【 Country Name 】 The Republic of Korea.

【 Area 】 100,046 square kilometers (2024).

【 Population 】 Approximately 51.15 million (September 2025). It is a single ethnic group, with the Korean language being the common language. About 50% of the population adheres to religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Catholicism.

Seoul, the capital, has a population of approximately 9.33 million (as of September 2025), covers an area of 605 square kilometers, and has an average annual temperature of 11.6℃.

Lee Jae-myung, the head of state, was elected and took office on June 4, 2025.

【 Important Festivals 】 Spring Festival: The first day of the first lunar month; New Year's Day: January 1st Independence Movement Memorial Day: March 1st Buddha's Birthday: The eighth day of the fourth lunar month. Xianzhong Day: June 6th; Constitution Day: July 17th; Liberation Day: August 15th, commemorating the liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1945) and the establishment of the government of the Republic of Korea (1948). The Mid-Autumn Festival: The 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Kaitian Festival: October 3rd, the legendary founding day of ancient Korea; Hanmunje: Established on October 9th to commemorate the promulgation of the Hunminjeongeum. Christmas Day: December 25th.

【 Brief Introduction 】 It is located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula in the northeastern part of the Asian continent. It is surrounded by sea on the east, south and west sides. It has a temperate monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 13℃ to 14℃ and an average annual precipitation of about 1,300 to 1,500 millimeters.

From 1910 to 1945, the Korean Peninsula became a Japanese colony. In August 1945, Japan surrendered, and the US and Soviet troops were respectively stationed in the north and south of the Peninsula. On August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was established in the southern part of the peninsula, and Syngman Rhee became the first president. In 1960, Syng-man Lee stepped down and Yoon Bo-seon became president in August of the same year. In 1961, Park Chung-hee launched a military coup and remained in power for a long time thereafter. In 1979, Park Chung-hee was assassinated and Choi Kyu-ha became the president. In the same year, Chun Doo-hwan staged a coup and became the president in 1980. In 1987, South Korea revised its constitution and implemented direct presidential elections. In the same year, Roh Tae-woo was elected as the 13th president. Subsequently, Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in, Yoon Suk-yeol and Lee Jae-myung were successively elected as presidents from the 14th to the 21st term.

The current Constitution was adopted by a national referendum in October 1987 and came into effect on February 25, 1988. The Constitution stipulates that the president has the power to serve as the head of state, the head of government and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces for a term of five years and is not eligible for re-election.

Parliament: Congress, the legislative body. The main functions include: reviewing various bills; Review the national budget and final accounts; Supervise the work of the government Approving foreign treaties and agreeing to declare war or make peace, impeaching the president and key government officials, and vetoing the president's emergency orders, etc. It operates under a unicameral system with a total of 300 seats, and the term of office for members of parliament is four years. The 22nd National Assembly will be elected in April 2024. The National Assembly has one Speaker and two deputy speakers, who are elected by the members of the Assembly through voting. The current Speaker is Woo Won-sik, and the deputy Speakers are Lee Hak-young and Joo Ho-young.

The government consists of 19 ministries, 5 offices and 18 bureaus. The president concurrently serves as the head of the government, and the Prime Minister assists the president in his work. The current Prime Minister, Kim Min-seok, will assume office on July 7, 2025. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Koo Yoon-chul, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science, Technology and Information and Communications Bae Kyung-hun, Minister of Education Choi Kyo-jin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyeon, Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young, Minister of Justice Chung Sung-ho, Minister of Defense Ahn Gyu-bok, Minister of Administration and Security Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of State News Kwon Oh-yeol, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock and Food Song Mi-ryung, Minister of Trade and Industry Kim Jung-gwan, Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyung, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan, Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon, Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Youn-deok, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Jeon Jae-soo, Minister of Small and Medium-sized Venture Enterprises Han Sung-sook.

【 main site 】 the presidential palace: http://www.president.go.kr

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.mofa.go.kr

【 Administrative Division 】 The whole country is divided into one special city: Seoul Special City; Four special self-governing cities (provinces) : Sejong Special Self-governing City, Jeju Special Self-governing Province, Gangwon Special Self-governing Province, and Jeonbuk Special Self-governing Province; Six provinces: Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province, North Gyeongsang Province, and South Gyeongsang Province; Six metropolitan cities: Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan.

The judicial institutions include the Supreme Court, the High Court, the District Court and the Family Court. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial organ. Its president is appointed by the president and must be approved by the Congress. The term of office is six years and re-election is not allowed. There is also a constitutional law. The procuratorial organs include the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the High Prosecutors' Office and the Local Prosecutors' Office, all of which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is the highest prosecutor's office. The Prosecutor General is appointed by the president and does not require the consent of the National Assembly.

The main political party is the People Power Party. It was formerly known as the Democratic Liberal Party established in 1990. In 1995, it was renamed the New Korea Party. In 1997, the New Korea Party merged with the Democratic Party of Korea and was renamed the Grand National Party. In February 2012, it was renamed the New National Party. In December 2016, some of its lawmakers left the party. In February 2017, it was renamed the Liberty Korea Party. In February 2020, it was renamed the Future United Party. In September of the same year, it was renamed the People Power Party.

The Democratic Party of Korea: formerly known as the New Political National Assembly led by Kim Dae-jung. In 1997, Kim Dae-jung was elected president and the party became the ruling party. In 2003, it split into the Open Kuomintang and the Democratic Party. In February 2008, they merged into the United Democratic Party and were renamed the Democratic Party in July. In December 2011, the Democratic Party merged with the Citizens' United Party and the Korea Federation of Labor Unions to form the Democratic United Party. It was renamed the Democratic Party in May 2013. In March 2014, it joined forces with political forces represented by Ahn Cheol-soo to form the New Political Democratic United Party. It was renamed the Democratic Party of Korea in December 2015. In June 2025, the party's candidate Lee Jae-myung won the general election.

In the 1960s, the South Korean economy began to take off. Since the 1970s, it has maintained a high growth rate. The per capita gross national product increased from 87 US dollars in 1962 to 10,548 US dollars in 1996, creating the "Miracle of the Han River". In 1996, it joined the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and became one of the founding members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the same year. After the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the South Korean economy entered a period of medium-speed growth.

The industries are mainly manufacturing and services. The output of shipbuilding, automobiles, electronics, steel, textiles and other industries all rank among the top 10 in the world. Large business groups play a very important role in the South Korean economy. Currently, the major large business groups include Samsung, Hyundai Motor, SK, LG, etc.

In 2008, affected by the international financial crisis, the South Korean economy declined significantly. The South Korean government promptly implemented a series of policies, including large-scale fiscal stimulus. The financial market has fully recovered, the real economy has stabilized and rebounded, and the confidence of enterprises and consumers has been continuously enhanced. It has become the first country among the member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to emerge from the trough.

The main economic data for 2024 are as follows:

Gross domestic product: approximately 1.87 trillion US dollars.

GDP growth rate: 2%.

Per capita GDP: 36,000 US dollars.

Currency name: South Korean won.

Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 1,465 Korean won (subject to a floating exchange rate system).

【 Resources 】 Mineral resources are relatively scarce. Over 280 types of minerals have been discovered, among which more than 50 have economic value. Minerals with mining and utilization value include iron, anthracite, lead, zinc, tungsten, etc., but their reserves are not large. Natural resources are scarce, and the main industrial raw materials are all dependent on imports.

The output value of the industrial and mining sectors accounts for 28.1% of the GDP.

The current cultivated land area is 1.528 million hectares, mainly distributed in the western and southern plains and hilly regions. The agricultural population accounts for approximately 4% of the total population. Agricultural output value (including fishery and forestry) accounts for 1.8% of GDP.

The tourism industry in South Korea is relatively developed. In recent years, the South Korean government has identified tourism as a strategic industry, actively encouraging and developing it. It has attracted foreign tourists by promoting the "Korean Wave" culture to the outside world, simplifying entry procedures for popular tourist areas, improving the domestic tourism market, enhancing domestic tourism hardware facilities, and upgrading related service levels. According to statistics from the South Korean side, over 17 million foreign tourists visited South Korea in 2019, setting a historical record. In 2024, approximately 16.37 million foreign tourists visited South Korea.

【 Transportation 】 Land, sea and air transportation are all relatively developed. The country has built a railway network and a highway network.

