01
Physical geography
Mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south.
Local timeSeoul ·
Asia / Eastern Asia · Card 039
South Korea
South Korea is a country in Eastern Asia. Its capital is Seoul.
Find South Korea
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Seoul
- Languages
- Korean
- Currency
- South Korean won (KRW)
- Population
- 51.7 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 100,210 km²38,691 square miles
- Republic established
- 1948
South Korea in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Seoul; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Korean.
03
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.
Flag
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
History & independence
Japanese colonial rule ended in 1945. The Republic of Korea was established in 1948 in the southern part of a divided peninsula. The Korean War devastated the country; an armistice was signed in 1953. Industrialization and the democratic reforms of 1987 shaped its modern development.
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Republic of Korea established
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Korean War armistice
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Democratic reforms and direct presidential elections
Economy
Main activities
Semiconductors, vehicles, ships, electronics and advanced manufacturing are major industries. Services, technology and cultural exports also contribute to a highly trade-connected economy.
Industry and production
electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people51.72025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 32,240,827 | 32.241 |
| 1980 | 38,123,775 | 38.124 |
| 1990 | 42,869,283 | 42.869 |
| 2000 | 47,008,111 | 47.008 |
| 2010 | 49,554,112 | 49.554 |
| 2020 | 51,836,239 | 51.836 |
| 2025 | 51,684,564 | 51.685 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars1936.62025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 414,656,502,991 | 414.657 |
| 1991 | 459,750,289,581 | 459.750 |
| 1992 | 488,951,752,176 | 488.952 |
| 1993 | 523,152,547,993 | 523.153 |
| 1994 | 572,181,545,648 | 572.182 |
| 1995 | 627,888,532,992 | 627.889 |
| 1996 | 678,059,525,602 | 678.060 |
| 1997 | 720,656,531,307 | 720.657 |
| 1998 | 685,063,811,514 | 685.064 |
| 1999 | 764,649,475,914 | 764.649 |
| 2000 | 835,011,437,852 | 835.011 |
| 2001 | 874,473,540,684 | 874.474 |
| 2002 | 942,192,762,521 | 942.193 |
| 2003 | 971,162,614,186 | 971.163 |
| 2004 | 1,021,504,157,423 | 1,021.504 |
| 2005 | 1,066,023,726,231 | 1,066.024 |
| 2006 | 1,121,936,729,365 | 1,121.937 |
| 2007 | 1,187,479,862,375 | 1,187.480 |
| 2008 | 1,223,156,560,996 | 1,223.157 |
| 2009 | 1,233,184,753,861 | 1,233.185 |
| 2010 | 1,319,281,537,670 | 1,319.282 |
| 2011 | 1,367,937,063,745 | 1,367.937 |
| 2012 | 1,402,787,524,458 | 1,402.788 |
| 2013 | 1,448,958,816,286 | 1,448.959 |
| 2014 | 1,495,538,208,413 | 1,495.538 |
| 2015 | 1,539,212,301,136 | 1,539.212 |
| 2016 | 1,588,028,842,393 | 1,588.029 |
| 2017 | 1,642,548,917,820 | 1,642.549 |
| 2018 | 1,694,718,171,579 | 1,694.718 |
| 2019 | 1,733,930,596,323 | 1,733.931 |
| 2020 | 1,721,788,880,531 | 1,721.789 |
| 2021 | 1,801,214,449,835 | 1,801.214 |
| 2022 | 1,850,343,736,946 | 1,850.344 |
| 2023 | 1,879,634,949,822 | 1,879.635 |
| 2024 | 1,917,295,522,782 | 1,917.296 |
| 2025 | 1,936,603,041,534 | 1,936.603 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.937Very High human developmentRank 20 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.738
20000.830
20100.894
20200.928
20230.937
84.3 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.7 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Presidential republic. National Assembly (Kuk Hoe) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about South Korea.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
In which year did this event occur in South Korea: Korean War armistice?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.