Compare Countries
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Introduction
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Background | <p>The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms -- Kogoryo, Baekche, and Silla -- were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over m... | China's historical civilization dates to at least the 13th century B.C., first under the Shang (to 1046 B.C.) and then the Zhou (1046-221 B.C.) dynasties. The imperial era of China began in 221 B.C. under the Qin Dynasty and lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912. During this period, Chin... |
Geography
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea | Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam |
| Area | 99,720 sq km | 9,596,960 sq km |
| Climate | temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters | extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north |
| Terrain | mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south | mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east |
| Natural resources | coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential | coal, iron ore, helium, petroleum, natural gas, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, cadmium, ferrosilicon, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, lithium, mercury, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, antimony, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, ... |
| Elevation | Halla-san 1,950 m | Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m |
People and Society
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,486,343 (2025 est.) | 1,407,181,209 (2025 est.) |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Religions | Protestant 17%, Buddhist 16%, Catholic 6%, none 60% (2021 est.) | folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.1% (2021 est.) |
| Age structure | 11.3% (male 3,024,508/female 2,873,523) | 16.3% (male 122,644,111/female 107,926,176) |
| Median age | 47 years (2025 est.) | 40.8 years (2025 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.09% (2025 est.) | -0.08% (2025 est.) |
| Birth rate | 4.29 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) | 7.28 births/1,000 population (2025 est.) |
| Death rate | 6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) | 7.97 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.4 years (2024 est.) | 78.7 years (2024 est.) |
| Literacy | NA | 96.7% (2020 est.) |
Government
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Government type | presidential republic | communist party-led state |
| Capital | Seoul | Beijing |
| Independence | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) | 1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China) |
| Constitution | several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988 | several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982 |
| Legal system | mixed system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought | civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes |
Economy
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | — | — |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | — | — |
| GDP - real growth rate | — | — |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.32% | 0.22% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.68% | 4.62% |
| Industries | electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel | world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizer; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; tra... |
| Agriculture - products | — | — |
| Exports | $831.89 billion | $3.75 trillion |
| Imports | $755.49 billion | $3.22 trillion |
| Public debt | 49 % of GDP | 47% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Communications
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 89.2 million (2024 est.) | 128 per 100 |
| Internet users | 97% (2023 est.) | 78% (2023 est.) |
Military and Security
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 3 % of GDP | 2 % of GDP |
| Military and security forces | Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea: Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN, includes Marine Corps, ROKMC), Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)<br><br>Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries: Korea Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior and Safety: Korean National Police Agency ... | People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces or People's Liberation Army Army (PLAA), Navy (PLAN, includes Marine Corps (PLANMC)), Air Force (PLAAF), Rocket Force (PLARF), Aerospace Force (ASF), Cyberspace Force (CSF), Information Support Force (ISF), Joint Logistics Support Force (JLSF); People's ... |
Transportation
| Field |
South Korea |
China |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 92 (2025) | 552 (2025) |
| Railways | 3,979 km (2016) | 150,000 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge (100,000 km electrified); 104,0000 traditional, 40,000 high-speed |
| Roadways | — | — |