Railways: The total length of railways is approximately 4,200 kilometers. In March 2004, the Seoul-Busan High-Speed Railway was opened, with a total length of 412 kilometers and a maximum speed of 300 kilometers per hour.

Highways: The total length of highways is approximately 114,300 kilometers, among which expressways account for about 4,500 kilometers. There are over 25 million registered cars.

Water transportation: Sea transportation is the main mode. The main ports include: Busan, Pohang, Incheon, Gunsan, Mokpo, Jeju, Yeosu, etc.

Air transport: There are currently 8 international airports: Incheon, Gimpo, Jeju, Gimhae, Cheongju, Daegu, Yangyang, and Muan.

【 Finance and Banking 】 South Korea's fiscal revenue and expenditure situation in 2024: Fiscal revenue is approximately 594.5 trillion won, and fiscal expenditure is approximately 638 trillion won. As of the end of October 2025, South Korea's foreign exchange reserves were approximately 422 billion US dollars.

In 2024, the total volume of foreign trade is expected to reach approximately 1.32 trillion US dollars, with a trade surplus of 51.8 billion US dollars. Among them, exports reached 683.8 billion US dollars, an increase of 8.2% compared with the previous year. Imports reached 632 billion US dollars, a decrease of 1.6% compared with the previous year. South Korea has economic and trade relations with over 180 countries and regions around the world. China, the United States and Vietnam are South Korea's top three trading partners.

The main imported products include crude oil, semiconductors, natural gas, petroleum products, semiconductor components, steel plates, coal, communication equipment, cables, etc. The main export products include automobiles and auto parts, semiconductors, wired and wireless communication equipment, ships, petroleum products, flat panel liquid crystal displays, personal computers, film and television equipment, etc.

【 Economic Organization 】 Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) : Officially established in July 1948. It is the largest private economic organization in South Korea, with 55,000 official member enterprises and 71 branches within the country. The main functions are: to investigate and understand the situation of enterprises, and to put forward policy opinions and suggestions to the government. As a non-governmental organization, it conducts statistical surveys on domestic production, prices, etc. Organize and lead the technical worker training and technical exchange activities of member enterprises; Be responsible for exchanges and cooperation with foreign economic organizations; Be responsible for issuing certificates of origin, etc. In August 1992, the Korea-China Private Economic Council was established, with a representative office in Beijing.

Korea International Trade Association (KITA) : Established in 1946. There are 86,000 member enterprises. The main functions are: to study South Korea's trade policies and offer opinions and suggestions to the government; Provide various trade consultation and information services to member enterprises, promote trade cooperation with countries around the world, and train trade professionals on their behalf. We have repeatedly assisted the Chinese side in holding trade shows in South Korea, organized South Korean enterprises to visit China for inspection, sent purchasing delegations, and set up an international affairs branch in Beijing.

The Korea Economic Agents Association (FKI) : Established in 1961. It is composed of 67 organizations from various industries such as manufacturing, trade, finance and construction, 431 representative large enterprises in South Korea and 4 honorary members. The main functions are: representing large enterprises to put forward policy opinions and suggestions to the government; Assist member enterprises in strengthening their ties with international economic organizations and foreign enterprises; Research and exchange business theories and methods; Investigate and study economic trends at home and abroad; Strengthen ties with all sectors of society and organize member enterprises to carry out various public welfare undertakings. In August 2023, the Korea Federation of Economic Workers (referred to as "KJEF") was renamed the Korea Economic Association (referred to as "KJEW") and merged with its affiliated research institution, the Korea Economic Research Institute (KJEW). There is a China Committee, and the China Forum of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce was established in May 2003.

The Central Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (KBIZ) : Founded in 1962. Composed of small and medium-sized enterprises industry associations, it was renamed in 2006 and has over 500 registered member enterprises. The main functions are: safeguarding the interests of small and medium-sized enterprises and representing them in making policy suggestions to the government. Guide the development of small and medium-sized enterprises through subordinate industry organizations, conduct research on the operation of small and medium-sized enterprises, and provide various information and consultations to member enterprises. Manage the affairs of foreign workers going to South Korea.

