As of August 28, 2023, South Korea has confirmed a total of 34,436,586 positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), including 35,812 deaths. The first case coronavirus in South Korea was discovered in January 2020. Currently, 25.57 cases per 100,000 people are being confirmed, down from 35.74 cases last month.

Case development trend

In the middle of February 2020, novel coronavirus (COVID-19) began to increase exponentially from patient 31, who was known as a super propagator. With a quick response by the government, the daily new cases once dropped to a single-digit. In May 2020, around three hundreds of new infections were related to cluster infections that occurred in some clubs at Itaewon, an entertainment district in Seoul. Seoul and the metropolitan areas were hit hard by this Itaewon infection. Following the second wave of infections in August, the government announced it was facing the third wave in November with 200 to 300 confirmed cases every day. A fourth wave started in July 2021 from the spread of the delta variant and low vaccination rates. While vaccination rates have risen significantly since then, the highly infectious omicron variant led to a record-breaking rise in cases. This began easing up in March of 2022, though numbers began to rise again around August of 2022. As of October 2022, case numbers are decreasing again.

Economic impact on Korean economy

The Korean economy is interdependent on many countries over the world, so the impact of coronavirus on Korean economy is significant. According to recent OECD forecasts, South Korea's GDP is projected to show positive growth in 2022 and 2023. The first sector the coronavirus impacted was tourism, caused by decreasing numbers of inbound tourists and domestic sales. In the first quarter of 2020, tourism revenue was expected to decrease by 2.9 trillion won. In addition, Korean companies predicted that the damage caused by the losses in sales and exports would be significant. In particular, the South Korean automotive industry was considered to be the most affected industry, as automobile production and parts supply stopped at factories in China.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

As of August 28, 2023, confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) patients in their forties made up the largest share of patients in South Korea, amounting to around 15.2 percent of all positive cases. The first wave lasted until April, with the second wave following in August of 2020. This was further followed by a fourth wave, driven by the delta and omicron variants. Though the country has since achieved high vaccination rates, the omicron variant led to record new daily cases in 2022.

Patient profile

In South Korea, the infection rate of coronavirus was the highest among people in the twenties due to their social activities. Indeed, the new infections related to the clubgoers in Seoul are likely to increase the infection rate between young people. 158 out of 261 clubgoer-related confirmed patients were in teenagers or in their twenties, and 36 patients were in their thirties. The mortality rate of coronavirus by age group was somewhat different from the age distribution of total infection cases. It was highest among people in their eighties, with this group making up around 59.6 percent of deaths related to the coronavirus in South Korea. Mortality declined with each younger age group.

Daily life changes

In South Korea, a new policy of "With Corona" has been launched in order to ease society back into a new norm of living with the virus, without having too many restrictions in place. This is based on high vaccination rates, and includes strict quarantine measures for those who are infected and their close contacts. There are plans to improve the verification of vaccination and test certificates for use in public spaces. Most South Koreans have responded to rising numbers by once again avoiding crowded places or going out. It is common to wear masks regardless of diseases, so people are continuing to wear masks when they need to go out. Also, people prefer to do online shopping than physical shopping, and online sales of food and health-related products have increased by more than 700 percent compared to last year. Spending on living, cooking, and furniture has increased significantly as people spend more time at home.

As of July 3, 2023, South Korea has confirmed a total of 32,256,154 cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) within the country, including 35,071 deaths. South Korea's handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) was initially widely praised, though the government's handling of vaccine distribution has been criticized. After the first wave lasted till April, Seoul and the metropolitan areas were hit hard by a few group infections during the second wave in August 2020. This was followed by a fourth wave, driven by the delta variant and low vaccination rates, leading to rising figures. Though the country has since achieved high vaccination rates, the omicron variant led to record new daily cases in 2022.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

In past 24 hours, S. Korea, Asia had N/A new cases, N/A deaths and N/A recoveries.

South Korea recorded 34610 Coronavirus Deaths since the epidemic began, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, South Korea reported 31415280 Coronavirus Cases. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for South Korea Coronavirus Deaths.

On March 1, 2023, exactly 12,291 new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) were reported in South Korea. South Korea's handling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) was initially widely praised, though the government's handling of vaccine distribution has been criticized. Seoul and the metropolitan areas were hit especially hard by a few group infections during the second wave in August 2020. This was followed by a fourth wave, driven by the delta variant and low vaccination rates, leading to rising figures. Though the country has since achieved high vaccination rates, the omicron variant led to record new daily cases. Cases once again began to decline in January of 2023.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

The number of COVID-19 vaccination doses administered per 100 people in South Korea rose to 250 as of Oct 27 2023. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for South Korea Coronavirus Vaccination Rate.

South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: QDH: Daejeon data was reported at 0.000 Person in 07 Aug 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 Person for 06 Aug 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: QDH: Daejeon data is updated daily, averaging 0.000 Person from Feb 2020 (Median) to 07 Aug 2020, with 166 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 Person in 07 Aug 2020 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 07 Aug 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: QDH: Daejeon data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data is categorized under High Frequency Database’s Disease Outbreaks – Table KR.D001: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) (Discontinued).

