# Dong (administrative division)

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Administrative unit of districts throughout Korea

Neighborhood Hangul 동 Hanja 洞 RR dong MR tong Administrative neighborhood Hangul 행정동 Hanja 行政洞 RR haengjeongdong MR haengjŏngdong Legal-status neighborhood Hangul 법정동 Hanja 法定洞 RR beopjeongdong MR pŏpchŏngdong

This article is part of a series on the Administrative divisions of South Korea Provincial level Province (list) Special self-governing province (Jeju, Gangwon and North Jeolla) Special city (Seoul) Special metropolitan city (Jeonnam–Gwangju) Metropolitan city (list) Special self-governing city (Sejong) Municipal level Specific city (list) City (list) County (list) Autonomous District (list) Submunicipal level Administrative city (list) Non-autonomous District (list) Neighborhoods and Towns Town (list) Township (list) Neighborhood (list) Villages Village (list) Communities Ward v t e

This article is part of a series on the Administrative divisions of North Korea Provincial level Province (도 道 to) Special municipality (특별시 特別市 t'ŭkpyŏlsi) Municipal level City (시 市 si) County (군 郡 kun) District (구역 區域 kuyŏk) Submunicipal level Town (읍 邑 ŭp) Neighborhood (동 洞 dong) Village (리 里 ri) Workers' District (로동자구 勞動者區 rodongjagu) v t e

A ***dong*** ([Korean](/source/Korean_language): 동; IPA: [\[to̞ŋ\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Korean)) or **neighborhood** is a submunicipal level administrative unit of a [city](/source/List_of_cities_in_South_Korea)[1] and of those [cities](/source/List_of_cities_in_South_Korea) which are not divided into wards throughout [Korea](/source/Korea). The unit is often translated as neighborhood and has been used in administrative divisions of both [North Korea](/source/North_Korea)[2] and [South Korea](/source/South_Korea).[3][4]

## In South Korea

A *dong* is, usually, the smallest level of urban-area division to have its own office and staff in South Korea. There are two types of *dong*: **legal-status neighborhood** (법정동) and **administrative neighborhood** (행정동).[5][6][7]

For land property and (old) address, **legal-status neighborhood** is mainly used. Unlike what the name indicates, they are not defined by any [written law](/source/Written_law). Instead, most of names are came from [customary law](/source/Customary_law), which indicates historical names. "Administrative neighborhood", however, is defined by local governments to make an office (community center). Community centers provide some administrative services such as residential/birth registration or death notification, to relieve service pressure of local government. Also, electoral districts are based on administrative neighborhood.

In usual cases, an administrative neighborhood is set by population of the area to match demands for the civil services. Because legal-status neighborhood uses historical name, recently developed (populated) area can be grouped as a single legal-status neighborhood. In such places, it can be divided into several administrative neighborhoods. [Sillim-dong](/source/Sillim-dong) is a typical example for this case. For the same reason, there are some inverse cases, i.e. a single administrative neighborhood holding multiple legal-status neighborhoods. Such cases contain an undeveloped suburban area, or a recently declining area.

The primary division of a *dong* is the *tong* (통/統), but divisions at this level and below are used rarely in daily life. Cases using *tong* contain school districts or military services. Some *dong* are subdivided into *ga* (가/街), which are not a separate level of government but only exist for use in addresses. Many major thoroughfares in [Seoul](/source/Seoul), [Busan](/source/Busan), and other cities are also subdivided into *ga*.

