This country profile features selected environmental indicators from the OECD Core Set, building on harmonised datasets available on OECD Data Explorer. The indicators reflect major environmental issues, including climate, air quality, freshwater resources, waste and the circular economy, and biodiversity. Differences with national data sources can occur due to delays in data treatment and publication, or due to different national definitions and measurement methods. The OECD is working with countries and other international organisations to further improve the indicators and the underlying data.
Environment at a Glance Indicators
Report
Table of contents
Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Korea
Copy link to KoreaContext
Copy link to ContextKorea has a relatively large export-oriented economy, poorly endowed with natural resources. The economy is based on a strong industrial sector, dominated by conglomerates. Manufacturing and energy-intensive industries, such as electronics, transport equipment (automotive, shipbuilding), chemicals, iron and steel, are predominant. Korea is among the world’s most densely populated countries.
Korea is a relatively small, mountainous peninsula with over 3 200 islands and total land area of about 100 000 km2. Surrounded by three seas, it has a temperate climate with wide variations in temperature and rainfall. The peninsula is largely divided into highland in the east and lowland in the west. Mountains covered with forests occupy about 64% of the territory, leaving limited areas for human settlement. Some 70% of the population is concentrated in urban areas, particularly in the north-east around the Seoul Metropolitan Area and along the coasts, leading to considerable regional disparities.
Forested mountains together with coasts provide an important habitat for Korea’s rich biodiversity. The country has no oil resources and very limited natural gas reserves; it produces small amounts of anthracite. Korea is very dependent on the import of energy and mineral resources.