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| Introduction | Korea, South |
| Background: | Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 18 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Chong-il. |
| People | Korea, South |
| Population: | 48,598,175 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.4% (male 5,223,344; female 4,681,594) 15-64 years: 71.4% (male 17,625,302; female 17,072,029) 65 years and over: 8.2% (male 1,597,085; female 2,398,821) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 33.7 years male: 32.8 years female: 34.7 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.62% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 12.33 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.13 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.09 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 7.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 7.64 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 75.58 years male: 71.96 years female: 79.54 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.56 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.1% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 8,300 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 200 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean |
| Ethnic groups: | homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese) |
| Religions: | no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%, other 1% |
| Languages: | Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002) |
| Government | Korea, South |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional short form: South Korea local long form: Taehan-min'guk abbreviation: ROK note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country local short form: none |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | Seoul |
| Administrative divisions: | 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural) : provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo : metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi, Kwangju-gwangyoksi, Pusan-gwangyoksi, Soul-t'ukpyolsi, Taegu-gwangyoksi, Taejon-gwangyoksi, Ulsan-gwangyoksi |
| Independence: | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) |
| National holiday: | Liberation Day, 15 August (1945) |
| Constitution: | 17 July 1948 |
| Legal system: | combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought |
| Suffrage: | 20 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003) head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hae-chan (since 25 May 2004); Deputy Prime Ministers LEE Hun-jai (since 10 February 2004), AHN Byung-young (since 23 December 2003), and OH Myung (since 18 October 2004) elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-ch'ang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5% cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats -- members elected for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat constituencies, 56 by proportional representation election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP 3%, MDP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 152, GNP 121, DLP 10, MDP 9, others 7 (2004) elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008) |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Labor Party or DLP [KIM Hye-kyung, chairman]; Grand National Party or GNP [PARK Geun-hye, chairman]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [HAHN Hwa-kap, chairman]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Hak-won, chairman]; Uri Party [LEE Bu-young, chairman] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student Associations |
| International organization participation: | AfDB, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-joo chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle consulate(s): New York, Tamuning (Guam) FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Christopher R. HILL embassy: 82 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845 |
| Flag description: | white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field |
| Communications | Korea, South |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 22.877 million (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 33,591,800 (2003) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: country code - 82; fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001) |
| Radios: | 47.5 million (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999) |
| Televisions: | 15.9 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .kr |
| Internet hosts: | 694,206 (2001) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 11 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 29.22 million (2003) |
| Transportation | Korea, South |
| Railways: | total: 3,125 km standard gauge: 3,125 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 86,990 km paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,182 km (1999 est.) |
| Waterways: | 1,608 km note: most navigable only by small craft (2004) |
| Pipelines: | gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu |
| Merchant marine: | total: 535 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,978,949 GRT/9,761,699 DWT registered in other countries: 442 (2003 est.) foreign-owned: Bahrain 1, China 1, Gibraltar 1, Honduras 1, Indonesia 1, Japan 3, Malaysia 1, Panama 1, Philippines 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, United Kingdom 1, United States 1 by type: bulk 97, cargo 174, chemical tanker 61, combination bulk 10, container 60, liquefied gas 19, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 20, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea/passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 3 |
| Airports: | 102 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 88 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 38 (2004 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 91 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 88 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: | 206 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Korea, South |
| Military branches: | Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard) |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 14,233,895 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 8,966,241 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 341,697 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $14.522 billion (FY03) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 2.7% (FY03) |
| Transnational Issues | Korea, South |
| Disputes - international: | Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with North Korea; intensified media coverage and protests highlight dispute over Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima) in rich fishing grounds also claimed by Japan |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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