South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the LX Corp. released data on the 20th revealing that urban areas, covering just 16.7% of the nation's territory, are home to 92.1% of its population.

As of the end of last year, the country's designated land-use zones totaled 105,663 square kilometers, with urban areas for residential, commercial, and industrial purposes spanning 17,740 square kilometers, or 16.7% of the total landmass. Based on resident registration figures, 47.06 million of the nation's 51.12 million people live in these urban zones.

Within urban land, green spaces account for the largest share at 12,555 square kilometers (70.8%), followed by residential zones at 2,791 square kilometers (15.7%), industrial zones at 1,292 square kilometers (7.3%), and commercial zones at 349 square kilometers (2%). Compared to 2021, residential areas expanded by 51 square kilometers (1.9%), industrial zones grew by 51 square kilometers (4.1%), and commercial zones increased by 7 square kilometers (2%), while green spaces contracted by 37 square kilometers (0.3%).

Breaking down all designated land uses nationally, agricultural and forestry regions dominate with 49,191 square kilometers (46.2%), followed by management areas at 27,329 square kilometers (25.6%), urban zones at 17,740 square kilometers (16.7%), natural environment protection areas at 11,874 square kilometers (11.1%), and undesignated zones at 429 square kilometers (0.4%).