First published Oct 14, 2026, 5:38:15 AM UTC · Last updated Oct 14, 2026, 5:38:15 AM UTC

Seoul Named the World’s No. 1 “Best Big City” in Leading U.S. Travel Magazine, Topping Tokyo for the First Time

Seoul was named the No. 1 “Best Big City” in a leading U.S. travel magazine, topping Tokyo for the first time. The excerpt also reports rankings for Seoul and Jongno 3-ga in the magazine’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards.

Why it matters

The rankings recognize Seoul and a Seoul neighborhood in an international travel publication.

Location

Categories: travel-and-transportation, positive-progress

Generated scores

Scores are based on the cited reporting and use a 1–10 scale. Read the methodology.

Confidence: 5/10How certain the assessment is based on the clarity and evidence in the cited reporting.
Geographic reach: 2/10How widely the event reaches, from a local area (1) to worldwide impact (10).
Global importance: 2/10The event's broader significance, from limited importance (1) to major global importance (10).
Impact magnitude: 2/10The scale or severity of the real-world impact, from minor (1) to extreme (10).
Positivity: 7/10How harmful or beneficial the event is, from strongly harmful (1) to strongly positive (10).
Urgency: 1/10How time-sensitive the event is, from low urgency (1) to immediate attention needed (10).

Primary official sources

Seoul Metropolitan Government City News Seoul Named the World’s No. 1 “Best Big City” in Leading U.S. Travel Magazine, Topping Tokyo for the First TimeSource: Seoul Metropolitan Government (https://english.seoul.go.kr/), licensed under KOGL Type 1. Usage terms

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