South Korea

Taehan-min'guk

republicIndependence 15 August 1948

South Korea as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 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

Position37 00 N, 127 30 E

Area98,480 sq km

LocationEastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula

Populationas each edition published it

45.95 million July 1997 est. · 43.05m in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.02% 1997 est. · 1.05% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 33.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.6 years 1997 est. · 70.29 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.78 children per woman 1997 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1997 est. · 23 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$14,200 1996 est. · $6,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

6.9% 1996 est. · 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

17 fields

Land useshare of 98,480 sq km

arable land 19%permanent crops 2%permanent pastures 1%forests and woodland 65%other 13% (1993 est.)irrigated 13,350 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

98,480sq km

land: 98,190 sq kmwater: 290 sq kmslightly larger than Indiana

Coastline

2,413km

contiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf : not specifiedexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait

Land boundaries

238km

border countries: 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

Climate

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain

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

Elevation extremes

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

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest

Environment - current issues

air pollution in large cities;
water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents;
drift net fishing

Environment - international agreements

party to :: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified:: Desertification

People

15 fields

Population

45,948,811

(July 1997 est.)growth rate: 1.02% (1997 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1997 est.)

Birth

16.17Death

5.66Net migration

-0.33

Literacy

98%

definition: age 15 and over can read and writemale: 99.3%female: 96.7% (1995 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 23% (male 5,515,667; female 4,925,479)
15-64 years:: 71% (male 16,579,117; female 16,096,684) 65 years and over : 6% (male 1,067,663; female 1,764,201) (July 1997 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth :: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.6 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population:: 73.6 years
male :: 70.01 years
female:: 77.69 years (1997 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Korean(s)
adjective:: Korean

Ethnic groups

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions

Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in high school

Government

Republic; President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993)

20 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%election last held 18 December 1992 (next to be held 18 December 1997)

National Assembly or Kukhoe, 299 seatsone dot, one seat

NKP 139NCNP 79ULD 50DP 15independents 16

Country name

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

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*

Legal system

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

Executive branch

chief of state:: President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993)
head of government :: Prime Minister KO Kon (since 4 March 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers KANG Kyong-sik (since 5 March 1997) and KWON O-ki (since 20 December 1995)
cabinet:: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
elections:: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term;
election last held 18 December 1992 (next to be held 18 December 1997);
prime minister appointed by the president;
deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
election results:: KIM Yong-sam elected president; percent of vote - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections :: last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results:: percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - NKP 139, NCNP 79, ULD 50, DP 15, independents 16;
note - the distribution of seats as of December 1996 was NKP 155, NCNP 78, ULD 47, DP 12, independents 7

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-pil, president;
Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, chairman;
National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), KIM Tae-chung, president

Political pressure groups and leaders

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;
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

International organization participation

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador (vacant)
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 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

Economy

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

22 fields

Real growth rate

6.9%

(1996 est.)industrial production growth: 11.9% (1995)

Inflation, consumer prices

(1996)

Unemployment rate

1.9%

(1996)

Labor force

20million

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

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 $17 billion

Economy - 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 eight times India's, 15 times North Korea's, and already up with the lesser economies of the European Union.

This success has been achieved by a unique system of guidance by an authoritarian government of what is essentially an 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, moved back up to 8% in 1994 and 9% in 1995, and about 7% in 1996. 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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $647.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $14,200 (1996 est.)

Industries

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

Electricity - capacity

31.67 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production

155.89 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

3,563 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Exports

total value :: $130.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities:: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships;
textiles, clothing, footwear;
fish
partners:: US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12%

Imports

total value:: $150.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities :: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
partners:: US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13%

Debt - external

$93 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

$NA

Currency

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

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 849.88 (January 1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 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.)

Transportation

10 fields

Merchant marine, 461 ships by typeships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,634,127 GRT/10,343,557 DWT

bulk 123cargo 124chemical tanker 27combination bulk 3combination ore/oil 1container 71liquefied gas tanker 13multifunction large-load carrier 1oil tanker 68refrigerated cargo 17short-sea passenger 2vehicle carrier 11note: South Korea owns an additional 254 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,744,507 DWT operating under the registries of Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Panama, Singapore, and Thailand (1996 est.)

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

total

101under 914 m

over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 14

Networkskm

Highways

74,235Railways

3,081Waterways

1,609

Highways: paved: 56,419 km (including 1,824 km of expressways) · unpaved: 17,816 km (1995 est.) · Railways: standard gauge : 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) (1996 est.) · Waterways: ; use restricted to small native craft