Map of South Korea | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2,300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms - Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla - were established on the Peninsula. By the 5^th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much of the Peninsula, as well as part of Manchuria (modern-day northeast China). However, Silla allied with the Chinese to create the first unified Korean state in the late 7^th century (688). Following the collapse of Silla in the 9^th century, Korea was unified under the Koryo (Goryeo; 918-1392) and the Chosen (Joseon; 1392-1910) dynasties.


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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
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
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: not specified

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

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

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

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 18.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 15.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 2.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 0.6% (2018 est.)
Forest: 63.9% (2018 est.)
Other: 18% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 7,780 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 6.672 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 4.45 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 15.96 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 69.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Natural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest

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: 51,966,948 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 0.23% (2023 est.)
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)
Major-language samples:

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: 11.53% (male 3,072,352/female 2,916,984)
15-64 years: 70.1% (male 18,788,714/female 17,639,714)
65 years and over: 18.38% (2023 est.) (male 4,196,789/female 5,352,395)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 39.9
Youth dependency ratio: 16.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 23.3
Potential support ratio: 4.3 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 45 years (2023 est.)
Male: 43.5 years
Female: 46.8 years

Population growth rate: 0.23% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 7 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 7.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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: 81.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 9.988 million SEOUL (capital), 3.472 million Busan, 2.849 million Incheon, 2.181 million Daegu (Taegu), 1.577 million Daejon (Taejon), 1.529 million Gwangju (Kwangju) (2023)

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 air pollution from China
International agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 24.04 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 620.3 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 30.28 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 32.2 years (2019 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 83.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 80.1 years
Female: 86.4 years

Total fertility rate: 1.11 children born/woman (2023 est.)
Note: some sources estimate the TFR to be as low as 0.78

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

Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: 99.9% of population
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 8.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 2.48 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Hospital bed density: 12.4 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 4.7% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 7.74 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.15 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 5.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 20.8% (2020 est.)
Male: 35.7% (2020 est.)
Female: 5.9% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.9% (2019/21) NA

Education expenditures: 4.7% of GDP (2019 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 17 years
Male: 17 years
Female: 16 years (2020)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 7.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 8.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 6.9%


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Korea
Conventional short form: South Korea
Local long form: Taehan-min'guk
Local short form: Han'guk
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 "Han'guk" derives from the long form, "Taehan-min'guk," which is itself a derivation from "Daehan-je'guk," which means "the Great Empire of the Han"; "Han" refers to the "Sam'han" 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, serves 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: 18 years 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 YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022); the president is both chief of state and head of government; Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo (since 21 May 2022) serves as the principal executive assistant to the president, similar to the role of a vice president
Head of government: President YOON Suk Yeol (since 10 May 2022)
Cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 9 March 2022 (next to be held in March 2,027); prime minister appointed by president with consent of the National Assembly
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe (300 seats statutory, current 295; 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 on 10 April 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - DPK/Platform Party 49.9%, United Future Party 41.5%, JP 1.7%; seats by party - DPK/Platform Party 180, United Future Party (now PPP) 103, JP 6, ODP 3, PP 3, independent 5; composition as of April 2022 - men 242, women 57, percent of women 19.1%

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:
Note: the DPK is South Korea’s largest party and its main progressive party; the People Power Party (PPP) is a conservative grouping and is South Korea’s second-largest 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, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador CHO Hyundong (since 19 April 2023)
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 email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG (since 29 July 2022)
From the us embassy: 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
From the us mailing address: 9,600 Seoul Place, Washington, DC 20,521-9,600
From the us telephone: [82] (2) 397-4,114
From the us FAX: [82] (2) 397-4,101
From the us email address and website:

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)
Lyrics/music: YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-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
Total World Heritage Sites: 16 (14 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview: strong export-driven East Asian economy; sustainable and social policy leader; foreign aid financier; automotive manufacturing; app-based developer and exporter; global healthcare technology leader; aging workforce; largest semiconductor producer

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

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, vegetables, cabbages, milk, onions, pork, poultry, eggs, tangerines/mandarins, potatoes

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

Industrial production growth rate: 5.09% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 28.674 million (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 7.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 8.8%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 6.9%

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

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 31.4 (2016 est.)