The widest *legal-status dong* is [Unseo-dong](/source/Unseo-dong) in Jung District, Incheon Metropolitan City, with an area of 51.56 km2 (19.91 sq mi). Incheon International Airport occupies most of the area. This is wider than Anyang City, with an area of 58.46 km2 (22.57 sq mi), and Gyeryong City, with an area of 60.7 km2 (23.4 sq mi).[8] The narrowest *legal-status dong* is Sangdeok-dong in [Jung District](/source/Jung_District%2C_Daegu), Daegu Metropolitan City, with an area of 2,971 m2 (0.003 km2).[9]

## In popular culture

The YouTuber [iGoBart](/source/IGoBart) has produced a YouTube series that covers each of Seoul's *dong*.[10][11]

## See also

- [Administrative divisions of North Korea](/source/Administrative_divisions_of_North_Korea)

- [Administrative divisions of South Korea](/source/Administrative_divisions_of_South_Korea)

- [Barangay](/source/Barangay), a similar subdivision of [Philippines](/source/Philippines)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** *Korea annual, Volume 1991* (37 ed.). [Yonhap News Agency](/source/Yonhap_News_Agency). 2000. p. 126. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-89-7433-051-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-89-7433-051-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hunter, (1999) p.154

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Nelson, (2000), p.30

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** No, (1993), p.208

1. **[^](#cite_ref-EncyKorea_5-0)** [동 洞](https://web.archive.org/web/20110610062853/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=291712&v=44) [Dong] (in Korean). [Nate](/source/Nate_(web_portal)) / [Encyclopedia of Korean Culture](/source/Encyclopedia_of_Korean_Culture). Archived from [the original](http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=K&i=291712&v=44) on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2009-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Britannica_6-0)** [동 洞](https://web.archive.org/web/20110610062911/http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=B&i=127489&v=44) [Dong] (in Korean). [Nate](/source/Nate_(web_portal)) / [Encyclopædia Britannica](/source/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica). Archived from [the original](http://100.nate.com/dicsearch/pentry.html?s=B&i=127489&v=44) on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2009-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Doosan_7-0)** [행정동 行政洞](https://web.archive.org/web/20090902220629/http://www.encyber.com/search_w/ctdetail.php?masterno=188263&contentno=188263) [*Haengjeong-dong* (trans. Administrative dong)] (in Korean). [Doosan Encyclopedia](/source/Doosan_Encyclopedia). Archived from [the original](http://www.encyber.com/search_w/ctdetail.php?masterno=188263&contentno=188263) on 2009-09-02. Retrieved 2009-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [중구 운서동 주민센터 문열어](https://www.kyeongin.com/main/view.php?key=627468) [Jung-gu Unseo-dong administrative welfare center opened] (in Korean). Kyeongin Ilbo. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** [\[포토 스토리\] 100걸음 걸으면 동네 끝…국내 최소 법정동 '대구 중구 상덕동'](https://www.yeongnam.com/web/view.php?key=20211014000750493) [[Photo Story] If you walk 100 steps, the neighborhood ends... 'Sangdeok-dong, Jung-gu, Daegu', the smallest legal-status dong in South Korea] (in Korean). The Yeongnam Ilbo. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:1_10-0)** Roos, Amber Anne (2023-11-16). ["YouTuber 'iGoBart' and his mission to explore all 467 neighborhoods of Seoul"](https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20231116000839). *[The Korea Herald](/source/The_Korea_Herald)*. Retrieved 2024-08-17.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-:2_11-0)** Chatzoudi, Foteini (2023-12-08). ["Dutch YouTuber aims to explore all 467 Seoul neighborhoods"](https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/HonoraryReporters/view?articleId=243367&pageIndex=1). *[Korea.net](/source/Korea.net)*. Retrieved 2024-08-17.

## References

- Hunter, Helen-Louise. (1999), *Kim Il-sŏng's North Korea*, Greenwood Publishing Group, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0275962962](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0275962962)

- Nelson, Laura C. (2000) *Measured excess: status, gender, and consumer nationalism in South Korea*, Columbia University Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-231-11616-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-231-11616-0)

- Yusuf, Shahid; Evenett, Simon J., Wu, Weiping. (2001) *Facets of globalization: international and local dimensions of development* World Bank Publications, pp. 226–227 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8213-4742-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8213-4742-X)

- No, Chŏng-hyŏn (1993) *Public administration and the Korean transformation: concepts, policies, and value conflicts*, Kumarian Press, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-56549-022-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56549-022-3)

Authority control databases: National Korea

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dong (administrative division)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_(administrative_division)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_(administrative_division)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.