South Korea: Statistical Overview

Total Population: 51,751,065

Natural Increase: 0.1%

Density: 529 Inhabitants/km²

Urban Population: 81.5%

Population of main cities: Seoul (10,011,000); Busan (3,459,900); Incheon (3,029,300); Daegu (2,468,300); Daejeon (1,494,000); Gwangju (1,480,300); Suwon (1,235,100); Ulsan (1,168,500); Goyang (1,078,900); Yongin (1,078,600); Changwon (1,059,900)

Ethnic Origins: The population of South Korea is the most ethnically homogeneous in the world, with 96.6% of the population of Korean origin and 3.4% of foreign nationals. Among the largest groups of foreign nationals, Chinese nationals account for 43.5%, followed by 11.1% Vietnamese, 10.2% Thai and 4.4% from the United States. (Statistics Korea)

Official Language: Korean

Other Languages Spoken: None

Business Language(s): English; however, businesspeople often read English better than they can speak it.

Religion: Protestant 17%, Buddhist 16%, Catholic 6%, none 60%. Many people also carry on at least some Confucian traditions and practices

Area: 100,440 km²

Type of State: South Korea is a presidential republic. It is composed of 9 provinces, 7 metropolitan cities (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan), and the Sejong Special Autonomous City.

Type of Economy: Upper middle income, diversified but variable economy..
The South Korean economy is showing signs of slowing, with growth relying heavily on semiconductor and automobile exports, while domestic demand remains weak.

HDI*: 0.937/1

HDI (World Rank): 19/192

Telephone Code:
To call from South Korea, dial 001, 002, 008, 00365, 00700
To call South Korea, dial +82

Internet Suffix: .kr

Households with a computer: 78.1 per 100 Inhabitants

Telephone Lines: 61.9 per 100 Inhabitants

Internet Users: 97.9 per 100 Inhabitants

Access to Electricity: 100% of the Population