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Living in 서대문구

Population density was 17,178.3 people per km² in 2024. The annual precipitation estimate was 1,483.7 mm at the end of 2024. The unemployment rate was 4.6% at the end of 2025. The annual mean temperature estimate was 13.2°C at the end of 2024. 서대문구 is in South Korea; its population was 299,810 in June 2026. For 서대문구, annual PM2.5 was 17.2 µg/m³ at the end of 2024. The city covered 17.6 km² in 2020.

Higher unemployment than 95% of South Korean cities that publish it and dirtier air than 71% of South Korean cities that publish it.

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

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 서대문구.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

The housing-vacancy rate was 2.3% at the end of 2024.

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for 서대문구 yet. We do not infer one from another place.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Dwellings106,311 dwellings31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality7Official
Housing Vacancy Rate Percent2.3 %31 Dec 2024DT_1JU1512 2024 vacant housing units by municipality8Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in 서대문구?

The unemployment rate is 4.6 % (2025). Source: 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators1

Unemployment across cities in South KoreaUnemployment in 서대문구 is 4.6%. Of 218 cities with data, 34 have unemployment of 0.5 to under 1%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in South Korea per band13 cities: 0% to under 0.5%130–0.534 cities: 0.5% to under 1%340.5–116 cities: 1% to under 1.5%161–1.520 cities: 1.5% to under 2%201.5–215 cities: 2% to under 2.5%152–2.527 cities: 2.5% to under 3%272.5–327 cities: 3% to under 3.5%273–3.532 cities: 3.5% to under 4%323.5–418 cities: 4% to under 4.5%184–4.511 cities: 4.5% to under 5%114.5–5서대문구 4.6%3 cities: 5% to under 5.5%35–5.52 cities: 5.5% to under 6%25.5–6

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Unemployment rate4.6 %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 서대문구. 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 서대문구. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
School Count40 schools21 Jul 2026Schoolinfo official open-data callback response19Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
Doctors per 1,000 residents6 per 1,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors_per_100011Official
Hospital Beds Per 100k1,230 beds per 100,00031 Dec 2024KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital_beds_per_100k12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in 서대문구 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 residents6 per 1,000Verified 2026-07-21
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for 서대문구. 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 서대문구.

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in 서대문구?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 17.2 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: 17.19 µg/m³ · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations2
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
서대문구 average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND30°-5°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
서대문구 average monthly precipitation, mm010521031542017283773104130414348142525123JFMAMJJASONDmm
Sunshine through the yearAverage monthly sunshine, hours
서대문구 average monthly sunshine, hours060120180240170171198206223189124156180207157163JFMAMJJASONDhours
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
서대문구 annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit52517.2PM2.5µg/m³

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 서대문구 is 17.2 µg/m³. Of 234 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 17 to under 18 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in South Korea per band3 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³39–105 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³510–116 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³611–1217 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³1712–1332 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³3213–1425 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³2514–1527 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³2715–1624 cities: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³2416–1746 cities: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³4617–18서대문구 17.228 cities: 18 µg/m³ to under 19 µg/m³2818–199 cities: 19 µg/m³ to under 20 µg/m³919–207 cities: 20 µg/m³ to under 21 µg/m³720–214 cities: 21 µg/m³ to under 22 µg/m³421–221 city: 22 µg/m³ to under 23 µg/m³122–23

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean17.19 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.csv21Official · 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.csv21Official · 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.csv21Official · 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.csv21Official · 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.csv21Official · nearest-station reading
Annual mean temperature13.18 °C31 Dec 2024NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Precipitation Annual Mm1,484 mm31 Dec 2024NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities15Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context

Cities of a similar size in South Korea

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All South Korea cities
일산동구298,269 residents도봉구298,225 residents양주시297,226 residents광명시303,666 residentsnamgu304,337 residents흥덕구292,625 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in 서대문구?

The published population was 299,810 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 202613

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
서대문구 residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport94.6%Foreign residents 5.4%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Cars per 1,000 residents299.1 cars/1000 residents31 Dec 2024Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu18Official
City area17.63 km²2020Official KOSIS visual statistics, Korea City Statistics, regional area; joined to the archived MOIS/KOSIS si-gun-gu code and name.16Official
Foreign-resident share5.56 %31 Dec 2025Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-3110Official
Foreign residents16,243 people31 Mar 2026Registered foreigners by local government, March 202617Official
Population density17,178 people/km²31 Dec 2024Exact si-gun-gu density derived from archived official MOIS/KOSIS resident population and exact official KOSIS area row.16Official
Population Female158,621 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202614Official
Population Male141,189 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202614Official
Population299,810 people30 Jun 2026MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 202613Official

