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Living in Dongdaemun-gu

In Dongdaemun-gu, unemployment is 3.6% (2025).

Annual PM2.5 was 17.5 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. For 동대문구, the unemployment rate was 3.6% at the end of 2025. Its population was 352,848 in June 2026. The annual mean temperature estimate was 13.2°C at the end of 2024. The annual precipitation estimate was 1,483.7 mm at the end of 2024.

Last checked 2026-09-1925 sources

Population352,848people30 Jun 2026Official source · MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026
Unemployment rate3.6%country median 2.7% — 33% aboveOfficial source · 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators
Recorded crime3,066incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024Official source · KR-Police-regional-crime-2024
PM2.5, annual mean17.53µg/m³country median 16.0 — 10% aboveOfficial source · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations

Higher unemployment than 74% of South Korean cities that publish it and dirtier air than 74% of South Korean cities that publish it.

Which South Korea-wide rules apply when you move to Dongdaemun-gu?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in South KoreaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Dongdaemun-gu.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The housing-vacancy rate was 2.14% at the end of 2024.

No city-level rent figure is published for Dongdaemun-gu. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Dongdaemun-gu recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€32
Mobile plan, 10 GB€29
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited31.8 EUR/month30 Sept 2026KT 100 Mbps internet15Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB28.91 EUR/month30 Sept 2026KT mobile data plan16Official · national market
Dwellings110,761 dwellings31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality7Official
Housing vacancy rate2.14 %31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality8Official

Is Dongdaemun-gu a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker58%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 49–67%
Skilled employee71%strong on work, weak on safety · range 63–79%
Student52%strong on education, weak on work · range 44–60%
Family66%strong on family, weak on cost · range 58–74%
Retirement53%strong on safety, weak on admin · range 43–63%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in 동대문구?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (2025). Source: 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators1

Unemployment across cities in South KoreaUnemployment in Dongdaemun-gu is 3.6%. Of 218 cities with data, 36 have unemployment of 0.5 to under 1%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate3.6 %country median 2.7%31 Dec 20252025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators1Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Dongdaemun-gu. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Work24 public employment service — Public employment service

Ministry of Employment and Labor, Republic of Korea

Job Search
Search jobs
Open the South Korea service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Dongdaemun-gu. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Schools48 schools21 Jul 2026Schoolinfo official open-data callback response23Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Doctors per 1,000 residents5 per 1,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors per 100012Official
Hospital beds per 100,000 residents1,560 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital beds per 100k13Official
Hospitals27 count30 Jun 2026HIRA 전국 병의원 및 약국 현황 2026.6 — 시설정보10Official
Pharmacies259 count30 Jun 2026HIRA 전국 병의원 및 약국 현황 2026.6 — 약국정보서비스10Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents500 per 100,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors per 100012Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Dongdaemun-gu under the national coverage rules.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Doctors per 1,000 residents5 per 1,000Verified 2026-07-21
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

How safe is 동대문구?

Police recorded about 3,066 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: KR-Police-regional-crime-202414

MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,066 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024KR-Police-regional-crime-202414Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents40.81 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2024KR-Police-regional-crime-202414Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Dongdaemun-gu. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Early Adaptation Program — Newcomer Adaptation

Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service

For newly arrived foreign residents, international students, workers, marriage migrants.

KoreanIn Person
Open official information

Social Integration Program (KIIP) — Integration course

Ministry of Justice / Korea Immigration Service

For foreign residents in Korea, people within three years of naturalization.

KoreanIn Person, Online
Open official information
Open the full South Korea section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Dongdaemun-gu.

Find courses near Dongdaemun-gu

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in 동대문구?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 17.5 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 17.53 µg/m³ · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations2
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in South KoreaAnnual PM2.5 in Dongdaemun-gu is 17.5 µg/m³. Of 235 cities with data, 47 have annual PM2.5 of 17 to under 18 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean17.53 µg/m³country median 16.031 Dec 2024Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations2Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 2.1 · Feb 5.1 · Mar 11 · Apr 17.9 · May 23.6 · Jun 27.6 · Jul 29 · Aug 30 · Sep 26.2 · Oct 20.2 · Nov 11.9 · Dec 4.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv25Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by monthJan -5.5 · Feb -3.2 · Mar 1.9 · Apr 8 · May 13.5 · Jun 18.7 · Jul 22.3 · Aug 22.9 · Sep 17.7 · Oct 10.6 · Nov 3.5 · Dec -3.4 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv25Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by monthJan -2 · Feb 0.7 · Mar 6.1 · Apr 12.6 · May 18.3 · Jun 22.7 · Jul 25.3 · Aug 26.1 · Sep 21.7 · Oct 15 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 0.2 °C1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv25Official · nearest-station reading
Average precipitation by monthJan 16.8 · Feb 28.2 · Mar 36.9 · Apr 72.9 · May 103.6 · Jun 129.5 · Jul 414.4 · Aug 348.2 · Sep 141.5 · Oct 52.2 · Nov 51.1 · Dec 22.6 mm1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv25Official · nearest-station reading
Average sunshine by monthJan 169.6 · Feb 170.8 · Mar 198.2 · Apr 206.3 · May 223 · Jun 189.1 · Jul 123.6 · Aug 156.1 · Sep 179.7 · Oct 206.5 · Nov 157.3 · Dec 162.9 hours1991–2020WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv25Official · nearest-station reading
Annual mean temperature13.18 °C31 Dec 2024NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Annual precipitation1,484 mm31 Dec 2024NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities19Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context

Population and city profile

The city covered 14.2 km² in 2020. Population density was 23,821 people per km² in 2024.

