</span> Region in Seoul, South Korea

Gangnam, sometimes referred to as the Greater Gangnam Area, is a geographic and cultural region in Seoul. While Gangnam can refer to the entire region of Seoul south of the Han River, the region is generally defined as consisting of the city's affluent Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa districts. Other definitions define Gangnam by the boundaries of the Gangnam Eighth School District or by the commercial zones around Gangnam Highway, Yangjae Station, Sinsa Station, Nonhyeon Station, Sinnonhyeon Station and Gangnam station. These definitions exclude the Songpa District, which has been argued to be culturally and administratively distinct from the Gangnam and Seocho districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Seoul</span> Historic and social center of Seoul, South Korea

The Downtown Seoul, also known as Seoul Central Business District or Sadaemun-An is traditional city center and central business district of Seoul, located through Gwanghwamun of Jongno District and Seoul Station of Jung District along the Sejong-daero and Jong-ro. For its time-honored and unique geographic status in Seoul, the Downtown is usually just called as 'The Central Business District ', or sometimes as 'Gwanghwamun Business District' for outstanding landmark 'Gwanghwamun' at the heart of it.

References

  1. 1 2 "Seoul's GRDP per capita surpasses $40,000 in 2021, up 3.4% YoY". english.seoul.go.kr. Seoul Metropolitan Government. 27 December 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 Oh, Seok-min (22 December 2023). "Regional GDP climbs 3.9 pct in 2022 on rising manufacturing sector". Yonhap News . Seoul, South Korea. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  3. 김, 기훈 (21 December 2023). "2021년 서울 1인당 GRDP 4만달러 돌파… 전년대비 3.4%↑" [In 2021, Seoul's regional GDP per capita pass over 40,000 USD… 3.4% YoY↑]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Seoul, South Korea. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Seoul Metropolitan Government 'AA/A-1+' Ratings Affirmed; Outlook Stable". disclosure.spglobal.com. Standard & Poor's. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Richest Cities In The World 2023". New Trader University.
  6. 1 2 "Economy of Seoul". Britannica . 20 March 2024.
  7. "Seoul at a Glance". Invest Seoul.
  8. 1 2 "Seoul: Economy". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  9. "The primacy of Seoul and the capital region". United Nations University. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  10. "It's official: Jinro soju is the world's best-selling liquor". CNNTravel. 12 June 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  11. "Fiery food, boring beer". The Economist. 24 November 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  12. "Top 3 Major Business Districts (CBD) in Seoul, Korea". pearsonkorea.com. Pearson & Partners. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  13. Lee, Sue (18 March 2011). "Beginners guide to Seoul office lease". The Korea Times . Seoul. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  14. Ryu, Jongpil (4 May 2018). "Seoul Office Market: Occupancy Characteristics and Their Impact on Market Stability at a Global Level". Cornell Real Estate Review. 16: 78–85. hdl:1813/70818 . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  15. "Seoul rises one spot to 10th in Global Financial Centres Index". The Korea Herald . 21 March 2024.
  16. "Neon shines brightly during the bustle on Yeouido stock street". Korea JoongAng Daily. 5 January 2010. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  17. Park, Anna J. (2 November 2020). "Korea Exchange witnesses economy's ebbs and flows". The Korea Times. Seoul. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  18. 주, 재욱; 김, 진하; 윤, 종진 (31 August 2022). 서울시, 금융산업 발전 위해 다양한 정책수단 모색 필요 [To achieve development of financial industry, Seoul needs to look for various policy measures] (in Korean). The Seoul Institute. ISBN   9791157006892 . Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  19. "Dongdaemun Market". Visit Seoul. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  20. "Myeong-dong". Korea Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 15 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  21. 서울공식여행가이드. Visit Seoul Net. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  22. "Insa-dong". Korea Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  23. "Hwanghak-dong Flea Market". Korea Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  24. "Antique Markets". Seoul Matropolitan Government. Archived from the original on 8 October 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  25. 1 2 "Itaewon: Going Gangnam Style?". The Korea Times . 14 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  26. "Yongsan Electronics Market, Asia's largest IT shopping mall". KBS World. 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  27. "Largest Permanent 35mm Cinema Screen". Guinnessworldrecords.com. 18 August 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  28. "50 reasons why Seoul is world's greatest city". 12 July 2017. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  29. PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Cities of Opportunity" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
  30. "KOREA: Future is now for Korean info-tech". AsiaMedia. Regents of the University of California. 14 June 2005. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008.
  31. "Tech capitals of the world – Technology". The Age. Melbourne, Australia. 18 June 2007. Archived from the original on 12 September 2009. Retrieved 18 June 2009.
  32. akamai's [state of the internet] Q4 2016 report (PDF) (Report). Akamai Technologies. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  33. "Hi Seoul, SOUL OF ASIA – Seoul Located In the Center of Asian Metropolises". Seoul Metropolitan Government. Archived from the original on 10 July 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  34. Wifi in All Public Areas Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  35. CJ헬로비전-에러페이지. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  36. "Leading South Korean companies on the Fortune Global 500 ranking in 2023, by revenue". Statista .