South Korea

Republic of KoreaTaehan-min'guk

republicIndependence 15 August 1948

South Korea as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 87 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalSeoul
Position37 00 N, 127 30 E
Area98,480 sq km
LocationEastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula
1996

Every edition of South Korea

Populationas each edition published it
45.48 million July 1996 est. · 43.05m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.02% 1996 est. · 1.05% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 33.2 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
73.26 years 1996 est. · 70.29 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.77 children per woman 1996 est. · 1.6 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
8.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 23 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$13,000 1995 est. · $6,500 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
9% 1995 · 5% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula | bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, south of North Korea

14 fields

Land useshare of 98,480 sq km

arable land 21%meadows and pastures 1%forest and woodland 67%other 10%permanent crops 1% in all · irrigated 13,530 sq km (1989)
Area
98,480sq km
land area: 98,190 sq kmcomparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
Coastline
2,413km
continental shelf: not specifiedterritorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
Land boundaries
238km
border country: North Korea 238 km

Location

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, south of North Korea

Geographic coordinates

37 00 N, 127 30 E

International 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

lowest point:
Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point:
Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

Environment

current issues:
  • air pollution in large cities;
  • water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents;
  • drift net fishing
natural hazards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest
international agreements:
  • party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94;
  • signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

People

15 fields
Population
45,482,291
(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 1.02% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth
16.24Death
5.66Net migration
-0.35

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years73.26
69.65 · 77.39
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy98%
99.3% · 96.7%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:
23% (male 5,531,032; female 4,962,915)
15-64 years:
71% (male 16,374,678; female 15,910,846)
65 years and over:
6% (male 1,014,649; female 1,688,171) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.6 male(s)/female
all ages:
1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.77 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Korean(s)
adjective:
Korean

Ethnic divisions

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions

Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in high school

Government

Republic; President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993) was elected by popular vote for a five-year term; Prime Minister YI Su-song (since 15 December 1995) was appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

41.9%
KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%other 8%

Legislature, 299 seatsone dot, one seat

NKP 139NCNP 79ULD 50DP 15independents 16

Name of country

conventional long form:
Republic of Korea
conventional short form:
South Korea
local long form:
Taehan-min'guk
local short form:
none

note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Hanguk" to refer to their country

abbreviation:
ROK

Capital

Seoul

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

15 August 1948

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 August (1948)

Constitution

25 February 1988

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993) was elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  • election last held 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997);
  • results - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%
head of government:
  • Prime Minister YI Su-song (since 15 December 1995) was appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly;
  • Deputy Prime Ministers NA Ung-pae (since 20 December 1995) and KWON O-ki (since 20 December 1995) were appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
cabinet:
State Council was appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation

National Assembly (Kukhoe)

  • members elected for four-year terms;
  • elections last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (299 total) NKP 139, NCNP 79, ULD 50, DP 15, independents 16

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly

Political parties and leaders

majority party:
New Korea Party (NKP), KIM Yong-sam, president
opposition:
  • United Liberal Democratic Party (ULD), KIM Chong-p'il, president;
  • Democratic Party (DP), KIM Won-ki, co-chairman and CHANG Ul-pyong, co-chairman;
  • National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), KIM Tae-chung, president

Other political or pressure groups

  • Korean National Council of Churches;
  • National Democratic Alliance of Korea;
  • National Federation of Student Associations;
  • 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

International organization participation

AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, OAS (observer), OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador PAK Kun-u
chancery:
2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 939-5600, 524-9273
consulate(s) general:
Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador James T. LANEY
embassy:
82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul
mailing address:
American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001
telephone:
[82] (2) 397-4114

FAX

[82] (2) 738-8845; consulate(s): 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

As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South | Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth.

20 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$13,000
(1995 est.)
Real growth rate
9%
(1995)industrial production growth: 12.2% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate
2%
(1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector(1991 est.)

agriculture 8%industry 45%services 47% (1991 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$69 billionExpenditures
$67 billion (1995 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 28,750,000 kW

Electricity production
165 billionElectricity consumption per capita
2,899 (1994)

Economic overview

As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth. Three decades ago its GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is nine times India's, 14 times North Korea's, and already up with the lesser economies of the European Union.

This success has been achieved by a unique combination of authoritarian government guidance of what is at bottom an essentially entrepreneurial process. The government has sponsored large-scale adoption of technology and management from Japan and other modern nations; has successfully pushed the development of export industries while encouraging the import of machinery and materials at the expense of consumer goods;

and has pushed its labor force to a work effort seldom matched anywhere even in wartime. Real GDP grew by an average 10% in 1986-91, then paused to a "mere" 5% in 1992-93, only to move back up to 8% in 1994 and 9% in 1995. With a much higher standard of living and with a considerable easing of authoritarian controls, the work pace has softened.

Growth rates will probably slow down over the medium term because of the exhaustion of former growth opportunities and the need to deal with pollution and the other problems of success.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $590.7 billion (1995 est.)

Labor force

20 million; by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
  • cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs;
  • fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh largest in world

Exports

$125.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995)

commodities:
  • electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships;
  • textiles, clothing, footwear;
  • fish
partners:
US 19%, Japan 14%, EU 13%

Imports

$135.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995)

commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
partners:
Japan 24%, US 22%, EU 13%

External debt

$77 billion (1995 est.)

Currency

1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 787.27 (January 1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 105 in all

1
over 3 047 m
20
2 438 to 3 047 m
13
1 524 to 2 437 m
14
914 to 1 523 m
3
54
under 914 m
PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways
61,296Railways
3,101Waterways
1,609
Highways: paved: 51,918 km (including 1,550 km of expressways) · unpaved: 9,378 km (1993) · Railways: standard gauge: 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) · narrow gauge: 20 km 0.762-m gauge · Waterways: ; use restricted to small native craft

Railways

total:
3,101 km
standard gauge:
3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified)
narrow gauge:
20 km 0.762-m gauge

Highways

total:
61,296 km
paved:
51,918 km (including 1,550 km of expressways)
unpaved:
9,378 km (1993)

Waterways

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Pipelines

petroleum products 455 km

Ports

Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, Pohang, Pusan, Ulsan, Yosu

Merchant marine

total:
428 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,076,981 GRT/9,822,089 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 124, cargo 122, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 1, container 59, liquefied gas tanker 12, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 61, refrigerated cargo 13, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 10

note: South Korea owns an additional 231 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,128,506 DWT operating under the registries of Panama, Liberia, Cyprus, Malta, The Bahamas, and Thailand (1995 est.)

Heliports

201 (1995 est.)

Communications

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime | Police (Coast Guard)

9 fields
Fixed lines
16.6 million
(1993)

Telephone system

excellent domestic and international services

domestic:
NA
international:
fiber-optic submarine cable to China; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean Region)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0

Radios

42 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

256 (57 of which are 1 kW or greater) (1987 est.)

Televisions

9.3 million (1992 est.) Defense

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49:
13,602,115
males fit for military service:
8,706,545
males reach military age (18) annually:
398,322 (1996 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $17.4 billion, 3.3% of GNP (1996)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Korea, South.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/south-korea/1996.

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