Environment
South Korea
Climate
characterized by a temperate climate, featuring greater precipitation during the summer compared to winter; winters are notably cold
Geoparks
global geoparks and regional networks
Cheongsong; Danyang; Gyeongbuk Donghaean; Hantangang; Jeju Island; Jeonbuk West Coast; Mudeungsan (2025)
total global geoparks and regional networks
7 (2025)
Land use
other
19.5% (2023 est.)
forest
64.4% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
16.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 14.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 2.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.6% (2023 est.)
Urbanization
urban population
81.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization
0.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Methane emissions
other
27 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste
478.6 kt (2019-2021 est.)
energy
145.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture
500 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually
20.453 million tons (2024 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled
67.1% (2022 est.)
Environmental issues
pollution in urban areas; occurrence of acid rain; contamination of water sources due to sewage and industrial discharges; drift-net fishing practices; challenges in solid waste management; cross-border air pollution originating from China
Total water withdrawal
municipal
6.672 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial
4.45 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural
15.96 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
total emissions
644.231 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas
120.222 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke
275.411 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids
248.599 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions
25 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources
69.7 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
International environmental agreements
party to
Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements