Identity
- Official name
- Republic of Korea
- Status
- Sovereign country profile
- Demonym
- South Korean
- Codes
- KR / KOR
Daily discoveryDid you know?
Listed official languages include Korean.
KRRepublic of KoreaSovereign country profile
South Korea
South Korea is in Eastern Asia. This profile brings its status, flag, geography, people, languages, and latest available indicators into one clear visual story.
FlagKOR · 172 / 207
🇰🇷 The flag shown for South Korea. Profile code: KR / KOR.
01Population51.6M
UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
02CapitalSeoul
Republic of Korea
03CurrencyKRW
South Korean won (KRW)
04Life expectancy84.6 years
UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
National anthemAegukgaInstrumental audio · Wikidata / Wikimedia Commons · 0:57
Basic info
Expanded country facts
Core identity, people, geography, government, and practical reference data in one scan-friendly board.
People
- Population
- 51.6M · UN DESA · 2026 medium projection
- Median age
- 46.2 years · UN DESA 2026 medium projection
- Languages
- Korean
- Largest cities
- Seoul
Place
- Region
- Asia
- Subregion
- Eastern Asia
- Area
- 100,210 km²
- Coordinates
- 37.0° N, 127.5° E
Practical
- Currency
- South Korean won (KRW)
- Calling code
- +82
- Time zones
- Korea Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Emergency
- Police 112; fire/ambulance 119
Government
- Type
- presidential system
- Head of state
- Lee Jae Myung
- Head of government
- Lee Jae Myung
- Constitution
- Comparable date pending
Geography
- Connections
- This profile has coastal access and listed land connections.
- Climate
- Temperate to subtropical zones
- Highest point
- Hallasan
- Driving side
- Right
Compare profiles
See South Korea
in context.
Start with a neighbor or a similar regional profile, then adjust the matchup across the complete atlas.
At a glance
Meet
South Korea.
South Korea is a world profile in Eastern Asia. Its status is sovereign country profile.
RegionEastern Asia
DemonymSouth Korean
Area100,210 km²
Calling code+82
Economy
The latest available indicators.
Economic values use the latest non-empty World Bank year from 2019–2026, shown below each figure.
GDP$1.9T2025 · current USD
GDP per person$36.2K2025 · current USD
GDP growth1.0%2025 annual growth
A deeper profile
People, systems
& everyday life.
Comparable facts are shown with clear dates and neutral framing. Gaps stay visible instead of being filled with guesses.
How people live
Urban 81.2%Rural 18.8%
World Bank · 2025- Median age
- 46.2 years
- Languages
- Korean
- Capital / principal city
- Seoul
Ethnic and religious categories vary by national census and are not presented without a directly comparable, dated source.
Placed in context
Population1.3× atlas average
GDP#13 of 192
Population compares the 207 atlas profiles. GDP ranking includes profiles with a published World Bank value.
A concise timeline
Wikidata records the current state as dating from 1948. Earlier state forms, independence milestones, and later constitutional changes may use different dates, so this is a starting point rather than a complete national timeline.
- Government
- presidential system
- Head of state
- Lee Jae Myung
- Head of government
- Lee Jae Myung
- Current constitution
- Comparable date pending
Land and climate
- Climate
- Temperate to subtropical zones
- Geography
- South Korea is in Eastern Asia and has coastal access. Its listed area is 100,210 km².
- Highest point
- Hallasan
- Major rivers
- Profile-specific value pending
- Natural resources
- Profile-specific value pending
Practical essentials
- Driving side
- Right
- Calling code
- +82
- Time zones
- Korea Standard Time (UTC+9)
- Plug types
- Type C / F
- Tipping
- Not customary in most everyday settings
- Emergency numbers
- Police 112; fire/ambulance 119
Remember South Korea
- Seoul is the capital city.
- South Korea covers 100,210 km².
- South Korea has coastal access.
- It shares land borders with North Korea.
- Listed official languages include Korean.
- Its international calling code is +82.
- The latest published population in this atlas is 51.7M (2025).
- The listed currency code is KRW.
Connected places
Neighboring profiles
Continue exploring across each listed land border or connected geography.
