Country profile · KR
Seoul · Eastern Asia
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Species, IUCN status, protected areas
History view & timeline of notable moments
Looking for South Korea’s population, area, or density? The headline figures are here, answer-first — every one citable to its primary source.
South Korea is the 30th most populous of the 250 countries we track. At 530 people/km² it is denser than 90% of them.
Every figure links to its primary source — open them, question them, find a fresher one if you can. The category sections below go deeper; lateral views (biodiversity, critical events) are in the header above.
GDP, human development, happiness, connectivity
South Korea's GDP per capita is $36.2k (current US$, 2024). Its Human Development Index, which combines life expectancy, education, and income, sits at 0.937 (2023). Every number above links to its primary source; we encourage you to verify the latest figures directly.
5 indicators cited · validated May 26
South Korea has undergone significant rental-market structural change in 2025 — the jeonse system (lump-sum deposits) is fading rapidly. Q1 2025 saw 64.6% of Seoul leases shift to monthly rent (per Korea Real Estate Board), and Seoul's median monthly rent crossed ₩1,007,000 in December 2025 — first time over ₩1M. Seoul is the primary expat destination; Busan offers coastal alternative at significant discount. KR's WB gdp_per_capita_usd is ~USD 32,400 (2023). Healthcare OOP via WB is ~USD 110/month per capita.
For a solo expat in Seoul: ~USD 1,700/month baseline. Busan: ~USD 1,100. Family of three Seoul: ~USD 3,000; Busan ~USD 2,000.
South Korea's tax structure is unusually simple. Standard top marginal personal income tax reaches 45% + 10% local surtax per OECD Tax Database; corporate tax is 24%; VAT is 10% with no reduced rates — unusually broad base among OECD economies per NTS. The F-1-D Workation visa restricts work to foreign employers/clients only; Korean-source income is not permitted under DN status.
Two caveats. The jeonse-to-monthly-rent shift means many cost-of-living guides published before 2025 are structurally misleading — they describe a deposit-and-low-rent system that's actively being replaced by Western-style monthly rent at significantly higher cash-flow burden. Plan rental costs as monthly going forward. Second, Korea's broad-base VAT (no exemptions for food or essentials) means VAT on groceries adds 10% to everyday spending versus, say, UK (0% on most food) or Italy (4% super-reduced).
These figures are reference baselines drawn from primary government and supranational sources — each indicator has a methodology page that documents the source dataset, refresh cadence, and known limitations of what it does and does not capture. Browse the full South Korea country profile for the latest values across these indicators, or read the methodology page for health_expenditure_per_capita_usd to understand the underlying basis. You can also compare South Korea with similar destinations side-by-side using your own weighting of cost-of-living, tax, and quality-of-life dimensions — the comparison tool surfaces the same indicator data with the per-indicator citations preserved.
Sources
Want to compare South Korea’s cost data against other countries? Open the match engine →
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI)
South Korea scores 76 out of 100 on the World Bank's Rule of Law measure (2024). Its Voice & Accountability score, which captures citizens' ability to participate in selecting government and free expression, is 71. These are composite indicators built from many underlying surveys — follow the source links to see their full methodology.
Life expectancy, healthcare resources, mortality
Life expectancy at birth in South Korea is 84.3 years (2023, World Bank). Mortality figures below are sensitive to data lag — some countries report several years behind real time.
Air quality and protected areas
Terrestrial protected areas cover 17.7% of land — the Kunming-Montréal global target is 30% by 2030.
Population total and density
2 programs sourced from issuing government
Digital Nomad
F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad)
Dur 2yMin $66k/yr
Digital Nomad
D-8 Corporate Investment Visa
Tap any program for full eligibility, fees, and the official source — or compare South Korea’s 2 programs side-by-side →
Validated May 26
South Korea operates two relocation pathways aimed at very different applicant profiles: the F-1-D Workation (Digital Nomad) Visa launched in 2024, and the D-8 Corporate Investment Visa under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act. Both administered by the Korea Immigration Service (KIS).
The F-1-D requires annual income of KRW 88,102,000 (~USD 65,800; ~USD 5,483/month) — calculated as 2× Korean per-capita GNI for the previous year, after tax. The GNI-pegged threshold updates annually each January. Applicants must show 1+ year of foreign-employer OR self-employment income evidence. 24-month residence permit; family allowed under the same status. Application fee ~USD 100. The D-8 requires KRW 100M+ (~USD 75K) foreign investment establishing a Korean corporation in which the applicant is an executive/manager/specialist; no salary threshold but the role must be substantive (not nominal-director arrangements).
Korea's tax structure is unusually simple: standard top marginal personal income tax of 45%, plus 10% local surtax. Corporate tax is 24%. VAT is 10% standard with no reduced rates — unusually broad base (no zero rate for food, books, etc., unlike most EU systems). Path to permanent residency: typically 5 years of legal residence + financial means + Korean-language proficiency; D-8 holders can convert to F-5 PR sooner if their corporate investment grows.
Two caveats. First, Korea's residency framework is in flux — the jeonse rental system (lump-sum deposits) is fading, and Seoul monthly rent crossed ₩1M for the first time in December 2025 (per Korea Real Estate Board). Plan rental costs as monthly, not jeonse. Second, F-1-D visa holders cannot work for Korean companies — only foreign employers/clients. Many DN applicants misread this restriction. Compare Korea F-1-D vs D-8 or browse Korea.
Primary-source verification: visa administration via Korea Immigration Service; tax-side rules via Korean National Tax Service.
Sources
Want the side-by-side view? Compare South Korea’s 2 programs in the matrix →
Featured in
Every list below is a multi-indicator query whose criteria South Korea satisfies on the current data. Click any chip to see the full ranked list and tweak the thresholds.
Same subregion: Eastern Asia