South Korea

== Geography ==
=== Geography ===
{{Main|Geography of South Korea|Geology of South Korea}}
[[File:South Korea Topography.png|thumb|[[Topography]] of South Korea]]

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the [[Korean Peninsula]], which extends some {{convert|1,100|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the Continental and East Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the [[Yellow Sea]] to the west and the [[Sea of Japan]] to the east. Its southern tip lies on the [[Korea Strait]] and the [[East China Sea]]. The country, including all its islands, lies between latitudes [[33rd parallel north|33°]] and [[39th parallel north|39°N]], and longitudes [[124th meridian east|124°]] and [[130th meridian east|130°E]]. Its total area is {{convert|100,410|km2|sqmi|2|sp=us}}<ref name="South Korea country profile"/>

South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, [[drainage basin|river basins]], and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the [[Nakdong River]].<ref name="korea geo">[http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/geography.htm#LAND Geography of Korea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170724134602/http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/geography.htm#LAND |date=24 July 2017 }}, Asia Info Organization</ref> South Korea is home to three terrestrial ecoregions: [[Central Korean deciduous forests]], [[Manchurian mixed forests]], and [[Southern Korea evergreen forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=1|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref> South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not [[arable land|arable]]. [[Upland and lowland|Lowlands]], located primarily in the west and southeast, make up only 30% of the total land area. South Korea has [[List of national parks of South Korea|20 national parks]] and popular nature places like the [[Boseong]] Tea Fields, [[Suncheon Bay Ecological Park]], and [[Jirisan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.knps.or.kr/ |title=Korea National Park Service official site |access-date=29 October 2010 |archive-date=2 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702123827/http://english.knps.or.kr/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

About 3,000 islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. [[Jeju Province]] is about {{convert|100|km|abbr=off|sp=us}} off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of {{convert|1,845|km2|sqmi|abbr=off|sp=us}}. Jeju is also the site of South Korea's highest point: [[Hallasan]], an extinct [[volcano]], reaches {{convert|1,950|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]. The easternmost islands of South Korea include [[Ulleungdo]] and [[Liancourt Rocks]] (Dokdo/Takeshima), while [[Marado]] and [[Socotra Rock]] are the southernmost islands of South Korea.<ref name="korea geo" />

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of South Korea}}
{{climate chart
|Seoul
|−6.1 |1.6 |22
|−4.1 |4.1 |24
|1.1 |10.2 |46
|7.3 |17.6 |77
|12.6 |22.8 |102
|17.8 |26.9 |133
|21.8 |28.8 |328
|22.1 |29.5 |348
|16.7 |25.6 |138
|9.8 |19.7 |49
|2.9 |11.5 |53
|−3.4 |4.2 |25
|source =<ref>[http://www.kma.go.kr/weather/climate/average_30years.jsp?yy_st=2001&stn=108&norm=M Climate data in seoul, 1971 ~ 2000] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709070202/http://www.kma.go.kr/weather/climate/average_30years.jsp?yy_st=2001&stn=108&norm=M |date=9 July 2017 }}{{in lang|ko}}, Korea Meteorological Administration.</ref>
|float=right}}
South Korea tends to have a [[humid continental climate]] and a [[humid subtropical climate]], and is affected by the [[East Asian monsoon]], with [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] heavier in summer during a short rainy season called ''[[East Asian rainy season|jangma]]'' ([[:ko:장마|장마]]), which begins end of June and lasts through the end of July. In Seoul, the average January temperature range is {{convert|-7|to|1|°C|°F}}, and the average August temperature range is {{convert|22|to|30|°C|°F}}. Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior.<ref>[http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/31.htm South Korea climate] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140330071948/http://countrystudies.us/south-korea/31.htm |date=30 March 2014 }}, U.S. Library of Congress, Country studies</ref> Summer can be uncomfortably hot and humid, with temperatures exceeding {{convert|30|°C|0}} in most parts of the country. South Korea has four distinct seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring usually lasts from late March to early May, summer from mid-May to early September, autumn from mid-September to early November, and winter from mid-November to mid-March.

Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months of June through September. The southern coast is subject to late summer [[tropical cyclone|typhoons]] that bring strong winds, heavy rains and sometimes floods. The average annual precipitation varies from {{convert|1370|mm|sp=us}} in Seoul to {{convert|1470|mm|sp=us}} in Busan.

=== Environment ===
{{Main|Environment of South Korea|Pollution in South Korea|Climate change in South Korea}}
[[File:CheonggyecheonSeoul.jpg|thumb|left|[[Cheonggyecheon]] river is a modern public recreation space in [[downtown Seoul]]]]

During the first 20 years of South Korea's growth surge, little effort was made to preserve the environment.<ref name="google.com">{{cite web|url=http://www1.american.edu/TED/KORPOLL.HTM |title=Korea Air Pollution Problems |publisher=American University of Washington |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309142227/http://www1.american.edu/TED/KORPOLL.HTM |archive-date=9 March 2010}}</ref> Unchecked industrialization and urban development have resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat.<ref>{{cite news|author=Randolph T. Hester |url=http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_opinion/373552.html |title=Letter to Lee administration: Save the Songdo Tidal Flat |newspaper=[[The Hankyoreh]] |date=28 August 2009 |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511181051/http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_opinion/373552.html |archive-date=11 May 2011}}</ref> However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including a government run {{Nowrap|$84 billion}} five-year [[green growth]] project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology.<ref>Wang, Ucilla (28 July 2008 ) [https://web.archive.org/web/20081216145303/http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/south-korea-to-boost-renewable-energy-investments-by-60-1191.html South Korea Boosts Renewable-Energy Investments by 60%]. Greentechmedia.com</ref>

