South Korea

Republic of KoreaTaehan-min'guk

republic

South Korea as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 109 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 bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Populationas each edition published it

47.47 million July 2000 est. · 43.05m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.93% 2000 est. · 1.05% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 33.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.43 years 2000 est. · 70.29 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

1.72 children per woman 2000 est. · 1.6 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.85 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 23 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$13,300 1999 est. · $6,500 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

10% 1999 est. · 5% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

Following World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist government was installed in the north. Between 1950 and 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. Thereafter, South Korea achieved amazing economic growth, with per capita income rising to 13 times the level of North Korea. In 1997, the nation suffered a severe financial crisis from which it continues to make a solid recovery. South Korea has also maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes.

Geography

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

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; between 3 nm and 12 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

Geographic coordinates

37 00 N, 127 30 E

Map references

Asia

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 potential

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified:: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

People

15 fields

Population

47,470,969

(July 2000 est.)growth rate: 0.93% (2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth

15.12Death

5.85Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2000 est.)74.43

70.75 · 78.54

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)98%

99.3% · 96.7%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Age structure

0-14 years:: 22% (male 5,471,520; female 4,867,688)
15-64 years:: 71% (male 17,155,401; female 16,662,227)
65 years and over:: 7% (male 1,274,943; female 2,039,190) (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.13 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.63 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

7.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Korean(s)
adjective:: Korean

Ethnic groups

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions

Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Government

Republic; President KIM Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998); Prime Minister PAK Tae-chun (since 10 January 2000)

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

40.3%

KIM Dae-jung (NCNP) (with ULD partnership) 40.3%YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%election last held 18 December 1997 (next to be held by 18 December 2002)

National Assembly or Kukhoe, 299 seats, elected 11 April 1996one 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 "Han-guk" to refer to their country

abbreviation:: ROK

Data code

Government type

republic

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 1945, date of liberation from Japanese colonial rule

National holiday

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Constitution

25 February 1988

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 KIM Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998)
head of government:: Prime Minister PAK Tae-chun (since 10 January 2000)
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 1997 (next to be held by 18 December 2002);
prime minister appointed by the president;
deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
election results:: KIM Dae-jung elected president; percent of vote - KIM Dae-jung (NCNP) 40.3% (with ULD partnership), YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats - starting with the April 2000 election the number of seats will be reduced to 273; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:: last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held 13 April 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 January 2000 was as follows: GNP 130, MDP (former NCNP) 103, ULD 55, independents 11

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president];
Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [KIM Dae-jung, president];
United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman]

note: subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the following parties disbanded - New Korea Party or NKP and Democratic Party or DP; on 20 January 2000,

the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP

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, AsDB, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador YI Hong-ku
chancery:: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX:: [1] (202) 387-0205
consulate(s) general:: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s):: Agana (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Stephen W. BOSWORTH
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

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.

31 fields

Real growth rate

10%

(1999 est.)industrial production growth: 22% (1999 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

0.8%

(1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.3%

(1999 est.)

Labor force

22million

(1998)

GDP - composition by sector(1998 est.)

agriculture 5%industry 45%services 50% (1998 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

17%

22%

Japan

18%

China

Hong Kong

Australia

Saudi Arabia

Taiwan

Exports $144 billion (f.o.b., 1999)Imports $116 billion (c.i.f., 1999)(1998)

Budget

Revenues

$68.9 billionExpenditures

$82.3 billion (1998)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $14.5 billion

Electricity

fossil fuel 59.56%hydro 1.91%nuclear 38.51%other 0.02% (1998)

Electricity production

221.258 billion (1998)Electricity consumption

205.77 billion (1998)

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 seven times India's, 13 times North Korea's, and comparable to the lesser economies of the European Union.

This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption.

The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. By 1999 it had recovered financial stability, turning a substantial decline in 1998 into strong growth in 1999.

Seoul has also pressed the country's largest business groups to swap subsidiaries to promote specialization, and the administration has directed many of the mid-sized conglomerates into debt-workout programs with creditor banks. The major economic challenge for the next several years presumably is the maintenance of the pace of market reforms to restore the old growth pattern.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $625.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $13,300 (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Labor force - by occupation

services and other 68%, mining and manufacturing 20%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 12% (1998)

Industries

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

Agriculture - products

rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs;
fish

Exports

$144 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships;
textiles, clothing, footwear;
fish

Imports

$116 billion (c.i.f., 1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains

Debt - external

$142 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$NA

Currency

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

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 1,130.32 (January 2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

8.6 million

(1998)

Internet users

(1999)

Fixed lines

23.1 million

(1998)

Telephone system

excellent domestic and international services

domestic:: NA
international:: 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 106, FM 97, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios

47.5 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999)

Televisions

15.9 million (1997)

Transportation

10 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 67Unpaved 36

Networkskm

Highways

86,990Railways

6,240Waterways

1,609

Highways: paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways) · unpaved: 22,182 km (1998 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified) (1998 est.) · Waterways: ; use restricted to small native craft

Railways

total:: 6,240 km
standard gauge:: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified) (1998 est.)

Highways

total:: 86,990 km
paved:: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 22,182 km (1998 est.)

Waterways

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Pipelines

petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed

Ports and harbors

Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu

Merchant marine

total:: 461 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,093,620 GRT/8,100,634 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 98, cargo 149, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 4, container 53, liquified gas 13, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 61, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off 4, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 6 (1999 est.)