Korea, South (Republic of Korea)

South Korea Republic of Korea
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	24th best
Capital	Seoul
Land Area	97 100km21
Location	Asia
Population	51.2m2
Life Expectancy	83.70yrs (2017)3
GNI	$44 501 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	KR, KOR, 4105
Internet Domain	.kr6
Currency	Won (KRW)7
Telephone	+828

1. Overview
2. South Korea National and Social Development
3. South Korea's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. South Korea's Health
6. South Korea's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. South Korea's Modernity and Learning
8. South Korea's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

“An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), U.S. troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion supported by China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former ROK Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became South Korea's first civilian president. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. LEE Myung-bak (2008-2013) pursued a policy of global engagement , highlighted by Seoul's hosting of the G-20 summit in November 2010 and the Nuclear Security Summit in March 2012. South Korea also secured a non-permanent seat (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. President PARK Geun-hye took office in February 2013 and is South Korea's first female leader. Serious tensions with North Korea have punctuated inter-Korean relations in recent years, including the North's sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010 and its artillery attack on South Korean soldiers and citizens in November 2010. In January 2013, assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“The Republic of Korea offers the traveller a dazzling range of experiences, beguiling landscapes and 5000 years of culture and history. The blue and red circle at the heart of the South Korean flag neatly symbolises the fluid mix of ancient and modern aspects of the country officially called the Republic of Korea (ROK). South Korea is a dream destination for the traveller, an engaging, welcoming place where the benefits of a fully industrialised, high-tech nation are balanced alongside a reverence for tradition and the ways of old Asia.

South Korea´s compact size and superb transport infrastructure mean that tranquillity is achievable within an hour of the urban sprawl. Hike to the peaks of craggy mountains enclosed by densely forested national parks. Sail to remote islands, where farming and fishing folk welcome you into their homes. Sample the serenity of a Buddhist temple retreat. But rest assured - the ROK knows how to rock. There´s almost always a festival or event on, and friendly Koreans are happy to share their culture. If nothing else, your tastebuds will be tingling at the discovery of one of Asia´s most delicious cuisines.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. South Korea National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
16	Liechtenstein	0.935
17	Luxembourg	0.930
18	UK	0.929
19=	S. Korea	0.925
19=	Japan	0.925
21	USA	0.921
22	Israel	0.919
23=	Slovenia	0.918
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
25	Saudi Arabia	$46 112
26	France	$45 937
27	UK	$45 225
28	S. Korea	$44 501
29	New Zealand	$44 057
30	Italy	$42 840
31	Japan	$42 274
32	Israel	$41 524
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.5
2	Norway	30.7
3	Switzerland	32.5
	...
21	Spain	45.7
22	Italy	46.4
23	Portugal	48.6
24	S. Korea	50.1
25	Monaco	50.4
26	Czechia	53.5
27	Cyprus	54.5
28	Taiwan	54.7
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. South Korea's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

South Korea's population is predicted to fall to 50 335 000 by 2030. Developed countries with falling populations face a pension's crises, whereby an increasingly ageing population must be cared for by fewer and fewer workers. Economic stability can be maintained by increasing foreign workers from younger countries. This country has a fertility rate of 0.78. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
25	Tanzania	56.3m
26	Myanmar	53.7m
27	Kenya	51.4m
28	S. Korea	51.2m
29	Colombia	49.7m
30	Spain	46.7m
31	Argentina	44.4m
32	Ukraine	44.2m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
153	Tuvalu	3.14
154	Papua New Guinea	3.17
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
164	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
171	Canada	38.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
119	Uruguay	2.3%
120	Mauritius	2.3%
121	Benin	2.3%
122	S. Korea	2.3%
123	Cameroon	2.2%
124	Bulgaria	2.2%
125	Kenya	2.2%
126	Angola	2.1%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
119	Philippines	4.6%
120	Egypt	4.4%
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #morals #politics #prejudice #south_korea #south_korea_gender #tolerance #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
31	Lithuania	44.7
32	Chile	47.9
33	Poland	48.0
34	S. Korea	48.5
35	Latvia	49.4
36	Puerto Rico	50.8
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

