South Korea

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 much of the Peninsula and part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in 688. Following the collapse of Silla in the 9th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties. Korea became the object of intense imperialistic rivalry among the Chinese (its traditional benefactor), Japanese, and Russian empires in the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Korea was occupied by Imperial Japan. In 1910, Japan formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence after Japan's surrender to the US and its allies in 1945. A US-supported democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, while a communist-style government backed by the Soviet Union was installed in the north (North Korea; aka Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. After the 1953 armistice, the two Koreas were separated by a demilitarized zone.Syngman RHEE led the country as its first president from 1948 to 1960. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his controversial rule (1961-79), South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea by 1979. PARK was assassinated in 1979, and subsequent years were marked by political turmoil and continued military rule as the country's pro-democracy movement grew. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former South Korean Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former South Korean President PARK Chung-hee, took office in 2013 as South Korea's first female leader. In 2016, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against PARK over her alleged involvement in a corruption and influence-peddling scandal, triggering an early presidential election in 2017 won by MOON Jae-in. In 2022, longtime prosecutor and political newcomer YOON Suk Yeol won the presidency by the slimmest margin in South Korean history. Discord and tensions with North Korea, punctuated by North Korean military provocations, missile launches, and nuclear tests, have permeated inter-Korean relations for years. Relations remained strained, despite a period of respite in 2018-2019 ushered in by North Korea's participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in South Korea and high-level diplomatic meetings, including historic US-North Korea summits. In 2024, Pyongyang announced it was ending all economic cooperation with South Korea, a move that followed earlier proclamations that it was scrapping a 2018 military pact to de-escalate tensions along their militarized border, abandoning the country’s decades-long pursuit of peaceful unification with South Korea, and designating the South as North Korea’s “principal enemy.”

land

96,920 sq km

total

99,720 sq km

water

2,800 sq km

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Indiana

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters

2,413 km

highest point

Halla-san 1,950 m

lowest point

Sea of Japan 0 m

mean elevation

282 m

37 00 N, 127 30 E

strategic location on Korea Strait; about 3,000 mostly small and uninhabited islands lie off the western and southern coasts

7,780 sq km (2012)

border countries

North Korea 237 km

total

237 km

agricultural land

18.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 15.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)

forest

63.9% (2018 est.)

other

18% (2018 est.)

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Asia

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

not specified

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwestvolcanism: Halla (1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

with approximately 70% of the country considered mountainous, the country's population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is quite high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northeast is the least populated

mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

0-14 years

11.3% (male 3,024,508/female 2,873,523)

15-64 years

69.4% (male 18,653,915/female 17,465,817)

65 years and over

19.3% (2024 est.) (male 4,440,688/female 5,623,348)

beer

1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

5.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

7.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

0.9% (2019/21) NA

82.3% (2018)

note

note: percent of women aged 20-49

8.4% of GDP (2020)

52.9% (2023 est.)

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

elderly dependency ratio

23.3

potential support ratio

4.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

39.9

youth dependency ratio

16.6

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

4.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

homogeneous

0.55 (2024 est.)

12.4 beds/1,000 population (2018)

female

2.6 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Korean, English 

major-language sample(s)

월드 팩트북, 필수적인 기본 정보 제공처 (Korean)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

female

86.6 years

male

80.3 years

total population

83.4 years (2024 est.)

female

98.4% NA

male

99.2% NA

total population

98.8% NA

9.988 million SEOUL (capital), 3.472 million Busan, 2.849 million Incheon, 2.181 million Daegu (Taegu), 1.577 million Daejon (Taejon), 1.529 million Gwangju (Kwangju) (2023)

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

47.3 years

male

44 years

total

45.5 years (2024 est.)

32.2 years (2019 est.)

adjective

Korean

noun

Korean(s)

2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

4.7% (2016)

2.48 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

female

25,962,688 (2024 est.)

male

26,119,111

total

52,081,799

with approximately 70% of the country considered mountainous, the country's population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is quite high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northeast is the least populated

0.21% (2024 est.)