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: $378.552 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $372.412 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: 1.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 14.86% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

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:

Exports:
Partners: China 24%, US 15%, Vietnam 9%, Hong Kong 6%, Japan 5% (2021)
Commodities: integrated circuits, cars and vehicle parts, refined petroleum, office machinery, ships, telephones (2021)

Imports:
Partners: China 24%, US 12%, Japan 9%, Vietnam 4%, Taiwan 4% (2021)
Commodities: crude oil, integrated circuits, natural gas, refined petroleum, photo lab equipment, cars, iron (2021)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

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% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 135.789 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 531.258 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 18.61 billion kWh (2020 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 64.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 27.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 3.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 1.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 16.364 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 140.579 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 16,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 123.784 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 326 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 37,400 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 2,598,700 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 3,034,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil

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

Natural gas
Production: 240.042 million cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 53,419,105,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Imports: 55,417,677,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Proven reserves: 7.079 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 686.954 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 319.383 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 255.518 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 112.052 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 242.346 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 22,809,806 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 45 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 72,855,492 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 141 (2021 est.)

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: 50.96 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 98% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 22,327,182 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 44 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces:
Note 1: in January 2022, the South Korean military announced the formation of a space branch under its Joint Chiefs of Staff to coordinate the development of space and space-enabled capabilities across the Army, Navy and Air Force
Note 2: the military reserves include Mobilization Reserve Forces (First Combat Forces) and Homeland Defense Forces (Regional Combat Forces)

Military service age and obligation: 18-35 years of age for compulsory military service for all men; minimum conscript service obligation varies by service - 18 months (Army, Marines, auxiliary police), 20 months (Navy, conscripted firefighters), 21 months (Air Force, social service), 36 months for alternative service; 18-29 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2023)
Note 1: women, in service since 1950, are able to serve in all branches and as of 2022 some 15,000 served in the armed forces, including about 9% of the non-commissioned and commissioned officers
Note 2: the military brings on over 200,000 conscripts each year

Space program
Overview: has a growing and ambitious space program focused on developing satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), and interplanetary probes; has a national space strategy; manufacturers and operates satellites, including those with communications, remote sensing (RS), scientific, and multipurpose capabilities; manufactures and launches SLVs; developing interplanetary space vehicles, including orbital probes and landers; participates in international space programs and has relations with an array of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Australia, the European Space Agency (ESA) and its member states (particularly France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK), India, Israel, Japan, Peru, Russia, UAE, and especially the US; has a robust commercial space industry that works closely with KARI in the development of satellites and space launch capabilities (2023)
Overview note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in space programs

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 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HL

Airports: 111 (2021)
With paved runways: 71
With paved runways civil airports: 6
With paved runways military airports: 16
With paved runways joint use (civil-military) airports: 7
With paved runways other airports: 42
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 40
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports: 466 (2021)

Pipelines: 3,790 km gas, 16 km oil, 889 km refined products (2018)

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

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

Waterways: 1,600 km (2011) (most navigable only by small craft)

Merchant marine
Total: 2,063 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 84, container ship 99, general cargo 358, oil tanker 200, other 1,322

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Busan, Incheon, Gunsan, Kwangyang, Mokpo, Pohang, Ulsan, Yeosu
Container ports teus: Busan (22,706,130), Incheon (3,353,781), Kwangyang (2,122,903) (2021)
Lng terminals import: Incheon, Kwangyang, Pyeongtaek, Samcheok, Tongyeong, Yeosu


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Disputes international: South Korea-Japan: South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 202 (2022)

Illicit drugs: precursor chemicals used for illicit drugs, such as acetic anhydride, pseudoephedrine, and ephedrine, imported from the United States, Japan, India, and China and then either resold within South Korea or smuggled into other countries