Home > Asia > South Korea
South Korea flag
Republic of Korea
Daehan Min-guk
   South Korea split from the northern part in 1948; unlike its 'cousins' it has maintained sustained economic development and is a technologically very advanced country. The territory is quite varied, the coasts of the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are very extensive and jagged, where there are a large number of inlets and islands, while the coasts on the Sea of Japan to the east are more regular.
Government type Presidential republic
Area 100,364 kmē (38,751 sq mi)
Population 51,829,000 inh. (2020 census)
Population 51,751,000 inh. (2024 est.)
Population density 516 inh/kmē (1,335 inh/miē)
Capital Seoul (9,659,000 pop., 23,225,000 urban aggl.)
Currency South Korean won
Human development index 0.925 (19th place)
Languages Korean
Life expectancy M 82 years, F 87 years
Location in Asia

Boundaries:

North Korea NORTH
Yellow Sea WEST
Sea of Japan EAST
East China Sea SOUTH

GEOGRAPHY DATA OF SOUTH KOREA


Largest cities
Seoul 9,659,000 pop., 23,225,000 urban aggl.
Busan 3,349,000 pop., 3,843,000 urban aggl.
Incheon 2,945,000 pop.
Daegu 2,411,000 pop.
Daejeon 1,488,000 pop.
Gwangju 1,485,000 pop.
Suwon 1,210,000 pop.
Ulsan 1,135,000 pop.
Yongin 1,069,000 pop.
Goyang 1,045,000 pop.
Changwon 1,029,000 pop.
Highest mountains
Hallasan 1,947 m (6,388 ft)
Jirisan 1,915 m (6,283 ft)
Longest rivers
Nakdong 510 km (317 mi)
Han 494 km (307 mi)
Geum 398 km (247 mi)
Largest lakes
Woopo 8.5 kmē (3.3 sq mi)
Largest islands
Jeju 1,825 kmē (705 sq mi)
Geoje 383 kmē (148 sq mi)
Jindo 363 kmē (140 sq mi)
Ganghwa 302 kmē (117 sq mi)
Namhae 300 kmē (116 sq mi)

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS OF SOUTH KOREA

   Administratively, South Korea is divided into various different entities, 9 provinces, 6 metropolitan cities, the two special districts of the capital Seoul and the city of Sejong and finally the autonomous province of Jeju; the two provinces of Gangwon and Northern Gyeongsang are the largest administrative entities and together make up just under 40% of the country; the largest number of inhabitants is instead in the province of Gyeonggi and in the district of the capital, with the first over 13 million people and the second just over the 10 million limit.

   Overall, in 11 cities there are over one million inhabitants, with 5 of these located in the urban area of the capital, where there are numerous other important urban centers, as can be seen very well in the second map.






Seoul