South Korea Country Report
South Korea is an economically prosperous country in Northeast Asia. The threat of conflict from North Korea continues to rise. Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in took a conciliatory stance toward North Korea, but the current president, Yoon Seok-yul, is likely to take a hard line, and if North Korea strengthens its stance, retaliation is likely. . be taken
Corruption exists, but its impact on business activities is low to moderate. The rule of law is generally respected and enforced, but judicial corruption, nepotism, and allegations of patronage have raised concerns. South Korea is generally spared from strong earthquakes, but is prone to typhoons and other unusual weather patterns during the typhoon season. Modern and well-equipped hospitals are limited to urban areas, but provide quality medical care.
Last updated: May 13, 2022
Security
South Korea is generally a safe destination for travelers. Minor opportunistic crimes pose a limited threat to visitors to major urban centers. Protests and strikes occur fairly regularly, but most lead to local traffic and business disruption rather than posing a direct threat to personal safety. North Korea remains a potential threat due to its history of provocative statements and actions, as well as its nuclear capabilities. Although tensions have generally eased since 2018 and hopes for improved relations between the two Koreas have risen, periods of heightened rhetoric and symbolic threats persist. South Korea has no known cross-border extremist groups and has strong counter-terrorism capabilities.
Last updated: May 13, 2022
Infrastructure
There are no major safety concerns with air travel.
Air travel does not pose major safety concerns, but careless drivers can make driving a little dangerous.
Busan port is efficient.
Power supply, mobile network coverage and internet connectivity are stable throughout the country and the country has one of the fastest internet connections in the world.
Cybercrime is a definite threat due to the frequent use and dependence of online networks and platforms.
Last updated: December 29, 2022
Environment
South Korea is subject to powerful and destructive typhoons during the typhoon season from July to September. Extreme weather can also occur in summer and winter. The country is not a seismic zone and strong tremors are rare. The demilitarized zone that separates North and South is one of the most concentrated landmines in the world.
Last updated: March 16, 2022
Health and Medical
Do not worry about serious illness. However, this country has a history of recent MERS outbreaks. The country has quality healthcare and well-equipped pharmacies, but these are mostly confined to urban areas.
Last updated: June 8, 2023
Political
The election of Moon Jae-in as the new president in early May 2017 helped ease some of the political uncertainty caused by the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye on corruption charges. Although the rule of law is generally respected, the level of corruption is considered low. But the recent scandal involving the former president, his top aides and several local companies has exposed the obvious links between the country’s politics and corporate interests.
Last updated: March 28, 2022