South Korea performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. S. Korea comes in the best 20 in opposing gender inequality₁₉ (one of the lowest in Asia) and in freethought₂₀ (one of the best in Asia). It does better than average in eliminating modern slavery₂₁, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂ (amongst the best in Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₃, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₄, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₅ (one of the best in Asia), its average Freedom in the World rating, supporting press freedom₂₆ and in LGBT equality₂₇. S. Korea still has work to do. S. Korea does worse than average for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₈. There are "unreasonable restrictions" on freedom of expression and freedom of association₂₉. There is too much discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities₂₉.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in South Korea

5. South Korea's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #hong_kong #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #south_korea #suicide #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Japan	34.5
2	Singapore	40.8
3	Hong Kong	47.0
4	S. Korea	48.0
5	Sri Lanka	55.1
6	Malaysia	59.7
7	Brunei	61.6
8	N. Korea	63.0
9	China	64.8
10	Israel	67.0
11	Cyprus	68.2
12	Thailand	71.3
13	Vietnam	71.8
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)30
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank30
1	Monaco	12.4
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	San Marino	30.6
	...
11	Hong Kong	47.0
12	Netherlands	47.5
13	France	47.6
14	S. Korea	48.0
15	Finland	50.7
16	Luxembourg	52.0
17	Australia	53.1
18	Belgium	53.8
	World Avg	96.86
q=204.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and San Marino₃₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₁.

36 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, its immunizations take-up and childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far). The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Health Datasets:

South Korea does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. S. Korea comes in the best 20 in terms of its adolescent birth rate₃₂ (one of the lowest in Asia), its average life expectancy₁₁ (one of the highest in Asia), its immunizations take-up₃₃, childhood mortality in the 2020s (so far)₃₄ and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅. It does better than average in terms of the prevalence of overweight adults₃₆. But, things still need to improve in S. Korea. S. Korea does worse than average in terms of its smoking rate₃₇, its alcohol consumption rate₃₈ (one of the highest in Asia) and in its fertility rate₁₄. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom in its suicide rate₃₉. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 40 years. Life expectancy in South Korea in 2017 was the seventh-best in the world, at 83.3yrs. It improved by +11.7yrs in the 30 years from 1990, much better than the global average of +7.9yrs. South Korea had the 2nd-lowest average fertility rate in the world throughout the 2000s (after Hong Kong) and the 2010s. Its peak fertility rate was 5.95 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
4	Australia	84.5
5	Switzerland	84.0
6	Malta	83.8
7	S. Korea	83.7
8	Liechtenstein	83.3
9	Norway	83.2
10	Spain	83.0
11	Sweden	83.0
12	Italy	82.9
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better38
Pos.		2016 Per Capita38
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
149=	St Lucia	9.9
149=	Swaziland	9.9
151	Spain	10.0
152	S. Korea	10.2
153=	Laos	10.4
153=	Greece	10.4
153=	Denmark	10.4
156	Cook Islands	10.6
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
153	Tuvalu	3.14
154	Papua New Guinea	3.17
155	Tonga	3.19
156	S. Korea	0.78
157	Namibia	3.25
158	Kiribati	3.27
159	Kenya	3.30
160	Hong Kong	0.70
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better37
Pos.		Total %37
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
	...
82	Sri Lanka	19.5%
83	Azerbaijan	19.6%
84	Kuwait	19.9%
85	S. Korea	20.0%
86	Slovenia	20.2%
87	Seychelles	20.3%
88	Israel	20.4%
89	Philippines	20.5%
	Asia Avg	22.8%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165.

