South Korean archers qualified each for the men's and women's events after having secured a top eight finish in their respective team recurves at the 2015 World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.

[4][5] With a top eight placement at the Worlds, the spots for the three men and three women from South Korea will be determined in two national selection meets by April 2016.

One female rider was added to the South Korean squad to compete in the women's Olympic road race by finishing first at the 2016 Asian Championships.

[16] South Korea entered one dressage rider into the Olympic equestrian competition by virtue of a top national finish from Asia and Oceania at the FEI qualification event in Perl, Germany.

[18][19] London 2012 Olympians Gu Bon-gil, Kim Jung-hwan, and Jeon Hee-sook, along with 2008 Olympic silver medalist Nam Hyun-hee, had secured their individual spots in the men's sabre and women's foil, respectively, by finishing among the top 14 fencers in the FIE Adjusted Official Rankings.

They were joined by four-time Asian men's foil champion Heo Jun as one of the two highest-ranked fencers from Asia outside the world's top eight qualified teams.

[20] Other fencers also featured London 2012 sabre champion Kim Ji-yeon and bronze medalist Jung Jin-sun in men's épée.

[21] Key: South Korea women's field hockey team qualified for the Olympics by receiving a berth and earning the gold medal from the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

[23] Head coach: Han Jin-soo Reserves: South Korea men's football team qualified for the Olympics by virtue of a top two finish at and by progressing to the gold medal match of the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship in Qatar.

[36] Lee Go-im was selected to represent South Korea in the women's artistic gymnastics for the Games on June 12, 2016, with the men's squad joining her at the end of Olympic Team Trials on July 8.

[45] South Korea qualified one boat each in the men's and women's single sculls for the Olympics at the 2016 Asia & Oceania Continental Qualification Regatta in Chungju.

[46] M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race South Korean shooters have achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2014 and 2015 ISSF World Championships, the 2015 ISSF World Cup series, and Asian Championships, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by March 31, 2016.

[51] A total of eight swimmers (three men and five women) were selected to the South Korean roster for the Games at the end of the qualifying period, with Athens 2004 top eight finalist Nam Yoo-sun and four-time medalist Park Tae-hwan becoming the first to compete at their fourth Olympics.

Jung Young-sik, Lee Sang-su, Jeon Ji-hee, and Seo Hyo-won were automatically selected among the top 22 eligible players each in their respective singles events based on the ITTF Olympic Rankings.

South Korean weightlifters have qualified four men's and three women's quota places for the Rio Olympics based on their combined team standing by points at the 2014 and 2015 IWF World Championships.

The full weightlifting team was announced on July 4, 2016, with London 2012 Olympian Won Jeong-sik and Beijing 2008 silver medalist Yoon Jin-hee leading the athletes for their second Olympic appearance.