How many people live in 동대문구?

The published population was 352,848 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 202617

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents316.8 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu22Official
City area14.22 km²2020Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name.20Official
Foreign-resident share5.97 %31 Dec 2025Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-3111Official
Foreign residents20,412 people31 Mar 2026Registered foreigners by local government, March 202621Official
Population density23,821 people/km²31 Dec 2024Exact si-gun-gu density derived from archived official MOIS/KOSIS resident population and exact official KOSIS area row.20Official
Female residents181,093 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202618Official
Male residents171,755 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202618Official
Population352,848 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 202617Official

International community in Dongdaemun-gu

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Citizenship

Persons recorded in the official KOSIS registered-foreigner population table; this is not the total resident population and is not interchangeable with resident citizenship. · 2025

Published groupPeopleShare
계20,682100.0%
중국8,00538.7%
베트남3,83718.6%
한국계중국인1,4116.8%
네팔1,1035.3%
일본8174.0%
몽골6773.3%
우즈베키스탄4762.3%
타이완(대만)3891.9%
미얀마3181.5%
Show 131 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
미국2881.4%
러시아(연방)2081.0%
필리핀1910.9%
인도1820.9%
타이(태국)1750.8%
프랑스1740.8%
말레이시아1690.8%
독일1670.8%
홍콩1470.7%
인도네시아1160.6%
카자흐스탄1130.5%
영국930.4%
방글라데시910.4%
캐나다690.3%
사우디아라비아690.3%
시리아680.3%
키르기즈660.3%
튀르키예660.3%
이란600.3%
이탈리아600.3%
캄보디아490.2%
스페인490.2%
파키스탄440.2%
멕시코440.2%
네덜란드400.2%
스웨덴400.2%
싱가포르380.2%
남아프리카공화국300.1%
브라질300.1%
오스트레일리아290.1%
폴란드260.1%
이집트250.1%
스위스250.1%
모로코230.1%
콜롬비아220.1%
이라크210.1%
스리랑카200.1%
우크라이나200.1%
벨기에180.1%
노르웨이170.1%
리비아170.1%
아제르바이잔170.1%
라오스160.1%
덴마크160.1%
핀란드140.1%
가나130.1%
체코130.1%
헝가리130.1%
칠레130.1%
에티오피아120.1%
이스라엘120.1%
포르투갈120.1%
마카오120.1%
리투아니아120.1%
케냐110.1%
요르단100.0%
루마니아100.0%
르완다100.0%
알제리100.0%
한국계러시아인90.0%
타지키스탄90.0%
에콰도르90.0%
불가리아80.0%
투르크메니스탄80.0%
페루70.0%
오스트리아70.0%
팔레스타인70.0%
조지아70.0%
나이지리아60.0%
뉴질랜드60.0%
벨라루스60.0%
탄자니아60.0%
슬로바크60.0%
세르비아50.0%
기니50.0%
엘살바도르50.0%
아이티50.0%
아일랜드40.0%
그리스40.0%
수단40.0%
코스타리카40.0%
아랍에미리트연합30.0%
우간다30.0%
콩고민주공화국30.0%
튀니지30.0%
크로아티아30.0%
도미니카공화국30.0%
파라과이30.0%
파나마30.0%
온두라스30.0%
부르키나파소30.0%
카메룬20.0%
베네수엘라20.0%
아르헨티나20.0%
과테말라20.0%
앙골라20.0%
아르메니아20.0%
볼리비아20.0%
라트비아20.0%
슬로베니아20.0%
레바논20.0%
오만20.0%
모잠비크20.0%
아이슬란드20.0%
모리셔스20.0%
트리니다드토바고20.0%
에스토니아20.0%
영국외지민20.0%
예멘공화국10.0%
아프가니스탄10.0%
코트디부아르10.0%
세네갈10.0%
잠비아10.0%
브루나이10.0%
부룬디10.0%
짐바브웨10.0%
피지10.0%
가봉10.0%
자메이카10.0%
말리10.0%
말라위10.0%
파푸아뉴기니10.0%
우루과이10.0%
니카라과10.0%
마다가스카르10.0%
룩셈부르크10.0%
바레인10.0%
중앙아프리카공화국10.0%
바하마10.0%
바베이도스10.0%
기타10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source24

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households180,852 households30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202618Official

