Map of South Korea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the US in 1945. After World War II, a democratic government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (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 DPRK invasion supported by communist China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea in 1979.


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Location: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Geographic coordinates: 37 00 N, 127 30 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 99,720 km²
Land: 96,920 km²
Water: 2,800 km²
Rank: 109
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Indiana

Land boundaries
Total: 237 km
Border countries: (1) North Korea 237 km

Coastline: 2,413 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters

Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Elevation
Mean elevation: 282 m
Lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
Highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

Land use
Agricultural land: 18.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 63.9% (2011 est.)
Other: 18% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 7,780 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwestvolcanism: Halla (1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries

Geography
Note: strategic location on Korea Strait; about 3,000 mostly small and uninhabited islands lie off the western and southern coasts


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Population
Distribution: with approximately 70% of the country considered mountainous, the country's population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is quite 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: 51,835,110 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 28
Growth rate: 0.39% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 161
Below poverty line: 14.4% (2016 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Korean(s)
Adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: homogeneous

Languages: Korean, English (widely taught in elementary, junior high, and high school)

Religions: Protestant 19.7%, Buddhist 15.5%, Catholic 7.9%, none 56.9% (2015 est.)
Note: many people also carry on at least some Confucian traditions and practices

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 12.77% (male 3,401,815/female 3,219,589)
15-24 years: 11.18% (male 3,030,027/female 2,764,860)
25-54 years: 44.66% (male 12,043,626/female 11,106,927)
55-64 years: 15.47% (male 3,927,496/female 4,089,033)
65 years and over: 15.92% (male 3,572,855/female 4,678,882) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 39.5
Youth dependency ratio: 17.5
Elderly dependency ratio: 22
Potential support ratio: 4.5 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 43.2 years
Male: 41.6 years
Female: 45 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 29

Population growth rate: 0.39% (2020 est.)
Rank: 161

Birth rate: 8.2 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 219

Death rate: 6.8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 134

Net migration rate: 2.3 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 44

Population distribution: with approximately 70% of the country considered mountainous, the country's population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is quite 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 81.4% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 9.963 million SEOUL (capital), 3.465 million Busan, 2.801 million Incheon, 2.199 million Daegu (Taegu), 1.566 million Daejon (Taejon), 1.522 million Gwangju (Kwangju) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing; solid waste disposal; transboundary pollution
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 31 years (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 3.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.8 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 215

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.6 years
Male: 79.4 years
Female: 85.9 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 15

Total fertility rate: 1.29 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 222

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 82.3% (2018)
Note: percent of women aged 20-49

Drinking water source
Total:

Current health expenditure: 7.6% (2017)

Physicians density: 2.36 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 12.3 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Total:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases: Covid-19 (see note) (2020)
Rank: note:

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.7% (2016)
Rank: 184

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.7% (2010)
Rank: 128

Education expenditures: 4.3% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 85

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2019)
Total population: 98% (2019)
Male: 99.2%
Female: 96.6%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 16 years (2018)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Korea
Conventional short form: South Korea
Local long form: Taehan-minguk
Local short form: Hanguk
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 Hanguk derives from the long form, Taehan-minguk, which is itself a derivation from Daehan-jeguk, which means the Great Empire of the Han; Han refers to the Samhan or the Three Han Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla from the Three Kingdoms Era, 1st-7th centuries A.D.)

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Seoul; note - Sejong, located some 120 km (75 mi) south of Seoul, is serving as an administrative capital for segments of the South Korean Government
Geographic coordinates: 37 33 N, 126 59 E
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: the name originates from the Korean word meaning 'capital city' and which is believed to be derived from Seorabeol, the name of the capital of the ancient Korean Kingdom of Silla

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)

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988
Amendments: 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; amended several times, last in 1987

Legal system: mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

Suffrage: 18years of age; universal; note - the voting age was lowered from 19 to 18 beginning with the 2020 national election

Executive branch
Chief of state: President MOON Jae-in (since 10 May 2017); the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister CHUNG Sye-kyun (since 14 January 2020) serves as the principal executive assistant to the president, similar to the role of a vice president 
Head of government: President MOON Jae-in (since 10 May 2017) 
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime ministers recommendation 
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 9 May 2017 (next to be held in March 2022); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly
Election results: MOON Jae-in elected president; percent of vote - MOON Jae-in (DP) 41.1%, HONG Joon-pyo (LKP) 25.5%, AHN Cheol-soo (PP) 21.4%, other 12%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Kuk Hoe (300 seats statutory); 253 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 47 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 15 April 2020 (next to be held in April 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - DP/TCP 180, UFP/FKP 103, JP 6, ODP 3, PP 3, independent 5; composition - men 249, women 51, percent of women 17%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: 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 upon 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

Political parties and leaders: Bareun Mirae Party or BMP [SOHN Hak-kyu] (merger of Bareun Party and People's Party)Democratic Party or DP [LEE Hae-chan] (renamed from Minjoo Party of Korea or MPK in October 2016; formerly New Politics Alliance for Democracy or NPAD, which was a merger of the Democratic Party or DP (formerly DUP) [KIM Han-gil] and the New Political Vision Party or NPVP [AHN Cheol-soo] in March 2014)Justice Party or JP [SIM Sang-jung]Minjung Party or MP (formed from the merger of the New People's Party (formerly the New People's Political Party or NPP) and the People's United Party or PUP)Open Democratic Pary or ODP [LEE Keun-shik] (formed in early 2020)Our Republic Party [CHO Won-jin and HONG Moon-jong] (formerly Korean Patriots' Party or KPP)Party for Democracy and Peace or PDP [CHUNG Dong-young]People Party or PP [AHN Cheol-soo] (formed in February 2020)Together Citizens' Party [WOO Hee-jong, ChOI Bae-geun] (formed in early 2020 in alliance with the Democratic Party)United Future Party or UFP (formed in early 2020 by the merger of Liberty Korea Party, New Conservative Party, Onward for Future 4.0, and several other minor parties; it has a sister relationship with the Future Korea Party

