What is public sector corruption index in South Korea?

Public sector corruption index in South Korea was 0.162 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

What is the highest public sector corruption index recorded in South Korea?

The highest recorded value was 0.863 in 1849.

What is the lowest public sector corruption index recorded in South Korea?

The lowest recorded value was 0.046 in 2018.

How does South Korea rank for public sector corruption index?

South Korea ranks 138th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.

Is public sector corruption index rising or falling in South Korea?

Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

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 Public Sector Corruption Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea

Name: Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea
Creator: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

South Korea: Public Sector Corruption Index was 0.162 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)

0.162

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

138th

of 176 countries

All-time high

0.863

in 1849

All-time low

0.046

in 2018

Years of data

237

1789–2025

Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea, 1789–2025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for public sector corruption index in South Korea is 0.162, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 15.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector corruption index in South Korea peaked at 0.863 in 1849 and was at its lowest, 0.046, in 2018.

South Korea ranks 138th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 237 years of available data.

Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea, year by year

Annual values for Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea, 1789 to 2025.
Year	Value	Change
1789	0.526	—
1790	0.526	+0.0%
1791	0.526	+0.0%
1792	0.526	+0.0%
1793	0.526	+0.0%
1794	0.526	+0.0%
1795	0.526	+0.0%
1796	0.526	+0.0%
1797	0.526	+0.0%
1798	0.526	+0.0%
1799	0.526	+0.0%
1800	0.706	+34.2%
1801	0.706	+0.0%
1802	0.706	+0.0%
1803	0.706	+0.0%
1804	0.706	+0.0%
1805	0.706	+0.0%
1806	0.706	+0.0%
1807	0.706	+0.0%
1808	0.706	+0.0%
1809	0.706	+0.0%
1810	0.706	+0.0%
1811	0.706	+0.0%
1812	0.706	+0.0%
1813	0.706	+0.0%
1814	0.706	+0.0%
1815	0.706	+0.0%
1816	0.706	+0.0%
1817	0.706	+0.0%
1818	0.706	+0.0%
1819	0.706	+0.0%
1820	0.706	+0.0%
1821	0.706	+0.0%
1822	0.706	+0.0%
1823	0.706	+0.0%
1824	0.706	+0.0%
1825	0.706	+0.0%
1826	0.706	+0.0%
1827	0.706	+0.0%
1828	0.706	+0.0%
1829	0.706	+0.0%
1830	0.706	+0.0%
1831	0.706	+0.0%
1832	0.706	+0.0%
1833	0.706	+0.0%
1834	0.706	+0.0%
1835	0.706	+0.0%
1836	0.706	+0.0%
1837	0.706	+0.0%
1838	0.706	+0.0%
1839	0.706	+0.0%
1840	0.799	+13.2%
1841	0.799	+0.0%
1842	0.799	+0.0%
1843	0.799	+0.0%
1844	0.799	+0.0%
1845	0.799	+0.0%
1846	0.799	+0.0%
1847	0.799	+0.0%
1848	0.799	+0.0%
1849	0.863	+8.0%
1850	0.863	+0.0%
1851	0.863	+0.0%
1852	0.863	+0.0%
1853	0.863	+0.0%
1854	0.863	+0.0%
1855	0.863	+0.0%
1856	0.863	+0.0%
1857	0.863	+0.0%
1858	0.863	+0.0%
1859	0.863	+0.0%
1860	0.863	+0.0%
1861	0.863	+0.0%
1862	0.863	+0.0%
1863	0.863	+0.0%
1864	0.525	-39.2%
1865	0.525	+0.0%
1866	0.525	+0.0%
1867	0.525	+0.0%
1868	0.525	+0.0%
1869	0.525	+0.0%
1870	0.525	+0.0%
1871	0.525	+0.0%
1872	0.525	+0.0%
1873	0.525	+0.0%
1874	0.703	+33.9%
1875	0.703	+0.0%
1876	0.703	+0.0%
1877	0.703	+0.0%
1878	0.703	+0.0%
1879	0.703	+0.0%
1880	0.863	+22.8%
1881	0.863	+0.0%
1882	0.863	+0.0%
1883	0.863	+0.0%
1884	0.863	+0.0%
1885	0.863	+0.0%
1886	0.863	+0.0%
1887	0.863	+0.0%
1888	0.863	+0.0%
1889	0.863	+0.0%
1890	0.863	+0.0%
1891	0.863	+0.0%
1892	0.863	+0.0%
1893	0.863	+0.0%
1894	0.863	+0.0%
1895	0.863	+0.0%
1896	0.863	+0.0%
1897	0.721	-16.5%
1898	0.721	+0.0%
1899	0.721	+0.0%
1900	0.721	+0.0%
1901	0.721	+0.0%
1902	0.721	+0.0%
1903	0.721	+0.0%
1904	0.721	+0.0%
1905	0.721	+0.0%
1906	0.721	+0.0%
1907	0.721	+0.0%
1908	0.721	+0.0%
1909	0.721	+0.0%
1910	0.714	-1.0%
1911	0.714	+0.0%
1912	0.714	+0.0%
1913	0.714	+0.0%
1914	0.714	+0.0%
1915	0.714	+0.0%
1916	0.714	+0.0%
1917	0.714	+0.0%
1918	0.714	+0.0%
1919	0.714	+0.0%
1920	0.714	+0.0%
1921	0.714	+0.0%
1922	0.714	+0.0%
1923	0.714	+0.0%
1924	0.714	+0.0%
1925	0.714	+0.0%
1926	0.714	+0.0%
1927	0.714	+0.0%
1928	0.714	+0.0%
1929	0.714	+0.0%
1930	0.714	+0.0%
1931	0.714	+0.0%
1932	0.714	+0.0%
1933	0.714	+0.0%
1934	0.714	+0.0%
1935	0.714	+0.0%
1936	0.714	+0.0%
1937	0.714	+0.0%
1938	0.714	+0.0%
1939	0.714	+0.0%
1940	0.714	+0.0%
1941	0.714	+0.0%
1942	0.714	+0.0%
1943	0.714	+0.0%
1944	0.714	+0.0%
1945	0.619	-13.3%
1946	0.619	+0.0%
1947	0.619	+0.0%
1948	0.526	-15.0%
1949	0.526	+0.0%
1950	0.526	+0.0%
1951	0.526	+0.0%
1952	0.526	+0.0%
1953	0.526	+0.0%
1954	0.526	+0.0%
1955	0.526	+0.0%
1956	0.526	+0.0%
1957	0.526	+0.0%
1958	0.526	+0.0%
1959	0.526	+0.0%
1960	0.472	-10.3%
1961	0.472	+0.0%
1962	0.472	+0.0%
1963	0.472	+0.0%
1964	0.472	+0.0%
1965	0.472	+0.0%
1966	0.472	+0.0%
1967	0.472	+0.0%
1968	0.472	+0.0%
1969	0.472	+0.0%
1970	0.472	+0.0%
1971	0.472	+0.0%
1972	0.472	+0.0%
1973	0.472	+0.0%
1974	0.472	+0.0%
1975	0.472	+0.0%
1976	0.472	+0.0%
1977	0.472	+0.0%
1978	0.472	+0.0%
1979	0.472	+0.0%
1980	0.442	-6.4%
1981	0.442	+0.0%
1982	0.442	+0.0%
1983	0.442	+0.0%
1984	0.442	+0.0%
1985	0.442	+0.0%
1986	0.442	+0.0%
1987	0.341	-22.9%
1988	0.341	+0.0%
1989	0.341	+0.0%
1990	0.341	+0.0%
1991	0.341	+0.0%
1992	0.341	+0.0%
1993	0.139	-59.2%
1994	0.139	+0.0%
1995	0.139	+0.0%
1996	0.139	+0.0%
1997	0.139	+0.0%
1998	0.139	+0.0%
1999	0.139	+0.0%
2000	0.09	-35.3%
2001	0.09	+0.0%
2002	0.09	+0.0%
2003	0.077	-14.4%
2004	0.077	+0.0%
2005	0.077	+0.0%
2006	0.077	+0.0%
2007	0.077	+0.0%
2008	0.094	+22.1%
2009	0.094	+0.0%
2010	0.094	+0.0%
2011	0.094	+0.0%
2012	0.094	+0.0%
2013	0.106	+12.8%
2014	0.106	+0.0%
2015	0.14	+32.1%
2016	0.14	+0.0%
2017	0.056	-60.0%
2018	0.046	-17.9%
2019	0.046	+0.0%
2020	0.046	+0.0%
2021	0.077	+67.4%
2022	0.077	+0.0%
2023	0.162	+110.4%
2024	0.162	+0.0%
2025	0.162	+0.0%

