Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
47 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
24.1 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
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
Communications: Internet country code
.kr
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
97.90% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
43 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
22.155 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
173 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
89.2 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
rice, vegetables, cabbages, milk, onions, pork, chicken, eggs, tangerines/mandarins, potatoes (2023)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on alcohol and tobacco
1.5% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on food
12.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$532.023 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$513.21 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
$77.259 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
$83.030 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
$105.119 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
$97.924 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
$75.231 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
$77.466 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
$59.676 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
$76.503 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
$83.879 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
$25.829 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
$32.822 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
$99.043 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
1363.375 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
1094.983 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
1052.840 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
1130.953 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
1160.767 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
1131.001 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
1100.163 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
1165.358 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
1180.266 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
1143.952 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
1291.447 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
1305.662 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
1363.375 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
integrated circuits, cars, refined petroleum, plastics, machine parts (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$670.300 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$712.571 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$630.587 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$601.861 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$664.392 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$719.710 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$648.611 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$603.713 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$764.083 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$825.961 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$769.243 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$835.149 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
44% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
18.9% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
48.9% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-43.9% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
32.2% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
-0.1% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
1.6% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
31.6% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
58.4% (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$61,051 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$1.713 trillion (2023 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$3.159 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016
35.2 (2016 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017
34.9 (2017 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018
33.7 (2018 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019
33.2 (2019 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2020
32.7 (2020 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021
32.9 (2021 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%
24.6% (2021 est.)
Economy: Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
2.9% (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
integrated circuits, natural gas, crude petroleum, machinery, cars (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$510.006 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$529.798 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$501.960 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$587.337 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$643.143 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$602.460 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$539.437 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$698.601 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$817.594 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$758.41 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$758.724 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
1.1% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
0.71% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
0.97% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
1.94% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
1.48% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
0.38% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
0.54% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
2.50% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
5.09% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
3.60% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
2.32% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
29.713 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2013
33.37% (2013 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2014
34.82% (2014 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
36.15% (2016 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2017
35.45% (2017 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2018
35.52% (2018 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2019
37.70% (2019 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2020
43.78% (2020 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2021
45.83% (2021 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2022
47.61% (2022 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2023
48.55% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$1.879 trillion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$2.030 trillion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$2.134 trillion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$2.217 trillion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$2.408 trillion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$2.482 trillion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$2.507 trillion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$2.572 trillion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$2.607 trillion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$3.159 trillion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
2.92% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
3.17% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
3.43% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
3.18% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
2.31% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-0.70% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
4.61% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
2.73% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
1.58% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
2.00% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$37,032 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$39,794 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$41,673 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$43,156 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$46,511 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$47,881 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$51,718 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$55,509 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$57,430 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$6.475 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$6.574 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$6.464 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2020
$7.508 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
0.4% of GDP (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
$7.283 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$366.707 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$370.154 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$388.805 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$403.082 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$408.819 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$443.463 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$463.281 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$423.366 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$420.93 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$418.219 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
15.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
3.75% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
3.93% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
3.64% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
2.86% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
2.67% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
2.78% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
5.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
6% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
5.9% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: consumption
136.817 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
500 metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
122.845 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: production
16.081 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: proven reserves
326 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
100% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
1.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
61.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
0.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: nuclear
30.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
5.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: tide and wave
0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: wind
0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
575.359 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
151.139 million kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
19.688 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
234.668 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
57.314 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: exports
93.639 million cubic meters (2022 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: imports
60.025 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
55.127 million cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: proven reserves
7.079 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
25.57GW (2025 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down
2 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of nuclear reactors under construction
2 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of operational nuclear reactors
26 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Percent of total electricity production
30.7% (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
2.542 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
38,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
275.411 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
120.222 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
248.599 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
644.231 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters
Environment: Environmental issues
air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from sewage and industrial effluents; drift-net fishing; solid waste disposal; transboundary air pollution from China
Environment: Geoparks: global geoparks and regional networks
Cheongsong; Danyang; Gyeongbuk Donghaean; Hantangang; Jeju Island; Jeonbuk West Coast; Mudeungsan (2025)
Environment: Geoparks: total global geoparks and regional networks
7 (2025)
Environment: International environmental agreements: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
16.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 14.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
64.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
19.5% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
500 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
145.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
27 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
478.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
25 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
69.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
15.96 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
4.45 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
6.672 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
81.17% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
20.453 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
67.1% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Indiana
Geography: Area: land
96,920 sq km
Geography: Area: water
2,800 sq km
Geography: Coastline
2,413 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Halla-san 1,950 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Sea of Japan 0 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
282 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
37 00 N, 127 30 E
Geography: Geography - note
strategic location on Korea Strait; about 3,000 mostly small and uninhabited islands lie off the western and southern coasts
Geography: Irrigated land
7,780 sq km (2012)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
North Korea 237 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
237 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
16.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 14.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
64.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
19.5% (2023 est.)
