Car ownership lowest at 1 per 2.94 people; city officials cite strong public transit

Vehicles pass on a road in Seocho District, Seoul, Jan. 9. (Yonhap)
Vehicles pass on a road in Seocho District, Seoul, Jan. 9. (Yonhap)

Seoul was the only city in South Korea that saw a decline in the number of registered automobiles last year, with a decrease of 0.45 percent, or more than 14,000 units, from a year earlier, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday.

As of December last year, a total of 3,176,933 vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, cargo trucks, were registered in Seoul. The figure accounted for 12 percent of the total listed vehicles nationwide.

By district, Gangnam had the highest number with 254,871 vehicles, followed by Songpa (242,897 vehicles), Gangseo (203,720 vehicles), Seocho (177,348 vehicles), and Gangdong (160,983 vehicles).

Nationwide, vehicle registrations grew by 1.34 percent on-year in 2024.

The city's automobile ownership was also below the national average, with one vehicle for every 2.94 people, compared to the national average of 1.95 people per vehicle.

The recent downward trend in vehicle registration in the capital can be attributed to lower demand for car purchases among younger generations, solid public transportation infrastructure, and a growing number of senior citizens returning their driver’s licenses, officials said.

As part of efforts to prevent accidents involving senior drivers, the city government provides transportation cards with 100,000 won preloaded to citizens aged 70 and above who voluntarily return their driver’s licenses.

Although the overall number of registered vehicles decreased, the number of eco-friendly vehicles, including hybrid and electric cars, increased by 64,019 from the previous year, owing to the expansion of electric vehicle charging stations.

There are a total of 48,468 electric vehicle chargers installed across Seoul, as of December 2023, according to data from the city government. Of these, 3,845 are fast chargers located at roadsides and public parking lots, while 44,623 are slow chargers operated in residential areas, workplaces, and public facilities.

"We’ll put up efforts to promote transportation policies based on the recent data regarding vehicle registration in Seoul,” said Yeo Jang-gwon, director of the city government’s transportation bureau.


cjh@heraldcorp.com