In the face of rising inequalities in cities, many mayors from around the world have taken a stand. The OECD launched the Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth initiative in March 2016 as part of the OECD Inclusive Growth initiative, bringing together nearly 50 local leaders from around the world who have made the fight against inequalities a central policy priority. Since its inception, this global coalition, which draws mayors from Paris to New York, from Cape Town to Medellín, from Los Angeles to Seoul, has delivered three major political outcomes, including the New York Proposal, the Paris Action Plan, and the Seoul Implementation Agenda. These documents reflect the shared commitment of mayors to work together to advance more inclusive cities.

Echoing broader trends in Korea, Seoul’s rapid economic development and urbanisation in recent decades has generated significant prosperity, but economic growth has not been equally distributed across territories and populations. Income inequalities in Korea are the seventh-highest in the OECD, and regional disparities are also relatively high and have been on the rise over the past decade.

This chapter examines the state of inequalities and inclusive growth in Seoul. It assesses major economic and demographic trends in the Seoul metropolitan area relative to other Korean cities and OECD metropolitan areas. It analyses the challenges facing Seoul inhabitants along four inclusive growth pillars (education; labour markets; housing and the urban environment; infrastructure and public services), focusing on the extent to which certain social groups or inhabitants of specific neighbourhoods face difficulties in fully benefitting from the city’s economic and social opportunities.

This chapter assesses the nexus between climate change adaptation, mitigation and inclusive growth in cities. It outlines the role of local governments in responding to the dual challenges of inequality and climate change, and identifies the synergies and trade-offs for policy makers to develop policy responses that address both issues in a mutually reinforcing way. The chapter analyses the climate challenge in Seoul, and the pioneering efforts of Seoul Metropolitan Government to ensure that strategies to tackle climate change – notably through its flagship initiative, The Promise of Seoul – are effective in engaging citizens and protecting the city’s most vulnerable populations.

This chapter analyses the contributions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship towards more inclusive growth in Seoul. It identifies the main challenges facing SMEs and entrepreneurs in Seoul. It then takes a closer look at how the city’s Economic Democratisation Agenda, introduced by Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2016, is addressing the obstacles facing SMEs and entrepreneurs, as well as measures that could further strengthen its impact.