Southern Gyeonggi

A region referring to the southern part of Gyeonggi Province, serving as a center of the semiconductor industry, new towns, and large-scale transportation networks.

Southern Gyeonggi

Overview

Southern Gyeonggi (경기남부) is a collective term for the region spanning the southern half of Gyeonggi Province, and includes 19 cities and counties: Suwon, Seongnam, Yongin, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Anyang, Ansan, Bucheon, Gwangmyeong, Gunpo, Uiwang, Gwacheon, Osan, Siheung, Gwangju, Icheon, Anseong, Yeoju, and Yangpyeong. As an area where a substantial portion of the Seoul metropolitan population is concentrated, it forms a core axis of the Korean economy, with advanced manufacturing such as semiconductors, displays, and auto parts, along with logistics and R&D functions, densely clustered together. Administratively, it is not a single clearly defined local government but has been operated under a structure in which the Gyeonggi Provincial Office and its southern regional offices share duties, and recently discussions on "Southern Gyeonggi Special Cities" and balanced regional development have been active.

Main Content

Geographic Scope and Distinctions

Gyeonggi Province has traditionally been perceived as divided into south and north based on the Han River and its tributaries. Southern Gyeonggi centers on the area south of the Han River, but also includes areas bordering southern Seoul, such as Gwacheon, Uiwang, and Gunpo. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office has its main office in Suwon and shares regional administration with the Northern Office (Uijeongbu). However, the name "Southern Gyeonggi" is closer to a concept of an economic, living, and policy unit than to an administrative district name.

Population and Urban Structure

Southern Gyeonggi has large cities distributed in continuous succession, such as Suwon (approx. 1.2 million), Yongin (approx. 1.1 million), Seongnam (approx. 900,000), Hwaseong (approx. 900,000), Bucheon (approx. 800,000), Ansan (approx. 600,000), and Pyeongtaek (approx. 600,000). It contains the first-generation new towns of Bundang, Pyeongchon, Sanbon, and Jungdong; the second-generation new towns of Pangyo, Dongtan, Gwanggyo, and Wirye; and the third-generation new towns of Wangsukcheon and Gyosan, giving it a high proportion of planned cities. It was once one of the fastest-growing regions in the country in terms of population, but recently, with aging and population movement driven by accessibility to Seoul, it has entered a phase of stagnation or slight decline.

Industry and Economy

The core industry of Southern Gyeonggi is semiconductors. Samsung Electronics' semiconductor production lines and partner companies are concentrated around Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Icheon, and Yongin, forming the "K-Semiconductor Belt." Pangyo Techno Valley is a leading domestic IT and bio cluster, densely packed with startups and large corporate research institutes. Pyeongtaek Port, the Pyeongtaek and Anseong logistics complexes, the auto parts industry in Osan and Hwaseong, and the Banwol and Sihwa national industrial complexes in Ansan are also pillars of the regional economy. Suwon is called the "No. 1 IT city in Korea," where Samsung Electronics' headquarters and R&D personnel are gathered.

Transportation Infrastructure

The Gyeongbu Expressway, Seohaean Expressway, Pyeongtaek-Jecheon Expressway, and Yongin-Seoul Expressway run through the region, while railway lines such as the Gyeongbu Line, Suin-Bundang Line, Shinbundang Line, Line 4, and Line 1 connect it with Seoul. GTX-A (Unjeong–Dongtan), opened in 2024, is changing commuting patterns by linking Southern Gyeonggi and Seoul within 20–30 minutes, and GTX-C (Deokjeong–Suwon), the Shinansan Line, and the Wolpan Line are scheduled to be added.

Life and Culture

Representative attractions include Suwon Hwaseong Fortress and Hwaseong Haenggung Palace, Gwanggyo Lake Park, the new town commercial districts of Pangyo and Dongtan, Everland in Yongin, the Icheon Ceramics Festival, and the natural scenery of Yeoju and Yangpyeong. In terms of education, special-purpose and autonomous private high schools and hagwon districts are densely concentrated, making the inflow and outflow of the school-age population active.

Recent Trends

The biggest issue in Southern Gyeonggi in 2024–2025 is the "semiconductor mega cluster." As the world's largest semiconductor complex, being built in Namsa and Wonsam in Yongin, gets into full swing, the issues of expanding power, water, and road infrastructure and of fostering human resources have emerged together. In the Pyeongtaek and Hwaseong areas, the development of supporting cities such as Brain City and the International District is underway, and since the opening of GTX-A, the real estate markets and commuting demand in Dongtan, Suwon, and Yongin are being reorganized. In addition, Gyeonggi Province is pursuing "Southern Gyeonggi Special Cities," administrative integration of the southern region, expansion of medical and care infrastructure, and climate-responsive urban planning. Improving settlement conditions in response to population decline and youth outflow, and expanding semiconductor-specialized curricula, are also cited as key tasks for 2025.