Suicide Rate39
Pos.		2013 Per 100k39
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
86=	Kazakhstan	52.4
86=	Guyana	52.4
88	Belarus	57.5
89	S. Korea	62
90	Russia	63.4
91	Lithuania	71.7
	Asia Avg	19.50
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
16	Belgium	16
17	New Zealand	17
18	Jordan	18
19	S. Korea	19
20	Kuwait	20
21	Japan	21
22	Spain	22
23	France	23
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better36
Pos.		1976 %36
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
53	Sao Tome & Principe	11.7
54	Congo, (Brazzaville)	11.8
55	Malaysia	11.9
56=	S. Korea	12.3
56=	Zambia	12.3
58	Gabon	12.9
59	Botswana	13.6
60	Japan	15.2
	Asia Avg	23.1
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 %40
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
15	Malawi	6.4%
16	Sierra Leone	6.5%
17	Nepal	6.6%
18	S. Korea	6.7%
19	Uganda	6.9%
20	India	7.2%
21	Myanmar	7.5%
22	Central African Rep.	7.7%
	Asia Avg	21.1%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Children's Health Datasets:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better32
Pos.		2022 Per 100032
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
4	Norway	2.2
5	Switzerland	2.2
6	N. Korea	2.4
7	Singapore	2.5
8	Netherlands	2.7
9	Japan	2.8
10	UAE	2.8
11	Liechtenstein	3.0
12	Sweden	3.3
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better33
Pos.		2015 Avg %33
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
6	Czechia	98.7
7	Seychelles	98.6
8	S. Korea	98.6
9	Sri Lanka	98.4
10	St Lucia	98.2
11	Bahrain	98.2
12	Iran	98.1
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better34
Pos.		Total Per 100034
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
13	Spain	3.42
14=	Monaco	3.55
14=	Italy	3.55
16	S. Korea	3.57
17	Portugal	3.62
18	Andorra	3.69
19	Ireland	3.76
20	Austria	3.81
	Asia Avg	23.58
	World Avg	32.19
q=195.

In the 1990s, South Korea had the lowest adolescent birth rate in the world by a clear margin, at 2.7 children per 1000 girls aged 15-19, indicating a well-ordered and sensible culture. In the 2010s, it maintained the 2nd-lowest average rate throughout the decade.

6. South Korea's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #germany #iceland #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #singapore #south_korea #sustainability #taiwan #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
21	UAE	81.8
22	Singapore	83.3
23	Georgia	83.6
24	S. Korea	84.0
25	Cambodia	84.0
26	Taiwan	86.1
27	Malaysia	89.5
28	Palestine	92.7
29	Qatar	94.1
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
101	Sierra Leone	83.6
102	Guinea-Bissau	83.7
103	Namibia	83.9
104	S. Korea	84.0
105	Cambodia	84.0
106	Central African Rep.	84.2
107	Djibouti	84.5
108	Honduras	84.6
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₂. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

S. Korea is positioned 104th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is computed using 21 data sets. S. Korea comes in the best 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₃ (the highest in Asia) and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₄ (amongst the highest in Asia). It does better than average in terms of its environmental performance₄₅. But, things still need to improve in S. Korea. S. Korea does worse than average for its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, energy to GDP efficiency₄₆, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₇ and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₈.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better48
Pos.		Total48
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
158	Sri Lanka	-2.5%
159	Central African Rep.	-2.6%
160	Malaysia	-2.9%
161	S. Korea	-2.9%
162	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	-3.0%
163	American Samoa	-3.4%
164	Rwanda	-3.5%
165	Trinidad & Tobago	-3.6%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better45
Pos.		201845
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
57	Tonga	62.5
58	Tunisia	62.4
59	Azerbaijan	62.3
60	S. Korea	62.3
61	Kuwait	62.3
62	Jordan	62.2
63	Armenia	62.1
64	Peru	61.9
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better46
Pos.		2022 Avg46
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
130	Seychelles	1.63
131	Belarus	1.64
132	St Lucia	1.65
133	S. Korea	1.67
134	Tajikistan	1.67
135	Mongolia	1.68
136	China	1.68
137	UAE	1.73
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
107	Slovakia	57%
108	St Lucia	56%
109	Slovenia	56%
110	S. Korea	56%
111	Sudan	56%
112	Cuba	55%
113	Israel	55%
114	Vietnam	55%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better44
Pos.		2011 %44
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
4	Trinidad & Tobago	74.5%
5	Costa Rica	74.2%
6	Cyprus	71.0%
7	Guatemala	70.9%
8	Philippines	70.8%
9	S. Korea	70.7%
10	Colombia	70.3%
11	Bolivia	69.3%
12	Paraguay	68.9%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better47
Pos.		2021 kg47
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
144	Ireland	80.2
145	Kuwait	81.3
146	New Zealand	81.4
147	S. Korea	81.5
148	Dominica	81.6
149	Hungary	82.1
150	UK	82.3
151	Czechia	82.4
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