South Korea compared with similar countries

South Korea's 0.162 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.093, 1.7× the median. (55 countries reporting)
South Korea's 0.162 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.489, 33% of the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1780s	0.526	0.526	0.526	1
1790s	0.526	0.526	0.526	10
1800s	0.706	0.706	0.706	10
1810s	0.706	0.706	0.706	10
1820s	0.706	0.706	0.706	10
1830s	0.706	0.706	0.706	10
1840s	0.8054	0.799	0.863	10
1850s	0.863	0.863	0.863	10
1860s	0.6602	0.525	0.863	10
1870s	0.6318	0.525	0.703	10
1880s	0.863	0.863	0.863	10
1890s	0.8204	0.721	0.863	10
1900s	0.721	0.721	0.721	10
1910s	0.714	0.714	0.714	10
1920s	0.714	0.714	0.714	10
1930s	0.714	0.714	0.714	10
1940s	0.6479	0.526	0.714	10
1950s	0.526	0.526	0.526	10
1960s	0.472	0.472	0.472	10
1970s	0.472	0.472	0.472	10
1980s	0.4117	0.341	0.442	10
1990s	0.1996	0.139	0.341	10
2000s	0.0843	0.077	0.094	10
2010s	0.0922	0.046	0.14	10
2020s	0.1143	0.046	0.162	6

Countries ranked near South Korea

136 Lithuania 0.177 compare
137 Jamaica 0.167 compare
139 Taiwan 0.155 compare
140 Trinidad and Tobago 0.124 compare
141 Benin 0.12 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More social development data for South Korea

Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 4,407 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
Political Rights Rating 2 (2025)
Electoral democracy 1 (2025)
Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 2 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 117 (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0001 units per person (2025)
Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector corruption index in South Korea?: Public sector corruption index in South Korea was 0.162 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest public sector corruption index recorded in South Korea?: The highest recorded value was 0.863 in 1849.
What is the lowest public sector corruption index recorded in South Korea?: The lowest recorded value was 0.046 in 2018.
How does South Korea rank for public sector corruption index?: South Korea ranks 138th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is public sector corruption index rising or falling in South Korea?: Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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 Public Sector Corruption Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 237 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-corruption-index/korea-rep/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://social-development.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-corruption-index/korea-rep/">Public Sector Corruption Index in South Korea</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Public Sector Corruption Index
Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 176 places, 25,541 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed: 18 September 2026

Data by V-Dem. Expert estimates of the extent to which public sector employees engage in bribery and theft. The index ranges from 0 to 1 (highly corrupt).