As of 2008, the population of the Republic of Korea stood at 48,607,000. In terms of density, there are roughly 486 people per square kilometer. Conversely, the population of North Korea was 23,200,000 in 2007. Once considered to be a serious social problem, historically, the threat of rapid population growth posed serious social repercussions on developing countries. Yet such fears of swelling growth hardly raise much cause for alarm on the peninsula. With the advent of successful family planning campaigns and changing attitudes, there are signs that the population growth has curbed remarkably in recent years. The number of people aged 65 and older numbered 5.01 million in 2008, roughly 10.3 percent of the entire population. [Source : Korea National Statistical Office]