About Korea - Location

Geographical Make-up

The Korean Peninsula is located in North-East Asia. It is bordered by the Amnok River (Yalu River) to the northwest, separating Korea from China, and the Duman River (Tumen River) to the northeast which separates Korea from both China and Russia. The country itself is flanked by the Yellow Sea to its west and the East Sea to the east. There are several notable islands that surround the country including Jeju-do, Ulleung-do and Dok-do (Liancourt Rocks).
The Korean peninsula is roughly 1,030 km (612 miles) long and 175 km (105 miles) wide at its narrowest point. The land area is 99,200 sq km (38,301 square miles), and it has a population of 48.9 million people (2006).
Because of its unique geographical location, this makes Korea very viable piece of land and an international hub of Asia.



Mountains cover 70% of Korea's land mass, making it one of the most mountainous regions in the world. The lifting and folding of Korea’s granite and limestone base creates breathtaking landscapes of scenic hills and valleys. The mountain range that stretches the length of the east coast falls steeply into the East Sea, while along the southern and western coasts, the mountains descend gradually to the coastal plains that produce the bulk of Korea’s agricultural crops, especially rice.[Related Link]National and Provincial Parks and Mountains
Division of the 38th ParallelThe Korean peninsula is divided just slightly north of the 38th parallel. The democratic Republic of Korea in the south and the communist government of North Korea are separated by a demilitarized zone.
South Korea’s Provinces
Administratively, the Republic of Korea consists of nine provinces; the capital Seoul; and the six metropolitan cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon and Ulsan. In total, there are 77 cities and 88 counties.
[Related Link]
Destinations by Region
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▶ Geographic position - Between 33˚ and 43˚ north latitude, and 124˚ and 131˚ east longitude (including North Korea)
▶ Highest mountains in S. Korea - Hallasan on Jeju Island, 1,950 meters (6400 ft); Jirisan, 1,915 meters (6,283 ft); and Seoraksan, 1,708 meters (5,604 ft)
▶ Rivers - Nakdonggang, 522 km (324 miles); Hangang, 494 km (307 miles); Geumgang, 396 km (246 miles)
▶ Economic status (2006) - GNI US $ 887.3 billion; GNI per capita US $ 18,372