Geography: Map references
Asia
Geography: Maritime claims: contiguous zone
24 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: continental shelf
not specified
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
Geography: Natural hazards
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest volcanism: Halla (1,950 m) is considered historically active; it has not erupted in many centuries
Geography: Population distribution
the population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is 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
Geography: Terrain
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Government: Administrative divisions
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
Government: Capital: etymology
the name originates from the Korean word meaning "capital city;" it was the capital of the unified Korea from 1392 to 1910
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
37 33 N, 126 59 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of South Korea
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
no
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Government: Constitution: amendment process
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
Government: Constitution: history
several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988
Government: Country name: abbreviation
ROK
Government: Country name: conventional short form
South Korea
Government: Country name: 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 Han Empire"
Government: Country name: local long form
Taehan-min'guk
Government: Country name: local short form
Han'guk
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires James “Jim” HELLER (since 7 January 2026)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: consulate(s)
Busan
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
seoulinfoACS@state.gov https://kr.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[82] (2) 397-4101
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
9600 Seoul Place, Washington, DC 20521-9600
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[82] (2) 397-4114
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador KANG Kyung-wha (since 16 December 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general
Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
generalusa@mofa.go.kr https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/index.do
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 797-0595
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (202) 939-5600
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President LEE Jae-myung (since 4 June 2025)
Government: Executive branch: election results
2025: LEE Jae-myung elected president; LEE Jae-myung (DPK) 49.4%, KIM Moon-soo (PPP) 41.2%, LEE Jun-seok (New Reform Party) 8.3% 2022 : YOON Suk-yeol elected president; YOON Suk-yeol (PPP) 48.6%, LEE Jae-myung (DPK) 47.8%; other 3.6%
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; prime minister appointed by president with consent of the National Assembly
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
2030
Government: Executive branch: head of government
Prime Minister KIM Min-seok (since 3 July 2025)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
3 June 2025 (special snap election in the wake of the impeachment of former President YOON Suk-yeol)
Government: Flag
description: white with a red-and-blue yin-yang symbol in the center; a black trigram ( kwae ) from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) is in each corner of the white field meaning: the flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; blue stands for the negative cosmic forces of the yin, and red for the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram represents one of the universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Government: International organization participation
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
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 13 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of a court head and 8 justices)
Government: Judicial branch: 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 on 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
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
High Courts; District Courts; Branch Courts (organized under the District Courts); specialized courts for family and administrative issues
Government: Legal system
mixed system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Government: Legislative branch: electoral system
mixed system
Government: Legislative branch: expected date of next election
April 2028
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
unicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)
Government: Legislative branch: most recent election date
4/10/2024
Government: Legislative branch: number of seats
300 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch: parties elected and seats per party
Democratic Party of Korea (161); People Power Party (90); People Future Party (18); Other (31)
Government: Legislative branch: percentage of women in chamber
20.3%
Government: Legislative branch: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch: term in office
4 years
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1948, well-known by 1910; North Korea's and South Korea's anthems have the same name and a similar melody, but different lyrics
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay
Government: National color(s)
red, white, blue, black
Government: National heritage: 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); Hwaseong Fortress (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); Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream (c)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
17 (15 cultural, 2 natural)
Government: National holiday
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Government: National symbol(s)
taegeuk (yin-yang symbol), Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus syriacus ), Siberian tiger
Government: Political parties
Basic Income Party Democratic Party of Korea or DPK New Future Party New 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
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: Background
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.”
