Seoul National Capital Area

The Seoul National Capital Area (SNCA) is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. It is generally referred to as Sudogwon in Korean, and contains three different administrative districts; Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi-do.

The SNCA is technically distinct from the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), as the former is a fixed entity, while the latter refers to places currently considered under the economic, industrial and cultural influence of Seoul. Since the extension of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway (Korail commuter) to Asan, Chungcheongnam-do and Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, some have classified Asan, Cheonan, Chuncheon as now within the SMA, but not within the SNCA. However, the terms SNCA, SMA and Sudogwon are largely analogous and used interchangeably.

The Seoul National Capital Area has a population of 24.5 million (as of 2007) and is ranked as the second largest metropolitan area in the world. It forms the cultural, commercial, financial, industrial, and residential center of South Korea. The largest city is Seoul, with a population of approximately 10.2 million people, followed by Incheon, with 2.6 million.

Read more about Seoul National Capital Area:  Geography and Climate, History, Demographics, Government, Subdivisions, Transportation, Gallery

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