Foreign residents pick Gwanghwamun as Seoul's most iconic landmark: survey

Tourists walk along Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, March 31. Gwanghwamun has been selected as the most iconic landmark in Seoul by foreign residents, according to a recent survey. Yonhap

Gwanghwamun — a public square that serves as the main gateway to Gyeongbok Palace and a hub of cultural and political life in Seoul — has been chosen as the city’s most iconic landmark by foreign residents, according to a survey released Wednesday.

In the 2024 Seoul Survey, 48.4 percent of 2,500 foreign residents chose Gwanghwamun as the city’s most iconic landmark. It was followed by traditional palaces (36.8 percent), the Han River (23.8 percent), Dongdaemun Design Plaza (23.5 percent) and Seoul Plaza (20.6 percent).

Asked to select the most symbolic color of Seoul in a multiple-choice question, 50.9 percent chose blue over pink (39 percent) and white (36.2 percent).

Meanwhile, the overall happiness index among foreign residents ― measured based on their health, financial conditions and relationship with other people, among other factors ― increased to 7.19 points from 6.83 points the previous year. By country, the average score among U.S. citizens was the highest at 7.97 points.

The survey also shows that their health condition has improved, with 72.7 percent saying it was “good,” a jump from 64.5 percent the previous year.

However, the vast majority of foreign residents consider life in the capital costly. Only 7.2 percent said the cost of living in Seoul is lower than in their home countries.

When asked whether they felt the Seoul city government treated them fairly compared to Korean citizens, 45.5 percent of foreign residents said yes — up from 40.4 percent in 2023.

Over the past three years, in another positive result, many of them have increasingly felt a sense of belonging to their neighborhoods ― estimated based on responses to questions like “Do you know people living in the same neighborhood?” and “Do you participate in events in your community?”

Eighty-one percent said they attend a regular social gathering of some kind, compared with 75 percent in 2023. Gatherings of people from the same country were the most popular type at 23.4 percent, followed by religious gatherings at 21.3 percent.

However, many foreign residents said they experienced some form of discrimination. When asked where, 33.6 percent said workplaces, followed by government-run facilities at 25.4 percent.

Asked what they think was the reason for discrimination in a multiple-answer question, 51.1 percent said they thought it had something to do with their insufficient Korean language ability, followed by their country of origin (30.4 percent).

When asked if they would like to continue to live in Seoul, 56 percent said they would, a rise from 50.4 percent the previous year, while 22.7 percent said they would not. The remaining 21.3 percent picked “neutral” on that question.