| Country Name | South Korea |
| Full Country Name | Republic of Korea |
| Abbreviation | ROK |
| Local - Long | Taehan-min'guk |
| Local - Short | Han'guk |
| Etymology- history of name | derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.; the South Korean name "Han'guk" means "land of the Han," where "han" may have its origins in the native root for "great [leader]" (similar to the title "khan") |
| Government Type | presidential republic |
| Capital Name | Seoul; note - Sejong, located some 120 km (75 mi) south of Seoul, is being developed as a new capital |
| Capital - geographic coordinate | 37 33 N, 126 59 E |
| Capital Time Difference | UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Independence | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
| National Holiday | Liberation Day, 15 August (1945) |
| Constitution | effective 17 July 1948; amended several times, last in 1987 |
Use mouse to move or zoom in.