List of provincial-level cities of South Korea
Province-level cities are one of the first-level administrative divisions within South Korea. There are three types: special, metropolitan, and special self-governing.
Position in hierarchy and types
Province-level cities have equal status to provinces in the South Korean administrative scheme, and are among the highest-ranked administrative divisions of South Korea. There are three kinds of first-level city in South Korea.| Type | Hangul | Hanja | RR | City names | No. of cities |
| Special Metropolitan City | 특별시 | 特別市 | teukbyeolsi | Seoul | 1 |
| Metropolitan City | 광역시 | 廣域市 | gwangyeoksi | Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan | 6 |
| Special Self-Governing City | 특별자치시 | 特別自治市 | teukbyeol-jachisi | Sejong | 1 |
- Seoul was designated a "special free city" separate from Gyeonggi Province on August 15, 1946; it became a "special metropolitan city" on August 15, 1949.
- Metropolitan cities were called "direct control city" before 1995.
Administration
In South Korean special metropolitan city and metropolitan cities, the mayor is the highest-ranking official in charge. The mayor is directly elected by the people registered in the city for a duration of four years.Metropolitan functions such as water supply and public transport are integrated into the sole prefecture other than scattered to each municipality.