Printable Blank Map of South Korea
Delineating all 9 provinces, 6 metropolitan cities, 1 special city, and 1 self-governing city across 100,410 square kilometers, this blank vector map captures South Korea on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. Projected in KGD2002 / Korea Central Belt (EPSG:5179), it provides clean coordinate geometry for Taebaek Range studies, DMZ border mapping, and municipal labeling.
About this Blank Map of South Korea
This printable blank map represents South Korea on the authentic KGD2002 / WGS84 ellipsoidal datum. All 3 interactive visual variants—including Blank Outline, Capital City Marker (Seoul), and High-Contrast Printer B&W—are generated synchronously from identical coordinate geometry.
| Specification | Value | Compliance & Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jurisdiction / Entity | South Korea | Sovereign Country |
| Subdivisions Rendered | 17 Provinces & Special Cities (National Boundary Outline) | Outline only; internal borders not drawn |
| Primary Capital City | Seoul | Marked on the capital variant |
| Cartographic Projection | Korea Central Belt (EPSG:5179) | Distortion-Minimized Coordinate Map |
| Reference Datum | KGD2002 / WGS84 | NGII / EPSG:5179 (National Geographic Information Institute) |
South Korea at a Glance
- Capital
- Seoul
- First-level divisions
- 17 Provinces & Special Cities
This printable map shows the national outline of South Korea with the capital, Seoul, marked. Internal provinces & special cities borders are not drawn, which makes it a good base for students to sketch them in from an atlas.
Geography Notes: South Korea
Korean Geodetic Datum 2002 (KGD2002) Standards
The National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) standardizes mapping under the KGD2002 geocentric datum.
Centered on 127°30'E, EPSG:5179 establishes a unified Transverse Mercator coordinate system aligned with GRS80, eliminating legacy regional origin shifts across the peninsula.
Conformal parameters preserve true angular relations from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the 38th parallel south through the jagged rias coastlines of the Korea Strait to volcanic Jeju Island.
EPSG:5179 maintains sub-meter precision across the high-density Seoul Capital Area and the port of Busan.
The Taebaek Mountain Spine vs The Coastal Lowlands
The Korean Peninsula is mountainous along its eastern spine, sloping gently toward southern and western seas.
The Taebaek Mountain range runs north-to-south along the Sea of Japan (East Sea) coast, acting as the main watershed divide.
Gyeongsangbuk-do in the southeast covers 19,033 square kilometers as the largest province by surface area, while over 50% of the nation's 52 million residents live in the northwestern Seoul Capital Area (Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi-do).
Gyeongsangbuk-do covers nearly 19% of South Korea's total land area, housing historic Silla dynasty archaeological sites around Gyeongju.
Curated Classroom Activities & Spatial Labs for South Korea
Pedagogical lesson plans and spatial analysis activities designed specifically for printable vector maps of South Korea:
The 38th Parallel & Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Lab
Objective: Trace the 250-km Demilitarized Zone dividing South Korea from North Korea.
Materials: Printed blank map of South Korea, red and blue markers, historical atlas.
- Draw the 4-kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces from North Korea.
- Trace the Han River flowing through Seoul into the Yellow Sea.
- Locate the volcanic island province of Jeju-do off the southern coast in the Korea Strait.
Administrative Hierarchy & Metropolitan Cities Lab
Objective: Classify provinces, metropolitan cities, and the special capital city.
Materials: Printed South Korea administrative outline map, colored pencils.
- Locate the Special City of Seoul and the six autonomous Metropolitan Cities: Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Ulsan.
- Mark Sejong Special Self-Governing City, established in 2012 as an administrative government center.
- Highlight Gyeongsangbuk-do as the largest province by land area.
The 3 Synchronized Variants Explained
We generate 3 synchronized variations of South Korea from the same master vector dataset. Each variant is aligned to identical coordinate geometry:
1. Blank Boundary Outline
The foundational boundary outline of South Korea. Rendered with a clean exterior stroke and zero fill—the optimal version for in-class labeling exams, custom cartographic overlays, or clean graphic design.
2. With Capital City (Seoul)
Pinpoints the official capital city of Seoul using a high-visibility star marker and typographic callout, positioned at precise geodetic coordinates.
3. High-Contrast Printer B&W
Optimized specifically for monochrome desktop laser and inkjet printers. Uses pure black vector paths (#000000) and ultra-clean white fills to prevent ink-bleeding and toner smudging.
Tools to Use With This Map
Need Definitions for Map Projections, SVG Vectors, or Centroids?
Explore our centralized Cartography Glossary for detailed definitions of national and global geodetic datums, equal-area vs. conformal projections, TopoJSON topological arcs, and choropleth classification standards.
Frequently Asked Questions About South Korea Blank Maps
Authoritative answers to common questions regarding printing, licensing, vector customization, and curriculum use:
Is Jeju Island included on this South Korea blank map?▼
Yes. Jeju Special Self-Governing Province is clearly rendered off the southern coast with its authentic volcanic coastline and Mount Hallasan summit.
What is the largest province by land area in South Korea?▼
Gyeongsangbuk-do in southeastern South Korea (capital: Andong) is the largest province at 19,033 square kilometers.
What is the difference between a province and a metropolitan city in South Korea?▼
Metropolitan cities (such as Busan, Incheon, Daegu) have equal administrative status to provinces, functioning as self-governing provincial-level municipal entities separate from surrounding provincial governments.