South Korea

American  

[sauth kuh-ree-uh, kaw-, koh-] / ˈsaʊθ kəˈri ə, kɔ-, koʊ- /

noun

1. Official Name Republic of Korea. a country in East Asia: formed 1948 after the division of the former country of Korea at the 38th parallel. 36,600 sq. mi. (94,795 sq. km). Seoul.

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South Korea British  

noun

1. Korean name: Hanguk. a republic in NE Asia: established as a republic in 1948; invaded by North Korea and Chinese Communists in 1950 but division remained unchanged at the end of the war (1953); includes over 3000 islands; rapid industrialization. Language: Korean. Religions: Buddhist, Confucianist, Shamanist, and Chondokyo. Currency: won. Capital: Seoul. Pop: 48 955 203 (2013 est). Area: 98 477 sq km (38 022 sq miles)

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South Korea Cultural  

1. Officially the Republic of Korea; located on the peninsula separating the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, two arms of the Pacific Ocean. Its capital and largest city is Seoul.

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Discover More

During the 1980s, South Korea became a major industrial power in Asia.

Supported by the United States, South Korea was created in 1948 after American and Soviet occupation zones established at the end of World War II had divided Korea into north and south.

During the Korean War, noncommunist South Korea, aided by forces of the United Nations, and communist North Korea, aided by Chinese forces, fought from 1950 to 1953.

Other Word Forms

• South Korean
  adjective

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

South Korea

The new edition has generated considerable interest in South Korea, where able-bodied men are required to serve between 18 and 21 months in the military, depending on the branch.

From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026

For now, South Korea is holding its breath, hoping Bukangi can find her way back to her home - the open sea.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

South Korea proposed on Friday military talks with North Korea to "mutually confirm the precise location" of their border and discuss restoring communication channels, after an explosion in the DMZ further strained relations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

It’s a theme now resurfacing in another film from South Korea, Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love,” but with a style, tone and focus all its own.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

She then escaped, and in 2009 found her way out of North Korea to South Korea, via China, Laos, and Thailand.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

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