Alternatives for people set on Dongdaemun-gu

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Asan-si as a Dongdaemun-gu alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Empty flats: 12.1% Asan-si vs 2.1% Dongdaemun-gu+466%
  • Unemployment: 2.1% Asan-si vs 3.6% Dongdaemun-gu−42%
  • Hospital beds, per 100k: 990.0 Asan-si vs 1,560.0 Dongdaemun-gu−37%
  • Foreign residents: 7.0% Asan-si vs 6.0% Dongdaemun-gu+18%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,907 Asan-si vs 3,066 Dongdaemun-gu−5%
  • Residents: 363,678 Asan-si vs 352,848 Dongdaemun-gu+3%
Full comparisonMore about Asan-si

Alternative cities in South Korea

Other cities in South Korea to compare with Dongdaemun-gu, nearest in population first.

All South Korea cities
Mapo-gu356,487 residentsGwonseon-gu360,286 residentsYangsan-si361,389 residentsYondtong-gu362,099 residentsAsan-si363,678 residentsWonju-si364,811 residents

How does Dongdaemun-gu compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Dongdaemun-gu's.

Open the full comparison

Dongdaemun-gu in rankings

#2 of 30 in Most densely populated cities in South Korea #4 of 30 in Most densely populated cities #5 of 30 in South Korean cities with the most doctors #16 of 30 in South Korean cities with the highest foreign-population share #18 of 30 in South Korean cities with the largest foreign populations

Is Dongdaemun-gu part of Seoul?

Dongdaemun-gu is administratively part of Seoul. It is about 6.2 km away by straight-line distance. Seoul city profile

Relationship type: Administrative Part Of. Source9

Which comparable places record less crime than Dongdaemun-gu?

31 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Dongdaemun-gu in this strictly source-matched cohort.

Dongdaemun-gu: 3,040.3 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents (2024).

Nowon-gu — 2,056.8 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Gwacheon-si — 2,064.9 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Seongbuk-gu — 2,133.7 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Dobong-gu — 2,140.1 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Uiwang-si — 2,185.6 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Anyang-si — 2,323.7 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Seodaemun-gu — 2,356 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024Yangcheon-gu — 2,364.4 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024

Only the same source family, offence definition, period, grain and denominator method are compared. This is recorded crime, not a claim about personal safety. Official source5

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in 동대문구?

The published population was 352,848 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026.

Is the air quality good in 동대문구?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 17.5 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations.

How safe is 동대문구?

Police recorded about 3,066 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: KR-Police-regional-crime-2024.

What is the unemployment rate in 동대문구?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 % (2025). Source: 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators.

How many foreign residents live in Dongdaemun-gu?

20,412 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026.

Is Dongdaemun-gu a good place to live?

Dongdaemun-gu may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Is Dongdaemun-gu part of Seoul?

Dongdaemun-gu is administratively part of Seoul. It is about 6.2 km away by straight-line distance.

How many people are in the 계 citizenship group in Dongdaemun-gu?

The official citizenship distribution records 20,682 people (100.0%) in the source-defined population for 2025. This is a citizenship measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Which comparable places record less crime than Dongdaemun-gu?

31 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than Dongdaemun-gu in this strictly source-matched cohort. The comparison uses Korean National Police Agency regional crime occurrence CSV 2024 + 2024 Registered Census population, period 2024, and does not compare across incompatible police definitions.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Dongdaemun-gu, South Korea: population, rent, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version b2ccc2f3928ce382f178d8426dbd8ce5]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/dongdaemungu/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_dongdaemun-gu-south-korea-population-rent-cost-of-living_2b471cf2e537,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Dongdaemun-gu, South Korea: population, rent, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {b2ccc2f3928ce382f178d8426dbd8ce5},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/dongdaemungu/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Dongdaemun-gu, South Korea: population, rent, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/dongdaemungu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version b2ccc2f3928ce382f178d8426dbd8ce5; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey · korea.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  2. Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data · data.go.kr · checked 2026-07-26
  3. census.go.kr recorded crime data census.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  4. census.go.kr recorded crime data census.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  5. data.go.kr recorded crime data data.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  6. data.go.kr recorded crime data data.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  7. DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  8. DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  9. english.seoul.go.kr place coordinates english.seoul.go.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  10. HIRA 전국 병의원 및 약국 현황 2026.6 — 시설정보 HIRA 전국 병의원 및 약국 현황 2026.6 · opendata.hira.or.kr · checked 2026-09-15
Show 15 more sources
  1. Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-31 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  2. KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors per 1000 kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  3. KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital beds per 100k kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  4. KR-Police-regional-crime-2024 data.go.kr · checked 2026-09-15
  5. KT 100 Mbps internet product.kt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  6. KT mobile data plan product.kt.com · checked 2026-09-15
  7. MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  8. MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  9. NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-07-22
  10. Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name. kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-15
  11. Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  12. Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu stat.molit.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  13. Schoolinfo official open-data callback response schoolinfo.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  14. Statistics Korea / KOSIS citizenship distribution kosis.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  15. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31

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