[New Social Geography] There is a ○○-dong in Seoul with a larger population than Yongsan-gu

Gwanak-gu Sillim-dong, Population 245,000 as of March
Famous for Goshichon, Sundae Town, and Gwanaksan Mountain
Sillim-dong has a larger population than Gangneung-si and Mokpo-si

Editor's Note‘New Social Atlas’ is a series planned to approach national statistics with the sentiment of looking into the Social Atlas that provided both information and fun during school days. It examines the past and present of the Republic of Korea through various statistics, including population and area.

"When a person is born, they must be sent to Seoul..." For elderly people, Seoul was such a place. We grew up hearing such stories and lived telling such stories.

In fact, after liberation, countless people flocked to Seoul in search of jobs and places to live. People came from everywhere?Yeongnam, Honam, Chungcheong, Gangwon, Jeju?and Seoul's population overflowed.

The number of people that can be accommodated in a limited space is inevitably restricted. Basic spaces necessary for life, such as roads, water and sewage systems, and schools, were severely lacking. Illegal buildings sprang up like mushrooms. It was the era of Seoul's population expansion. There was no place in the country with a larger population than Seoul.

However, as concerns about the nation's future and urban planning projects became full-fledged, things gradually changed. Large-scale new towns such as Bundang and Ilsan were created around Seoul, and the population dispersed toward Gyeonggi Province. The population of Gyeonggi Province surpassed Seoul long ago and is steadily widening the gap.

However, Gyeonggi Province has a wide area with a dispersed population, while Seoul still suffers from one of the highest population densities in the world. In fact, when looking at Seoul's population relative to its area, it is astonishing. Even within Seoul, known for its large population, there is a neighborhood boasting a population size that would be second to none.

A typical neighborhood we imagine, ○○-dong, has a community service center (formerly a district office), various shops, and bustling streets. The ○○-dong that ranks highest in population in Seoul is of a scale difficult to imagine with such assumptions. In fact, half of ○○-dong's area consists of mountains and a university.

On May 30, 2020, the last holiday of May, citizens visiting Gwanaksan in Sillim-dong, Seoul, enjoyed the holiday in light attire. On this day, the highest daytime temperature in the Seoul area rose to 28 degrees Celsius, marking early summer weather. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Such a place is difficult for many ordinary people to live in. Yet, many people live there?where could this place be? It is Sillim-dong in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Sillim-dong is one of the well-known neighborhoods in Seoul. It was famous as a village for civil service exam takers, has Nokdu Street and Sundae Town, and is also home to Seoul National University. It is located near Gwanaksan Mountain, attracting numerous hikers on weekends.

As a legal dong, Sillim-dong is an extraordinarily large neighborhood. Sillim-dong is divided into 11 administrative dongs, including Seowon-dong, Sinwon-dong, and Seorim-dong. These administrative districts were established for administrative efficiency and resident convenience, but residents' registration cards still list their address as Sillim-dong.

So, how many people are the so-called Sillim-dong residents? According to Gwanak-gu, as of March this year, the population of Sillim-dong, composed of 11 administrative dongs, exceeds 245,000. Gwanak-gu is classified as one of the districts with a large population in Seoul, along with Songpa-gu and Gangseo-gu, and among them, Sillim-dong boasts formidable population power.

A park established in the Sillim-dong goshi village neighborhood

You might not have a sense of how large 245,000 people is, but it is roughly equivalent to the combined population of Jongno-gu and Jung-gu, which have relatively small populations in Seoul. It is hard to imagine that one dong in Seoul has a population similar to two districts.

The population of Yongsan-gu, where the presidential office is currently located, is about 217,000 as of March. This means that Sillim-dong's population is larger than the entire population of Yongsan-gu.

Comparing with major cities in the provinces helps grasp the scale of Sillim-dong's population. Gyeongju City in Gyeongbuk, Geoje City in Gyeongnam, Mokpo City in Jeonnam, and Gangneung City in Gangwon are all large representative cities of their regions, yet all have smaller populations than Sillim-dong, which is just one dong in Seoul.

People of Sillim-dong commuting to work via Sillim Station on Seoul Subway Line 2 and others. A life relying on crowded public transportation like a bean sprout basket... The daily routine is always tough, but there are our neighbors living fiercely through each day there today as well.