Johannesburg
1,644 km²
Seoul
605 km²
South Africa
South Korea
Area Comparison
Johannesburg is 2.7x larger than Seoul
Population Comparison
Johannesburg has 2.0x fewer people than Seoul
Yes — Johannesburg is 2.7x larger than Seoul by area. Johannesburg spans 1,644 km² (635 mi²) while Seoul covers 605 km² (234 mi²) — a difference of 1,039 km². You could fit Seoul inside Johannesburg approximately 2 times.
To put Johannesburg's size in perspective, its area of 1,644 km² is roughly the same size as London. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
Johannesburg's footprint is roughly about 230,000 American football fields, 28 times the area of Manhattan, or 16 times the area of Paris — 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.
Johannesburg, colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold", is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court.
Known as "Jozi", Johannesburg covers 1,644 km² with a population of 4.8 million. The city was established in 1886. Johannesburg is known for Apartheid Museum, Soweto township, Constitutional Court, among other attractions.
Johannesburg ranks among the world's 100 largest urban areas, with a metro population of about 6.6 million.
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. It was founded around 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.
Johannesburg has a population density of 2,920 people per km² — a moderately dense city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is dramatically more crowded, with 5.5x the population density.
Size Ratio
Seoul fits inside Johannesburg ~2 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 5.5x more densely populated
History
Seoul is ~1,904 years older
Johannesburg covers 1,644 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Bogotá (1,578 km²), London (1,572 km²), Bangkok (1,569 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or São Paulo (1,521 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 Johannesburg to Seoul is 12,488 km (7,760 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~15h 12m.
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