No — New York City is bigger in area, but Seoul is bigger in population.
NYC covers 789 km² against Seoul’s 605 km², so Seoul would fit inside New York with room to spare; Seoul holds about 9.3 million people against NYC’s 8.3 million.
This page gives the side-by-side numbers, the water-area trap that skews many comparisons, and which metro definition makes which city win.
Key facts — As of 2026-10-07
- Seoul city proper covers 605 km² (233.7 sq mi) against NYC’s 789 km² total area, so New York City is about 1.3× bigger in area.
- Seoul city proper holds roughly 9.3 million people versus New York City’s 8,478,000 (US Census Bureau July 2024 estimate), so Seoul is the more populous city.
- The Seoul Capital Area — Seoul plus Incheon plus Gyeonggi — holds about 26 million people, larger than the New York metropolitan area’s ~19.5 million (MSA).
Is Seoul Bigger Than NYC? The One-Line Answer
| Total area | 605 km² (233.7 sq mi), all land |
|---|---|
| Land-only area | 605 km² — no change |
| Population | ~9.3 million |
| Population density | ~15,500–16,000 per km² (estimate band) |
| Metro area population | ~26 million (Seoul + Incheon + Gyeonggi) |
| Metro definition | Seoul Capital Area = one definition, three regions |
| Admin divisions | 25 districts (gu) |
New York City is bigger in area and Seoul is bigger in population.
NYC covers 789 km² against Seoul’s 605 km², which makes New York about 1.3× larger (789 ÷ 605 ≈ 1.30).
On people, Seoul city proper holds roughly 9.3 million versus NYC’s 8.3 million, so Seoul comes out about 1.12× larger (9.3 ÷ 8.3).
So the word "bigger" is doing all the work here, and the answer flips depending on whether you mean land or people.
If you quote one number per city, use city-proper figures from a single source for each — Seoul 605 km² / 9.3M from Britannica — and state the year on any NYC population figure you cite.
Seoul vs NYC Size Comparison Table
The table puts the two cities side by side on every measure people search for.
Seoul figures come from Britannica; NYC figures come from the US Census Bureau’s July 2024 estimate (8,478,000) and the 2020 census (8.80M), so check the year before quoting any NYC population number.
Density is the one row where both figures are estimate bands rather than single official counts, so treat that row as roughly right, not exact.
If you only need one line for a school answer or a travel plan: NYC is bigger, Seoul is denser and holds more people.
Why the Water Matters: NYC Land vs Total Area
NYC’s 789 km² includes water; its land area is about 778 km², per the Census Bureau’s QuickFacts page.
Seoul’s 605 km² is land only, so on a land-versus-land basis the gap narrows to about 173 km² (778 ÷ 605 ≈ 1.29).
Many comparisons you’ll see online quote the water-inclusive figure against Seoul’s land figure, which widens the gap beyond what a land-to-land check supports.
If you’re drawing the two shapes on a map in your head, either way New York still wins on size — just by less than the headline number suggests.
Metro Area: Seoul Capital Area vs New York Metro
The Seoul Capital Area — Seoul plus Incheon plus Gyeonggi — holds about 26 million people, larger than the New York metropolitan area’s ~19.5 million (MSA).
That’s a metro-to-metro win for Seoul by about 1.33× (26 ÷ 19.5), but only if you use the narrower US definition.
New York also has a Combined Statistical Area of about 23.5 million, and 26 − 23.5 = 2.5 million is a much smaller gap than 26 vs 19.5.
So metro comparisons are only fair if you state which definition you picked, because the MSA and CSA numbers differ by roughly 4 million people.
If someone tells you one metro is clearly bigger, ask which definition they used — that single choice decides the winner.
Population Density and How Seoul Changed Over Time
Seoul is noticeably denser than New York — roughly 15,500–16,000 people per km² against NYC’s 10,600–11,300, about 1.5×.
Manhattan is the exception: at about 28,000 people per km², it is denser than any average Seoul district.
Seoul is also a smaller share of a bigger puzzle than it looks — about 18% of South Korea’s ~51.5 million people live inside Seoul city proper.
Seoul city-proper population peaked at around 10.6 million in 1990 and has drifted down toward today’s ~9.3 million as residents moved out to Gyeonggi, so treat the decline as a long-run trend rather than a fixed current figure.
If you’re planning a trip and wondering which city feels more crowded street-level, expect Seoul — except on Manhattan, where the density climbs past it.
City Proper vs Metro: Which Definition Answers Your Question
The honest framing is that "Seoul vs NYC" has three answers, and each one fits a different question.
City proper: NYC wins area, Seoul wins population.
Land only (NYC without water): NYC wins by a smaller margin, about 173 km².
Metro to metro: Seoul’s capital area (~26M) beats NYC’s MSA (~19.5M) and edges the CSA (~23.5M).
So before repeating anyone’s number — including the ones on this page — decide whether you’re comparing cities, land, or regions, then pick the matching row.
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Sources
- Seoul 605 km², ~9.3M city proper — planned primary source pe (britannica.com)
- 789 km² total incl. water, ~778 km² land — pending primary c (nyc.gov)
- 8,478,000 (US Census Bureau July 2024 estimate) (census.gov)
Seoul vs NYC: The Short Version
- Before quoting an NYC population figure, check which year it’s from — 2020 census (8.80M) and the July 2024 estimate (8,478,000) don’t agree.
- Compare like with like: decide first whether you’re reading city-proper, land-only, or metro numbers in any table.
- Check the metro definition too — Seoul’s ~26M capital area beats NYC’s ~19.5M MSA but the CSA (~23.5M) narrows the gap.
- Look at the density row with Manhattan in mind: its ~28,000/km² outranks any Seoul district average.
- If you only need one line for a school answer or a travel plan: NYC is bigger, Seoul is denser and holds more people.
FAQ
Q. Is Seoul bigger than New York City in area and population?
No — NYC is bigger in area (789 vs 605 km²) but smaller in population (~8.3M vs ~9.3M).
Q. Is Seoul more populous than New York?
Yes. Seoul city proper holds about 9.3 million people against NYC’s 8,478,000 (US Census Bureau, July 2024 estimate).
Q. Is Seoul or NYC metro area bigger?
Seoul’s. The Seoul Capital Area holds ~26 million, versus NYC’s ~19.5M MSA or ~23.5M CSA — pick one definition and stick with it.
Q. Is Seoul denser than New York?
Yes, overall — Seoul runs roughly 15,500–16,000 people per km² against NYC’s 10,600–11,300, though Manhattan alone (~28,000/km²) is denser than any Seoul district average.
Q. Why do some comparisons say NYC is much bigger than Seoul?
Because they often use NYC’s water-inclusive 789 km² against Seoul’s land-only 605 km², which widens the gap beyond the ~173 km² land-to-land difference.
Comparing Seoul with other cities next? Check the same table format for Singapore-vs-X and London-vs-X posts on this blog.
Cover photo: Bukchon Hanok Village Gamgodang Street (북촌한옥마을 감고당길) by Korea Tourism Organization — KOGL Type 1 (attribution)
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