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Dem. Rep. Korea vs Republic of Korea

28 metrics with data for both countries. The solid line is Dem. Rep. Korea; the dashed grey line is Republic of Korea.

Country A · Dem. Rep. Korea
Country B · Republic of Korea

Climate

CO2 emissions

Dem. Rep. Korea: 62.5 Mt CO2/year · 2024Republic of Korea: 583.7 Mt CO2/year · 2024
0200400600192019401960198020002020Republic of Koreahigh 1989

Carbon dioxide released each year from burning fossil fuels and industry. The main driver of global warming. Global Carbon Budget via Our World in Data

CO2 emissions per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 2.36 t CO2/person/year · 2024Republic of Korea: 11.3 t CO2/person/year · 2024
0510192019401960198020002020Republic of Koreahigh 1989

Each person's share of their country's yearly CO2 emissions. A fairer way to compare countries of very different sizes. Global Carbon Budget via Our World in Data

Temperature anomaly

Dem. Rep. Korea: 1.17 °C vs 1991-2020 · 2025Republic of Korea: 0.99 °C vs 1991-2020 · 2025
-20219401960198020002020Republic of Koreahigh 2024low 1947

How much warmer or cooler a country's year was compared with its 1991-2020 average. Watch the map turn red as you move the slider towards today. Copernicus Climate Change Service (ERA5) via Our World in Data

Methane emissions

Dem. Rep. Korea: 19.0 Mt CO2e/year · 2024Republic of Korea: 39.7 Mt CO2e/year · 2024
020401850190019502000Republic of Koreahigh 1985low 1953

Methane traps around 80 times more heat than CO2 over 20 years. It comes mainly from livestock, rice, landfill and leaky fossil fuel infrastructure. Global Carbon Project / PRIMAP via Our World in Data

All greenhouse gases

Dem. Rep. Korea: 89.8 Mt CO2e/year · 2024Republic of Korea: 630.6 Mt CO2e/year · 2024
02004006001850190019502000Republic of Koreahigh 1989low 1866

Every warming gas combined: CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, expressed as CO2-equivalents. Jones et al. / PRIMAP via Our World in Data

Nitrous oxide emissions

Dem. Rep. Korea: 1.93 Mt CO2e/year · 2024Republic of Korea: 13.7 Mt CO2e/year · 2024
010201850190019502000Republic of Koreahigh 1988

N2O is nearly 300 times more warming than CO2 and comes mostly from fertilised farmland and livestock. Jones et al. / PRIMAP via Our World in Data

Energy

Energy use per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 6,984 kWh/person/year · 2023Republic of Korea: 69,922 kWh/person/year · 2024
020k40k60k19801990200020102020Republic of Koreahigh 1984low 2015

How much energy each person uses in a year, across electricity, transport, heating and industry. Energy Institute / Ember via Our World in Data

Solar electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.63 % of electricity · 2024Republic of Korea: 6.05 % of electricity · 2025
024620002005201020152020Republic of Korea

The share of a country's electricity generated from solar panels. The fastest-growing energy source in history. Ember / Energy Institute via Our World in Data

Wind electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.00 % of electricity · 2024Republic of Korea: 0.58 % of electricity · 2025
00.20.40.620002005201020152020Republic of Korea

The share of a country's electricity generated from wind turbines, onshore and offshore. Ember / Energy Institute via Our World in Data

Coal electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 34.1 % of electricity · 2024Republic of Korea: 31.1 % of electricity · 2025
0204020002005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2019

The share of electricity still generated by burning coal, the most polluting fuel. The number that must reach zero first. Ember / Energy Institute via Our World in Data

Oil electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 2.58 % of electricity · 2024Republic of Korea: 0.95 % of electricity · 2025
010203020002005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2002low 2021

The share of a country's electricity generated by burning oil. Rare on big grids, still common on islands. Ember via Our World in Data

Gas electricity

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.00 % of electricity · 2024Republic of Korea: 27.9 % of electricity · 2025
010203020002005201020152020Republic of Korea

The share of a country's electricity generated from natural gas, the least polluting fossil fuel but still a fossil fuel. Ember via Our World in Data

Land & Life

Tree cover loss

Dem. Rep. Korea: 11,981 ha/year · 2024Republic of Korea: 15,595 ha/year · 2024
010k20k2005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2019low 2013

Forest area lost each year to fire, logging, farming and storms. Not all loss is permanent deforestation, but the trend matters. Global Forest Watch (Hansen/UMD) via Our World in Data

Forest area

Dem. Rep. Korea: 64.2 % of land · 2025Republic of Korea: 64.3 % of land · 2025
02040601990200020102020Republic of Korea

How much of a country's land is covered by forest. FAO via Our World in Data

Deaths from natural disasters

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.00 deaths/year · 2021Republic of Korea: 0.00 deaths/year · 2021
020040060020002005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2007low 2003