IntroductionThe severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been fueled by new variants emerging from circulating strains. Here, we report results from a genomic surveillance study of SARS-CoV-2 on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, from February 2021 to September 2022.MethodsA total of 3,585 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples were analyzed by Sanger sequencing of the gene encoding the spike protein before performing phylogenetic analyses.ResultsWe found that the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was dominant in May 2021 before being replaced by the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in July 2021, which was dominant until December 2021 before being replaced by the Omicron variant. Mutations in the spike protein, including N440K and G446S, have been proposed to contribute to immune evasion, accelerating the spread of Omicron variants.DiscussionOur results from Juju Island, Republic of Korea, are consistent with and contribute to global surveillance efforts crucial for identifying new variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 and for monitoring the transmission dynamics and characteristics of known strains.

This data package includes the underlying data files to replicate the data, tables, and charts presented in How did Korea’s fiscal accounts fare during the COVID-19 pandemic? PIIE Policy Brief 23-8.

If you use the data, please cite as: Gagnon, Joseph E., and Asher Rose. 2023. How did Korea’s fiscal accounts fare during the COVID-19 pandemic? PIIE Policy Brief 23-8. Washington, DC: Peterson Institute for International Economics.

As of August 31, 2023, Gyeonggi (Gyeonggi Province) registered around 9.3 million confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), making it the region with the most cases in South Korea. This was followed by the capital city of Seoul and the city of Busan. A further 18.9 thousand people tested positive during quarantine. There were a total of 14 provinces with one million or more COVID cases each, with Gangwon (Gangwon Province) being the newest addition.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

BackgroundThe Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in a dramatic increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression globally. Although the impact on the mental health of young adults was especially strong, its underlying mechanisms remain elusive.Materials and methodsUsing a network approach, the present study investigated the putative pathways between pandemic-related factors and anxiety and depressive symptoms among young adults in South Korea and the U.S. Network analyses were conducted on cross-country data collected during the COVID-19 lockdown period (n = 1,036). Our model included depression symptoms (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), and COVID-19-related factors (e.g., COVID-19-related traumatic stress, pandemic concerns, access to medical/mental health services).ResultsThe overall structure of pandemic-to-symptom networks of South Korea and the U.S. were found to be similar. In both countries, COVID-related stress and negative future anticipation (an anxiety symptom) were identified as bridging nodes between pandemic-related factors and psychological distress. In addition, worry-related symptoms (e.g., excessive worry, uncontrollable worry) were identified as key contributors in maintaining the overall pandemic-to-symptom network in both countries.ConclusionThe similar network structures and patterns observed in both countries imply that there may exist a stable relationship between the pandemic and internalizing symptoms above and beyond the sociocultural differences. The current findings provide new insights into the common potential pathway between the pandemic and internalizing symptoms in South Korea and in the U.S. and inform policymakers and mental health professionals of potential intervention targets to alleviate internalizing symptoms.

South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Chungnam data was reported at 1.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.000 Person for 20 Apr 2021. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Chungnam data is updated daily, averaging 1.000 Person from Feb 2020 (Median) to 21 Apr 2021, with 423 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 03 Apr 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Chungnam data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data is categorized under High Frequency Database’s Disease Outbreaks – Table KR.D001: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) (Discontinued).

South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Gyeongnam data was reported at 38.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021. This stayed constant from the previous number of 38.000 Person for 20 Apr 2021. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Gyeongnam data is updated daily, averaging 3.000 Person from Feb 2020 (Median) to 21 Apr 2021, with 423 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 07 Apr 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Gyeongnam data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data is categorized under High Frequency Database’s Disease Outbreaks – Table KR.D001: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) (Discontinued).

South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Sejong data was reported at 1.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.000 Person for 20 Apr 2021. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Sejong data is updated daily, averaging 1.000 Person from Feb 2020 (Median) to 21 Apr 2021, with 423 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 24 Aug 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Sejong data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data is categorized under High Frequency Database’s Disease Outbreaks – Table KR.D001: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) (Discontinued).

Change in quality of life due to COVID-19.

As of August 1, 2021, over 11.7 million coronavirus (COVID-19) tests were conducted in South Korea. South Korea succeeded in flattening the infection curve by rapidly conducting extensive tests immediately in the early stages and exported medical products and hygiene products to other countries. However, from July 2021, Korea has been dealing with a fourth wave because of the spread of the delta variant and low vaccination numbers. As of August 13, 2021, South Korea confirmed 220,182 cases of infection including 2,144 deaths.

For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: QDH: Incheon data was reported at 0.000 Person in 07 Aug 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 Person for 06 Aug 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: QDH: Incheon data is updated daily, averaging 0.000 Person from Feb 2020 (Median) to 07 Aug 2020, with 166 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.000 Person in 07 Aug 2020 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 07 Aug 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: QDH: Incheon data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data is categorized under High Frequency Database’s Disease Outbreaks – Table KR.D001: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) (Discontinued).

South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Dae-gu data was reported at 8.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021. This stayed constant from the previous number of 8.000 Person for 20 Apr 2021. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Dae-gu data is updated daily, averaging 4.000 Person from Feb 2020 (Median) to 21 Apr 2021, with 423 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.000 Person in 21 Apr 2021 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 28 Mar 2020. South Korea KCDC: COVID-19: Patients: 0000H: Con: EOI: Dae-gu data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The data is categorized under High Frequency Database’s Disease Outbreaks – Table KR.D001: Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-2019) (Discontinued).

North Korea Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccination Total - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on March of 2025.