Seoul, officially known as Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. It serves as a primary urban center within the broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, which encompasses Gyeonggi Province and Incheon. This metropolitan region hosts more than half of the country's total population and was ranked as the world's sixth-largest metropolitan economy in 2022.
The city's population peaked at over 10 million but has experienced a gradual decline since 2014. As of 2024, Seoul has approximately 9.6 million residents. It remains the dominant economic and demographic hub of the nation.