South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea is located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. Neighboring countries include: People’s Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Taiwan to the south. The capital of South Korea is Seoul which is also its largest city with a population of approximately 10 million people. South Korea has a population of 48,754,657 (July 2011 est.). Chungju is located in the northern part of Chungchungbukdo. Located in the middle of the Korean peninsula, Chungju is a cradle of prehistoric culture, with the Namhan River nearby. Chungju has a population of approximately 634,596.