Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Washington instead of South Korea, you would:

Health

be 3.7 times more likely to be obese

In South Korea, 8.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Washington, that number is 31.1% of people as of 2022.

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Economy

make 2.4 times more money

South Korea has a GDP per capita of $36,227 as of 2025, while in Washington, the GDP per capita is $87,768 as of 2024.

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be 97.8% more likely to be unemployed

In South Korea, 2.7% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Washington, that number is 5.3% as of 2025.

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Sources: World Bank (2025), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: South Korea vs. Washington

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Washington is 71.9% more expensive than South Korea overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
South Korea is about 1.7 times smaller than Washington.
→
Moving from South Korea to Washington · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
→
City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of Seoul vs Seattle
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