profile - korea, south

7/30/2019 Profile - Korea, South

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Korea, South

Introduction Korea, South

Background: An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almostcontinuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20thcentury, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905,following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate ofimperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regainedits independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in thesouthern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style

government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the KoreanWar (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers fromthe ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by Chinaand the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting thepeninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel.Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capitaincome rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993,KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioningmodern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit

Page 1 of 12CIA - The World Factbook -- Korea, South

10/4/2008https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ks.html


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took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North'sleader KIM Jong Il. In October 2007, a second North-South summit tookplace between the South's President ROH Moo-hyun and the NorthKorean leader.

Geography Korea, South

Location: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsulabordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Geographic coordinates: 37 00 N, 127 30 E

Map references: Asia

Area: total: 98,480 sq kmland: 98,190 sq kmwater: 290 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Indiana

Land boundaries: total: 238 kmborder countries: North Korea 238 km

Coastline: 2,413 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in theKorea Straitcontiguous zone: 24 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nmcontinental shelf: not specified

Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in westand south

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 mhighest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead,hydropower potential

Land use: arable land: 16.58%permanent crops: 2.01%other: 81.41% (2005)

Irrigated land: 8,780 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 69.7 cu km (1999)

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




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Environment - current issues: air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollutionfrom the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents;drift net fishing

Environment - internationalagreements:

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, Lawof the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection,Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber94, Wetlands, Whalingsigned, but not ratified: none of the selectedagreements

Geography - note: strategic location on Korea Strait

People Korea, South

Population: 48,379,392 (July 2008 est.)Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.4% (male 4,431,315/female 4,004,810)

15-64 years: 72% (male 17,760,975/female 17,095,436)65 years and over: 10.5% (male 2,030,931/female 3,055,925) (2008 est.)

Median age: total: 36.7 yearsmale: 35.5 yearsfemale: 37.9 years (2008 est.)

Populationgrowth rate:

0.269% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 9.09 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)Death rate: 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migrationrate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/femaleunder 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/femaletotal population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortalityrate: total: 4.29 deaths/1,000 live birthsmale: 4.52 deaths/1,000 live birthsfemale: 4.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancyat birth:

total population: 78.64 yearsmale: 75.34 yearsfemale: 82.17 years (2008 est.)

Total fertilityrate:

1.2 children born/woman (2008 est.)




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HIV/AIDS - adultprevalence rate:

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS -people living

with HIV/AIDS:

8,300 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS -

deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality: noun: Korean(s)adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions: Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)

Languages: Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 97.9%male: 99.2%female: 96.6% (2002)

School lifeexpectancy(primary to

tertiaryeducation):

total: 17 yearsmale: 18 yearsfemale: 15 years (2007)

Educationexpenditures:

4.6% of GDP (2004)

Government Korea, SouthCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Korea

conventional short form: South Korealocal long form: Taehan-min'guklocal short form: Han'gukabbreviation: ROK

Governmenttype:

republic

Capital: name: Seoulgeographic coordinates: 37 33 N, 126 59 E

time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC duringStandard Time)

Administrativedivisions:

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities(gwangyoksi, singular and plural)provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (SouthCholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi




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(Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi(Ulsan)

Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National

holiday:

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Constitution: 17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten nine times; currentconstitution approved on 29 October 1987

Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not acceptedcompulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 19 years of age; universal

Executivebranch:

chief of state: President LEE Myung-bak (since 25 February 2008)head of government: Prime Minister HAN Seung-soo (since 29 February

2008)cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister'srecommendationelections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term;election last held 19 December 2007 (next to be held on in December2012); prime minister appointed by president with consent of NationalAssembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president on primeminister's recommendationelection results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president on 19 December2002; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang(GNP) 46.6%; others 4.5%; LEE Myung-bak elected president on 19December 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%

Legislativebranch:

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 243 memberselected in single-seat constituencies, 56 elected by proportionalrepresentation; to serve four-year terms)elections: last held 9 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2012)election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GNP 153,UDP 81, LFP 18, Pro-Park Alliance 14, DLP 5, CKP 3, independents 25

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president with consent ofNational Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by the

president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and ChiefJustice of the court)

Political partiesand leaders:

Creative Korea Party or CKP [MOON Kook-hyun]; Democratic LaborParty or DLP [CHUN Young-se]; Grand National Party or GNP [PARKHee-tae]; Liberty Forward Party or LFP [LEE Hoi-chang]; DemocraticParty or DP [CHUNG Sye-kyun] (formerly the United Democratic Partyor UDP)

Political Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;




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pressuregroups and

leaders:

Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council ofChurches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance ofKorea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; NationalFederation of Student Associations

International

organizationparticipation:

ADB, AfDB (nonregional members), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN

(dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB,IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU,ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN,UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL,UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO,WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomaticrepresentation

in the US:

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

Diplomaticrepresentation

from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Kathleen STEPHENSembassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, APO AP 96205-5550telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Flagdescription:

white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is adifferent black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in

each corner of the white field

Economy Korea, South

Economy -overview:

Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record ofgrowth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Fourdecades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorercountries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trilliondollar club of world economies. Today its GDP per capita is roughly thesame as that of Greece and Spain. This success was achieved by a systemof close government/business ties including directed credit, importrestrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort.

