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Administrative divisionsCheongdam Intersection, the starting point of Cheongdam Fashion Street
Gangnam District (Korean: 강남구; RR: Gangnam-gu; IPA:[ka̠ŋna̠m.gu]) 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 2024 census, Gangnam District had a population of 556,570.[1] There is a high concentration of wealth in the district, with prices for an apartment as of 2024 more than 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-daeroGangnam Station area with Seocho District, which is one of the most crowded places in South Korea.[2]
However, it is home to Bongeunsa Temple, which dates back to the Unified Silla period, as well as Seonjeongneung, royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty, and the gravesite of Gwangpyeong Daegun and his family’s land, which are preserved as national treasures. Apgujeong, in particular, became notable from the early Joseon period as it was the site where Han Myeong-hoe, a high-ranking official during King Sejo's reign, built and lived in his villa.
History
Until 1962, the area was part of Gwangju-gun's Eonju-myeon and Daewang-myeon in Gyeonggi Province, and it was incorporated into Seongdong District when Seoul's administrative districts were expanded in 1963. Compared to Jongno and Jung Districts, which have been the historical heart of Seoul for over 600 years since the Joseon Dynasty established Hanseong as its capital, this area has a less prominent historical role.
With the full-scale development of the Gangnam (Yeongdong) area in the 1970s, the southern portion of Seongdong District (present-day Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Songpa-gu, and Gangdong-gu) was separated to form Gangnam District in 1975.In 1979, the area east of the Tancheon Stream was divided off to create Gangdong District, which originally included the current Gangdong-gu and Songpa-gu. In 1980, Bangbae-dong and part of Banpo-bon-dong, formerly part of Dongjak-dong, were incorporated from Gwanak District.
Administration
Gangnam is one of two gu that make up the Greater Gangnam Area together with neighboring Seocho District.
This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(February 2023)
Both the Greater Gangnam Area and Gangnam itself are widely known for its heavily concentrated wealth and very high standard of living, which has been compared to cities such as Beverly Hills, California.[4] The most significant indicator is its extremely expensive real estate. Seoul as a whole is known for its expensive housing prices—as of 2011, its average apartment cost approximately US$5,500 per m2—but the average price in Gangnam is almost twice as high, roughly US$10,000 per m2, which is 3.5 times the nationwide average.[5] This is driven in part by the price of land: the 40 km2 making up Gangnam district rivals in valuation with the entirety of the city of Busan, the second-largest city in South Korea which occupies 770 km2. Combined with the neighboring districts of Seocho and Songpa, the Greater Gangnam Area accounts for almost 10% of the land value of the entire country.[6]
Until the early 1980s Gangnam and its neighboring areas had remained the least developed in Seoul, but prodigious development over the last 30 years has earned it a reputation of being one of the most affluent, dynamic, and influential areas in both Seoul and South Korea as a whole.[11]
South Korea is known for its high standard of education and intense competition for university entrance, and Gangnam is considered the national capital of education, which is one of the decisive factors to make Gangnam the most attractive destination in South Korea. In 2010, roughly 6% of the successful candidates to Seoul National University, which is considered the best university in South Korea, were from Gangnam district, while Gangnam's population makes up only 1% of the country's population.[14][15] In 2008, 22.7 out of 1,000 students in Gangnam district went abroad to study, while the nation's average ratio in the same time frame was only 3.6 per 1,000 students.[16] Following the substantial raising of the profile of the Gangnam district internationally, the area has become a popular destination for international students seeking Korean language lessons, marking the rise of Korea as a 'study tourism' destination. Both long-standing locally owned schools such as the Seoul Korean Academy, and more recent foreign-owned entities such as Lexis Korea report a significant increase in interest in the location.
Cheongdam-dong is notable as an upmarket shopping area, with stores of global and local luxury brands, such as MCM Haus flagship store;[18]Vera Wang's third global and first Asian flagship store 'Vera Wang Bridal Korea';[19] as well as French jeweler Cartier's Cartier Maison, located on Apgujeong-ro, which is the largest in Korea and at the time of opening, in 2008, the seventh largest in the world.[20]
The area has a large concentration of vegetarian and other upscale restaurants that serve Korean cuisine with a modern twist, namely on the main street from Bongeun Temple to Park Hyatt Hotel in Samseong-dong.[21]
There are several festivals held in Gangnam District.
International Peace Marathon Festival in October
Gangnam Fashion Festival in October
Sports Festival for residents in Gangnam Distinct in May
Daemosan Festival
Following the anti-American protests in Seoul in the early 2000s, the local authorities in the Gangnam District have organized various cultural and sporting events, such as the International Peace Marathon, jointly with the United States Forces Korea. In 2009 they were awarded a 'special prize' by the US Army for promoting cultural exchanges with American troops.[24][25][26]
Several subway stations in Gangnam and nearby areas were used as filming locations for the 2012 Hollywood film The Bourne Legacy, the fourth installment in the Bourne film series.[28]
The 2012 K-pop song "Gangnam Style" by South Korean entertainer Psy was inspired by the lifestyle of the Gangnam region and its music video was shot there as well.[29] The song and video's popularity increased international awareness of the district. In the music video, Psy can be seen dancing on top of the ASEM Tower with the Trade Tower in the background. The two buildings are part of World Trade Center Seoul (WTC Seoul), also known as COEX.[30]
The webtoonMy ID is Gangnam Beauty (내 ID는 강남미인!) by Gi Maeng-gi, which is about a girl who underwent plastic surgery due to being bullied because of her appearance, was released on Naver Webtoon in 2016. Its title referred to the namesake district being called the "Mecca of plastic surgery", with the term "Gangnam beauty" being used as a pejorative term to those who undergo the process.[33][34] In 2018, generalist pay TV channel JTBC aired a television drama adaptation of the webtoon which was produced by ACC Korea.
^Cha, Frances (17 August 2012). "Interview: PSY on 'Gangnam Style,' posers and that hysterical little boy". CNN. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012. I've heard it said that Gangnam is the Beverly Hills of Korea. But I would say that Gangnam is the capital of Seoul, which, of course, is the capital of Korea.
^"Google locations." Google. Retrieved 25 May 2016. "Google Seoul Google Korea LLC. 22nd Floor, Gangnam Finance Center 152 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu Seoul 135-984 South Korea"
^"International Offices." American Megatrends. Retrieved 17 February 2019. "Korea: AMI 한국지사 서울시 강남구 대치동 942-18 세풍빌딩 8층 135-845 (AMI Korea, Sepung Building 8F, 942-18, Daechidong, Gangnamgu, Seoul, 135-845 Korea)"