People killed by floods, storms, droughts, heatwaves, earthquakes and other disasters each year. Single events dominate single years. IHME Global Burden of Disease via Our World in Data

Red List Index

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.90 index (1 = species safe) · 2024Republic of Korea: 0.68 index (1 = species safe) · 2024
00.51200020102020Republic of Korealow 2018

Tracks extinction risk across all assessed species. 1 means no species at risk; falling values mean wildlife sliding towards extinction. IUCN / SDG 15.5.1 via Our World in Data

Protected land

Dem. Rep. Korea: 2.40 % of land area · 2024Republic of Korea: 17.4 % of land area · 2024
051015201420162018202020222024Republic of Korea

The share of a country's land under legal protection for nature. The global 30x30 target aims for 30% by 2030. World Bank / UNEP-WCMC via Our World in Data

Meat supply per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 13.8 kg/person/year · 2018Republic of Korea: 84.0 kg/person/year · 2023
05019701980199020002010Republic of Koreahigh 1991low 1997

Meat available for consumption per person. Livestock drives around 15% of global emissions and most deforestation. FAO via Our World in Data

Nitrogen fertiliser use

Dem. Rep. Korea: 8.52 kg N/ha of cropland · 2023Republic of Korea: 139.8 kg N/ha of cropland · 2023
0100200198020002020Republic of Koreahigh 1990low 2022

Nitrogen applied per hectare of cropland. It feeds half the world, but runoff chokes rivers and coastal seas. FAO via Our World in Data

Marine protected areas

Dem. Rep. Korea: 0.00 % of territorial waters · 2024Republic of Korea: 2.20 % of territorial waters · 2024
012201420162018202020222024Republic of Korea

How much of a country's coastal waters are protected for nature. The global goal is 30% by 2030. UNEP-WCMC via Our World in Data

Urban population

Dem. Rep. Korea: 64.2 % living in cities · 2025Republic of Korea: 81.2 % living in cities · 2025
0501960198020002020Republic of Korea

The share of people living in towns and cities. Urbanisation shapes energy use, land use and how people experience climate change. UN World Urbanization Prospects via Our World in Data

Water

Water stress

Dem. Rep. Korea: 27.7 % of renewable resources withdrawn · 2022Republic of Korea: 85.2 % of renewable resources withdrawn · 2022
05020002005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2005

How much of a country's renewable freshwater is withdrawn each year. Above 25% counts as stressed; above 100% means drawing down reserves. FAO AQUASTAT (SDG 6.4.2) via Our World in Data

Renewable water per person

Dem. Rep. Korea: 2,545 m³/person/year · 2022Republic of Korea: 1,255 m³/person/year · 2022
02k4k6k198020002020Republic of Korea

Each person's share of the country's renewable freshwater. Below 1,700 m³ is water stress; below 1,000 m³ is scarcity. FAO AQUASTAT via Our World in Data

Safely managed drinking water

Dem. Rep. Korea: 66.6 % of population · 2023Republic of Korea: 99.3 % of population · 2024
05010020002005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2003low 2019

The share of people with safe drinking water at home, available when needed and free from contamination. WHO/UNICEF JMP via Our World in Data

Annual precipitation

Dem. Rep. Korea: 1,237 mm/year · 2025Republic of Korea: 1,270 mm/year · 2025
05001k1.5k19401960198020002020Republic of Koreahigh 1990low 1942

Total rain and snow that fell over a country in a year, averaged across its land area. Copernicus Climate Change Service (ERA5) via Our World in Data

Rainfall anomaly

Dem. Rep. Korea: -0.60 % vs 1961-1990 · 2025Republic of Korea: -3.40 % vs 1961-1990 · 2025
-50019401960198020002020Republic of Koreahigh 1990low 1942

How much wetter (teal) or drier (brown) a country's year was compared with its 1961-1990 average. A simple drought and deluge signal. Derived from Copernicus ERA5 precipitation via Our World in Data

Pollution

Air pollution (PM2.5)

Dem. Rep. Korea: 21.2 µg/m³ annual mean · 2024Republic of Korea: 21.0 µg/m³ annual mean · 2024
010203020002005201020152020Republic of Koreahigh 2015low 1999

Average exposure to fine particles small enough to enter the bloodstream. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³. World Bank / van Donkelaar et al. via Our World in Data

Ozone-depleting substances

Dem. Rep. Korea: 58.0 ODP tonnes/year · 2021Republic of Korea: 1,053 ODP tonnes/year · 2021
020k40k1990200020102020Republic of Koreahigh 2001low 1994

Consumption of chemicals that destroy the ozone layer. Watch the map fade towards zero: the Montreal Protocol is the world's most successful environmental treaty. UN Environment Programme via Our World in Data