Central & SE Asia / Australasia
Country profile: South Korea
| Location: | Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea |
| Climate: | temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter |
| Terrain: | mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south |
| Size: | 98480 sq. km total (Land area: 98190 sq. km Water area: 290 sq.km) |
| Population: | 49,232,844 (July 2008 est.) |
| Languages: | Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school |
| Government: | republic |
| Capital city: | Seoul |
| Legal system: | combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Currency: | South Korean won (KRW) |
| Licensing: |
Country profile
With limited domestic energy resources, South Korea is almost entirely dependent on imports to meet its energy consumption needs. South Korea is the fifth-largest net importer of oil in the world, and a significant importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Oil makes up the greatest share of South Korea's total energy consumption, though its share has been declining gradually in recent years. Oil supplied 50 percent of South Korea’s total energy consumption in 2004, compared with 65 percent in 1994. This decline in oil’s share in consumption reflects faster growth in natural gas and to a lesser extent coal over the period.
Coal is South Korea’s second-largest source, supplying 24 percent of primary energy consumption needs in 2004, followed by modest contributions from nuclear power (14 percent) and natural gas (12 percent). Hydropower and other renewable energy sources make up a small fraction of South Korea’s total energy consumption mix.
Energy production and consumption
| Oil | Gas | |
| Production: | 17,050 bbl/day (2005) | 1 billion cu m (2006) |
| Consumption: | 2 million bbl/day (2005) | 34 billion cu m (2006) |
| Exports: | 2,450 cu m (2006) | |
| Imports: | 2 million bbl/day (2004) | 35 billion cu m (2006) |
| Reserves: | ||
| Major fields: |
South Korea - recent news
| 22 Oct 19 |
South Korea: Fugro enters the South Korean offshore wind farm market Fugro has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Underwater Survey Technology 21 (UST21) in a move that opens up the South Korean offshore wind farm market. |
| 11 Jul 19 |
South Korea: Equinor in consortium to develop floating offshore wind project in South Korea Equinor, Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) and the Korean power company Korea East-West Power (EWP) have formed a consortium to develop the floating offshore wind project Donghae 1 off Ulsan in South Korea. |
| 17 Feb 19 |
South Korea: KNOC and Equinor sign MOU to work jointly developing commercial floating wind Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC) and Equinor have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly explore the opportunities to develop commercial floating offshore wind in South Korea. |
| 14 Feb 19 |
South Korea: Chevron signs new gas agreement with GS Caltex Chevron has announced the signing of a sales and purchase agreement with GS Caltex for the delivery of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to South Korea from Chevron’s global supply portfolio. Chevron has an existing LNG sales and purchase agreement with GS Caltex executed in 2009. |
South Korea - more news
Other countries in this region
- Australia,
- Bangladesh,
- Brunei,
- Cambodia,
- China,
- Fiji,
- Hong Kong,
- India,
- Indonesia,
- Japan,
- Laos,
- Malaysia,
- Maldives,
- Mongolia,
- Myanmar,
- Nepal,
- New Zealand,
- North Korea,
- Pakistan,
- Palau,
- Papua New Guinea,
- Philippines,
- Singapore,
- Sri Lanka,
- Taiwan,
- Thailand,
- Timor Leste,
- Vietnam
