| Area Total | 99,720 sq km |
| Climate | temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters |
| Natural Resources | coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
| Imports | China 20.5%, Japan 11.5%, US 10.5%, Germany 4.2%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2017) – crude oil/petroleum products, semiconductors, natural gas, coal, steel, computers, wireless communication equipment, automobiles, fine chemicals, textiles |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Capital | Seoul |
| Population | 51,835,110 (July 2020 est.) |
| Ethnicity | homogeneous |
| Language | Korean, English (widely taught in elementary, junior high, and high school) |
| Exports | China 25.1%, US 12.2%, Vietnam 8.2%, Hong Kong 6.9%, Japan 4.7% (2017) – semiconductors, petrochemicals, automobile/auto parts, ships, wireless communication equipment, flat displays, steel, electronics, plastics, computers |
News about South Korea
- Stray cats or endangered wildlife? YouTuber sparks debate by calling for cat euthanasia
by hankookilbo@koreatimes.co.kr(KoreaTimes) (Korea Times News) on June 25, 2026A popular Korean wildlife YouTuber has reignited a long-standing debate over stray cats after arguing that euthanasia is necessary to reduce their population and protect native wildlife. The controversy began after YouTuber Korean Birder, known for content about Korean wildlife and ecosystems and followed by roughly 500,000 subscribers, uploaded a video on […]
- Vice defense minister calls for US congressional support for nuclear-powered subs, OPCON transfer
by yonhap@koreatimes.co.kr(KoreaTimes) (Korea Times News) on June 25, 2026Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee has called for U.S. congressional support for Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program and efforts to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington during his meetings with U.S. lawmakers, the defense ministry said Thursday. Lee made the call when he separately met with Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Pat Harrigan […]
- Investigators to question 4 more election workers over ballot shortage
by yonhap@koreatimes.co.kr(KoreaTimes) (Korea Times News) on June 25, 2026A joint police and prosecution team on Thursday was set to question a group of civil servants who worked at polling stations that experienced ballot shortages during the June 3 local elections, legal sources said. Four officials have been asked to appear before the team, the sources said, as part of an investigation into the ballot shortage that temporarily […]
- [MORNING CALM TALES] The day I crashed a Korean War commemorative event
by jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr(KoreaTimes) (Korea Times News) on June 25, 2026Seoul was already sweltering by midmorning on June 25, 2000. Heat rose in wavering sheets above the broad plaza outside the War Memorial of Korea as buses pulled up one after another, unloading elderly veterans of the Korean War (1950-53) alongside family members and foreign dignitaries arriving for the ceremony. Inside the memorial grounds, ushers guided […]
- Lee vows to build peaceful Korean Peninsula free from fear of war
by yonhap@koreatimes.co.kr(KoreaTimes) (Korea Times News) on June 25, 2026President Lee Jae Myung pledged Thursday to establish a peaceful Korean Peninsula free from the fear of war as South Korea marks the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War. Lee made the pledge in his speech at a ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the outbreak of the war, which was held in Gyeonggi Province and brought together hundreds […]