【 Military Affairs 】 The compulsory military service system is implemented. The service period for the Army and the Marine Corps is 18 months, for the Air Force it is 21 months, and for the Navy it is 20 months. The president is the supreme commander of the armed forces. The total force is 555,000, including 420,000 in the army, 70,000 in the Navy and 65,000 in the air force. The reserve force is 3.1 million. The defense budget for 2024 is approximately 59.6 trillion won, an increase of 4.5% compared to the previous year.

【 Education 】 Six years of compulsory primary education was implemented in 1953, and three years of compulsory junior high education was popularized in 1993. Eighty percent of higher education institutions are private. The education budget for 2024 is approximately 95.6 trillion won, a decrease of 6.2% compared to the previous year.

There are over 20,000 schools of all kinds (public and private) across the country. Famous universities include Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University, etc.

The news and publishing industry is well-developed. There are over 230 news organizations and more than 40,000 employees. There are over 120 newspapers and a wide variety of magazines. The Chosun Ilbo (founded in March 1920), the Joongang Ilbo (founded in September 1965), and the Dong-A Ilbo (founded in April 1920) are the three major national daily newspapers.

The United News Agency was formed by the merger of the Contract News Agency and the Toyo News Agency in 1980 and merged with domestic and foreign news agencies in 1999. The news agency has branches in Beijing, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, London, Bangkok, Moscow and other places, and has signed news exchange agreements or cooperation agreements with over 40 foreign news agencies.

The main broadcasting companies are:

Korea Broadcasting Corporation (KBS) : It began trial broadcasting in 1927 and started broadcasting externally in 1953. The government-controlled broadcasting company has a national broadcasting network and currently broadcasts in 11 languages including Korean, English, Chinese, French and Japanese. The television station was established in December 1961. Since July 1996, multi-channel satellite TV programs have been launched, mainly broadcast in digital signals.

Cultural Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) : Established in December 1961, it has a national broadcasting network. The television station was established in August 1969 and has satellite relay stations in major cities.

Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) : It began broadcasting in December 1991.

【 Relations between South and North Korea 】 After the armistice of the Korean War, the Korean Peninsula has long been in a state of political confrontation, military confrontation and economic isolation. From September 1990 to December 1991, the two Koreas held five prime minister talks successively, signed the "Agreement on Reconciliation, Non-Aggression and Exchange and Cooperation between the North and the South", and issued the "Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula". The relations between the two Koreas have improved to some extent. Since then, due to the death of Kim Il Sung and issues such as the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula, relations between South and North Korea have cooled down.

From 1998 to 2008, the two governments of South Korea, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, respectively pursued the "Sunshine Policy" and the "Peace and Prosperity Policy" towards North Korea, promoting reconciliation and cooperation between the North and the South. In June 2000 and October 2007, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun visited North Korea respectively, held summit meetings with Kim Jong-il, and issued the "North-South Joint Declaration" and the "Declaration on the Development of North-South Relations and Peace and Prosperity". During this period, South Korea and North Korea held many official talks and a series of people-to-people exchange activities, and signed a number of cooperation agreements.

During the period when Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye were the presidents of South Korea from 2008 to 2016, relations between the North and the South experienced ups and downs from time to time. In February 2014, the two sides held high-level talks and meetings with separated relatives. In August and October 2015, the two sides held high-level consultations and meetings with separated relatives successively. In February 2016, the South Korean side closed the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Positive progress was made in the relations between South and North Korea in 2018. In January, the two sides resumed the Panmunjom hotline and the Xihai Military Hotline and held high-level talks. In February, the North Korean side sent a high-level delegation to South Korea to attend the opening and closing ceremonies of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. President Moon Jae-in's special envoy visited North Korea and Chairman Kim Jong-un met with him. In April, President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un held their first meeting at Panmunjom and issued the Panmunjom Declaration. The two sides met again in May. In September, President Moon Jae-in visited North Korea. The two sides held their third meeting and signed the "September Pyongyang Joint Declaration".

In June 2019, President Moon Jae-in accompanied US President Donald Trump on a visit to the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea and met with Chairman Kim Jong-un again at Panmunjom. In August, President Moon Jae-in delivered a speech on the "Liberation Day", calling for promoting dialogue and reconciliation cooperation between the North and the South. In November, President Moon Jae-in invited Chairman Kim Jong-un to attend the special summit between South Korea and ASEAN, but the North Korean side refused.

