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Judicial Checks on Government Index in South Korea

South Korea: Judicial Checks on Government Index was 0.872 in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.872
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
36th
of 176 countries
All-time high
0.929
in 2017
All-time low
0.107
in 1910
Years of data
237
1789–2025

Judicial Checks on Government Index in South Korea, 1789–2025

0.20.40.60.81178919072025

Source: V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for judicial checks on government index in South Korea is 0.872, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 7.9% on the previous year and up 15.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, judicial checks on government index in South Korea peaked at 0.929 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.107, in 1910.

South Korea ranks 36th of 176 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Judicial Checks on Government Index in South Korea, year by year

Year Value Change
1789 0.127 —
1790 0.127 +0.0%
1791 0.127 +0.0%
1792 0.127 +0.0%
1793 0.127 +0.0%
1794 0.127 +0.0%
1795 0.127 +0.0%
1796 0.127 +0.0%
1797 0.127 +0.0%
1798 0.127 +0.0%
1799 0.127 +0.0%
1800 0.127 +0.0%
1801 0.127 +0.0%
1802 0.127 +0.0%
1803 0.127 +0.0%
1804 0.127 +0.0%
1805 0.127 +0.0%
1806 0.127 +0.0%
1807 0.127 +0.0%
1808 0.127 +0.0%
1809 0.127 +0.0%
1810 0.127 +0.0%
1811 0.127 +0.0%
1812 0.127 +0.0%
1813 0.127 +0.0%
1814 0.127 +0.0%
1815 0.127 +0.0%
1816 0.127 +0.0%
1817 0.127 +0.0%
1818 0.127 +0.0%
1819 0.127 +0.0%
1820 0.127 +0.0%
1821 0.127 +0.0%
1822 0.127 +0.0%
1823 0.127 +0.0%
1824 0.127 +0.0%
1825 0.127 +0.0%
1826 0.127 +0.0%
1827 0.127 +0.0%
1828 0.127 +0.0%
1829 0.127 +0.0%
1830 0.127 +0.0%
1831 0.127 +0.0%
1832 0.127 +0.0%
1833 0.127 +0.0%
1834 0.127 +0.0%
1835 0.127 +0.0%
1836 0.127 +0.0%
1837 0.127 +0.0%
1838 0.127 +0.0%
1839 0.127 +0.0%
1840 0.127 +0.0%
1841 0.127 +0.0%
1842 0.127 +0.0%
1843 0.127 +0.0%
1844 0.127 +0.0%
1845 0.127 +0.0%
1846 0.127 +0.0%
1847 0.127 +0.0%
1848 0.127 +0.0%
1849 0.127 +0.0%
1850 0.127 +0.0%
1851 0.127 +0.0%
1852 0.127 +0.0%
1853 0.127 +0.0%
1854 0.127 +0.0%
1855 0.127 +0.0%
1856 0.127 +0.0%
1857 0.127 +0.0%
1858 0.127 +0.0%
1859 0.127 +0.0%
1860 0.127 +0.0%
1861 0.127 +0.0%
1862 0.127 +0.0%
1863 0.127 +0.0%
1864 0.127 +0.0%
1865 0.127 +0.0%
1866 0.127 +0.0%
1867 0.127 +0.0%
1868 0.127 +0.0%
1869 0.127 +0.0%
1870 0.127 +0.0%
1871 0.127 +0.0%
1872 0.127 +0.0%
1873 0.127 +0.0%
1874 0.127 +0.0%
1875 0.127 +0.0%
1876 0.127 +0.0%
1877 0.127 +0.0%
1878 0.127 +0.0%
1879 0.127 +0.0%
1880 0.127 +0.0%
1881 0.127 +0.0%
1882 0.127 +0.0%
1883 0.127 +0.0%
1884 0.127 +0.0%
1885 0.127 +0.0%
1886 0.127 +0.0%
1887 0.127 +0.0%
1888 0.127 +0.0%
1889 0.127 +0.0%
1890 0.127 +0.0%
1891 0.127 +0.0%
1892 0.127 +0.0%
1893 0.127 +0.0%
1894 0.127 +0.0%
1895 0.145 +14.2%
1896 0.145 +0.0%
1897 0.145 +0.0%
1898 0.145 +0.0%
1899 0.145 +0.0%
1900 0.14 -3.4%
1901 0.14 +0.0%
1902 0.14 +0.0%
1903 0.14 +0.0%
1904 0.14 +0.0%
1905 0.14 +0.0%
1906 0.14 +0.0%
1907 0.14 +0.0%
1908 0.14 +0.0%
1909 0.14 +0.0%
1910 0.107 -23.6%
1911 0.107 +0.0%
1912 0.107 +0.0%
1913 0.107 +0.0%
1914 0.107 +0.0%
1915 0.107 +0.0%
1916 0.107 +0.0%
1917 0.107 +0.0%
1918 0.107 +0.0%
1919 0.107 +0.0%
1920 0.107 +0.0%
1921 0.107 +0.0%
1922 0.107 +0.0%
1923 0.107 +0.0%
1924 0.107 +0.0%
1925 0.107 +0.0%
1926 0.107 +0.0%
1927 0.107 +0.0%
1928 0.107 +0.0%
1929 0.107 +0.0%
1930 0.107 +0.0%
1931 0.107 +0.0%
1932 0.107 +0.0%
1933 0.107 +0.0%
1934 0.107 +0.0%
1935 0.107 +0.0%
1936 0.107 +0.0%
1937 0.107 +0.0%
1938 0.107 +0.0%
1939 0.107 +0.0%
1940 0.107 +0.0%
1941 0.107 +0.0%
1942 0.107 +0.0%
1943 0.107 +0.0%
1944 0.107 +0.0%
1945 0.109 +1.9%
1946 0.177 +62.4%
1947 0.177 +0.0%
1948 0.417 +135.6%
1949 0.48 +15.1%
1950 0.486 +1.3%
1951 0.486 +0.0%
1952 0.486 +0.0%
1953 0.486 +0.0%
1954 0.395 -18.7%
1955 0.395 +0.0%
1956 0.395 +0.0%
1957 0.395 +0.0%
1958 0.359 -9.1%
1959 0.359 +0.0%
1960 0.525 +46.2%
1961 0.334 -36.4%
1962 0.278 -16.8%
1963 0.31 +11.5%
