Korea Rule of Law
Rule of Law RL.EST
Korea's rule of law was 1.24 in 2025, ranked 28th globally. This represents a 0.7% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Korea's rule of law stood at 1.24 in 2025, a decline of +0.01 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 1.24 by 2025. Korea ranked 28th globally.
South Korea’s Rule of Law score rose from 0.80 in 1996 to an all‑time peak of 1.25 in 2023, reflecting steady improvements in judicial independence, contract enforcement and protection of property rights over 26 years. The World Bank’s 2025 estimate of 1.24 places the country at 28th globally, just below the United Kingdom’s 1.29 and marginally above Czechia’s 1.21, indicating that South Korea now competes with advanced liberal democracies on this dimension. The lowest point occurred in 1998, when the index slipped to 0.78 amid the Asian financial crisis, but the subsequent recovery has been robust, with the score exceeding the 1996 level by 0.44 points. Continued reforms in anti‑corruption legislation and digital court services are likely to sustain the upward trajectory, while any slowdown in legislative implementation could modestly curb further gains.
Data & projection
| Year | Rule of Law | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | 1.26 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 1.24 | - | - |
| 2025 | 1.24 | −0.01 | #28 |
| 2023 | 1.25 | +0.09 | #29 |
| 2022 | 1.16 | +0.06 | #31 |
| 2021 | 1.10 | −0.05 | #32 |
| 2020 | 1.15 | −0.01 | #30 |
| 2019 | 1.16 | −0.04 | #32 |
| 2018 | 1.20 | +0.07 | #31 |
| 2017 | 1.13 | +0.00 | #31 |
| 2016 | 1.13 | +0.22 | #30 |
| 2015 | 0.90 | −0.10 | #41 |
| 2014 | 1.01 | +0.06 | #36 |
| 2013 | 0.95 | −0.04 | #43 |
| 2012 | 0.98 | −0.04 | #40 |
| 2011 | 1.03 | +0.02 | #36 |
| 2010 | 1.01 | +0.01 | #36 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Korea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2006. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw rule of law improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Korea's rule of law was 1.24 in 2025. Ranked 28th globally. This represents a 0.7% decrease from the previous year.
Korea's rule of law peaked at 1.25 in 2023.
The lowest rule of law in Korea was 0.78 in 1998.
Korea ranks 28th globally in rule of law as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RL.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Korea's rule of law is projected to reach 1.24 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The rule of law of Korea in 2025 was 1.24. This ranks 28th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_korea_rule-of-law,
title = {Korea Rule of Law},
url = {https://historysaid.com/korea/rule-of-law/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}