The green-based economic strategy is a comprehensive overhaul of South Korea's economy, utilizing nearly two percent of the national GDP. The greening initiative includes such efforts as a nationwide bike network, solar and wind energy, lowering oil dependent vehicles, backing daylight saving time and extensive usage of environmentally friendly technologies such as LEDs in electronics and lighting.<ref name="South Korea's green new deal">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2009/10/18/eok.lah.greening.korea.cnn?iref=videosearch |title=South Korea's green new deal |work=CNN |date=18 October 2009 |access-date=21 October 2009 |archive-date=31 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831124519/http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/international/2009/10/18/eok.lah.greening.korea.cnn?iref=videosearch |url-status=dead }}</ref> The country—one of the world's most wired—plans to build a nationwide next-generation network that will be 10 times faster than broadband facilities, in order to reduce energy usage.<ref name="South Korea's green new deal" />

The [[renewable portfolio standard]] program with [[Renewable Energy Certificate (United States)|renewable energy certificates]] runs from 2012 to 2022.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131205044729/http://www.fuelcellseminar.com/media/5505/kim_10_19_2010.pdf R&D status and prospects on fuel cells in Korea]. fuelcellseminar.com</ref>
Quota systems favor large, vertically integrated generators and multinational electric utilities, if only because certificates are generally denominated in units of one megawatt-hour. They are also more difficult to design and implement than a [[feed-in tariff]].<ref name="wind-works.org">[http://www.wind-works.org/FeedLaws/RenewableEnergyPolicyMechanismsbyPaulGipe.pdf Renewable Energy Policy Mechanisms by Paul Gipe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510072741/http://www.wind-works.org/FeedLaws/RenewableEnergyPolicyMechanismsbyPaulGipe.pdf |date=10 May 2012 }} (1.3MB)<br />Lauber, V. (2004). "REFIT and RPS: Options for a harmonized Community framework", ''Energy Policy'', Vol. 32, Issue 12, pp. 1405–1414.<br />Lauber, V. (2008). "Certificate Trading – Part of the Solution or Part of the Problem?"
Ljubljana Conference on the Future of GHG Emissions Trading in the EU, March 2008. Salzburg, Austria: University of Salzburg. Retrieved 16 March 2009, at www.uni-salzburg.at/politikwissenschaft/lauber</ref> Around 350 residential [[micro combined heat and power]] units were installed in 2012.<ref>[http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1713685/fct_review_2012.pdf The fuel cell industry review 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701231144/http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/media/1713685/fct_review_2012.pdf |date=1 July 2016 }}. fuelcelltoday.com.</ref> In 2017, South Korea was the world's seventh largest emitter of carbon emissions and the fifth largest emitter per capita. President Moon Jae-in pledged to reduce [[Greenhouse gas|greenhouse gas emissions]] to zero in 2050.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cha|first=Josh Smith, Sangmi|date=8 June 2020|title=Jobs come first in South Korea's ambitious 'Green New Deal' climate plan|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-environment-newdeal-analys-idUSKBN23F0SV|access-date=29 September 2020|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921065008/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-environment-newdeal-analys-idUSKBN23F0SV|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=8 September 2020|title=Moon vows to shut down 30 more coal plants to bring cleaner air and battle climate change|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200908000676|access-date=29 September 2020|website=[[The Korea Herald]]|language=en|archive-date=28 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928142514/http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200908000676|url-status=live}}</ref>

Seoul's [[tap water]] recently became safe to drink, with city officials branding it "[[Arisu]]" in a bid to convince the public.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.newsworld.co.kr/cont/0609/42.htm|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070928220932/http://www.newsworld.co.kr/cont/0609/42.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date= 28 September 2007|title=Seoul City holds second Arisu Festival to show tap water is safe to drink|publisher=Newsworld}}</ref> Efforts have also been made with [[afforestation]] projects. Another multibillion-dollar project was the restoration of [[Cheonggyecheon]], a stream running through [[downtown Seoul]] that had earlier been paved over by a motorway.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://english.seoul.go.kr/gover/initiatives/inti_02cheon.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215093221/http://english.seoul.go.kr/gover/initiatives/inti_02cheon.htm|url-status=dead|title=Seoul Metropolitan Government&nbsp;– "A Clean, Attractive & Global City, Seoul!"|archive-date=15 February 2009}}</ref> One major challenge is air quality, with acid rain, sulfur oxides, and annual yellow dust storms being particular problems.<ref name="google.com" /> It is acknowledged that many of these difficulties are a result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter.<ref name="google.com" /> South Korea had a 2019 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 6.02/10, ranking it 87th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|display-authors=1|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>

South Korea is a member of the [[Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty|Antarctic-Environmental Protocol]], [[Antarctic Treaty System|Antarctic Treaty]], [[Convention on Biological Diversity|Biodiversity Treaty]], [[Kyoto Protocol]] (forming the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), regarding [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|UNFCCC]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/parties/negotiating_groups/items/2714.php |title=Party Groupings |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |date=28 November 2007 |access-date=18 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605182740/http://unfccc.int/parties_and_observers/parties/negotiating_groups/items/2714.php |archive-date=5 June 2013}}</ref> with Mexico and Switzerland), [[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]], [[CITES|Endangered Species]], [[Environmental Modification Convention|Environmental Modification]], [[Basel Convention|Hazardous Wastes]], [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|Law of the Sea]], [[Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft|Marine Dumping]], [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]] (not into force), [[Montreal Protocol|Ozone Layer Protection]], [[MARPOL 73/78|Ship Pollution]], [[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983|Tropical Timber 83]], [[International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994|Tropical Timber 94]], [[Ramsar Convention|Wetlands]], and [[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling|Whaling]].<ref name="CIA">{{CIA World Factbook}}</ref>