Seoul
South Korea · Asia
U.S. State DeptLevel 1 · Normal precautions
Global Affairs CanadaLevel 1 · Normal precautions
UK FCDOLevel 1 · Normal precautions
Smartraveller (AU)Level 1 · Normal precautionsThe safety picture
A plain-language read of the sourced figures belowSeoul sits in the safest tier of our index at 100 out of 100.
The recorded figures are among the lowest we hold: homicide is 0.6 per 100,000, about 0.4 times the median for the cities we track, and robbery is 0.9 per 100,000. Both rates are for the city itself, calculated by us from a count and a population. All four governments we track hold South Korea at their lowest advisory level, in full agreement, while every advisory still notes pickpocketing and scams for the destination. Resident sentiment is more mixed than the crime data alone would suggest: in a national survey, 54% of people said they feel safe walking alone after dark, a figure for South Korea as a whole rather than the city.
Safety dimensions
Larger area = more concernHomicide / general violence
Primary source: Korean National Police Agency — Crime statistics by region
Robbery (police-recorded)
Primary source: Korean National Police Agency — Crime statistics by region
Travel advisories
U.S. State DeptLevel 1 · Normal precautionsPrimary source: U.S. Department of State — South Korea Travel Advisory
Global Affairs CanadaLevel 1 · Normal precautionsPrimary source: Global Affairs Canada — South Korea Travel Advice and Advisories
UK FCDOLevel 1 · Normal precautionsPrimary source: UK FCDO — South Korea travel advice
Smartraveller (AU)Level 1 · Normal precautionsPrimary source: Australian Government (DFAT Smartraveller) — South Korea travel advice
Perceived safety
How safe people say they feel, from official population surveys — a separate signal, not part of the Safety Index.Primary source: UN SDG 16.1.4 — feel safe walking alone at night (UNODC)
Tourist-specific incidents
How often government travel advisories mention each — a source-consensus signal, not a risk rate.Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — South Korea travel advice (Safety and security)
Primary source: Global Affairs Canada — South Korea travel advice (Safety and security)