Which country on the Korean Peninsula has the larger area?

North Korea is the larger country on the Korean Peninsula by area. North Korea covers about 120,538 square kilometres, while South Korea covers roughly 100,210 square kilometres of territory, excluding the jointly administered Demilitarized Zone.

The peninsula was politically divided after Japan’s defeat in World War II. The division initially followed the 38th parallel, but the Korean Demilitarized Zone became the effective boundary after the 1953 armistice ended most fighting in the Korean War.

The area comparison can be confusing because figures vary depending on whether islands, inland water, and the DMZ are counted. South Korea also has many more offshore islands, including Jeju, its largest. Even with those islands included, North Korea remains larger.

Neither Taiwan nor Japan is part of the Korean Peninsula. Taiwan is an island in East Asia, while Japan is an island country across the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as the East Sea.