Protestant 17%, Buddhist 16%, Catholic 6%, none 60% (2021 est.)

note

note: many people also carry on at least some Confucian traditions and practices

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

female

16 years (2020)

male

17 years

total

17 years

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.07 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.79 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

5.9% (2020 est.)

male

35.7% (2020 est.)

total

20.8% (2020 est.)

1.12 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.5% of total population (2023)

9 provinces (do, singular and plural), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi, singular and plural), 1 special city (teugbyeolsi), and 1 special self-governing city (teukbyeoljachisi) provinces: Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong), Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong), Gangwon-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang), Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang), Jeju-do (Jeju), Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla), Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) metropolitan cities: Busan (Pusan), Daegu (Taegu), Daejeon (Taejon), Gwangju (Kwangju), Incheon (Inch'on), Ulsan special city: Seoul special self-governing city: Sejong

etymology

the name originates from the Korean word meaning "capital city" and which is believed to be derived from Seorabeol, the name of the capital of the ancient Korean Kingdom of Silla

geographic coordinates

37 33 N, 126 59 E

name

Seoul; note - Sejong, located some 120 km (75 mi) south of Seoul, serves as an administrative capital for segments of the South Korean Government

time difference

UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of South Korea

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

amendments

proposed by the president or by majority support of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum by more than one half of the votes by more than one half of eligible voters, and promulgation by the president; amended several times, last in 1987

history

several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988

abbreviation

ROK

conventional long form

Republic of Korea

conventional short form

South Korea

etymology

derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.; the South Korean name "Han'guk" derives from the long form, "Taehan-min'guk," which is itself a derivation from "Daehan-je'guk," which means "the Great Empire of the Han"; "Han" refers to the "Sam'han" or the "Three Han Kingdoms" (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla from the Three Kingdoms Era, 1st-7th centuries A.D.)

local long form

Taehan-min'guk

local short form

Han'guk

chief of mission

Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG (since 29 July 2022)

consulate(s)

Busan

email address and website

seoulinfoACS@state.govhttps://kr.usembassy.gov/

embassy

188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul

FAX

[82] (2) 397-4101

mailing address

9600 Seoul Place, Washington, DC  20521-9600

telephone

[82] (2) 397-4114

chancery

2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador CHO Hyundong (since 19 April 2023)

consulate(s) general

Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia

email address and website

generalusa@mofa.go.krhttps://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/index.do

FAX

[1] (202) 797-0595

telephone

[1] (202) 939-5600

cabinet

State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation

chief of state

President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); note - Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo became Acting President on 14 December 2024, after the National Assembly impeached and suspended YOON from office; South Korea's Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on YOON's removal

election results

2022: YOON Suk-yeol elected president; YOON Suk-yeol (PPP) 48.6%, LEE Jae-myung (DP) 47.8%; other 3.6%2017: MOON Jae-in elected president; MOON Jae-in (DP) 41.1%, HONG Joon-pyo (Liberty Korea Party) 24%, AHN Cheol-soo (PP) 21.4%, YOO Seung-min (Bareun Party) 6.8%, SIM Sang-jung (Justice Party) 6.2%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 9 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2027); prime minister appointed by president with consent of the National Assembly

head of government

President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); note - Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo became Acting President on 14 December 2024, after the National Assembly impeached and suspended YOON from office; South Korea's Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on YOON's removal

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government; the prime minister (HAN Duck-soo since 21 May 2022) serves as the principal executive assistant to the president, similar to the role of a vice president

white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field; the South Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony

presidential republic

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CABEI, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 13 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of a court head and 8 justices)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; other justices appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the chief justice and consent of the National Assembly; position of the chief justice is a 6-year nonrenewable term; other justices serve 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court justices appointed - 3 by the president, 3 by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Supreme Court chief justice; court head serves until retirement at age 70, while other justices serve 6-year renewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65

subordinate courts

High Courts; District Courts; Branch Courts (organized under the District Courts); specialized courts for family and administrative issues

mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

description

unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe (300 seats; 253 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 47 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition (constituency) - Democratic Alliance 52.3%, PPP 45.7%, others 2%; percent of vote by party/coalition (proportional) - PPP 36.7%, Democratic Alliance 26.7%, Rebuilding Korea Party 24.3%, New Reform Party 3.6%, New Future Party 1.7%, others 7%; seats by party - Democratic Alliance 176 (DPK 169), PPP 108, Rebuilding Korea Party 12, New Reform Party 3, New Future Party 1; composition - men 240, women 60, percentage women 20%

elections

last held on 10 April 2024 (next to be held in April 2028)

lyrics/music

YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay

name

"Aegukga" (Patriotic Song)

note

note: adopted 1948, well-known by 1910; both North Korea's and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics

selected World Heritage Site locales

Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (n); Changdeokgung Palace Complex (c); Jongmyo Shrine (c); Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (c); Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (c); Gyeongju Historic Areas (c); Namhansanseong (c); Baekje Historic Areas (c); Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (c); Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (c)

total World Heritage Sites

16 (14 cultural, 2 natural)

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

taegeuk (yin yang symbol), Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon), Siberian tiger; national colors: red, white, blue, black

Basic Income Party Democratic Party of Korea or DPK New Future PartyNew Reform Party Open Democratic Party or ODP People Power Party or PPP Progressive Party or Jinbo Party Rebuilding Korea Party Social Democratic Party note:  the Democratic Alliance coalition consists of the DPK and the smaller Basic Income, Jinbo, Open Democratic, and Social Democratic parties, as well as two independents; for the 2024 election, the Basic Income Party, the ODP, and the Social Democratic Party formed the New Progressive Alliance

18 years of age; universal; note - the voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 beginning with the 2020 national election

rice, vegetables, cabbages, milk, pork, onions, chicken, eggs, tangerines/mandarins, potatoes (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

1.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

12.1% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$563.156 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$542.275 billion (2022 est.)

Fitch rating

AA- (2012)

Moody's rating

Aa2 (2015)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA (2016)

Current account balance 2021

$85.228 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$25.829 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$35.488 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

strong export- and technology-oriented East Asian economy; manufacturing led by semiconductor and automotive industries; aging workforce; increased restraint in fiscal policy while maintaining industry support initiatives

Currency

South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

1,165.358 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

1,180.266 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

1,143.952 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

1,291.447 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

1,305.663 (2023 est.)

Exports 2021

$769.424 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$825.961 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$769.534 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

integrated circuits, refined petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, ships (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 21%, US 16%, Vietnam 9%, Japan 4%, Hong Kong 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

44% (2023 est.)

government consumption

18.9% (2023 est.)

household consumption

48.9% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-43.9% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

32.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

1.6% (2023 est.)

industry

31.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

58.4% (2023 est.)

$1.713 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

31.4 (2016 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

24% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%

2.8% (2016 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2021

$698.98 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$817.594 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$761.102 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

crude petroleum, integrated circuits, natural gas, coal, refined petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 23%, US 11%, Japan 8%, Australia 6%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

1.14% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.5% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

5.09% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.59% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

29.611 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

14.4% (2016 est.)

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

51.18% of GDP (2022 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$2.515 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$2.58 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$2.615 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.3% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.61% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

1.36% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$48,600 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$49,900 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$50,600 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.43% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.47% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.45% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$463.281 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$423.366 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$420.93 billion (2023 est.)

18.44% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

3.64% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

2.86% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

2.64% (2023 est.)

female

5.4% (2023 est.)

male

5.4% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

5.4% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

268.556 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

124.765 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

250.135 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

643.456 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

136.413 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

29,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

121.272 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

15.595 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

326 million metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

586.766 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

146.539 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

19.994 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

biomass and waste

1.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

65.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

27.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

tide and wave

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

235.518 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

59.48 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

93.639 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

62.622 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

55.127 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

7.079 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

25.83GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

2 (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

2 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

26 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

31.5% (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

2.452 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

38,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

44 (2020 est.)

total

22,327,182 (2020 est.)

multiple national TV networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated; the largest privately owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks; cable and satellite TV subscription services available; publicly operated radio broadcast networks and many privately owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations

.kr

percent of population

98% (2021 est.)

