South Korea

South Korea is a stable, high-income nation profiled in the Countries A, Z series. The entry answers the core question, “What is South Korea, and how do I verify its key facts?”, by anchoring classification in UN standards and showing how to look up current figures without freezing volatile data. Every changing number below carries a source and a reference year; where a figure is disputed, the dispute is attributed rather than resolved.

Classification facts

South Korea is classified in international databases under the following identifiers:

• UN M49 code: statistical code assigned by the UN Statistics Division
• ISO alpha-2: KR
• ISO alpha-3: KOR
• UN region: Asia
• UN subregion: Eastern Asia
• UN member state: Yes
• World Bank capital field: Seoul

These identifiers come from the United Nations Statistics Division’s M49 overview, which standardises country codes for statistical purposes. The M49 code is a statistical classification, not a political or territorial statement. The World Bank lists Seoul as the capital in its country profile. For current classifications and codes, consult the UN M49 overview and the World Bank country API.

Country basics

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, sits in Eastern Asia on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It shares a heavily fortified land border with North Korea to the north and is surrounded by water on the other three sides. Its UN M49 classification places it under Asia, subregion Eastern Asia, and it is a UN member state. The ISO alpha-2 code is KR, and the ISO alpha-3 code is KOR. The World Bank lists Seoul as the capital. These codes and classifications are statistical conventions maintained by the UN Statistics Division; they do not imply any political or territorial judgment.

This entry belongs to the Countries A, Z set. It answers one question: what is South Korea as a country research profile? It does not replace a travel guide, a visa service, or a security briefing. For current entry requirements, consult your own government’s foreign ministry travel advisory or the IATA Travel Centre. For visa specifics, the only authoritative source is the Republic of Korea’s diplomatic missions and the official immigration portal.

How to verify current population, language, currency, government, economy and travel requirements

Volatile figures change frequently. Always check the source and the reference year before citing.

• Population: United Nations World Population Prospects publishes annual estimates with a reference year. The World Bank also publishes population estimates. Both are secondary sources; the primary source is Statistics Korea (KOSTAT), the national statistical office.
• Languages: The official language is Korean. For current language-use statistics, consult the National Institute of Korean Language or national census reports; UNESCO also publishes education and literacy data.
• Currency: The official currency is the South Korean won (KRW). Confirm current exchange rates from a central bank or financial data provider, not from this profile.
• Government: The Republic of Korea is a presidential republic. For the current head of state and cabinet, check the official website of the President of South Korea or the National Election Commission.
• Economy: Use the World Bank country API for GDP, income classification, and development indicators. Name the reference year for each figure; do not mix datasets.

General country profile

• Official country name: Republic of Korea (ROK); also commonly called South Korea.
• Capital: Seoul (administrative and largest city; World Bank capital field: Seoul).
• Political system: unitary presidential republic; president is head of state and government. National Assembly is the unicameral legislature. Reference: CIA World Factbook (accessed 2025).
• UN classification: UN member state (ISO alpha-2 KR; ISO alpha-3 KOR; region Asia; subregion Eastern Asia).
• Currency: South Korean won (KRW), issued by the Bank of Korea.
• Time zone: Korea Standard Time (UTC+9), no daylight saving time (IANA time zone Asia/Seoul).
• Driving side: right.
• Calling code: +82.
• Internet TLD: .kr.
• Emergency numbers: police reachable at a dedicated national number; fire and medical services reachable at a separate dedicated national number. Confirm current local emergency contacts before travel, as these numbers can change.