| South Korean passport holders can travel freely to 188 countries and territories. Gettyimagesbank |
By Jung Min-ho
South Korea has the world's third most powerful passport, according to the latest study by law firm Henley & Partners.
The 2019 Henley Passport Index, which ranks countries based on their freedom of access to other countries, shows that South Korean passport holders ― along with German and Finnish passport holders ― can travel freely to 188 jurisdictions around the world without a prior visa.
Only Singaporean and Japanese passports offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to more destinations (190).
Passports of Denmark, Italy and Luxembourg are tied for sixth (187).
Afghanistan (25) is ranked at the bottom of the spectrum, with Iraq (27), Syria (29) and Somalia (31) just ahead.
Top
1. Singapore, Japan (190)
2. South Korea, Germany, Finland (188)
3. Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg (187)
4. France, Spain, Sweden (186)
5. Austria, Netherlands, Portugal (185)
Bottom
1. Afghanistan (25)
2. Iraq (27)
3. Syria (29)
4. Somalia, Pakistan (31)
5. Yemen (33)