[Reporter’s Notebook] The Main Culprit Behind 'Nojaem City': The 'Seoul Republic'

"Isn't it less fun the farther you get from Seoul?"

When interviewing citizens about 'Nojaem City' (boring city), a common comparison criterion emerged. The measure of fun is determined by how close a city is to Seoul. This made it clear once again that not only hardware aspects such as city size, economic share, and population but also cultural content and infrastructure overwhelmingly favor Seoul. Ultimately, local cities self-assessed that the closer they are to Seoul, the less boring they are. Residents typically responded, "Still, we have good access to Seoul via KTX."

The reasons why their hometowns are boring were similar. Residents cited differences from Seoul as reasons for the lack of fun, saying, "There are no pop-up stores like in Seoul," and "There are no large shopping malls like Seoul." Things different from Seoul are perceived as boring or, worse, as something wrong.

Hanbit Tower in Daejeon, the origin of the 'No-fun City meme' that went viral on social networking services (SNS).
Photo by Heo Young-han

The resistance of local governments (jijache) to the term Nojaem City also stems from this. Although Nojaem City is consumed as a meme (internet trending content) to attract young tourists in their 20s and 30s, local governments do not welcome this nickname. Many even refused interviews if the project included the term Nojaem City.

Local government heads are desperate to escape the Nojaem City label. Reports of youth fleeing even metropolitan cities to move to Seoul continue, so everyone tries to imitate Seoul. Local governments create regional characters, establish special zones, and try to transplant popular 'OO-dangil' streets from Seoul in any way possible.

Besides Nojaem City, other nicknames for local cities that appear as memes online are euphemistically called nicknames but are essentially derogatory. For example, 'Sanandreas' from the action game GTA, set in the lawless San Andreas, is used as 'Sanansandreas,' and 'Gotham Daegu,' inspired by Gotham City where the Joker lives in the DC Comics universe, are memes that openly discriminate against regions by highlighting high crime rates.

The only city without such derogatory nicknames is Seoul. Terms like 'Makae Seoul' (Demonic Seoul) or 'Gotham Seoul' do not exist. Instead, the term 'Seoul Republic,' where all capital and power are concentrated, is naturally used.

The political sphere further fuels this local sentiment of wanting to imitate Seoul or even appear as part of Seoul. The ruling party has once again brought up a special law for incorporating Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, into Seoul. Where balanced development should be, the 'Mega City Seoul' has quietly settled in. The stories of Sejong City, created by relocating the administrative capital despite numerous objections, and the recent controversies over moving the National Assembly to Sejong City have long lost their luster.

Ultimately, the first task to escape the Nojaem City label lies in structurally resolving the capital region concentration problem known as the 'Seoul Republic' and changing perceptions. Every country needs a megacity like Seoul, but it also needs resorts and distinctive small cities where people can escape crowds and connect with nature. Seoul is not the only answer to fun.