Seoul City ranked seventh in a global city ranking of the world's 48 major cities.
 
According to the Global Power City Index (GPCI) compiled by the Institute for Urban Strategies at the Mori Memorial Foundation in Tokyo, Seoul retained the seventh spot for the second consecutive year in the annual ranking that evaluates comprehensive competitiveness.
 
The South Korean capital ranked seventh in 2011 and moved up to sixth the next year; it retained the place for the next five years before slipping to seventh in 2018.
 
Seoul earned higher marks in research and development, where it ranked fifth, but placed lower in the categories of economy and natural environment at 22nd and 34th, respectively.
 
The 2019 index found the British city of London as the world's most powerful city followed by New York, Tokyo, Paris and Singapore.
 
The index evaluates and ranks the major cities according to their "magnetism," or their comprehensive power to attract people, capital, and enterprises from around the world, measuring six functions – economy, research and development, cultural interaction, livability, environment, and accessibility.