Military and Security: Military - note
the South Korean military is responsible for external defense and is primarily focused on the threat from North Korea; it participates in bilateral and multinational exercises and deploys abroad for international missions, including peacekeeping and other security operations South 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; South Korea hosts approximately 28,000 US military troops and regularly conducts bilateral exercises with the US 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 EU counter-piracy operations off the coast of East Africa; South Korea has had a relationship with NATO since 2005, and in 2022 established a mission to the NATO headquarters to further cooperation; it has participated in NATO-led missions and exercises, including in Afghanistan and the Gulf of Aden (2025)
Military and Security: 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) Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries: Korea Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior and Safety: Korean National Police Agency (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 500,000 active Armed Forces (365,000 Army; 70,000 Navy, including about 30,000 Marines; 65,000 Air Force) (2025)
Military and Security: Military deployments
250 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 275 South Sudan (UNMISS); approximately 150 United Arab Emirates (2025)
Military and Security: Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the South Korean military is equipped with a mix of mostly modern domestically produced and imported weapons systems; the US is the leading provider of foreign arms; South Korea's defense industry produces a range of military hardware for both domestic use and export, including aircraft, armored fighting vehicles, artillery, missiles, and naval vessels; it also jointly produces equipment with other countries (2025)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
2.38% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
2.34% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
2.30% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
2.36% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
2.52% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
2.64% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
2.62% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
2.58% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
2.60% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
2.56% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025
2.3% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military and Security: Military service age and obligation
18-29 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; mandatory military service for all eligible men 18-35 years of age (typically served from 20-28 years of age); compulsory service obligation is 18-21 months based on the branch of service and up to 36 months for alternative service (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
11.3% (male 3,024,508/female 2,873,523)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
69.4% (male 18,653,915/female 17,465,817)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
19.3% (2024 est.) (male 4,440,688/female 5,623,348)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
5.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
7.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
4.29 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
0.4% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
8.68% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
6.94 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
30.2 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
3.3 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
44.9 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
14.7 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure
5.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
5.41% (2022 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Korean
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
0.33 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
9.7% of GDP (2022)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
14.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
12.8 beds/1,000 population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
2.6 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
3 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
2.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Languages: Languages
Korean, English
People and Society: Languages: major-language sample(s)
월드 팩트북, 필수적인 기본 정보 제공처 (Korean) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
86.6 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
80.8 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: female
NA
People and Society: Literacy: male
NA
People and Society: Literacy: total population
NA
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
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)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
47.3 years
People and Society: Median age: male
44 years
People and Society: Mother's mean age at first birth
32.2 years (2019 est.)
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
Korean
People and Society: Net migration rate
1.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
4.7% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
2.61 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
People and Society: Population
51,751,065 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population distribution
the population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is 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
People and Society: Population growth rate
-0.09% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
25,850,216
People and Society: Population: male
25,636,127
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
16 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
17 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
17 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
1.07 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.79 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
5.2% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
29.7% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
17.4% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
0.75 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
81.17% (2024 est.)
Space: Key space-program milestones
1992 - first domestically made technology-demonstrator satellite (KITSAT-1) launched on European rocket 1993-1998 - launched first single-stage sounding rocket (KSR-1) and first two-stage sounding rocket (KSR-2) 1999 - first domestically built multi-purpose satellite (KOMPSAT-1, aka Arirang-1) launched by US 2008 - first South Korean astronaut in space on International Space Station 2013 - first successful satellite launch of two-stage Korean Space Launch Vehicle-I (KSLV-I; aka Naro) 2021 - maiden launch of three-stage KSLV-II (aka Nuri); signed the US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration 2022 - first successful attempt to place satellites into orbit on the KSLV-II/Nuri; domestically made lunar orbiter (Danuri) reached Moon's orbit; began development of the Korea Positioning System (KPS) satellite navigational network 2024 - third successful launch of Nuri SLV placed eight small satellites in orbit, including a remote sensing satellite (NexSat-2) with radar imaging technology
Space: Space agency/agencies
Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA; established 2024); Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI; established 1989 and previously acted as South Korea's space agency) (2025)
Space: Space launch site(s)
Naro Space Center (South Jeolla province) (2025)
Space: Space program overview
has an ambitious space program focused on developing satellites, satellite launch vehicles (SLVs), and interplanetary probes; has a national space strategy; manufactures 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 programs and works with an array of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Australia, the ESA, individual ESA member states (particularly France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK), India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Peru, Russia, UAE, and the US; has an active commercial space industry (2025)
Transnational Issues: Illicit drugs: USG identification
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
40,084 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: stateless persons
248 (2024 est.)
Transportation: Airports
92 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
HL
Transportation: Heliports
1,280 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
bulk carrier 93, container ship 115, general cargo 362, oil tanker 219, other 1,360
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
2,149 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Busan, Gwangyang Hang, Inchon, Masan, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek Hang, Ulsan
Transportation: Ports: large
2
Transportation: Ports: medium
5
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
10
Transportation: Ports: small
4
Transportation: Ports: total ports
15 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
4
Transportation: Railways: standard gauge
3,979 km (2016) 1.435-m gauge (2,727 km electrified)
Transportation: Railways: total
3,979 km (2016)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.