South Korea

republicIndependence 15 August 1948

South Korea as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalSeoul

Area98,480 km2

Populationas each edition published it

44.15 million July 1992 · 43.05m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.05% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 33.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 70.29 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.6 children per woman 1992 · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

23 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 23 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $6,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 5% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

98,480km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana

Coastline

2,413km

Continental shelf: not specificTerritorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait)

Land boundaries

238km

North Korea 238 km

Disputes

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan

Climate

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain

mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

Land use

arable land 21%;
permanent crops 1%;
meadows and pastures 1%;
forest and woodland 67%;
other 10%;
includes irrigated 12%

Environment

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods;
earthquakes in southwest;
air pollution in large cities

People

14 fields

Population

44,149,199

(July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

16Death

6Net migration

Literacy

96%

(male 99%, female 94%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Ethnic divisions

homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000)

Religions

strong Confucian tradition;
vigorous Christian minority (24.3% of the total population);
Buddhism;
pervasive folk religion (Shamanism);
Chondogyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, about 0.1% of population

Languages

Korean; English widely taught in high school

Labor force

16,900,000;
52% services and other;
27% mining and manufacturing;
21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987)

Organized labor

23.4% (1989) of labor force in government-sanctioned unions

Government

Republic

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

35.9%

ROH Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%KIM Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%KIM Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%other 10.1%

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural);
Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*

Legal system

combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Executive branch

president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, State Council (cabinet)

Leaders

Chief of State:: President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister CHUNG Won Shik (since 24 May 1991); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Gak Kyu (since 19 February 1991)

Political parties and leaders

ruling party:: Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), ROH Tae Woo, president, KIM Young Sam, chairman;
KIM Chong Pil and PAK Tae Chun, co-chairmen;
note - the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990
opposition:: Democratic Party (DP), result of a merger of the New Democratic Party and the Democratic Party formalized 16 September 1991;
KIM Dae Jung, executive chairman;
LEE Ki Taek, executive chairman;
several smaller parties

Elections

President:: last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992);
results - ROH Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, KIM Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%, KIM Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1%
National Assembly:: last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held around March 1992); results - DJP 34%, RDP 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, other 8%; seats - (296 total) DJP 125, PPD 70, RDP 59, NDRP 35, other 10; note - on 9 February 1990 the DJP, RDP, and NDRP merged to form the DLP; also the PPD, later renamed the NDP, merged with another party to form the DP in September 1991. The distribution of seats as of December 1991 was DLP 214, DP 72, independent 9, vacant 1

Other political or pressure groups

Korean National Council of Churches;
National Democratic Alliance of Korea;
National Council of College Student Representatives;
National Federation of Farmers' Associations;
National Council of Labor Unions;
Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Veterans' Association;
Federation of Korean Industries;
Korean Traders Association

AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador HYUN Hong Joo;
Chancery at 2370 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008;
telephone (202) 939-5600;
there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle

US:: Ambassador Donald P. GREGG;
Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul, AMEMB, Unit 15550 (mailing address is APO AP 96205-0001);
telephone [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618;
FAX [82] (2) 738-8845;
there is a US Consulate in Pusan

Flag

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

Economy

The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned | development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial | society.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

9.7%

(1991)

Unemployment rate

2.4%

(1991)

External debt

$38.2billion

(1991)

Budget

Revenues

$44 billionExpenditures

$44 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Overview

The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. Real GNP has increased more than 10% annually over the past six years. This growth has led to an overheated situation characterized by a tight labor market, strong inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising current account deficit.

Policymakers have stated they will focus attention on slowing inflation. In any event, the economy will remain the envy of the great majority of the world's peoples.

GNP

purchasing power equivalent - $273 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate 8.7% (1991 est.)

Exports

$71.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish
partners:: US 26%, Japan 18% (1991)

Imports

$81.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991)

commodities:: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
partners:: Japan 26%, US 23% (1991)

Industrial production

growth rate 7.5% (1991 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP

Electricity

24,000,000 kW capacity; 106,000 million kWh produced, 2,460 kWh per capita (1991)

Industries

textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel, electronics, automobile production, shipbuilding

Agriculture

accounts for 8% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry);
principal crops - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs;
self-sufficient in food, except for wheat;
fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3.0 billion

Currency

South Korean won (plural - won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical)

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 766.66 (January 1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 435 ships by type

short-sea passenger 2cargo 140container 53refrigerated cargo 11vehicle carrier 9petroleum tanker 42chemical tanker 10liquefied gas 14combination ore/oil 5bulk 145combination bulk 3multifunction large-load carrier 1435 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,924,818 GRT/11,389,397 DWT

Airports, 105 total, 97 usable

permanent-surface runways

60runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

23runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

62,936Inland waterways

1,609

Highways: (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads · Inland waterways: ; use restricted to small native craft

Railroads

3,106 km operating in 1983;
3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km electrified;
government owned