Athens
39 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Greece
South Korea
Area Comparison
Athens is 15.5x smaller than Seoul
Population Comparison
Athens has 15.3x fewer people than Seoul
Seoul is significantly larger, covering 15.5 times the area of Athens. Seoul spans 605 km² (234 mi²) while Athens covers 39 km² (15 mi²) — a difference of 566 km². You could fit Athens inside Seoul approximately 15 times.
To put Athens's size in perspective, its area of 39 km² is about 1.5x smaller than Manhattan. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
Athens's footprint is roughly about 5,500 American football fields, 80 times the area of Vatican City, or 19 times the area of Monaco — pick whichever unit feels intuitive. For Seoul, that's about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in the European Union (EU).
Known as "Cradle of Western Civilization", Athens covers 39 km² with a population of 0.6 million. The city was founded around 7000 BC. Athens is known for Acropolis of Athens, Parthenon, Plaka neighborhood, among other attractions.
Athens is the southernmost capital on the European mainland and capital of the Attica region.
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea, and the largest city in the whole of Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Paris, and London, and hosts more than half of South Korea's population.
Seoul has an area of 605 km² and is home to 9.8 million people. Its history stretches back to 18 BC. Visitors come for Gyeongbokgung Palace, Gangnam district, Myeongdong shopping, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Seoul Metro.
Seoul Metropolitan Area emerged as the world's sixth largest metropolitan economy in 2022, behind only NYC, Tokyo, LA, Paris, and London.
Athens has a population density of 16,410 people per km² — an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Both cities have comparable density, though Athens is slightly more compact.
Athens has a Mediterranean climate climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions.
Size Ratio
Athens fits inside Seoul ~15 times
History
Athens is ~6,982 years older
Athens covers 39 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Manila (43 km²), Tel Aviv (52 km²), Zurich (88 km²), Copenhagen (91 km²), or Lisbon (100 km²).
Seoul covers 605 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Chicago (606 km²), Madrid (604 km²), Mumbai (603 km²), Toronto (630 km²), or Hyderabad (650 km²).
The straight-line distance from Athens to Seoul is 8,516 km (5,291 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~10h 31m.
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