In the 2010s, South Korea increased its meat consumption by over 20kgs per person per year, one of only 11 countries to do so, and putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₄₇

Green Future Index Higher is better43
Pos.		2023 Score43
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
4=	Sweden	6.3
4=	Denmark	6.3
6	Netherlands	6.2
7	UK	6.1
8	S. Korea	6.0
9	France	6.0
10=	Spain	5.9
10=	Germany	5.9
12	Belgium	5.8
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

The 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index lists South Korea among five countries who are doing the best at recycling, alongside Germany, Iceland, Singapore and Taiwan).₄₉

7. South Korea's Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #modernity #politics #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #singapore #south_korea #technology #the_internet #USA

Compared to Asia (2020)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
4	Hong Kong	31.2
5	Singapore	34.1
6	Russia	44.3
7	Cyprus	55.6
8	Turkey	55.9
9	Malaysia	59.4
10	Kazakhstan	59.8
11=	Saudi Arabia	62.0
12	UAE	64.3
13	Georgia	65.6
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)50
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank50
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
15	Austria	19.9
16=	Czechia	21.8
16=	Canada	21.8
18	S. Korea	22.2
19	Slovenia	22.5
20	Japan	24.7
21	USA	26.4
22	France	26.8
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₅₁. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₅₁. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₂.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₃

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₁, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₁.

For more, see:

• "Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education Datasets:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2954
2	Israel	4.1154
3	Japan	3.5854
4	Finland	3.1754
5	Sweden	3.1654
6	Denmark	3.0554
7	Taiwan	3.0154
8	Austria	3.0055
9	Switzerland	2.9656
10	Germany	2.8454
11	USA	2.7457
12	Belgium	2.4654
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better58
Pos.		201858
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
24	Azerbaijan	95.6%
25	USA	95.6%
26	Norway	95.4%
27	S. Korea	95.2%
28	Bulgaria	95.1%
29	Lithuania	94.9%
30	Ukraine	94.6%
31	Tonga	93.7%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better59
Pos.		2021 Years59
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
23	Chile	16.7
24	Costa Rica	16.5
25	Singapore	16.5
26	S. Korea	16.5
27	Switzerland	16.5
28	Canada	16.4
29	Bahrain	16.3
30	Lithuania	16.3
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
41	Italy	41
42	Slovakia	42
43	Marshall Islands	43
44	S. Korea	44
45	Morocco	45
46	Belarus	46
47	Moldova	47
48	Montenegro	48
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better60
Pos.		2015 Score60
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
4	Macau	1582
5	Estonia	1573
6=	Taiwan	1571
6=	Canada	1571
8	Finland	1568
9	S. Korea	1557
10	China	154361
11=	Ireland	1528
11=	Slovenia	1528
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better62
Pos.		2018 %62
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better63
Pos.		200663
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
4=	Japan	105
4=	Taiwan	105
4=	China	105
7	Italy	102
8=	Iceland	101
8=	Switzerland	101
8=	Mongolia	101
11	Netherlands	100
12=	Norway	100
	Asia Avg	90.4
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information Datasets:

