How did rapid urbanization in the 1970s change Seoul’s population?

Beginning in the 1970s, rapid urbanization triggered a massive influx of migrants to Seoul from across South Korea, causing the city's population to surge significantly. While the population was approximately 2.5 million in 1960, this rapid growth led to a total of some 10 million residents by 1990.1

This demographic shift was driven by the expansion of commercial and industrial enterprises in and around the city, which attracted large numbers of people from rural areas. The resulting concentration of population placed immense pressure on municipal functions and city services, such as water, transportation, and sewage systems, which often struggled to keep pace with the city's expansion. In response to the housing shortages caused by this rapid growth, the government eventually initiated large-scale construction projects, leading to the widespread development of high-rise apartment complexes that transformed the city's urban landscape. Since 1990, Seoul's population has largely stagnated as growth has shifted toward new towns and satellite cities within the metropolitan area.23451