Media Corruption Score in South Korea
South Korea: Media Corruption Score was 2.34 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Media Corruption Score in South Korea, 1900–2025
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 2.34 for media corruption score in 2025.
The figure is up 126.5% on the previous year and up 46.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, media corruption score in South Korea peaked at 2.42 in 2017 and was at its lowest, -1.81, in 1900.
South Korea ranks 22nd of 175 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | -1.81 | -1.81 | -1.81 | 10 |
| 1910s | -1.81 | -1.81 | -1.81 | 10 |
| 1920s | -1.81 | -1.81 | -1.81 | 10 |
| 1930s | -1.81 | -1.81 | -1.81 | 10 |
| 1940s | -0.6434 | -1.81 | 0.85 | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.03 | 0.85 | 1.65 | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.84 | 1.81 | 2.08 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.01 | 1.73 | 2.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.88 | 1.61 | 2.42 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.78 | 1.03 | 2.38 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More social development data for South Korea
- Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asy 4,407 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of ori 117 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
- Key features of democracy 0.819 (2025)
- Freedom of Expression Index 0.933 (2025)
- Freedom of Association Index 0.839 (2025)
- Electoral Democracy Index 0.819 (2025)
- Participatory Democracy Index 0.551 (2025)
- Liberal Democracy Index 0.739 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is media corruption score in South Korea?
- Media corruption score in South Korea was 2.34 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest media corruption score recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.42 in 2017.
- What is the lowest media corruption score recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.81 in 1900.
- How does South Korea rank for media corruption score?
- South Korea ranks 22nd out of 175 countries with data for 2025.
- Is media corruption score rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Media Corruption Score. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 126 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Gauges the frequency with which journalists, publishers, or broadcasters accept payments to modify news content, indicating the integrity (or corruption) of the media sphere.