In March 2020, President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un exchanged letters on the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia.

In May 2020, the South Korean "defectors" group sent a large number of leaflets to North Korea in the air near the military branch line, which aroused strong reactions from North Korea. In June, Chairman Kim Jong UN presided over a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the DPRK and decided to put on hold the military action plan against South Korea. Tensions between the two Koreas have eased somewhat.

In September 2020, President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un exchanged letters of consolation and telegrams regarding disasters such as the epidemic, typhoons and storms. In October, Chairman Kim Jong UN said in his speech at the 75th anniversary military parade of the founding of the Korean Party that he looks forward to the two Koreas shaking hands again at an early date.

In January 2021, Chairman Kim Jong UN delivered a speech at the 8th National Congress of the Korean Party, stating that whether the relations between the North and the South can be improved depends on the attitude of the South. President Moon Jae-in said at the New Year's press conference that he was willing to meet with Chairman Kim Jong-un at any time. In July, both North and South Korea simultaneously announced that all communication lines would be restored as of that day.

In April 2022, as President Moon Jae-in was about to leave office, the leaders of the two Koreas exchanged handwritten letters. In May, President Yoon Suk Yeol delivered his inaugural speech, stating that he would open the door to dialogue for the peaceful settlement of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. In August, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the 77th anniversary ceremony of Liberation Day and delivered a speech, presenting a "bold vision" for the policy roadmap towards North Korea. Kim Yo-jeong, vice minister of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, issued a statement to refute it. Since then, relations between South Korea and North Korea have remained tense.

In December 2023, Chairman Kim Jong UN stated at the expanded meeting of the 9th Plenary Session of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea that the relationship between the North and the South is no longer one of the same clan and ethnicity, but has solidified into a relationship between two hostile countries and between two belligerents in a state of war.

In June 2025, President Lee Jae-myung delivered his inaugural speech, stating that he would build a peace mechanism on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation. On June 11th, the South Korean military stopped broadcasting to North Korea. The South Korean Ministry of Defense said that the relevant measures aim to restore the trust relationship between the two Koreas and fulfill the commitment of the new South Korean government to the people regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula.

【 Foreign Relations 】 After World War II, South Korea has long focused on diplomatic relations with the United States. The policy of open doors was implemented in the early 1970s. After the Roh Tae-woo administration came to power in 1988, it vigorously promoted "Northern Diplomacy" and developed relations with socialist countries. Since then, successive governments have all pursued an active foreign policy. In recent years, a multi-level and all-round diplomatic pattern has basically taken shape, with the RoK-US alliance as the base axis, strengthening diplomacy among the four major countries of the United States, China, Japan and Russia, and actively participating in regional and international affairs.

Korea has established diplomatic relations with 194 countries ‌ and 173 diplomatic missions abroad.

South Korea and the United States established diplomatic relations in January 1949. In October 1953, South Korea and the United States signed the Treaty of Mutual Defense between South Korea and the United States, establishing a military alliance. At present, the United States has 28,500 troops stationed in South Korea, holds the wartime command authority of the South Korean military, and has the obligation of security defense against South Korea. In June 2017, President Moon Jae-in visited the United States. In November, President Trump visited South Korea. In February 2018, US Vice President Pence attended the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and US President's advisor Ivanka Trump attended the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. President Moon Jae-in visited the United States twice in May and September 2018. In November, President Moon Jae-in met with Vice President Pence during the APEC Leaders' Informal meeting. In April 2019, President Moon Jae-in visited the United States. In June, President Trump visited South Korea. In September, President Moon Jae-in traveled to the United States to attend the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly and met with President Trump. In January 2021, President Moon Jae-in called to congratulate Joe Biden on his assumption of office as the President of the United States. In February 2021, President Moon Jae-in had a phone call with President Biden. In May, President Moon Jae-in visited the United States to hold talks with President Biden.

In March 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol, who was elected president, had a phone call with President Biden. In May, President Biden visited South Korea. In June, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the NATO leaders' Summit, held a bilateral meeting with President Biden, and the heads of South Korea, the United States and Japan held talks. In August, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited South Korea. In September, President Yoon Suk Yeol traveled to the United States to attend the UN General Assembly and had a brief conversation with President Biden during the visit. In the same month, Vice President Harris visited South Korea. In November, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the East Asia Summit series, held a bilateral meeting with President Biden, and the heads of South Korea, the United States and Japan held talks.

