Korea, South
Top Sights & Landmarks
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.”
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Area
Elevation
Detailed Geography Information
Coastline
2,413 km
Geography - note
strategic location on Korea Strait; about 3,000 mostly small and uninhabited islands lie off the western and southern coasts
Irrigated land
7,780 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified
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
Natural resources
Terrain
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Population & Growth
Age Distribution
Demographic Longevity
Vital Dynamics
Detailed People & Society Information
Alcohol consumption per capita
7.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight
0.4% (2020 est.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 44.9 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 14.7 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 30.2 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 3.3 (2025 est.)
Education expenditure
5.8% of GDP (2022 est.)
Ethnic groups
Gross reproduction rate
0.33 (2025 est.)
Health expenditure
9.7% of GDP (2022) 14.1% of national budget (2022 est.)
Hospital bed density
12.8 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 2.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Languages
Literacy
total population: NA male: NA female: NA
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)
Maternal mortality ratio
4 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
32.2 years (2019 est.)
Nationality
noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
4.7% (2016)
Physician density
2.61 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
Religions
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 17 years (2022 est.) male: 17 years (2022 est.) female: 16 years (2022 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 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 total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 17.4% (2025 est.) male: 29.7% (2025 est.) female: 5.2% (2025 est.)
Climate & Issues
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters
Land Cover
Air & Carbon Emissions
Water Resources & Use
Detailed Environmental Information
Geoparks
total global geoparks and regional networks: 7 (2025) global geoparks and regional networks: Cheongsong; Danyang; Gyeongbuk Donghaean; Hantangang; Jeju Island; Jeonbuk West Coast; Mudeungsan (2025)
International environmental agreements
Urbanization
urban population: 81.5% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 20.453 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 67.1% (2022 est.)
Capital & State Profile
Executive Branch
Legislative Branch
National Identity & Symbols
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
Detailed Government Information
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
Citizenship
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
Constitution
history: several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988 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
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional short form: South Korea local long form: Taehan-min'guk local short form: Han'guk abbreviation: ROK 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"
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation
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) 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 subordinate courts: High Courts; District Courts; Branch Courts (organized under the District Courts); specialized courts for family and administrative issues
Legal system
mixed system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 17 (15 cultural, 2 natural) 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)
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economic Overview
high-income, export- and technology-oriented East Asian economy; manufacturing led by semiconductor and automotive industries; slow growth amid declining construction investment, export risks, and recent political instability; aging workforce; increased restraint in fiscal policy while maintaining industry support initiatives
Size & Performance
GDP Sector Breakdown
Trade Balance
Budget Balance
Export Profile
Top Export Partners
Major Export Commodities
Labor & Employment
Income Inequality
Family Income / Consumption Share
Detailed Economic Data
Agricultural products
Current account balance
$99.043 billion (2024 est.) $32.822 billion (2023 est.) $25.829 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
Exchange rates
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 1,363.375 (2024 est.) 1,305.662 (2023 est.) 1,291.447 (2022 est.) 1,143.952 (2021 est.) 1,180.266 (2020 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
Industrial production growth rate
1.1% (2023 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
Industries
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.3% (2024 est.) 3.6% (2023 est.) 5.1% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Public debt
52.3% of GDP (2023 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Remittances
0.4% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.5% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.4% of GDP (2021 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$418.219 billion (2024 est.) $420.93 billion (2023 est.) $423.366 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Taxes and other revenues
15.7% (of GDP) (2023 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
Grid Infrastructure
Generation Mix
Fossil Fuels Production
Intensity & Nuclear
Digital Access
Active internet users as a percentage of the total population.
Fixed Broadband
Mobile Cellular
Broadcast Media
Aviation
Railways
Ports & Harbors
Merchant Marine
Military Expenditures
Active Duty Strengths
approximately 500,000 active Armed Forces (365,000 Army; 70,000 Navy, including about 30,000 Marines; 65,000 Air Force) (2025)
Service & Defense Details
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)
250 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 275 South Sudan (UNMISS); approximately 150 United Arab Emirates (2025)
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)
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)
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) note: women, in service since 1950, are able to serve in all branches and as of 2024 more than 15,000 served in the armed forces
Space Agency
Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA; established 2024); Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI; established 1989 and previously acted as South Korea's space agency) (2025)