Internet Users Higher is better64
Pos.		201664
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
25	Aruba	88%
26	Switzerland	87%
27	France	86%
28	S. Korea	86%
29	Australia	85%
30	Bahamas	85%
31	Puerto Rico	83%
32=	Singapore	83%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better65
Pos.		201265
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
13	Kenya	29
14	Georgia	30
15	Nigeria	33
16=	S. Korea	34
16=	Uganda	34
18	Kyrgyzstan	35
19	Mexico	37
20	India	39
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better66
Pos.		201366
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
20	Turkey	0.52
21	Poland	0.55
22	Switzerland	0.55
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
27	Chile	0.66
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better67
Pos.		2017 Ratio67
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
46	Faroe Islands	1.4
47	Russia	1.3
48	Bulgaria	1.3
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
52	Hong Kong	0.7
53	Spain	0.6
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

8. South Korea's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #finland #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #internationalism #life_expectancy #morals #norway #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #south_korea #sweden #terrorism

Compared to Asia (2020)70
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank70
1	Singapore	19.0
2	Japan	40.0
3	Hong Kong	40.1
4	Cyprus	40.1
5	S. Korea	42.1
6	UAE	46.5
7	Malaysia	47.3
8	Taiwan	50.7
9	Qatar	55.5
10	Israel	59.8
11	Oman	61.8
12	Thailand	66.9
13	Bhutan	70.0
	Asia Avg	79.59
q=50.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)70
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank70
1	Denmark	11.3
2	Netherlands	13.7
3	Finland	13.7
	...
27	Cyprus	40.1
28	Portugal	41.7
29	Estonia	41.8
30	S. Korea	42.1
31	Italy	42.2
32	Slovakia	43.9
33	USA	46.3
34	UAE	46.5
	World Avg	80.34
q=186.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 32 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, passport utility in the 2020s (so far), Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty in the 2020s (so far), Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture Datasets:

World Giving Index Higher is better71
Pos.		2022 %71
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
118	Portugal	26.0
119	Lebanon	24.0
120	Egypt	23.0
121	S. Korea	22.0
122=	Afghanistan	21.0
122=	Belgium	21.0
124	Japan	20.0
125	Cambodia	19.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

The World Giving Index is produced annually by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). It produces statistical counts of individual charitable acts in three categories: the helping of strangers, donations to charity and volunteer work. The system is biased towards grassroots-charitability and because of this, it is not wise to draw moral conclusions from the data. Some countries have a top-down approach to social aid. For example, in highly socialist countries such as Finland, Norway and Sweden, including South Korea, the government itself is paid by citizens (through very high taxes) to engage in a lot of social work. Therefore, there is a culture in which individuals feel they already contribute to charity through a centralized and well-funded charitable social safety net: but this kind of contribution isn't reflected in the WGI. Some of those countries do score highest in measurements of how much aid is given to developing countries. Conversely, some of the lowest-ranking countries are clearly suffering from extreme poverty, and may lack the infrastructure that lets people volunteer time or give to charity.

For more, see:

• " Charity Across the World" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Corruption Higher is better72
Pos.		2022 Points72
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
28	Chile	67.0
29	Barbados	65.0
30	Bahamas	64.0
31=	S. Korea	63.0
31=	Israel	63.0
33	Lithuania	62.0
34=	Portugal	62.0
35	Cape Verde	60.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

South Korea was already scoring well on the Corruption Perception Index, but of all countries throughout the 2000s, South Korea improved its rating better than all countries except four, rising to 39th-best in 2009.₇₃

Happiness Higher is better74
Pos.		2024 Score74
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
55	Japan	6.1
56	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.1
57	Philippines	6.1
58	S. Korea	6.0
59	Bahrain	6.0
60	Portugal	6.0
61	Colombia	6.0
62	Ecuador	6.0
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
31	Romania	31
32	Costa Rica	32
33	Serbia	33
34	S. Korea	34
35	New Zealand	35
36	Belize	36
37	Iceland	37
38	Croatia	38
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better75
Pos.		Total Q75
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
4	Germany	190.3
5	Spain	189.8
6	Italy	189.7
7	Finland	189.5
8	Luxembourg	189.3
9=	Denmark	188.7
9=	Austria	188.7
11	France	188.5
12=	Netherlands	188.3
	Asia Avg	85.1
	World Avg	108.8
q=195.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
62	USA	62
63	Congo, DR	63
64	Honduras	64
65	S. Korea	65
66	Benin	66
67	Lesotho	67
68	Panama	68
69	New Zealand	69
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability Datasets:

