South Korea is located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It borders North Korea to the north and closely neighbors China to the west and Japan to the east. Its capital is Seoul.

South Korea is a developed country. It has the fourth-largest economy in Asia and a High-income OECD member, classified as an Advanced economy by CIA and IMF. Today, it is among the world's fastest growing advanced economies and is leading the Next Eleven nations; its economic success serves as a role model for many developing countries. South Korea has a high-tech and futuristic infrastructure, and is a world leader in technologically advanced goods such as electronics, automobiles, ships, machinery, petrochemicals and robotics, headed by Samsung, POSCO, and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Since the 21st century, South Korea's modern culture has become popular in Asia and beyond in a phenomenon known as the Korean wave.