South Korea
Asia & the Pacific
of males circumcised
High prevalence
Demographics
Circumcision rate, in context
Estimated share of males circumcised
Estimates derived from WHO/UNAIDS-based prevalence data. Global average â 38%.
The picture in South Korea
South Korea took up mass circumcision only after the Korean War, under American military influence â usually performed on older boys rather than newborns. Rates have fallen sharply in recent years.
By the Numbers
Circumcision prevalence with HIV, education & policy indicators as context. Tap any card to compare.
Circumcision rate
% of males
77%
Context indicators from public UNAIDS/WHO-based sources; some scores are editorial or pending. Figures describe each country and are not evidence of causation.
Follow the money
Who profits from infant foreskins.
South Korea â which adopted mass circumcision after the Korean War under US military influence â has one of the world's largest cosmetics and regenerative-medicine industries. Foreskin-derived fibroblasts are used in skincare (âgrowth-factorâ and stem-cell beauty products) and biomedical research, turning removed tissue into a commercial input rather than waste.
The law
Legal status of non-therapeutic circumcision of minors.
No specific national law restricts non-therapeutic circumcision of minors.
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