South Korea is only about 1.4 times the size of Ireland but has nearly 10 times the population
South Korea and Ireland sit on opposite sides of the world, but putting them on the same map reveals a surprisingly modest difference in their physical size.
Key points
- South Korea covers about 100,472 sq km
- Ireland covers roughly 70,000 sq km
- South Korea has nearly 10 times Ireland’s population
South Korea and Ireland sit on opposite sides of the world, but putting them on the same map reveals a surprisingly modest difference in their physical size.
South Korea had a national land area of 100,472 sq km in 2025, according to official Korean statistics. Ireland is roughly 70,000 sq km, meaning South Korea is only about 1.4 times larger.
The graphic overlays Ireland on South Korea, stretching it across much of the country's southern and central regions. The comparison is broadly accurate as a visual illustration, although exact overlays depend on the map projection and whether inland waters are included in the area measurement.
The bigger difference is population.
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The United Nations estimates South Korea's population at about 51.7 million in 2025, compared with about 5.3 million in Ireland. That means South Korea has close to 10 times as many people, despite having less than one-and-a-half times the area.
The difference is reflected in population density. UN data puts South Korea at about 522 people per sq km, compared with roughly 78 per sq km in Ireland.
South Korea's geography also makes that density more striking. The Korean government says roughly 75% of the Korean Peninsula is mountainous, concentrating much of the population and development into a smaller amount of suitable land.
The map's basic point therefore holds up. Ireland is considerably smaller than South Korea, but not dramatically so.
South Korea has roughly 30,000 sq km more territory, an area equivalent to about 43% of Ireland itself.
One distinction is important, however. The graphic is comparing South Korea with Ireland, not the entire Korean Peninsula. North and South Korea together cover about 223,400 sq km, more than three times the area of Ireland.
So while the two countries look surprisingly comparable when placed on top of each other, their populations tell a very different story. South Korea fits nearly 52 million people into an area only around 40% larger than Ireland.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
