South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK) (Hangul: 대한민국, Hanja: 大韓民國, IPA: [tɛː.han.min.ɡuk̚]), listen (help·info)), also known as Korea and "Land of the Morning Calm", is a country in East Asia. It is located in the southern region of the Korean Peninsula, bordered by North Korea to the north, the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east, the Korea Strait to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west.

Korea was first inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic and was unified under Goryeo 936 AD, remaining as one nation until the division in 1945. Following the Korean War, the South Korean economy grew significantly, transforming the country into a major global economy. This success is known as the Miracle on the Han River, and South Korea became one of the Four Asian Tigers. South Korea has an international outlook with memberships in the United Nations, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies. It is also a founding member of APEC and the East Asia Summit, being a major non-NATO ally of the United States.

South Korea is a developed country and, has second smallest gap between wealth and poverty in Asia, after Kazakhstan. according to Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index 2008, one of the two full democracies in Asia. It is a High-income OECD member, classified as an Advanced economy by the CIA and IMF. South Korea has the fourth largest economy in Asia and the 13th largest economy in the world. Today, it is among the world's fastest growing advanced economies and is leading the Next Eleven nations. South Korea has a high-tech and modern infrastructure, and is a world leader in innovation and technologically advanced goods such as electronics, automobiles, ships, machinery, petrochemicals and robotics, headed by Samsung, LG and Hyundai-Kia. Since the 21st century, South Korea's modern culture has become popular in Asia and beyond in a phenomenon known as the Korean wave.