1964 0.33 +6.5%
1965 0.33 +0.0%
1966 0.33 +0.0%
1967 0.33 +0.0%
1968 0.33 +0.0%
1969 0.33 +0.0%
1970 0.33 +0.0%
1971 0.33 +0.0%
1972 0.218 -33.9%
1973 0.212 -2.8%
1974 0.212 +0.0%
1975 0.212 +0.0%
1976 0.212 +0.0%
1977 0.212 +0.0%
1978 0.212 +0.0%
1979 0.212 +0.0%
1980 0.243 +14.6%
1981 0.218 -10.3%
1982 0.253 +16.1%
1983 0.253 +0.0%
1984 0.253 +0.0%
1985 0.253 +0.0%
1986 0.253 +0.0%
1987 0.5 +97.6%
1988 0.829 +65.8%
1989 0.835 +0.7%
1990 0.835 +0.0%
1991 0.835 +0.0%
1992 0.835 +0.0%
1993 0.865 +3.6%
1994 0.865 +0.0%
1995 0.865 +0.0%
1996 0.865 +0.0%
1997 0.881 +1.8%
1998 0.886 +0.6%
1999 0.886 +0.0%
2000 0.886 +0.0%
2001 0.886 +0.0%
2002 0.9 +1.6%
2003 0.894 -0.7%
2004 0.894 +0.0%
2005 0.894 +0.0%
2006 0.894 +0.0%
2007 0.889 -0.6%
2008 0.821 -7.6%
2009 0.821 +0.0%
2010 0.821 +0.0%
2011 0.821 +0.0%
2012 0.823 +0.2%
2013 0.755 -8.3%
2014 0.755 +0.0%
2015 0.755 +0.0%
2016 0.755 +0.0%
2017 0.929 +23.0%
2018 0.9 -3.1%
2019 0.903 +0.3%
2020 0.903 +0.0%
2021 0.886 -1.9%
2022 0.882 -0.5%
2023 0.822 -6.8%
2024 0.808 -1.7%
2025 0.872 +7.9%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 0.872 is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.872, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 0.872 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7255, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 0.127 0.127 0.127 1
1790s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1800s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1810s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1820s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1830s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1840s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1850s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1860s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1870s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1880s 0.127 0.127 0.127 10
1890s 0.136 0.127 0.145 10
1900s 0.14 0.14 0.14 10
1910s 0.107 0.107 0.107 10
1920s 0.107 0.107 0.107 10
1930s 0.107 0.107 0.107 10
1940s 0.1895 0.107 0.48 10
1950s 0.4242 0.359 0.486 10
1960s 0.3427 0.278 0.525 10
1970s 0.2362 0.212 0.33 10
1980s 0.389 0.218 0.835 10
1990s 0.8618 0.835 0.886 10
2000s 0.8779 0.821 0.9 10
2010s 0.8217 0.755 0.929 10
2020s 0.8622 0.808 0.903 6

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 33 Japan 0.881 compare
  2. 34 Jamaica 0.88 compare
  3. 35 Cape Verde 0.874 compare
  4. 37 Singapore 0.868 compare
  5. 38 Luxembourg 0.867 compare
  6. 39 Papua New Guinea 0.863 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More reference data data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is judicial checks on government index in South Korea?
Judicial checks on government index in South Korea was 0.872 in 2025, according to V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest judicial checks on government index recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 0.929 in 2017.
What is the lowest judicial checks on government index recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 0.107 in 1910.
How does South Korea rank for judicial checks on government index?
South Korea ranks 36th out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
Is judicial checks on government index rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea data come from?
The figures come from V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Judicial Checks on Government Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Judicial Checks on Government Index in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/judicial-constraints-on-the-executive-index/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Judicial Checks on Government Index
Source
V-Dem (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
176 places, 29,297 data points, 1789–2025
Last refreshed

Central estimate of the extent to which the executive respects the constitution, complies with the judiciary and high courts, and higher and lower courts are independent.