Kuala Lumpur
243 km²
Seoul
605 km²
Malaysia
South Korea
Area Comparison
Kuala Lumpur is 2.5x smaller than Seoul
Population Comparison
Kuala Lumpur has 4.9x fewer people than Seoul
In terms of area, Seoul is 2.5x the size of Kuala Lumpur. Seoul spans 605 km² (234 mi²) while Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km² (94 mi²) — a difference of 362 km². You could fit Kuala Lumpur inside Seoul approximately 2 times.
To put Kuala Lumpur's size in perspective, its area of 243 km² is about 1.1x the size of Amsterdam. Meanwhile, Seoul at 605 km² is about 1.3x smaller than New York City.
In more relatable units, Kuala Lumpur's 243 km² is about 34,000 American football fields, 120 times the area of Monaco, or 71 times the area of Central Park. Seoul works out to about 85,000 American football fields, 180 times the area of Central Park, or 10 times the area of Manhattan.
Kuala Lumpur (KL), officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, is the capital city and a federal territory of Malaysia. It is the most populous city in the country, covering an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) with a population of 2,075,600 as of 2024. Greater Kuala Lumpur, which itself includes the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8.8 million people as of 2024. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Southeast Asia, in terms of both population and economic development.
Known as "KL", Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km² with a population of 2.0 million. The city was established in 1857. Kuala Lumpur is known for Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves, Merdeka 118, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the RapidKL (LRT, MRT & Monorail).
Kuala Lumpur packs 2.07 million people into just 243 km2, making it Malaysia's most populous city by far
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. The city dates 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.
Looking beyond city limits, the Seoul metropolitan area covers 11,704 km², which is 4.2x larger than greater Kuala Lumpur at 2,793 km². The Seoul metro area is also more populous, with 25.5 million people compared to 8.4 million.
Kuala Lumpur has a population density of 8,148 people per km² — a densely populated city. Seoul, with 16,149 people per km², is an extremely dense urban environment. Seoul is noticeably denser, packing 2.0 times more people per square kilometer.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Seoul (South Korea) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Kuala Lumpur has a tropical rainforest climate while Seoul experiences humid continental conditions. Winters differ dramatically: Kuala Lumpur stays around 27°C while Seoul drops to -3°C.
Size Ratio
Kuala Lumpur fits inside Seoul ~2 times
Density Gap
Seoul is 2.0x more densely populated
History
Seoul is ~1,875 years older
Kuala Lumpur covers 243 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Boston (232 km²), Edinburgh (259 km²), Osaka (225 km²), Amsterdam (219 km²), or Taipei (272 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 Kuala Lumpur to Seoul is 4,614 km (2,867 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~5h 56m.
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