South Korea is a densely-populated sovereign presidential republic located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Also known as the "Land of the Morning Calm" and The Hermit Kingdom, it is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east and North Korea to the north.

South Korea's capital and largest city is Seoul, the world's second largest metropolitan city. Korea is an industrial nation standing tall on the world stage. Its semiconductor, automobile, shipbuilding, steel making, and IT industries are on the leading edge in global markets. It hosted the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA World Cup.