city, Kyŏnggi do (province), northwestern South Korea, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Seoul. Given the status of a municipality in 1973, it developed rapidly as a satellite city of Seoul, absorbing some of the capital's population and light industries. From 1970 to 1975 alone, Sŏngnam's population increased nearly fivefold to more than a quarter of a million persons, the highest rate of growth in the country. The government has continued to encourage the movement of industry from Seoul to Sŏngnam. Pop. (1984 est.) 434,078.