International community in 서대문구

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
계16,685100.0%
중국5,96335.7%
베트남2,09512.6%
타이완(대만)1,79310.7%
미국9805.9%
일본8775.3%
한국계중국인5583.3%
프랑스3642.2%
미얀마3121.9%
홍콩2271.4%
Show 124 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
영국2041.2%
인도2011.2%
인도네시아1961.2%
러시아(연방)1891.1%
독일1881.1%
타이(태국)1641.0%
필리핀1420.9%
몽골1380.8%
캐나다1340.8%
말레이시아1340.8%
스페인1260.8%
카자흐스탄1150.7%
이탈리아820.5%
오스트레일리아700.4%
우즈베키스탄680.4%
싱가포르570.3%
네팔530.3%
튀르키예510.3%
캄보디아490.3%
멕시코490.3%
네덜란드480.3%
벨기에470.3%
폴란드450.3%
파키스탄430.3%
스웨덴430.3%
우크라이나390.2%
이란360.2%
키르기즈320.2%
브라질310.2%
콜롬비아290.2%
스위스290.2%
노르웨이280.2%
사우디아라비아270.2%
모로코260.2%
오스트리아230.1%
칠레230.1%
아랍에미리트연합200.1%
핀란드200.1%
방글라데시180.1%
나이지리아180.1%
남아프리카공화국170.1%
페루170.1%
체코170.1%
케냐160.1%
에콰도르160.1%
덴마크150.1%
루마니아140.1%
헝가리140.1%
포르투갈130.1%
마카오130.1%
리투아니아130.1%
이집트120.1%
뉴질랜드120.1%
가나120.1%
라오스120.1%
마다가스카르110.1%
아일랜드100.1%
이스라엘100.1%
에티오피아90.1%
그리스90.1%
탄자니아90.1%
불가리아90.1%
아제르바이잔90.1%
베네수엘라90.1%
벨라루스80.0%
스리랑카70.0%
브루나이70.0%
투르크메니스탄70.0%
온두라스70.0%
요르단60.0%
수단60.0%
튀니지60.0%
아르헨티나60.0%
파라과이60.0%
엘살바도르60.0%
한국계러시아인50.0%
예멘공화국50.0%
조지아50.0%
우간다40.0%
도미니카공화국40.0%
볼리비아40.0%
세르비아40.0%
슬로바크40.0%
코스타리카40.0%
기타40.0%
카메룬30.0%
아프가니스탄30.0%
타지키스탄30.0%
콩고민주공화국30.0%
르완다30.0%
과테말라30.0%
짐바브웨30.0%
슬로베니아30.0%
영국외지민30.0%
알제리20.0%
크로아티아20.0%
앙골라20.0%
아르메니아20.0%
부룬디20.0%
팔레스타인20.0%
쿠바20.0%
우루과이20.0%
모리셔스20.0%
룩셈부르크20.0%
에스토니아20.0%
티모르민주공화국(동티모르)10.0%
코트디부아르10.0%
세네갈10.0%
잠비아10.0%
피지10.0%
가봉10.0%
쿠웨이트10.0%
파나마10.0%
감비아10.0%
시에라리온10.0%
라트비아10.0%
자메이카10.0%
레바논10.0%
니카라과10.0%
아이티10.0%
바레인10.0%
바하마10.0%
영국해외영토시민10.0%
모나코10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source20

Is 서대문구 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 worker53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 43–63%
Skilled employee64%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–73%
Student58%strong on education, weak on safety · range 49–67%
Family57%strong on family, weak on safety · range 47–67%
Retirement51%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 40–62%
Foreign residents16,243 people31 Mar 2026Official source · Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026
Population299,810 people30 Jun 2026Official source · MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026
Dwellings106,311 dwellings31 Dec 2024Official source · DT_1JU1501 2024 housing units by municipality
Unemployment rate4.6 %31 Dec 2025Official source · 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators
PM2.5 — annual mean17.19 µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · Air Pollution Level Confirmation Data — 2024 PM2.5 station observations
Annual mean temperature13.18 °C31 Dec 2024Official source · NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-07-31

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households147,178 households30 Jun 2026MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 202614Official

Is 서대문구 part of Seoul?

서대문구 is administratively part of Seoul. It is about 4.9 km away by straight-line distance.

Relationship type: Administrative Part Of. Source9

Which comparable places record less crime than 서대문구?

6 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than 서대문구 in this strictly source-matched cohort.

서대문구: 2,356 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents (2024).

노원구 — 2,056.8 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024과천시 — 2,064.9 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024성북구 — 2,133.7 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024도봉구 — 2,140.1 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024의왕시 — 2,185.6 recorded crime occurrences/100k residents2024안양시 — 2,323.7 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 서대문구?

The published population was 299,810 people in June 2026. Source: MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026.

Is the air quality good in 서대문구?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 17.2 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.

What is the unemployment rate in 서대문구?

The unemployment rate is 4.6 % (2025). Source: 2025 H2 Local Area Labour Force Survey — municipal key employment indicators.

How many foreign residents live in 서대문구?

16,243 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026.

Is 서대문구 a good place to live?

서대문구 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 서대문구 part of Seoul?

서대문구 is administratively part of Seoul. It is about 4.9 km away by straight-line distance.

How many people are in the 지부티 citizenship group in 서대문구?

The official citizenship distribution records 0 people (0.0%) 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 서대문구?

6 places have a lower recorded total crime rate than 서대문구 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, September 12). 서대문구, South Korea: jobs, air quality [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/seodaemungu/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_south-korea-jobs-air-quality_0198cfc9c206,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {서대문구, South Korea: jobs, air quality},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/seodaemungu/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[서대문구, South Korea: jobs, air quality](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/kr/seodaemungu/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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. Korea Immigration Service registered foreigners by si/gun/gu and nationality, 2025-12-31 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
Show 11 more sources
  1. KOSIS e-RegionIndex doctors_per_1000 kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  2. KOSIS e-RegionIndex hospital_beds_per_100k kosis.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  3. MOIS resident registration population by si/gun/gu, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  4. MOIS resident-registration population, sex and household counts by administrative area, June 2026 jumin.mois.go.kr · checked 2026-07-22
  5. NASA POWER 2024 daily point climate observation for South Korea municipalities power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-07-22
  6. 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
  7. Registered foreigners by local government, March 2026 immigration.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  8. Registered motor vehicles by si, gun and gu stat.molit.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  9. Schoolinfo official open-data callback response schoolinfo.go.kr · checked 2026-07-21
  10. Statistics Korea / KOSIS citizenship distribution kosis.kr · checked 2026-08-28
  11. WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 — station Seoul_47108.csv WMO Climatological Normals 1991-2020 · ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.