In Photos: South Korea from Above

South Korea's land reclamation project

south korea from above

(Image credit: NASA/GSFC/MITI/ERSDAC/JAROS)

This image reveals, captured by ASTER (a high-resolution imaging instrument) on NASA's Terra satellite, the beginning stages of a land reclamation project on the South Korean coast of the Yellow Sea. A 20-mile-long (33 kilometers) sea wall, completed in April 2006, uncovered submerged tidal flats.

Big City

south korea from above

(Image credit: Ron Beck/USGS)

The Seoul metropolitan area, about 30 miles south of North Korea and around 200 miles south of China, houses almost 20 million people — almost half the population of South Korea.

Renewable energies

south korea from above

(Image credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty)

In May of 2015, solar panels at the Geogeum Solar Park Co. solar plant soak up the sun on Geogeum Island. This image shows a portion of what is expected to exceed global installations of over 60 gigawatts for 2015.

Metro area

south korea from above

(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

The fifth largest urban area in South Korea, 1.4 million people call Kwangju home. This city is at the base of Mudeungsan mountain with plains to the west.

Busy ports

south korea from above

(Image credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty)

At the port of Pyeongtaek, Kia Motors Corp. vehicles await export. The Eukor Car Carriers Inc. roll-on/roll-off vehicles carrier cargo ship is docked, ready for loading.

A port city

south korea from above

(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

Pohang, a port city on the eastern coastline of South Korea, is divided by the Hyeongsan River with residential and commercial development to the west, depicted by small gray- and white-roofed buildings and a dense road network.

Harvest time

south korea from above

(Image credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty)

On Dec. 28, 2015, a barge and ship prepare to harvest oysters off the coast near Tongyeong, South Korea.

Sea fields

south korea from above

(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

Along the south coast of South Korea, fields of seaweed grow along ropes connected to buoys.

Refugee settlement

south korea from above

(Image credit: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty)

During the 1950-53 Korean War, North Korean refugees created "Abai village," a settlement in the northeast port city of Sokcho. Some North Koreans still live there today.

Obvious importance

south korea from above

(Image credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

A nighttime view of the Korean Peninsula from the International Space Station reveals economic importance of cities i the country.

Live Science Staff
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