Gangnam

For the administrative district of Seoul, see Gangnam District. For other uses, see Gangnam (disambiguation).
Gangnam
Korean: 강남; Hanja: 江南
An evening rush hour shot of the intersection between the Teheran boulevard and Yeongdong highway from above. Multiple skyscrapers are visible, along with a pedestrian plaza and a stadium. In the background, apartment buildings and mountains are visible.
Several modern blue glass skyscrapers are visible. It is the early evening and a row of buses can be seen at the bottom of the photograph.
A head-on shot of the Bongeunsa buddhist temple. The temple has a traditional Korean roof and is adorned with various decorative designs and hanja characters. In front of the temple are a few people surrounding a large stone pillar.
A nighttime shot of the Lotte tower from across the river. The tower is lit up and is far taller than any of the apartment buildings around it. By the riverside, a row of streetlights are shining on the river.
Various brightly lit store-signs adorn the street, advertising karaoke rooms, DVD rental shops, bars, billiard halls, and other nightlife. The street is pedestrian-only and is fairly busy.
A daytime high-angle shot of a number of older mid-sized commercial and residential buildings on an incline. In the background, some larger office, department store, and church buildings are visible. In the very back, mountains and the North Seoul Tower are visible.
Left to right from top: Intersection in Teheran Valley, Samsung Town, Bongeunsa temple, Lotte World Tower, Gangnam nightlife, Gangnam skyline
Districts in dark red are traditionally considered part of Gangnam, while districts in pink are sometimes considered part of Gangnam
Districts in dark red are traditionally considered part of Gangnam, while districts in pink are sometimes considered part of Gangnam
Country South Korea
Metropolitan AreaSeoul Capital Area
CitySeoul
CompositionCore

Periphery

Area
 • Total307.34 km2 (118.66 sq mi)
 • Core120.26 km2 (46.43 sq mi)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
4,985,421
 • Core
1,553,172

Gangnam (Korean: 강남; Hanja: 江南; lit. South of the [Han] River; IPA: [ka̠ŋna̠m]), sometimes referred to as the Greater Gangnam Area, is a geographic and cultural region in Seoul. While Gangnam can refer to the entire region of Seoul south of the Han River, the region is generally defined as consisting of the city's affluent Gangnam, Seocho and Songpa districts.[a] Other definitions define Gangnam by the boundaries of the Gangnam Eighth School District[1] or by the commercial zones around Gangnam Highway, Yangjae Station,[2] Sinsa Station,[3] Nonhyeon Station, Sinnonhyeon Station[4] and Gangnam station.[5] These definitions exclude the Songpa District, which has been argued to be culturally and administratively distinct from the Gangnam and Seocho districts.

Historically, the region was also called Yeongdong (영동; 永東; lit. East of Yeongdeungpo) and remained undeveloped prior to the state-led urban development of the 1960s.[6] During the 1970s and 1980s, Park Chung Hee, aiming to counteract urban sprawl and the threat of North Korean invasion, promoted development in Gangnam through targeted investment into the region and the suppression of development north of the Han River. As the result of Park's policies, a number of companies, prestigious schools, and government institutions relocated to the region and land prices in Gangnam skyrocketed.


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  1. ^ 명문고 강남 이전과 평준화 정책이 만든 '8학군병'. SBS 뉴스 (in Korean). December 26, 2015. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  2. ^ 강남구청. 강남구 "양재역 환승센터에 도곡 방향 출구 개설돼야" | 강남구청 > 강남소식 > 보도자료 > 보도자료. 강남구청 (in Korean). Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  3. ^ 서초구,'잠원 간장게장 골목'에 뉴트로 감성 담아 상권 활성화. 4차산업행정뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  4. ^ 서초구, 강남~신논현역에 보행 혼잡도 표시 전광판 2곳 설치. 모바일 네이트 뉴스 (in Korean). Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  5. ^ 우리나라 최고의 상권. m.rgnews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Kang 2011, pp. 30–31.