Does City Location Determine Urban Population Growth? The Case of Small and Medium Cities in Korea

Accessibility to large cities has been recognised as a significant factor for the growth of small and medium cities. The dependence on large cities is especially strong in the urban system with strong urban hierarchy. Based on this observation, this study attempts to examine the influence of city location in the Korean urban system on the growth of small and medium cities. The result shows that distance from Seoul is significant in explaining the overall urban population growth although distance from regional centres is important in explaining in‐ and out‐migration, suggesting that the spillover effect of Seoul is the dominant determinant of growth.