Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Seoul ranks 17th in global quality of life ranking
Seoul’s Starfield Library at Coex Mall / Courtrsy of Monocle
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Seoul placed 17th in Monocle magazine's 2026 Quality of Life Survey, the British lifestyle publication's annual ranking of the world's most livable cities, released Wednesday.
Tokyo topped this year's list, followed by Copenhagen and Lisbon. Seoul was the highest-ranked city in Northeast Asia outside Japan.
Monocle's survey, now in its 19th year, evaluates cities on criteria including safety, public transport, green space, governance, cultural offerings and nightlife, with the 2026 edition placing particular emphasis on civic vision and a city's ability to provide joy to its residents.
The survey's assessment of Seoul highlighted the city's swift recovery from the political turmoil that followed former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in December 2024 — for which he was subsequently impeached and sentenced to life imprisonment — calling it a reflection of "the resilience of one of Asia's most sophisticated democracies."
On the positive side, Monocle cited Seoul's outsized global cultural footprint through K-pop, K-beauty, Korean food and television, and noted that the National Museum of Korea recently became the world's third-most-visited museum.
The survey also praised the city's 24-hour urban culture, public safety, expanded public-transit network — including the eco-friendly Hangang Bus and the GTX high-speed rail — and the role of surrounding mountains in everyday outdoor life. Fine dust levels, a long-standing concern, have fallen by more than 40 percent over two decades.
Among the survey's criticisms, Monocle flagged long working hours, a demanding academic culture and the need for stronger legal protections for foreign residents. It also cautioned against high-rise redevelopment around historic sites such as Jongmyo Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site in central Seoul.
Monocle's July/August issue containing the full survey goes on sale Thursday.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.