South Korea’s population in 1950 was about 21 million people, which is about 21.0 million in rounded terms.

Quick Scoop

A commonly cited estimate for 1950 is 21 million for South Korea alone. Another source gives a midyear estimate of 19.76 million on January 1, 1950 and 19.76 million on July 1, 1950 using a different population-series method, so the exact figure depends on the dataset and date used.

Why numbers differ

Population counts can vary because some sources use:

  • Year-start vs. midyear estimates.
  • Different historical reconstruction methods.
  • Different geographic definitions of “South Korea” around the postwar period.

In million

  • South Korea in 1950: about 21.0 million.
  • Conservative dataset estimate: about 19.8 million.

TL;DR: If you want a simple answer, use 21 million.