In April 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol paid a state visit to the United States. In August 2023, the heads of state of South Korea, the United States and Japan held talks at Camp David. In November, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting, during which he held a trilateral meeting with the leaders of the United States and Japan.

In March 2024, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited South Korea and attended the third "Leaders' Summit for Democracy".

In July 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the NATO summit held in the United States.

In June 2025, President Lee Jae-myung had a phone call with President Trump, and in August, he paid an official working visit to the United States. In October, President Trump of the United States paid a state visit to South Korea. In 2024, South Korea's imports from the United States were 72.1 billion US dollars, while its exports to the United States were 128.7 billion US dollars, resulting in a trade surplus of 56.6 billion US dollars.

South Korea and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1965. The two countries have extensive exchanges and cooperation in various fields, but historical and other issues remain factors that interfere with their relations. In May 2017, President Moon Jae-in's special envoy visited Japan. In July, President Moon Jae-in met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Hamburg, Germany. In February 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe traveled to South Korea to attend the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where President Moon Jae-in met with him. In May, President Moon Jae-in met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to Japan to attend the 7th China-Japan-South Korea Leaders' Meeting. In July 2019, Japan strengthened export controls on three core semiconductor raw materials to South Korea. In August, Japan decided to remove South Korea from the "white list" of countries enjoying preferential treatment in export management. In October, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon traveled to Japan to attend the enthronement ceremony of the new emperor and met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In November, President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met during the East Asia Summit series. In December, President Moon Jae-in met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to China to attend the 8th China-Japan-South Korea Leaders' Meeting. In September 2020, President Moon Jae-in had a phone call with Japan's new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and exchanged letters.

In March 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol, who was elected president, had a phone call with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In July, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin visited Japan, held a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Fumio and paid a visit to Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. In September, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo led a delegation to visit Japan, attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In October, President Yoon Suk Yeol had a phone call with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In November, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the East Asia Summit series and held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

In March 2023, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin announced a plan by the South Korean side to address the issue of compensation for victims of forced labor. In March, President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Japan and held talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In May, President Yoon Suk Yeol received visiting Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. In July, the two sides met again during the NATO summit. In November, President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting, during which he held a trilateral meeting with the leaders of the United States and Japan.

In May 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who came to South Korea to attend the 9th China-Japan-South Korea Leaders' Meeting.

In September 2024, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited South Korea.

On June 9, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung had a phone call with Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru. On June 17th, during his attendance at the G7 summit, President Lee Jae-myung held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

In 2024, South Korea's imports from Japan were approximately 46.5 billion US dollars, while its exports to Japan were about 31.5 billion US dollars, resulting in a trade deficit of 15 billion US dollars.

In October 2025, President Lee Jae-myung met with Japanese Prime Minister Saane Takashi, who was in South Korea to attend the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting. In November, President Lee Jae-myung met with Japanese Prime Minister Saane Takaishi during his attendance at the G20 Leaders' Summit.

South Korea established diplomatic relations with the former Soviet Union in September 1990. After the disintegration of the former Soviet Union, South Korea continued to maintain diplomatic relations with Russia. In July 2017, President Moon Jae-in met with President Putin in Hamburg, Germany. In September, President Moon Jae-in visited Russia and met with President Putin. In June 2018, President Moon Jae-in visited Russia and met with President Putin. In November, President Moon Jae-in met with President Putin during the APEC Leaders' Informal meeting. In June 2019, South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Moscow. In September 2020, President Moon Jae-in and President Putin held a phone call to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Russia and exchanged congratulatory messages. From July to August 2022, South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov met during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting. In March 2023, South Korea was listed as an unfriendly country by Russia for following the sanctions imposed by the United States and Europe on Russia. In July 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Ukraine after attending the NATO summit. In the same month, the foreign ministers of South Korea and Russia met in Indonesia during the series of foreign ministers' meetings on East Asia cooperation. In September 2025, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyon met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the United Nations General Assembly.