Global Peace Index Lower is better76
Pos.		2023 Score76
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
40=	Vietnam	1.75
40=	Albania	1.75
42	Botswana	1.76
43	S. Korea	1.76
44	Mongolia	1.77
45	Montenegro	1.77
46	Laos	1.78
47	Sierra Leone	1.79
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Qatar	36
37	Germany	37
38	Togo	38
39	Argentina	39
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
32	Bulgaria	32
33	S. Korea	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	35
36	Romania	36
37	Uruguay	37
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better77
Pos.		2019 Score77
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
32	Hungary	0.18
33	Switzerland	0.19
34	Latvia	0.23
35	S. Korea	0.30
36	Macedonia	0.30
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets:

Poverty (2020s) Lower is better78
Pos.		Total %78
1	Malaysia	0.01%
2	Bhutan	0.01%
3	Cyprus	0.02%
	...
20	Denmark	0.23%
21	Norway	0.24%
22	Germany	0.24%
23	S. Korea	0.25%
24	Canada	0.25%
25	Albania	0.34%
26	Croatia	0.36%
27	Estonia	0.39%
	Asia Avg	3.54%
	World Avg	11.40%
q=106.

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better79
Pos.		201979
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
7	Finland	3.00
8=	Czechia	3.00
8=	Norway	3.00
8=	S. Korea	3.00
8=	Spain	3.00
12	Netherlands	3.10
13=	Italy	3.10
14	Israel	3.30
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better80
Pos.		2023 %80
1	Slovakia	24.1%81
2	Slovenia	24.3%81
3	Belarus	24.4%82
	...
57=	Greece	32.9%81
57=	Niger	32.9%81
57=	Japan	32.9%83
57=	S. Korea	32.9%81
61	Bosnia & Herzegovina	33.0%84
62	Serbia	33.1%81
63=	Guinea-Bissau	33.4%81
63=	Bangladesh	33.4%85
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religiosity #secularisation #universalism

From 2010 to 2020 in South Korea, there were two significant trends: 20% of its Buddhists stopped describing themselves as Buddhist (from 26% to 19% of the total population), and 6.9% fewer South Koreas said they belonged to any religion.

Religiosity (2018)62
Pos.		Lower is better %62
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
15	Hungary	14
16	Albania	15
17=	Lithuania	16
17=	S. Korea	16
17=	Russia	16
20	Australia	18
21=	Vietnam	18
22	Bulgaria	19
23=	Norway	19
24	Netherlands	20
25=	Italy	21
25=	Belarus	21
27	Ireland	22
28=	Kazakhstan	22
28=	Spain	22
30	Slovakia	23
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)86
Pos.		Higher is better %86
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
22=	New Zealand	22
22=	Canada	22
24	Latvia	20
25=	Ukraine	20
25=	Mongolia	20
27	Austria	18
28=	Slovakia	17
28=	Switzerland	17
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₇:

	2010	2020
Unaffiliated	41.3%	48.3%
Christian	32.1%	32%
Buddhist	25.6%	19%
Other	0.716%	0.348%
Muslim	0.21%	0.31%
Hindu	<0.1%	<0.1%
Jewish	<0.1%	<0.1%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 51.7% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 16% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 31.6% (Protestant 24%, Roman Catholic 7.6%), Buddhist 24.2%, other or unknown 0.9%, none 43.3% (2010 survey)₈₈.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on South Korea₈₉. Belief in heaven and hell is at just 22%. Some people don't know what to believe (21%). Even more people believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (40%). Also, 1% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 6% believe in reincarnation.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?