Facts about Korea

South Korea

Surface area: 98,480 km2

Capital: Seoul

Population: 51 million

Ethnic structure: Koreans, and Chinese 0.04%

Languages: Korean

Religions: Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3% and others including Shamanism and more recent religious movements

North Korea

Surface area: 120,540 km2

Capital: Pyongyang

Population: 24 million

Ethnic structure: Koreans

Languages: Korean

Religions: Atheism (Totalitarian Stalinism), although official records mention shamanism, Christianity, Buddhism, and others

Since 1948 Korea has been divided into two states, into democratic South Korea (Republic of Korea) and into single-party, communist North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). Before the division the regions shared, to a great extent, a common culture.