GOOD TO KNOW
Measuring 28.6 Mbps, South Korea’s average internet connection is the fastest in the world. South Korea covers 99,720 square kilometres and its coastline is 2,413 kilometres long.
South Korea is divided from North Korea at the 38th parallel; outside a demilitarized zone here, there are huge numbers of troops on both sides.
A majority of South Korea is mountainous — its highest peak is the 1,950-metre volcanic Mount Halla on Cheju Island. Urban areas are generally highly populated. South Korea has a very low annual birth rate, at just 8.3 births/1,000 people (est. 2017), which is 220th out of 226 countries. Germany is 213th (8.6), with Japan 223rd (7.7) and North Korea 132nd (14.6). South Korea’s main export partners are China (25%), the US (13%), Hong Kong (6.6%), Vietnam (6.6%) and Japan (4.9%); main import partners are China (21.4%), Japan (11.7%), the US (10.7%) and Germany (4.7%).
South Korea celebrates its independence from Japan, which took place in 1945, on Liberation Day, 15 August.