International organization participation: ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Soo-hyuck (since 6 January 2020)
In the us chancery: 2,450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-5,600
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 797-0595
In the us consulate: Agana (Guam), Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Harry HARRIS (since 10 July 2018)
From the us telephone: [82] (2) 397-4,114
From the us embassy: 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 3,141
From the us mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, 9,600 Seoul Place Washington, D.C., 20,521-9,600
From the us FAX: [82] (2) 725-0152

Flag description: white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field; the South Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony

National symbols: taegeuk (yin yang symbol), Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon), Siberian tiger; national colors: red, white, blue, black

National anthem
Name: Aegukga (Patriotic Song)
Lyricsmusic: YUN Chi-Ho or AN Chang-Ho/AHN Eaktay
Note: adopted 1948, well-known by 1910; both North Korea's and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 134

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars
Rank: 56

Gross national saving:
Rank: 15

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 48.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 31.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 43.1% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -37.7% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 39.3% (2017 est.)
Services: 58.3% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit, cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs, fish

Industries: electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel

Industrial production growth rate: 4.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 63

Labor force: 26.839 million (2020 est.)
Rank: 19
By occupation agriculture: 4.8%
By occupation industry: 24.6%
By occupation services: 70.6% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 56

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 14.4% (2016 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 6.8%
Highest 10: 48.5% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 357.1 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 335.8 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: 1.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 24

Taxes and other revenues: 23.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 129

Public debt:
Rank: 133

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 34

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 9

Exports:
Rank: 9
Partners: China 25.1%, US 12.2%, Vietnam 8.2%, Hong Kong 6.9%, Japan 4.7% (2017)
Commodities: semiconductors, petrochemicals, automobile/auto parts, ships, wireless communication equipment, flat displays, steel, electronics, plastics, computers

Imports:
Rank: 11
Commodities: crude oil/petroleum products, semiconductors, natural gas, coal, steel, computers, wireless communication equipment, automobiles, fine chemicals, textiles
Partners: China 20.5%, Japan 11.5%, US 10.5%, Germany 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 9

Debt external:
Rank: 29

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 526 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 10
Consumption: 507.6 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 9
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 155
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 166
Installed generating capacity: 111.2 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 11
Generation sources fossil fuels: 70% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 108
Generation sources nuclear: 21% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 7
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 139
Generation sources other renewable sources: 8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 86

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 157
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 148
Crude oil imports: 3.057 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 5
Crude oil proven reserves note: NA (1 January 2017 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 3.302 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 6
Products consumption: 2.584 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 8
Products exports: 1.396 million bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 6
Products imports: 908,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 6

Natural gas
Production: 339.8 million m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 76
Consumption: 45.28 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 18
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 131
Imports: 48.65 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 9
Proven reserves: 7.079 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 82

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 778.4 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 7

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 24,924,607
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48.27 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 10
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 69,445,005
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134.49 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 23

Telephone system

Broadcast media: multiple national TV networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated; the largest privately owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks; cable and satellite TV subscription services available; publicly operated radio broadcast networks and many privately owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations

Internet
Country code: .kr
Users total: 49,309,955
Users percent of population: 95.9% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 17

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 21,285,858
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2018 est.)
Rank: 9


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 33

Military and security forces: Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea: Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), Navy (ROKN, includes Marine Corps, ROKMC), Air Force (ROKAF); Military reserves include Mobilization Reserve Forces (First Combat Forces) and Homeland Defense Forces (Regional Combat Forces); Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries: Korea Coast Guard (2019)

Military service age and obligation:

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 14 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 424
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 88,157,579 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 11,929,560,000
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HL (2016)

Airports: 111 (2013)
Rank: 52
With paved runways total: 71 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 19 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 23 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 40 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 38 (2013)

Heliports: 466 (2013)

Pipelines: 3,790 km gas, 16 km oil, 889 km refined products (2017)

Railways
Total: 3,979 km (2016)
Standard gauge: 3,979 km
Note: 1.435-m gauge (2,727 km electrified) (2016)
Rank: 49

Roadways
Total: 100,428 km (2016)
Paved: 92,795 km
Note: (includes 4,193 km of expressways) (2016)
Unpaved: 7,633 km (2016)
Rank: 47

Waterways: 1600 km
Note: (most navigable only by small craft) (2011)
Rank: 49

Merchant marine
Total: 1880
By type: bulk carrier 83, container ship 86, general cargo 368, oil tanker 187, other 1,156 (2019)
Rank: 12

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Busan, Incheon, Gunsan, Kwangyang, Mokpo, Pohang, Ulsan, Yeosu
Container port: Busan (20,493,000), Incheon (3,050,000), Kwangyang (2,230,000) (2017)
LNG terminal: Incheon, Kwangyang, Pyeongtaek, Samcheok, Tongyeong, Yeosu


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Disputes international: Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 197 (2019)

Illicit drugs