South Korea, an East Asian nation in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, shares one of the most militarized borders in the world with North Korea. It is also known for its green mountain landscape with cherry trees and centuries-old Buddhist temples, as well as for its coastal fishing villages, subtropical islands and high-tech cities such as the capital Seoul.
Here are some interesting facts about South Korea:
The total land area of South Korea is 100,363 km2.
Only 3% of the population is considered obese.
The National Liberation Day of Korea is a holiday celebrated annually on August 15 in both North and South Korea.
The South Korean economy is now ranked at the 11th largest economy in the world and the 4th in Asia.
Traditional South Korean culture uses red to write the names of the dead.
Yoido Full Gospel Church of South Korea is known as the largest megachurch in the world.
Kim, Lee, and Park are the most common Korean names.
The national flower of South Korea is Hibiscus syriacus.
It’s illegal to sympathize with Kim Jong-un and the North Korean regime. Doing so could even land you in jail.
The national animal of South Korea is the Siberian tiger.
South Korea has a total of 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and some of the most famous include Changdeokgung Palace Complex, Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes, Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong, and Gyeongju Historic Areas.
Red, white, blue and black is the national color of South Korea.
60% of South Korean families use professionals to find a name for their babies.
Mount Hallasan on Jeju Island is the tallest mountain in the country, standing at 6,400 feet above sea level in elevation.
When taking a photo, South Koreans say “kimchi” instead of “cheese”.
The main trading partners of South Korea are Japan, China, Germany, and the USA.
The number four is considered unlucky in South Korea.
The Korean alphabet has 24 letters and it does not follow a word order.
One of the unique facts about South Koreans is that they’re automatically one year old at birth. This means that a newborn baby is considered one year old in South Korea.
The tallest building in South Korea is The Lotte World Tower.
According to the World Health Organization, South Koreans consume an average of 12.3L of alcohol per year and are ranked #17 in the world!
Taekwondo is the national sport of South Korea.
One of the interesting facts about South Korea is that Valentine’s Day(February 14) is when the males receive chocolate from females, while girls receive sweets on White Day(March 14).
The official currency of South Korea is the Korean Republic won.
Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday of the year and is celebrated in the first two months of the year (depending on the lunar calendar).
One of the Largest Man made Lake in South Korea is Chungju Lake.
One of the interesting facts about South Korea is that people often give toilet paper and laundry detergent as housewarming gifts.
You must be of 19 years to smoke, drink, or vote in South Korea.
South Korea is known as the Plastic Surgery Capital of the World.
The first female president of South Korea is Park Geun-Hye.
South Korea is the country with the highest tertiary university attainment for people between 25 and 34: 68% of Koreans have graduated a university or a similar educational institution.
Adultery is legalized in 2015 in South Korea.
In South Korea, it is perfectly legal to drink alcohol in public. People can carry open containers of their favorite alcoholic beverage and even take a drink or two.
South Korea retains 1st place for fastest average internet speed in 2017.
When a Korean’s name is written in red ink, this indicates that that person is about to die or is already dead.
The most popular type of alcohol in South Korea is Soju.
The microchips for Apple’s iPhones are made by the South Korean company Samsung.
Cheomseongdae Observatory, located in South Korea is known as the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia.
Along with Tokyo residents, Seoulites get the least amount of sleep of any residents of major cities in the world, just fewer than 6 hours a night.
Above 20% of South Koreans have the last name, Kim.
Taxis in South Korea are color coded according to the level of service offered. A gray or white taxi is a basic car with a qualified but potentially inexperienced driver, while the black cabs are luxury cars with experienced drivers.