This profile has coastal access and listed land connections.
Visual atlas
South Korea in view
People & place
Country
essentials.
Korean
Languages listed in the open country catalog for South Korea.
1 listed connection
This profile has coastal access and listed land connections.
South Korean won (KRW)
The primary currency code and name used in the country catalog.
Identity card
Four essentials
KRTwo-letter country code
KORThree-letter country code
SeoulCapital city
AsiaWorld region
Sources & notes
Numbers you can trace.
Statistics show their reference year because country data changes. Unavailable values are clearly marked instead of estimated.
- UN DESA World Population Prospects — population, age, sex balance, and longevity ↗
- World Bank — latest available economic indicators ↗
- World Bank — urban population share ↗
- Wikidata — government and current officeholders ↗
- National anthem audio source — Aegukga ↗
- Open country catalog — names, codes and geography ↗
- OpenStreetMap — map data ↗
Verified data & AI projection
South Korea
Special Report.
South Korea is profiled through long-run World Bank indicators covering the economy, population, health, work, technology, and environment. Eastern Asia context, regional connectivity, demographic direction, and long-run development indicators.
Current demographic baselineUN DESA · 2026
Medium projection from World Population Prospects, 2024 Revision
Executive read
What the numbers suggest
- Population has moved up since 2000, giving the report a clear demographic baseline.
- Life expectancy is higher than in 2000, showing the direction of health and longevity conditions.
- Recent GDP growth averages 2.4% across the latest 5 available observations.
- Low fertility is a central long-term pressure in the projection scenarios.
Human development pressure
52.4MPopulation base
85.3 yrsLife expectancy
0.11Fertility rate
100.0%Internet access
2035 scenarios are simple educational trend projections from recent historical observations. They are not official forecasts.
economy · NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG
HighGDP growth
20009.20%
20251.01%
2035 base2.33%
Low1.87%Base2.33%High2.80%
recent average · % annual
people · SP.POP.GROW
HighPopulation growth
20000.84%
2025-0.13%
2035 base-0.72%
Low-0.52%Base-0.72%High-0.93%
linear trend · % annual
people · SP.POP.TOTL
HighPopulation
200047M
202551.7M
2035 base52.4M
Low52.1MBase52.4MHigh52.6M
compound trend · people
health · SP.DYN.LE00.IN
HighLife expectancy
200075.9 yrs
202483.6 yrs
2035 base85.3 yrs
Low84.7 yrsBase85.3 yrsHigh85.9 yrs
linear trend · years
people · SP.DYN.TFRT.IN
HighFertility rate
20001.48
20240.75
2035 base0.11
Low0.33Base0.11High0.00
linear trend · births per woman
people · SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
HighUrban population
200079.6%
202581.2%
2035 base80.7%
Low80.9%Base80.7%High80.6%
linear trend · % of total
economy · FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG
HighInflation
20002.26%
20252.12%
2035 base2.09%
Low2.10%Base2.09%High2.08%
recent average · % annual
work · SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
HighUnemployment
20004.06%
20252.68%
2035 base3.34%
Low3.11%Base3.34%High3.58%
recent average · % labor force
economy · NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
HighGDP per capita
2000$12.7K
2025$36.2K
2035 base$43.5K
Low$40.8KBase$43.5KHigh$46.3K
compound trend · current US$
environment · EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
HighCO2 per person
20009.92
202411.4
2035 base9.44
Low10.1Base9.44High8.77
linear trend · t CO2e/capita
technology · IT.NET.USER.ZS
HighInternet access
200044.7%
202497.9%
2035 base100.0%
Low100.0%Base100.0%High100.0%
linear trend · % of people
economy · NY.GDP.MKTP.CD
HighGDP
2000$597.5B
2025$1.9T
2035 base$2.3T
Low$2.1TBase$2.3THigh$2.4T
compound trend · current US$
Educational projection, not an official forecast.Historical values are World Bank observations retrieved 2026-08-13. The 2026 demographic baseline is the official UN DESA medium projection from World Population Prospects 2024. The atlas's 2035 scenarios use simple trend math.