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South Korea Tension Score

building record · 4 days on file

Live 0–100 tension reading for South Korea, built by our own engine from 2,698 world headlines in the last 30 days. Refreshed every 10 minutes; a fresh headline count twice a day.

36
Calm
7d · 30d

Where South Korea stands

#13 of 197 countries today, #3 of 44 in Asia-Pacific (region score 58). Tension is steady this week.

Same 0–100 scale and zones as the World Tension Index.

South Korea news pulse

20 headlines in 30 days · newest first
North Korea launches ballistic missiles, prompting 'stern protest'
ABC AU World · 21 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
49 · Moderate
North Korea fires two ballistic missiles into the sea in latest weapons display
France24 · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
82 · Extreme
North Korea has launched an additional projectile toward the sea, South Korea says
ABC Intl · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
55 · High
North Korea fires unidentified projectile into East Sea: Seoul
Hindu Intl · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
55 · High
South Korea says North Korea launched a ballistic missile and another projectile toward the sea - AP News
GN Conflict · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
55 · High
South Korea says North Korea has launched an additional projectile toward the sea - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
GN Conflict · 20 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
43 · Moderate
US official says Trump unlikely to meet with Netanyahu at UN, citing scheduling difficulties
Times Israel · 19 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
55 · High
South Korea, US discuss Seoul’s role in Middle East and investment pact
Straits Times · 19 September 2026 tradegeopolitics
36 · Moderate
North Korean anthem played for South Korea at Asian Games
BBC World · 19 September 2026 geopolitics
29 · Low
South Korea's Lee says will not deploy military to get involved in Middle East conflict
Al-Monitor · 18 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
75 · Extreme
South Korea will not send military to support US war on Iran, defying Trump pressure
Guardian · 18 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
74 · High
South Korea's Lee says army will not be deployed to get involved in Middle East conflict
Middle East Eye · 18 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
55 · High
South Korea's Lee rules out military involvement in Middle East conflict
Al-Monitor · 18 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
55 · High
South Korean president rules out military involvement in Middle East conflict - NBC News
Google News · 18 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
52 · Moderate
South Korea's Lee says will not deploy military to get involved in Middle East conflict - Reuters
Google News · 18 September 2026 conflictgeopolitics
52 · Moderate
Morning update
Middle East Eye · 18 September 2026 geopolitics
43 · Moderate
Coast Guard's cyber command chief says "we need to take action" after tanker hack
CBS World · 18 September 2026 conflictenergytrade
32 · Low
South Korean president urges Trump dialogue with Pyongyang
Euronews · 18 September 2026 geopolitics
31 · Low
They're not playing our song! North Korean anthem played at South Korean hockey match
ABC Intl · 18 September 2026 geopolitics
28 · Low
Trump 'clearly' wants dialogue with Pyongyang: South Korean President
Hindu Intl · 18 September 2026 geopolitics
20 · Low

Every story the engine read that names South Korea, its capital or its leaders. Links go to the original outlet; the badge is the engine’s own 0–100 tension weight. This list is what moves the number above.

What is driving South Korea’s tension score

last 30 days
  • 25 headlines in 30 days — 0.93% of everything the engine read, in line with the previous 30 days (0).
  • 52% of those were violent (attacks, strikes, casualties) and 72% scored as high-tension stories.
  • Conflicts on the roster: none. South Korea is not a party to any conflict our engine tracks right now.
  • Region: Asia-Pacific reads 58 today; it carries 15% of this score.

Read it like this. Attention (how much the world is talking about South Korea) is the biggest input at 30%. Violence and high-tension share tell you what kind of talk it is. A country can be loud and calm — an election, a summit — or quiet and dangerous. The mix is the point.

South Korea tension month by month

average score, headline counts
MonthAvg scoreZoneHeadlinesViolentDays
September 202631.5Calm25134

Record for South Korea began on 18 September 2026. Nothing is revised after the fact.

How the South Korea score is built

Five inputs, fixed weights. Attention 30% (share of world coverage), violence 25% and high-tension share 15% (what kind of coverage), roster conflicts 15%, and the Asia-Pacific region score 15%. A momentum nudge (+6 / −4) rewards a country whose coverage is accelerating or fading.

Same physics as the world score. The number rises 85% of the way to its new level at once and falls no faster than 3 points a day — fear arrives fast and leaves slowly.

No third-party index inside. Every count comes from the 41 public news feeds our engine reads itself; the full method is on the methodology page. Data is free under CC BY 4.0 via the API.

Questions people ask about South Korea

Is South Korea in a war right now?

Not on our roster. South Korea is not a party to any tracked conflict; the engine flags new candidates automatically when coverage repeats.

Is tension in South Korea rising or falling?

Too early to say — the 7-day change appears once a week of data exists.

How does South Korea compare with the rest of Asia-Pacific?

Below its region: South Korea reads 36 against 58 for Asia-Pacific, ranking #3 of 44 there.

Keep exploring

South Korea and world tension: the long view

evergreen · World Tension Meter team

Front line with the North, factory for the world. South Korea lives under North Korean artillery range and makes the memory chips, ships and cars the world buys. Its political crises and the North’s tests both spike its score.

What our engine watches in South Korea

  • North Korean launches and border incidents
  • Domestic political turmoil
  • Chip and shipbuilding trade

Indexes to follow: Supply Chain Risk · Market Fear.