What is press freedom in South Korea?

Press freedom in South Korea was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest press freedom recorded in South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 2 in 1988.

What is the lowest press freedom recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.

How does South Korea rank for press freedom?

South Korea ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.

Is press freedom rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this South Korea data come from?

The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Press freedom in South Korea

Name: Press freedom in South Korea
Creator: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Korea: Press freedom was 1 in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

61st

of 194 countries

All-time high

in 1988

All-time low

in 1980

Years of data

1979–2016

Press freedom in South Korea, 1979–2016

Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2016, press freedom in South Korea stood at 1.

That represents a change of down 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, press freedom in South Korea peaked at 2 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1980.

South Korea ranks 61st of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	1	1	1	1
1980s	0.25	0	2	8
1990s	2	2	2	10
2000s	2	2	2	10
2010s	1	1	1	7

Countries ranked near South Korea

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More social development data for South Korea

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)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Freedom of Association Index 0.839 (2025)
Human Rights Index 0.912 (2025)
Liberal Democracy Index 0.739 (2025)
Electoral democracy 2 (2025)
Participatory Democracy Index 0.551 (2025)
Key features of human rights 0.912 (2025)

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is press freedom in South Korea?: Press freedom in South Korea was 1 in 2016, according to Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest press freedom recorded in South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 2 in 1988.
What is the lowest press freedom recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1980.
How does South Korea rank for press freedom?: South Korea ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2016.
Is press freedom rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?: The figures come from Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Press freedom. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Press freedom
Source: Freedom House (2017) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 194 places, 6,417 data points, 1979–2016
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Based on the classification and data by Freedom House. It captures the legal, political, and economic environment of the press.