Seongnam, Metropolitan city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Seongnam is a metropolitan city in Gyeonggi Province that spreads across three administrative districts: Bundang in the south, Jungwon in the center, and Sujeong in the north. Each district has its own character, with Bundang featuring planned housing estates and business quarters, while the other two show older development and organic street patterns.
The city gained official status in 1973 and grew from smaller settlements meant to house workers for new industrial operations. During the 1990s, Bundang emerged as a planned satellite town to ease housing pressure in Seoul and offer an alternative residential area with better infrastructure.
The cityscape reveals a clear contrast between older residential areas in Jungwon and Sujeong and the modern Bundang district with its planned streets and tower blocks. Office workers and technology company employees shape the atmosphere in business areas, while residential neighborhoods become busier during evenings and weekends.
Visitors reach the different districts through several subway lines running from Seoul into the city and stopping at numerous stations. Anyone moving between districts should expect longer travel times, as each area has its own central points and business quarters that sit apart from one another.
Namhansanseong, a 17th-century mountain fortress roughly eight kilometers east of the city center, belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage List and still shows preserved walls and gates. Walking trails run through the forested slopes around the fortifications, which served as a refuge during the invasion by Manchu forces.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
