|
|
Provinces or more formally Provincial level divisions are the first-level division within South Korea and it is divided into four groups: provinces, special self-governing province, special city, and metropolitan cities.

Do (Province)

A "do" (도) is equivalent to a province and one of the primary divisions of the country, along with "teukbyeolsi" (특별시) and "gwangyeoksi (광역시)". South Korea has 8 provinces.

Teukbyeoljachi-do (Special Self-Governing Province)

A "teukbyeoljachi-do" (특별 자치도) is a province with more autonomy over it economy and more powers are given to the provincial government.

Jeju it only special self-governing province is subdivided into cities ("si").

Gwangyeoksi (Metropolitan City)

Gwangyeoksi (광역시; ), or "metropolitan cities", are major cities that are not part of any province, but exist independently and are self-governed. They are comparable to China's direct-controlled municipalities or even British metropolitan counties. South Korea has 6 metropolitan cities with provincial status.

Each Metropolitan City are divided into wards ("gu") and outlying counties ("gun") comparable to British non-metropolitan counties.

Teukbyeolsi (Special City)

A "teukbyeolsi" (특별시; ) is one of the primary divisions of the country, along with gwangyeoksi and do. South Korea has only one special city. Seoul is divided into districts ("gu").

List of Provincial level subdivisions

Emblem	Division	Hangul Hangul Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...	Hanja Hanja Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...	Capital	Region	Population[1]	Area[2]	Density[3]	ISO ISO 3166-2:KR ISO 3166-2:KR is the entry for South Korea in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for South Korea, ISO 3166-2...
	Seoul Seoul Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...  Special City	서울시	(首爾)市[4]	(Jung-gu Jung-gu, Seoul Jung-gu is one of the 25 gu which make up the city of Seoul, South Korea. It is located on the north side of the Han River, and is the historical center of the city .-Overview:... )	Sudogwon Seoul National Capital Area The Seoul National Capital Area 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....	10,421,782	605.25	17,219	KR-11
	Busan Busan Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...  Metropolitan City	부산시	釜山市	(Yeonje-gu)	Yeongnam Yeongnam Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea....	3,635,389	763.46	4,762	KR-26
	Incheon Incheon The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...  Metropolitan City	인천시	仁川市	(Namdong-gu Namdong-gu, Incheon Namdong-gu is a ward in Incheon, South Korea. Namdong-gu is the location for The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency main offices, the Namdong Industrial Complex, and the Gachon Medical School.-Administrative Divisions of Namdong-gu:*Guwol 1 to 4 Dong... )	Sudogwon Seoul National Capital Area The Seoul National Capital Area 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....	2,628,000	964.53	2,724.6	KR-28
	Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...  Metropolitan City	대구시	大邱市	(Jung-gu Jung-gu, Daegu Jung-gu is a gu, or district, covering the downtown area of Daegu, South Korea. It borders most of the other districts of Daegu, including Nam-gu to the south, Seo-gu to the west, Buk-gu to the north, and Dong-gu and Suseong-gu to the east... )	Yeongnam Yeongnam Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea....	2,512,604	884.15	2,842	KR-27
	Gwangju Gwangju Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...  Metropolitan City	광주시	光州市	(Seo-gu Seo-gu, Gwangju Seo-gu is a district, meaning west-district in Korean , but situated in the center of the Gwangju city, South Korea. City Hall of the city and a convention center are famous landmarks in the district.... )	Honam Honam Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to North and South Jeolla Provinces....	1,415,953	501.36	2,824	KR-29
	Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...  Metropolitan City	대전시	大田市	(Seo-gu)	Hoseo	1,442,857	539.84	2,673	KR-30
	Ulsan Ulsan Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...  Metropolitan City	울산시	蔚山市	(Nam-gu Nam-gu, Ulsan Nam-gu is a district of Ulsan, South Korea. Its name literally means "South Ward".-History:The history of Ulsan Metropolitan City before 1914 refers to the Ulsan Metropolitan City document.-Administrative divisions:The "Dong" of Nam-Gu are:... )	Yeongnam Yeongnam Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea....	1,087,958	1,056.4	1,030	KR-31
	Gyeonggi Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...  Province	경기도	京畿道	Suwon Suwon Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....	Sudogwon Seoul National Capital Area The Seoul National Capital Area 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....	10,415,399	10,131	1,028	KR-41
	Gangwon Gangwon-do (South Korea) Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...  Province	강원도	江原道	Chuncheon Chuncheon Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...	Gwandong	1,592,000	16,894	94	KR-42
	Chungcheongbuk Chungcheongbuk-do Chungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province...  Province	충청북도	忠清北道	Cheongju Cheongju Cheongju is the capital city of Chungcheongbuk-do , South Korea. The city is divided into two wards , Heungdeok-gu and Sangdang-gu .-History:...	Hoseo	1,462,621	7,436	197	KR-43
	Chungcheongnam Chungcheongnam-do Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...  Province	충청남도	忠清南道	Daejeon Daejeon Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...	Hoseo	1,840,410[5]	8,352[5]	220[5]	KR-44
	Jeollabuk Jeollabuk-do Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...  Province	전라북도	全羅北道	Jeonju Jeonju Jeonju is a city in South Korea, and the capital of Jeollabuk-do, or North Jeolla Province. It is an important tourist center famous for Korean food, historic buildings, sports activities and innovative festivals.- History :...	Honam Honam Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to North and South Jeolla Provinces....	1,890,669	8,043	235	KR-45
	Jeollanam Jeollanam-do Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...  Province	전라남도	全羅南道	Muan	Honam Honam Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. Today, the term refers to North and South Jeolla Provinces....	1,994,287	11,858	168	KR-46
	Gyeongsangbuk Gyeongsangbuk-do Gyeongsangbuk-do or shortly Gyeongbuk is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea.The Gyeongsangbuk-do Office is...  Province	경상북도	慶尙北道	Daegu Daegu Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...	Yeongnam Yeongnam Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea....	2,775,890[6]	19,440[6]	143[6]	KR-47
	Gyeongsangnam Gyeongsangnam-do Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many...  Province	경상남도	慶尙南道	Changwon Changwon Changwon is a city in and the capital of Gyeongsangnam-do in South Korea. Changwon city is 8th most populous city in South Korea, with a 2010 established population of 1,089,039. It encompasses a land area of on southeastern of South Korea. The population of Southeastern part of Korea, that...	Yeongnam Yeongnam Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea....	2,970,929	11,859	251	KR-48
	Jeju Jeju-do Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...  Special Self-Governing Province	제주도	濟州道	Jeju Jeju City Jeju is the capital of Jeju province in South Korea and the largest city on the island of Jeju. Its geographical location is . The city is served by Jeju International Airport ....	Jejudo Jeju-do Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...	560,000	1,845.55	303	KR-49
	Sejong Sejong City In early 2007, the Government of Republic of Korea decided to create a special administrative district housing nine ministries and four national agencies currently located in Seoul out of part of the present Chungcheongnam-do province, near Daejeon. The new district will be named Sejong Special...  Special Autonomous City[7]	세종시	世宗市	TBD	Hoseo	TBD	TBD	TBD	KR-??

Historical Provinces

Although the details of local administration have changed dramatically over time, the basic outline of the current three-tiered system was implemented under the reign of Gojong in 1895. A similar system also remains in use in North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

.