As South Korea's eighth-most populous city, Suwon is the capital city of Gyeonggi Province, which covers 121 square kilometers in four districts and has a population of 1.06 million. The city is 44 km from Seoul, South Korean’s capital, and 42 km from South Korea's second-largest port city of Inchon. Its average altitude is 128 meters, with an annual average temperature of 11.4 C and annual average rainfall of 1,261 mm. The city tree is pine, city bird the egret and city flower the azalea.

Suwon is a historical and cultural city which was built in 1796, becoming the first city set up by Korea's 22nd king. In 1967, the government of Gyeonggi moved from Seoul to Suwon. Since then, Suwon has become a hub city south of Seoul, and its economic and social undertakings have developed rapidly.

Suwon enjoys solid economic strength and a strong industrial base, especially in science and technology, and its main industries include electronics, electrical appliances, chemical fiber and clothing. Among Samsung's largest production base and research and development centers are located in Suwon, while SK chemical fiber and SKC both have production bases in Suwon. Suwon is also the center of South Korea's agricultural research center as the institutes of South Korea's Agriculture Department are all in Suwon. Suwon was one of the host cities of the 2002 World Cup of Japan and South Korea.

Suwon is rich in cultural heritage and tourism resources. Suwon Hwaseong Fortress was listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1997. South Korea's largest amusement park, Everland theme park and South Korean folk village, is also near the city. In mid-October each year, Suwon holds a "Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Culture Festival".

Suwon attaches great importance to international exchanges. In addition to its sister city relationship with Jinan, it has also developed friendly relationships with countries such as Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Turkey, Romania and with Mexico City as sister cities.