total

50.96 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line approximately 45 per 100 and mobile-cellular services 141 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce (2021)

general assessment

South Korea is second only to Hong Kong in the world rankings of telecom market maturity; it is also on the leading edge of the latest telecom technology developments, including around 6G; with its highly urbanized, tech-savvy population, South Korea also enjoys very high communication levels across all segments – fixed-line telephony (44% at the start of 2022), fixed broadband (46%), mobile voice and data (144%), and mobile broadband (120%); the performance of the mobile sector is on a par with other developed markets around the region, but it’s the wire line segment that allows South Korea to stand out from the crowd; this is partly a reflection of the large proportion of its population who live in apartment buildings (around 60%), making fiber and apartment LAN connections relatively easy and cost-effective to deploy; the government’s Ultra Broadband convergence Network (UBcN) had aimed to reach 50% adoption by the end of 2022, but that target may be a few more years away; fixed-line teledensity is also at a very high level compared to most of the rest of the world, but it has been on a sharp decline from a rate of 60% ten years ago; on the mobile front, users have enthusiastically migrated from one generation of mobile platform to the next as each iteration becomes available; there also doesn’t appear to be any great concern about there being a lack of demand for 5G in South Korea (when the country is already well supported by 4G networks), with 30% of all subscribers having already made the switch; part of the reason behind the rapid transition may be the subsidized handsets on offer from each of the MNOs and the MVNOs (2022)

international

country code - 82; landing points for EAC-C2C, FEA, SeaMeWe-3, TPE, APCN-2, APG, FLAG North Asia Loop/REACH North Asia Loop, KJCN, NCP, and SJC2 submarine cables providing links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia and US; satellite earth stations - 66 (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

44 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

22.81 million (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

149 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

76.992 million (2022 est.)

89 (2024)

HL

1,275 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 93, container ship 115, general cargo 362, oil tanker 219, other 1,360

total

2,149 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

11,929,560,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

88,157,579 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

424

number of registered air carriers

14 (2020)

3,790 km gas, 16 km oil, 889 km refined products (2018)

key ports

Busan, Gwangyang Hang, Inchon, Masan, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek Hang, Ulsan

large

2

medium

5

ports with oil terminals

10

small

4

total ports

15 (2024)

very small

4

standard gauge

3,979 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (2,727 km electrified)

total

3,979 km (2016)

paved

92,795 km (includes 4,193 km of expressways)

total

100,428 km

unpaved

7,633 km (2016)

1,600 km (2011) (most navigable only by small craft)

the South Korean military is primarily focused on the threat from North Korea; it also deploys abroad for multinational missions, including peacekeeping and other security operationsSouth Korea's primary defense partner is the US, and the 1953 US-South Korea Mutual Defense Treaty is a cornerstone of the country's national security; the Treaty committed the US to provide assistance in the event of an attack and gave the US permission to station land, air, and sea forces in and about the territory of South Korea as determined by mutual agreement; the US maintains approximately 28,000 military personnel in the country and conducts bilateral exercises with the South Korean military; South Korea has Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) status with the US, a designation under US law that provides foreign partners with certain benefits in the areas of defense trade and security cooperation; the South Korean military has assisted the US in conflicts in Afghanistan (5,000 troops; 2001-2014), Iraq (20,000 troops; 2003-2008), and Vietnam (325,000 troops; 1964-1973)in 2016, South Korea concluded an agreement with the EU for participation in EU Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) missions and operations, such as the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta, which protects maritime shipping and conducts counter-piracy operations off the coast of East AfricaSouth Korea has been engaged with NATO through dialogue and security cooperation since 2005 and is considered by NATO to be a global partner; in 2022, South Korea established its Mission to NATO to further institutionalize its cooperative relationship; it has participated in NATO-led missions and exercises, including in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, 2010-2013; it has also cooperated with NATO in countering the threat of piracy in the Gulf of Aden by providing naval vessels as escortsin addition to the invasion of South Korea and the subsequent Korean War (1950-53), North Korea from the 1960s to the 1980s launched a considerable number of limited military and subversive actions against South Korea using special forces and terrorist tactics; including aggressive skirmishes along the DMZ, overt attempts to assassinate South Korean leaders, kidnappings, the bombing of an airliner, and a failed effort in 1968 to foment an insurrection and conduct a guerrilla war in the South with more than 100 seaborne commandos; from the 1990s until 2010, the North lost two submarines and a semi-submersible boat attempting to insert infiltrators into the South (1996, 1998) and provoked several engagements in the Northwest Islands area along the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL), including naval skirmishes between patrol boats in 1999 and 2002, the torpedoing and sinking of a South Korean corvette, the Cheonan, in 2010, and the bombardment of a South Korean Marine Corps installation on Yeonpyeong Island, also in 2010; since 2010, further minor incidents continue to occur periodically along the DMZ, where both the North and the South Korean militaries maintain large numbers of troops; ; in late 2023 and early 2024, the Kim regime abandoned decades of official policy and declared that South Korea was not inhabited by “fellow countrymen” but a separate and “hostile” state that the North would “subjugate” if war broke out (2024)

