South Korea

In brief

South Korea is a country in East Asia. Its capital is Seoul. With 51.7 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 29th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 100,210 km². It shares land borders with North Korea.

GDP per capita stands at $36,227 (2025), 33rd in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 83.6 years (2024). 81% of the population lives in cities.

History of South Korea

The Silla kingdom unified the peninsula in 668; the Goryeo dynasty that followed gave Korea its name. Under the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), King Sejong had the Korean alphabet, hangul, created in the 15th century. Colonised by Japan from 1910 to 1945 and then divided, South Korea proclaimed its republic on 15 August 1948. After the Korean War and decades of authoritarian rule, it achieved spectacular growth, the “Miracle on the Han River”, and became a democracy in 1987.

Geography of South Korea

South Korea occupies the south of the Korean Peninsula; about 70% of it is mountainous. It has more than 3,000 islands, including Jeju, a volcanic island where Mount Hallasan (1,947 m) is the country’s highest point. Nearly half the population lives in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Map of South Korea

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Flag of South Korea

The flag of South Korea is red, white, blue and black. Its official proportions are 2:3 (height to width).

• White79%
• Black8%
• Red7%
• Blue7%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

The Taegeukgi: on white, a red and blue circle, the taegeuk, a symbol of the harmony of opposites (yin and yang), surrounded by four black trigrams representing heaven, earth, water and fire.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “South Korea” and “Flag of South Korea”.

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Fact file

Economy and society