Neighborhood guide
Gangnam-gu
Korea's wealthiest business, luxury-retail, and education district — south of the river.
- Area:
- 39.49 km²
- Population:
- ~556,000
- Legal dong:
- 14
Gangnam-gu, south of the Han River, is South Korea's most expensive and commercially powerful district — often likened to Beverly Hills. It pairs the Teheran-ro business corridor (finance and tech, nicknamed "Tehran Valley") with the COEX convention complex in Samseong, luxury retail in Apgujeong and Cheongdam, and the country's most intense private-education cluster in Daechi. Apartment prices run roughly double the Seoul average, so for most foreigners it's a place to work, do business, or shop rather than a student or budget base.
Housing costs
Median of recent official MOLIT transactions — a realistic middle, not the cheapest or a listing price.
Apartments
- Jeonse deposit
- ₩835M10771 deals
- Wolse deposit
- ₩227M + ₩1.5M / month11214 deals
- Sale price / ㎡
- ₩32.6M/㎡2894 deals
Officetels
- Jeonse deposit
- ₩247M898 deals
- Wolse deposit
- ₩20.0M + ₩810K / month3409 deals
- Sale price / ㎡
- ₩8.4M/㎡970 deals
Villas & row houses
- Jeonse deposit
- ₩300M2734 deals
- Wolse deposit
- ₩30.0M + ₩750K / month4906 deals
- Sale price / ㎡
- ₩15.0M/㎡1139 deals
Getting around
Gangnam is one of Seoul's best-connected districts, served by six rail lines. Line 2 runs the northern business belt (Gangnam, Yeoksam, Seolleung, Samseong); Line 3 covers Sinsa, Apgujeong, Daechi, and Suseo; Line 7 serves Cheongdam and Gangnam-gu Office; Line 9 adds Sinnonhyeon, Eonju, and Bongeunsa; and the Suin-Bundang and Shinbundang lines link east and south toward Pangyo. Gangnam Station and Samseong (COEX) are among the busiest hubs in the country.
Gangnam Station
Line 2 · Shinbundang
One of Seoul's busiest stations; retail & nightlife hub (on the Seocho border)
Samseong (COEX)
Line 2
COEX convention center, Starfield mall, World Trade Center, airport bus terminal
Seolleung
Line 2 · Suin-Bundang
Teheran-ro office interchange by the Seonjeongneung royal tombs
Apgujeong / Apgujeongrodeo
Line 3 / Suin-Bundang
Apgujeong & Cheongdam luxury shopping and clinics
No direct airport rail line — the City Airport Terminal (CALT) at COEX/Samseong runs non-stop limousine buses to Incheon (about 65–85 minutes); buses or taxis are the usual link.
Who lives here
Gangnam is defined by money, business, and status. Teheran-ro concentrates finance, IT, and startups; Samseong-dong holds COEX and the World Trade Center; Apgujeong and Cheongdam are the flagship luxury-fashion and cosmetic-surgery districts; and Daechi-dong is the epicenter of Korea's private-academy (hagwon) industry. The result is high daytime density, prestige addresses, and Seoul's steepest housing costs — polished and convenient, but expensive. Quieter residential pockets exist in Dogok, Ilwon, and Gaepo away from the commercial spines.
- Teheran-ro (Yeoksam / Seolleung)— The finance-and-tech high-rise corridor ('Tehran Valley').
- Samseong-dong (COEX)— Convention, trade, and hotel cluster with the COEX mall.
- Apgujeong & Cheongdam— Luxury shopping, flagship boutiques, and cosmetic-surgery clinics.
- Daechi-dong— Korea's most intense private-education (hagwon) district.
- Gangnam Station area— Dense retail, dining, and nightlife with heavy foot traffic.
For foreign residents
Gangnam is not a university district — it has no major undergraduate campus. Foreigners here are mostly professionals: corporate transferees, finance and tech workers along Teheran-ro, entrepreneurs, and staff of international firms near COEX. It's also a common base for expat families using international schools (for example the Korea International School Seoul Campus in Gaepo-dong) and a destination for medical and cosmetic-surgery tourism around Apgujeong and Cheongdam. The trade-off is cost — Gangnam has Seoul's highest rents, so it suits well-paid professionals and companies providing housing more than students.
Universities in or near the district
- Hallym University of Graduate Studies— Specialized graduate school in Yeoksam — Gangnam has no major undergraduate campus.