When living in a new country, there is always some essential information worth having on hand. Whether you are still deciding to visit or have already settled down, here are the basic facts to know about South Korea. While "Korea" can refer to the whole peninsula, including North Korea, this covers life as a foreigner in South Korea specifically.
Full country name: Republic of Korea. Capital: Seoul. Date of independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japanese colonial rule). Government type: presidential republic with a unicameral National Assembly. Time in Korea: UTC+9 year-round (Korea does not observe daylight saving time).
Currency: South Korean won (KRW). As of September 2026, roughly 1 USD equals about 1,340 KRW and 1 EUR equals about 1,640 KRW — exchange rates move constantly, so check a live converter before budgeting a trip rather than relying on any fixed figure.
Population: approximately 51.6 million (2026 estimate) — South Korea's population has been gradually declining in recent years due to one of the world's lowest birth rates. Religion: Christianity and Buddhism are the two largest religious groups, though a majority of South Koreans identify with no religion.
Public holidays include New Year's Day (1 January), Seollal (Korean Lunar New Year, a 3-day holiday whose date shifts each year with the lunar calendar), Independence Movement Day (1 March), Children's Day (5 May), Buddha's Birthday (a lunar-calendar date, usually in May), Memorial Day (6 June), Liberation Day (15 August), Chuseok (the Korean harvest festival, a 3-day holiday on the lunar calendar, usually September or October), National Foundation Day (3 October), Hangeul Day (9 October), and Christmas Day (25 December). Check the current year's exact lunar-holiday dates before planning travel, since they shift annually.
