South Korea
country in East Asia
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World Factbook
CIA reference data · 4 sections
Geography
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters
Terrain
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Natural resources
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
People & Society
Religions
Protestant 17%, Buddhist 16%, Catholic 6%, none 60% (2021 est.)
Government
Government type
presidential republic
Independence
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Legal system
mixed system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Economy
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$2.607 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$50,400 (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate
1.4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.3% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate
2.7% (2024 est.)
Exports - partners
China 25%, USA 18%, Hong Kong 4%, Japan 4%, Taiwan 4% (2023)
Imports - partners
China 31%, USA 13%, Japan 9%, Germany 5%, Australia 4% (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook · public domain (US gov work, 17 USC §105) · fetched 2026-05-06
Summary
South Korea is a sovereign state[1]. It draws 111,000 Wikipedia views per month (sovereign state category, ranking #36 of 197).[2]
Key Facts
- Religion or worldview: Protestantism[3], Buddhism[4], Catholicism[5]
- Country: South Korea[6]
- Located in or next to body of water: Yellow Sea[7], Namhae[8], Sea of Japan[9], East China Sea[10]
- Head of government: Lee Jae Myung[11], Han Seong-sook[12]
- Continent: Asia[13]
- Instance of: constitutional republic[14], country[15]
- Head of state: Lee Jae Myung[16]
- Capital: Seoul[17]
- Official language: Korean[18], Korean Sign Language[19]
- Currency: won[20]
- Shares border with: North Korea[21], People's Republic of China[22], Japan[23]
- Top-level Internet domain: .kr[24], .한국[25]
- Anthem: Aegukga[26]
- Basic form of government: republic[27], presidential system[28]
- Contains the administrative territorial entity: Seoul[29], Busan[30], Daegu[31], Incheon[32], Gwangju[33], Daejeon[34], Ulsan[35], Sejong[36], Gyeonggi Province[37], Gangwon Province[38], North Chungcheong[39], South Chungcheong[40], North Jeolla[41], South Jeolla[42]
- Flag: flag of South Korea[43]
- Legislative body: National Assembly[44]
- Executive body: Government of South Korea[45]
- Highest judicial authority: Supreme Court of Korea[46], Constitutional Court of Korea[47]
- Coat of arms: Emblem of South Korea[48]
- Part of: MIKTA[49]
- Commons category: South Korea[50]
- Licence plate code: ROK[51]
- Has seal, badge, or sigil: Seal of South Korea[52]
- Located in time zone: Korea Standard Time[53], UTC+09:00[54], Asia/Seoul[55]
Body
Cultural Significance
Things named for South Korea include MIKTA[56], a geopolitical group[57]; .kr[58], a country code top-level domain[59], founded in 1986[60]; and South Koreans[61], a human population[62].
Why It Matters
South Korea has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[63] It is known by 111 alternative names across languages and contexts.[64]
Entities named for it include MIKTA[56], a geopolitical group[57]; .kr[58], a country code top-level domain[59], founded in 1986[60]; and South Koreans[61], a human population[62].