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)Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries: Korea Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior and Safety: Korean National Police Agency (2023)

note

note 1: the military reserves include Mobilization Reserve Forces (First Combat Forces) and Homeland Defense Forces (Regional Combat Forces)

approximately 500,000 active-duty personnel (365,000 Army; 70,000 Navy, including about 30,000 Marines; 65,000 Air Force) (2023)

250 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 275 South Sudan (UNMISS); 170 United Arab Emirates; note - since 2009, South Korea has kept a naval flotilla with approximately 300 personnel in the waters off of the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (2024)

the South Korean military is equipped with a mix of mostly modern domestically produced and imported weapons systems, particularly from the US; South Korea's defense industry produces a wide range of military hardware for both domestic use and export, including armored fighting vehicles, artillery, aircraft, missiles, and naval ships; it also jointly produces equipment with other countries (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

2.7% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.6% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.6% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.6% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-35 years of age for compulsory military service for all men; minimum conscript service obligation varies by service - 18 months (Army, Marines, auxiliary police), 20 months (Navy, conscripted firefighters), 21 months (Air Force, social service), 36 months for alternative service; 18-29 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2024)

note

note 1: women, in service since 1950, are able to serve in all branches and as of 2024 more than 15,000 served in the armed forcesnote 2: the military brings on over 200,000 conscripts each year

precursor chemicals used for illicit drugs, such as acetic anhydride, pseudoephedrine, and ephedrine, imported from the United States, Japan, India, and China and then either resold within South Korea or smuggled into other countries  

stateless persons

202 (2022)

Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA; established 2024); Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI; established 1989 and previously acted as South Korea's space agency); Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST); Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI; funded by the South Korean Government) (2024)

note

note 1: the South Korean space program works closely with the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), a national agency for research and development in defense technology established in 1970note 2: in January 2022, the South Korean military announced the formation of a space branch under its Joint Chiefs of Staff to coordinate the development of space and space-enabled capabilities across the Army, Navy and Air Force

Naro Space Center (South Jeolla province) (2024)

has a growing and ambitious space program focused on developing satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), and interplanetary probes; has a national space strategy; manufacturers and operates satellites, including those with communications, remote sensing (RS), scientific, and multipurpose capabilities; manufactures and launches SLVs; developing interplanetary space vehicles, including orbital probes and landers; participates in international space programs and has relations with an array of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Australia, the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member states (particularly France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK), India, Israel, Japan, Peru, Russia, UAE, and especially the US; has a robust and growing commercial space industry that works closely with government space program in the development of satellites and space launch capabilities; the South Korean Government has said it aims to capture 10% of the global space market by 2045 (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

620.3 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

30.28 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

24.04 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters

air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing; solid waste disposal; transboundary air pollution from China

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

global geoparks and regional networks

Cheongsong; Hantangang; Jeju Island; Jeonbuk West Coast; Mudeungsan (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

5

agricultural land

18.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 15.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)

forest

63.9% (2018 est.)

other

18% (2018 est.)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

69.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

15.96 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

4.45 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

6.672 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

81.5% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

18,218,975 tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

10,567,006 tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

58% (2014 est.)