KOREA, SOUTH
Geography People Government Economy Transportation Communications Defense Forces
KOREA, SOUTH
@Korea, South:Geography
Location: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean peninsula
bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, south of North Korea
Map references: Asia
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SOUTH KOREA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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SEOUL 9,646,000 37.30N,127.00E 82-2 GMT+9
Pusan 3,517,000 35.05N,129.02E 82-51 GMT+9
Taegu 2,031,000 35.52N,128.36E 82-53 GMT+9
Inchon 1,387,000 37.30N,126.38E 82-32 GMT+9
Kwangju 906,000 35.07N,126.52E 82-62 GMT+9
Taejon 866,000 36.20N,127.26E 82-42 GMT+9
Ulsan 551,000 35.32N,129.21E 82-522 GMT+9
Masan 449,000 35.10N,128.35E 82-551 GMT+9
Suwon 431,000 37.16N,126.59E 82-331 GMT+9
Chonju 426,000 35.50N,127.05E 82-431 GMT+9
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Area:
total area: 98,480 sq km
land area: 98,190 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries: total 238 km, North Korea 238 km
Coastline: 2,413 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
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
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%
Irrigated land: 13,530 sq km (1989)
Environment:
current issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution from
the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; driftnet fishing
natural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods;
earthquakes in southwest
international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Whaling; signed, but not ratified -
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
@Korea, South:People
Population: 45,553,882 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 24% (female 5,280,998; male 5,640,789)
15-64 years: 71% (female 15,877,182; male 16,291,183)
65 years and over: 5% (female 1,554,512; male 909,218) (July 1995
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.04% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.89 years
male: 67.69 years
female: 74.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.66 children born/woman (1995 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
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population: 96%
male: 99%
female: 94%
Labor force: 20 million
by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%,
agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)
@Korea, South:Government
Names:
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
Digraph: KS
Type: republic
Capital: Seoul
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*
Independence: 15 August 1948
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
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 Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993);
election last held on 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 Hong-ku (since 17 December
1994); Deputy Prime Minister HONG Chae-yong (since 4 October 1994) and
Deputy Prime Minister KIM Tok (since 23 December 1994)
cabinet: State Council; appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Kukhoe): elections last held on 24 March 1992;
results - DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%, Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3%
(name later changed to UPP), other 15%; seats - (299 total) DLP 149,
DP 97, UNP 31, other 22; the distribution of seats as of January 1994
was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20
note: the change in the distribution of seats reflects the fluidity of
the current situation where party members are constantly switching
from one party to another
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
majority party: Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), KIM Yong-sam,
president
opposition: Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, executive chairman;
United People's Party (UPP), KIM Tong-kil, chairman; several smaller
parties
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
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
Member of: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in 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
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador James T. LANEY
embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul
mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, Seoul; 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
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 GDP increased more than 10%
annually between 1986 and 1991. This growth ultimately led to an
overheated situation characterized by a tight labor market, strong
inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising current account deficit.
As a result, in 1992, economic policy focused on slowing the growth
rate of inflation and reducing the deficit. Annual growth slowed to
5%, still above the rate in most other countries of the world, and
recovered to 6.3% in 1993. The economy expanded by 8.3% in 1994,
driven by booming exports.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $508.3 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 8.3% (1994)
National product per capita: $11,270 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 2% (November 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $63 billion
expenditures: $63 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995
est.)
Exports: $96.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel,
automobiles, ships, textiles, clothing, footwear, fish
partners: US 26%, Japan 17%, EU 14%
Imports: $102.3 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil,
steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
partners: Japan 26%, US 24%, EU 15%
External debt: $44.1 billion (1993)
Industrial production: growth rate 12.1% (1994 est.); accounts for
about 45% of GNP
Electricity:
capacity: 26,940,000 kW
production: 137 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 2,847 kWh (1993)
Industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals,
shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Agriculture: accounts for 8% of GDP 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:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion;
non-US countries (1970-89), $3 billion
Currency: 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 790.48 (January 1995),
803.44 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76
(1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Korea, South:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 6,763 km
standard gauge: 6,716 km 1.435-meter gauge (525 km electrified; 847 km
double track)
narrow gauge: 47 km 0.610-meter gauge
Highways:
total: 63,200 km
paved: expressways 1,550 km
unpaved: NA
undifferentiated: national highway 12,190 km; provincial, local roads
49,460 km (1991)
Inland 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: 412 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,129,796 GRT/9,985,197
DWT
ships by type: bulk 123, cargo 125, chemical tanker 17, combination
bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 61, liquefied gas tanker 13,
multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 51, refrigerated cargo
9, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 9
Airports:
total: 114
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14
with paved runways under 914 m: 63
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4
@Korea, South:Communications
Telephone system: 13.3 million telephones; excellent domestic and
international services
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: 3 INTELSAT (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth
stations
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 256 (1 kW or greater 57)
televisions: NA
@Korea, South:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime
Police (Coast Guard)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 13,580,832; males fit for
military service 8,701,742; males reach military age (18) annually
405,290 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $14 billion, 3.3% of
GNP (1995 est.)
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