180 countries ranked by homicide, road fatalities, conflict, freedom, LGBT rights and women's safety
Visiting: Recommended
Seoul does 600-year-old palaces and all-night food markets in the same block, Busan stacks a temple on a cliff over the sea, and spring cherry blossom rivals Japan's with half the crowds. South Korea is extremely safe, endlessly easy to get around, and the food alone justifies the airfare. LGBT+ acceptance is still catching up with the rest of its modernity, so expect a conservative streak.
Intentional homicides per 100,000 people — lower is better.
South Korea: 0.5
Ranked 10th in the world for the lowest homicide rate.
Among the world's lowest — strict gun control and dense social order.
Seoul at 3am is safer than most cities at noon.
Road-traffic deaths per 100,000 people per year — lower is better.
South Korea: 6.9
Ranked 46th in the world for the safest roads.
South Korea has pushed its toll down dramatically — cameras everywhere, drink-driving crackdowns — though delivery scooters keep the number from falling further.
Traffic is orderly; the one street habit to watch is scooters using pedestrian crossings and pavements.
Ongoing conflict — war, insurgency or armed tension, at home or abroad. Lower is better.
South Korea: 1.8
Ranked 76th most conflict-affected country in the world.
The war with the North never formally ended, and the border remains the world's most fortified, with provocations and missile tests as background noise. Daily life carries on as if none of it existed.
Personal freedom — speech, press, protest, movement, religion — higher is better.
South Korea: 8.6
Ranked 40th freest country in the world.
Loud, democratic and unafraid of its own government — Koreans fill the streets in protest and remove presidents by law. Free press, free speech, no hassle.
LGBT equality in law and daily life — higher is better.
South Korea: 4.6
Ranked 78th most equal in the world for LGBT people.
Legal in civilian life with no recognition; the military criminalises sex between servicemen, which conscription makes near-universal.
Seoul Pride draws tens of thousands and equally large church counter-protests — a society arguing with itself, with the young far ahead of the politics.
Women's safety — feeling safe out at night, political violence against women, a fair hearing in court, and how normal violence at home is — higher is better. Rape by strangers and police inaction aren't measured anywhere; the notes cover them.
South Korea: 8.2
Ranked 45th safest country in the world for women.
Seven in ten women feel safe out at night; domestic violence is low. Four in ten women here say a husband can be justified in beating his wife.
Seoul is safe to walk at any hour. Spy-cam voyeurism in toilets and hotels is a recognised crime; drink spiking in Itaewon and Hongdae is documented.