Japan and South Korea are two developed countries in East Asia. The following is a comparison between these two countries. Let’s read.
Japan and South Korea – country comparison
Japan | South Korea (Republic of Korea) | |
Area | approximately 378,000 square kilometers | approximately 100,350 square kilometers |
Population | 126 million (2020) | 51.8 million (2023 estimate) |
Region | East Asia | East Asia |
Highest mountain | Mount Fuji (3,776 m) | Hallasan (1,947 m) |
Major Rivers | Shinano River, Tone River, Ishikari River, Teshio River, etc | Nakdong River, Geum River, Yeongsan River, Han River, etc |
Most popular sport | Baseball | Baseball and football (soccer) |
Type of government | Parliamentary Government with a Constitutional Monarchy | Unitary presidential constitutional republic |
Most spoken language | Japanese | Korean |
Busiest Airport | Haneda Airport, Tokyo | Incheon International Airport |
National Tree | Cherry blossom | Korean red pine |
National Bird | Green pheasant | Korean magpie |
National Animal | – | Tiger |
Currency | Japanese Yen | South Korean won |
Number of Islands | over 14,000 | over 3,300 |
Capital City | Tokyo | Seoul |
Largest City | Tokyo | Seoul |
Number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites | 25 | 15 |
Largest Metropolitan area | Greater Tokyo Area | Seoul Capital Area |
Largest Island | Honshu Island | Jeju Island |
Which country is larger in area, Japan or South Korea?
Japan is more than 3.7 times larger than South Korea.
- Area of Japan – approximately 378,000 square kilometers
- Area of South Korea – approximately 100,350 square kilometers
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Which country has a larger population, Japan or South Korea?
Japan has a larger population as compared with South Korea.
- Population of Japan – 126 million (2020)
- Population of South Korea – 51.8 million (2023 estimate)
Which country is more densely populated, Japan or South Korea?
The population density in South Korea is way more than Japan’s population density.
- Population density in Japan – 330-340 people per square kilometer (2020)
- Population density in South Korea – 510-520 people per square kilometer (2023 estimate)
Top 3 largest cities by population
Japan
- Tokyo
- Yokohama
- Osaka
South Korea
- Seoul
- Busan
- Incheon
Also read
Flag of Japan

Flag of South Korea
