Population

As of 2011, the population of the Republic of Korea stood at 49,779,000 with roughly 486 people per square kilometer. Conversely, the population of North Korea as of 2010 was estimated at 24,051,218

 Historically, the threat of rapid population growth posed serious social repercussions on developing countries. Yet such fears of swelling growth hardly raise much cause for alarm on the peninsula. With the advent of successful family planning campaigns and changing attitudes, there are signs that the population growth has curbed remarkably in recent years. The baby boomers of Korea’s industrialization period are now coming into their golden years, with the number of senior citizens (those ages 65 and up) reaching 5.42 million (as of 2010) and making up roughly 11.3% percent of the entire population.

[Source : Statistics Korea]