South Korea
South Korea is one of the 193 UN member states, in Eastern Asia. UN Tourism counted 17.5 million international arrivals there in 2019, more visited than 85% of the 199 places with figures, so its stamp in Globestamp is printed in Metallic.
- International arrivals
- 17.5 millionin 2019, UN Tourism
- Rank by visitors
- 30th of 199most visited first
- Stamp finish
- Metallicrarer than 15%
- Area
- 98,508 km² (38,034 sq mi)
- Population
- 51.7 millionNatural Earth estimate
- Metropolitan Citys
- 17in Globestamp’s regions layer
- Airports
- 15with scheduled flights
- World Heritage Sites
- 17on Globestamp’s list
Does South Korea count as a country?
Yes. South Korea is one of the 193 UN member states, so every common list counts it: the UN’s 193, Globestamp’s 250 and the Travelers’ Century Club’s 330.
| List | Counts South Korea? |
|---|---|
| UN member states (193) | Yes, a member |
| Globestamp’s countries and territories (250) | Yes |
| Travelers’ Century Club (330) | Yes: Korea, South, Jeju Island (South Korea) |
| European Union | No |
| Schengen area | No |
The South Korea stamp
Every country in Globestamp has its own stamp, drawn after a real entry stamp. Its finish shows how few travelers get there. South Korea’s is Metallic: ink with mica in it, the finish for places with 15 to 40 million visitors a year. With 17.5 million international arrivals in 2019, South Korea is more visited than 85% of the 199 places with figures. See every stamp on the stamp wall, or the rarest on the least-visited countries.
What counts as a visit to South Korea
The common rule among travelers is that you set foot there: an airport layover usually doesn’t count, and a port where you went ashore does. Globestamp counts South Korea when one of your photos was taken on its ground, or just off its coast; a photo taken from a plane never counts. Photos only at an airport make a transit stamp in lighter ink, counted only if you count layovers. Read more in how to count the countries you’ve visited.
Places in South Korea you can collect
Under the country itself, Globestamp keeps layers of places on your globe, and a photo taken at one ticks it. These are the ones it knows in South Korea, from 17 World Heritage Sites to 4 volcanoes.
World Heritage Sites 17
Changdeokgung (1997) · Jongmyo (1995) · Hwaseong Fortress (1997) · Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (2009) · Namhansanseong (2014) · Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (2000) · Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (2007) · Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000) · Baekje Historic Areas (2015) · Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (2018) and 7 more. On the bucket list →
Famous landmarks 2
Gyeongbokgung · Namsan Seoul Tower. On the bucket list →
Volcanoes 4
Hallasan · Sanbangsan · Seonginbong · Saebyeororeum. On the bucket list →
Ski resorts 7
Yongpyong Resort · Pyeongchang Alpensia Resort · Bokwang Phoenix Park · Jeongseon Alpine Centre · Muju Resort · High1 Resort and 1 more. On the bucket list →
Theme parks 16
Lotte World · Everland · Seoul Land · Gyeongju World · Legoland Korea Resort · Yongma Land and 10 more. On the bucket list →
Zoos and aquariums 6
Everland · COEX Aquarium · Busan Aquarium · 63 Seaworld and 2 more. On the bucket list →
Botanical gardens 11
Korea National Arboretum · Hongneung Arboretum · Yeomiji Botanical Garden · Wando Arboretum and 7 more. On the bucket list →
Science museums and planetariums 3
National Science Museum, South Korea · Ulsan Science Museum · Busan National Science Museum. On the bucket list →
Largest cities
| City | People (urban area) |
|---|---|
| Seoul | 9,796,000 |
| Busan | 3,480,000 |
| Incheon | 2,550,000 |
| Daegu | 2,460,000 |
| Daejeon | 1,468,000 |
| Gwangju | 1,440,000 |
| Changwon | 1,081,499 |
| Suwon | 1,078,000 |
Airports
South Korea has 15 airports with scheduled flights, 8 of them large. Each is a dot on Globestamp’s airports layer, and every flight you log adds to how far you’ve flown (try the flight distance calculator).
17 metropolitan citys to fill in
Globestamp goes deeper than countries: its regions layer splits South Korea into 17 metropolitan citys (Natural Earth’s first-level divisions), and each one fills in when a photo was taken there.
All 17
Busan · Daegu · Daejeon · Gangwon · Gwangju · Gyeonggi · Incheon · Jeju · North Chungcheong · North Gyeongsang · North Jeolla · Sejong · Seoul · South Chungcheong · South Gyeongsang · South Jeolla · Ulsan
Questions people ask
Is South Korea a country?
Yes. South Korea is one of the 193 UN member states, so every common list counts it: the UN’s 193, Globestamp’s 250 and the Travelers’ Century Club’s 330.
How many tourists visit South Korea a year?
UN Tourism (via the World Bank) counted 17,503,000 international arrivals in South Korea in 2019, the 30th most of the 199 places with figures. Countries count arrivals in different ways (some include day-trippers and cruise passengers), so treat it as a rough rank rather than an exact number of tourists.
How rare is a South Korea stamp in Globestamp?
It is printed in Metallic, the finish for places with 15 to 40 million visitors a year, rarer than 15% of the places with figures. The fewer travelers a place receives, the rarer its finish, from plain Ink to Mythic.
Does South Korea count for the Travelers’ Century Club?
Yes, and more than once: the Travelers’ Century Club lists Korea, South, and counts Jeju Island (South Korea) as separate destination. The club’s list has 330 destinations.
Places as rare as South Korea
Near South Korea
Sources
- Countries, cities and regions: Natural Earth 10m admin-0 (public domain); lists as of October 2026.
- Visitors: UN Tourism via the World Bank, ST.INT.ARVL (International tourism, number of arrivals), CC BY 4.0, data updated 2026-10-08. Each country's latest year before 2020. Countries count visitors differently; use as a rough rank.
- World Heritage Sites, parks, landmarks and the bucket-list places: Wikidata (CC0), as compiled in the app, October 2026.
- Airports: OurAirports (public domain), airports with scheduled service.
- Travelers’ Century Club: the club’s list of 330 destinations, as of January 2022.