KRW
…
GBP
…
Land Area
United Kingdom
243,610 km²
Largest
South Korea
100,210 km²
41.1% of largest
United Kingdom is 2.43× larger than South Korea
Population
United Kingdom
LARGEST
69.49M
PEOPLE
South Korea
74.4% OF LARGEST
51.68M
PEOPLE
United Kingdom has 1.34× the population of South Korea
GDP
United Kingdom
LARGEST
$4.0T
South Korea
46.8% OF LARGEST
$1.87T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
South Korea
LARGEST
555K
TROOPS
United Kingdom
27.6% OF LARGEST
153.29K
TROOPS
South Korea has 3.62× the active personnel of United Kingdom
Air Force
South Korea
LARGEST
1.58K
AIRCRAFT
United Kingdom
46.4% OF LARGEST
733
AIRCRAFT
South Korea has 2.16× the aircraft of United Kingdom
Naval Assets
South Korea
United Kingdom
Wealth
Gold Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
310.3
Metric Tonnes
South Korea
33.6% OF LARGEST
104.4
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
South Korea
LARGEST
$420B
Reserves · excl. gold
United Kingdom
35.5% OF LARGEST
$149B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
United Kingdom
MOST
165
billionaires
South Korea
18% OF MOST
30
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
2.5
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
South Korea
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
2.7M b/d
−2.7M b/d net
United Kingdom
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.8M b/d
Consumption
1.5M b/d
−0.8M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
South Korea
$831.9B
Exports
$831.9B
Imports
$755.5B
Trade Balance
+$76.4B
Trade Surplus
United Kingdom
$1,142.1B
Exports
$1,142.1B
Imports
$1,174.2B
Trade Balance
$-32.1B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
South Korea
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
South Korea
United Kingdom
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
United Kingdom
320
Gold
348
Silver
362
Bronze
1,030
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 991
❄ Winter: 39
South Korea
145
Gold
134
Silver
130
Bronze
409
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 320
❄ Winter: 89
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
South Korea
United Kingdom
Age Demographics
Median Age
South Korea
44.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
United Kingdom
40.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
South Korea is 4.3 years older (median) than United Kingdom
Youth Population
United Kingdom has the highest youth population at 35.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
South Korea has the highest elderly population at 25.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
South Korea
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
193
|
188
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
11.0M
|
37.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
0
|
137
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
1
|
10
|
| UNESCO Heritage Sites inscribed sites |
17
|
34
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation, UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
South Korea
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $8 | $15 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $40 | $65 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $800 | $1,500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $500 | $1,100 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $140 | $190 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $25 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $45 | $85 |
Health
Healthcare spending, capacity and outcomes. Sources: World Bank / WHO — the year tag shows each figure’s vintage; “—” means the country doesn’t report that metric.
Health spending / person
United Kingdom
South Korea
Physicians per 1,000
United Kingdom
South Korea
Hospital beds per 1,000
South Korea
United Kingdom
Diabetes prevalence
South Korea
United Kingdom
Obesity prevalence
United Kingdom
South Korea
Suicide rate per 100k
South Korea
United Kingdom
Want the long view?
GDP, population, reserves & trade for South Korea vs United Kingdom — charted over the decades.
Basic Information
| Metric | South Korea | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51684564 | 69487000 |
| Area (sq km) | 100210 | 243610 |
| Capital | Seoul | London |
| Official Language | Korean | English |
| Currency | South Korean Won (KRW) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Government Type | Unitary presidential constitutional republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | South Korea | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 555,000 | 153,290 |
| Reserve Personnel | 3,100,000 | 81,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 3,655,000 | 234,790 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $46,700,000,000 | $68,400,000,000 |
| Tanks | 2,321 | 227 |
| Armored Vehicles | 3,100 | 5,015 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 1,836 | 89 |
| Towed Artillery | 1,700 | 126 |
| Rocket Projectors | 600 | 44 |
Economy
| Metric | South Korea | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $1,872,374,961,553 | $4,002,587,541,846 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $36,227 | $57,602 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.9 | 32.4 |
| Currency | South Korean Won (KRW) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Loading current exchange rates… | ||
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
United Kingdom is 2.4 times larger in area than South Korea.
United Kingdom has 1.3 times more people than South Korea.
United Kingdom has the highest GDP per capita at $57,602 among the selected countries.
United Kingdom has the largest economy with a GDP of
$4.0 trillion.
South Korea has the largest active military personnel with 555,000 troops.
South Korea has the largest air force with 1,581 aircraft.
South Korea has the largest navy with 234 vessels.
UK Fact: The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, opening in 1863.
South Korea vs United Kingdom: Key Comparisons
Economy: United Kingdom's GDP of $4.0T is 2.1x larger than South Korea's $1.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: United Kingdom's population of 69M is 1.3x larger than South Korea's 52M.
Area: United Kingdom covers 243,610 km², making it 2.4x larger than South Korea.
Military: South Korea fields 560Thousand active troops vs United Kingdom's 150Thousand.
Trade: South Korea runs a trade surplus of $76B while United Kingdom has a trade deficit of $32B.
Life Expectancy: South Korea leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs United Kingdom's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated August 2026.
Sources & methodology