Population: 51 million people live in South Korea (2017). The majority of the people live in the province surrounding Seoul in the north west of the country.
Capital: Seoul with 10 million inhabitants is also the country's biggest city
Name: Republik of Korea (ROK)
Government: Presidential Republic
National Holiday: 15 August (Liberation Day)
Language: Korean
Literacy: More than 95% can read and write.
Religion: Main religions are Christianity (27%) Buddhism (15%), however many practise Confucianism regardless of their religious beliefs
Currency: 1 South Korean Won equals 100 Jeon
South Korea Flag
National Symbols: taegeuk (yin yang symbol), Hibiscus syriacus (national flower) and the Siberian tiger (national animal). The national colours are red, white, blue and black.
South Korea Facts: History: For many centuries, South Korea was an independent kingdom,
but after 1905 the country was ruled by the Japanese.
After Japan surrendered to the USA after the Second World War in 1945,
Korea gained independence again, but the country soon was split between South Korea (which is largely supported by the USA) and communist North Korea along the 38 degrees latitude.
Since 1953 South Korea's economy expanded successfully,
while the people in North Korea are very poor and the relations between the two Koreas are very strained.