South Korea
Republic of KoreaTaehan-min'guk
republicIndependence 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
South Korea as the 2012 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 158 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion that was supported by China and the Soviet Union.
An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea under the PARK Chung-hee regime (1961-79) achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy.
President LEE Myung-bak has pursued a policy of global engagement since taking office in February 2008, highlighted by Seoul's hosting of the G-20 summit in November 2010 and the Nuclear Security Summit in March 2012, as well as securing South Korea nonpermanent membership (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Serious tensions with North Korea have punctuated inter-Korean relations in recent years, including the North's sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010 and its artillery attack on South Korean soldiers and citizens in November 2010.
Geography
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
20 fieldsLand useshare of 99,720 sq km
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 18.59 cu km/yr (36%/16%/48%)
- per capita:
- 389 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest; volcanism: Halla (elev. 1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries
Environment - current issues
- air pollution in large cities;
- acid rain;
- water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents;
- drift net fishing
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People and Society
30 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2012 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.09 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.69 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Government
Republic; President LEE Myung-bak (since 25 February 2008); Prime Minister KIM Hwang-sik (since 1 October 2010)
21 fieldsNational Assembly or Gukhoe, 300 seats, elected 11 April 2012one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Korea
- conventional short form:
- South Korea
- local long form:
- Taehan-min'guk
- local short form:
- Han'guk
- abbreviation:
- ROK
Capital
- name:
- Seoul
- geographic coordinates:
- 37 33 N, 126 59 E
- time difference:
- UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
9 provinces (do, singular and plural), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural), 1 special city, and 1 special self-governing city
- provinces:
- Chungbuk (North Chungcheong), Chungnam (South Chungcheong), Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang), Gyeongnam (South Gyeongsang), Jeju, Jeonbuk (North Jeolla), Jeonnam (South Jeolla)
- metropolitan cities:
- Busan (Pusan), Daegu (Taegu), Daejon (Taejon), Gwangju (Kwangju), Incheon (Inch'on), Ulsan
- special city:
- Seoul
- special self-governing city:
- Sejong
Constitution
- 17 July 1948;
- note - amended or rewritten many times;
- current constitution approved 29 October 1987
Legal system
mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President LEE Myung-bak (since 25 February 2008); President-Elect PARK Geun-hye (inauguration 25 February 2013)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister KIM Hwang-sik (since 1 October 2010)
- cabinet:
- State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term;
- LEE Myung-bak elected on 19 December 2007, PARK Geun-hye elected on 19 December 2012;
- next election to be held in December 2017;
- prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly
- election results:
- LEE Myung-bak (imcumbent) elected president on 19 December 2007;
- percent of vote - LEE Myung-bak (GNP) 48.7%;
- CHUNG Dong-young (UNDP) 26.1%);
- LEE Hoi-chang (independent) 15.1%;
- others 10.1%;
- PARK Geun-Hye elected president on 19 December 2012 (takes office on 25 February 2013);
- percent of vote - PARK Geun-Hye (NFP) 51.6%, MOON Jae-In (DUP) 48%, others 0.4%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe (300 seats; 246 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 54 elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 11 April 2012 (next to be held in April 2016)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NFP 152, DUP 127, UPP 13, LFP 5, independents 3
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president with consent of National Assembly);
- Constitutional Court (justices appointed by the president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court)
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic United Party or DUP (formerly the Democratic Party or DP) [MOON Hee-sang];
- Liberty Forward Party or LFP (now part of the NFP);
- New Frontier Party or Saenuri (formerly Grand National Party) or NFP [HWANG Woo-yea];
- Progressive Justice Party or PJP [ROH Hoe-chan];
- United Progressive Party or UPP [KANG Byeong-gi]
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
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador CHOI Young-jin
- chancery:
- 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 939-5600
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 387-0205
- consulate(s) general:
- Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Sung Y. KIM
- embassy:
- 32 Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
- mailing address:
- US Embassy Seoul, 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;
- the Korean national flag is called Taegukki;
- white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity;
- the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang;
- each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony
National anthem
- name:
- "Aegukga" (Patriotic Song)
- lyrics/music:
- YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay
note: adopted 1948, well known by 1910; both North Korea and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics
Economy
South Korea over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy.
39 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Economy - overview
South Korea over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. In the 1960s, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies, and currently is among the world's 20 largest economies.
Initially, a system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, made this success possible. 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 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports.
Growth moderated to about 4% annually between 2003 and 2007. With the global economic downturn in late 2008, South Korean GDP growth slowed to 0.3% in 2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the economy began to recover, in large part due to export growth, low interest rates, and an expansionary fiscal policy.
The US-South Korea Free Trade Agreement was ratified by both governments in 2011 and went into effect in March 2012. Throughout 2012 the economy experienced sluggish growth because of market slowdowns in the United States, China, and the Eurozone. The incoming administration in 2013, following the December 2012 presidential election, is likely to face the challenges of balancing heavy reliance on exports with developing domestic-oriented sectors, such as services.
The South Korean economy's long term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, and heavy reliance on exports - which comprise half of GDP.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
31 (2010) · 35.8 (2000) country comparison to the world: 109
Central bank discount rate
1.5% (31 December 2011) · 1.25% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 131
Commercial bank prime lending rate
5.8% (31 December 2012 est.) · 5.77% (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Stock of narrow money
$369.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $352 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 14
Stock of broad money
$1.484 trillion (31 December 2011) · $1.445 trillion (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 14
Stock of domestic credit
$1.356 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) · $1.275 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 15
Agriculture - products
- rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
- cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs;
- fish
Current account balance
$22.1 billion (2012 est.) · $26.51 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 17
Exports - commodities
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
Imports - commodities
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$319.2 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $306.4 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Debt - external
$436.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $449.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 26
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$137.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $131.7 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 29
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$190.4 billion (31 December 2011) · $164.8 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 23
Exchange rates
South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - 1,132.8 (2012 est.) · 1,108.29 (2011 est.) · 1,156.1 (2010 est.) · 1,276.93 (2009) · 1,101.7 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 80.59 million kW(2009 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
7.079 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 84
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
579 million Mt (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 8
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- excellent domestic and international services featuring rapid incorporation of new technologies
- domestic:
- fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available with a combined telephone subscribership of roughly 170 per 100 persons;
- rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce
- international:
- country code - 82;
- numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;
- satellite earth stations - 66
Broadcast media
- multiple national TV networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated;
- the largest privately-owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks;
- cable and satellite TV subscription services available;
- publicly-operated radio broadcast networks and many privately-owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations (2010)
Transportation
10 fieldsMerchant marine, 786 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2011)
6 fieldsMilitary service age and obligation
- 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required;
- conscript service obligation - 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (Air Force);
- 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service;
- women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps;
- HIV-positive individuals are exempt from military service (2010)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 13,185,794
- females age 16-49:
- 12,423,496 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
- Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953;
- periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary;
- South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Korea, South.” The World Factbook 2012. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/south-korea/2012.