The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology atthe expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investmentover consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 exposedlongstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model includinghigh debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplinedfinancial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then recovered by 9.5%in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because ofthe slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception thatmuch-needed corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by




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consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%,despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and 2007, growthmoderated to about 4-5% annually. A downturn in consumer spendingwas offset by rapid export growth. Moderate inflation, lowunemployment, and an export surplus in 2007 characterize this solideconomy, but inflation and unemployment are increasing in the face ofrising oil prices.

GDP(purchasing

power parity):

$1.206 trillion (2007 est.)

GDP (officialexchange rate):

$957.1 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - realgrowth rate:

5% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita(PPP):

$25,000 (2007 est.)

GDP -composition by

sector:

agriculture: 3%industry: 39.4%services: 57.6% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 24.22 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - byoccupation:

agriculture: 7.5%industry: 17.3%services: 75.2% (2007)

Unemploymentrate:

3.3% (2007 est.)

Populationbelow poverty

line:

15% (2003 est.)

Householdincome or

consumption bypercentage

share:

lowest 10%: 2.9%highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.)

Distribution offamily income -

Gini index:

35.1 (2006)

Inflation rate(consumer

prices):

2.5% (2007 est.)

Investment(gross fixed):

28.8% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget: revenues: $262.2 billionexpenditures: $225.8 billion (2007 est.)




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Public debt: 28.2% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture -products:

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

Industries: electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals,shipbuilding, steel

Industrialproduction

growth rate:

5.5% (2007 est.)

Electricity -production:

403.2 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity -production by

source:

fossil fuel: 62.4%hydro: 0.8%nuclear: 36.6%other: 0.2% (2001)

Electricity -

consumption:368.6 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity -exports:

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity -imports:

0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production: 17,050 bbl/day (2005)

Oil -consumption:

2.13 million bbl/day (2006)

Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

Oil - imports: 2.41 million bbl/day (2006)

Oil - provedreserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas -production:

1.66 billion cu m (2006)

Natural gas -consumption:


Natural gas -exports:

2,450 cu m (2006)

Natural gas -imports:


Natural gas -proved

reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Current accountbalance:

$5.954 billion (2007 est.)




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Exports: $379 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports -commodities:

semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motorvehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Exports -partners:

China 26.2%, US 12.4%, Japan 6.9%, Taiwan 4.1% (2007)

Imports: $349.6 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports -commodities:

machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transportequipment, organic chemicals, plastics

Imports -partners:

China 16.9%, Japan 16.3%, US 10.4%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2007)

Economic aid -donor:

ODA, $455.3 million (2006)

Economic aid -recipient:

$68.07 million (2004)

Reserves offoreign

exchange andgold:

$262.2 billion (31 December 2007)

Debt - external: $220.1 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of directforeign

investment - athome:

$119.6 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct

foreigninvestment -

abroad:

$82.1 billion (2006)

Market value ofpublicly traded

shares:

$1.051 trillion (2007)

Currency(code):

South Korean won (KRW)

Currency code: KRW

Exchange rates: South Korean won per US dollar - 929.2 (2007), 954.8 (2006), 1,024.1

(2005), 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications Korea, South

Telephones -main lines in

use:

23.905 million (2007)

Telephones - 43.5 million (2007)




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mobile cellular:

Telephonesystem:

general assessment: excellent domestic and international servicesdomestic: NAinternational: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables providelinks throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US;satellite earth stations - 6 (3 Intelsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian

Ocean, 3 Inmarsat - 1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)

Radiobroadcast

stations:

AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005)

Radios: 47.5 million (2000)

Televisionbroadcast

stations:

43 (plus 59 cable operators and 190 relay cable operators) (2005)

Televisions: 15.9 million (1997)

Internet countrycode:

.kr

Internet hosts: 315,537 (2007)

Internet ServiceProviders

(ISPs):

11 (2000)

Internet users: 35.59 million (2007)

Transportation Korea, South

Airports:105 (2007)

Airports - withpaved runways:

total: 68over 3,047 m: 32,438 to 3,047 m: 211,524 to 2,437 m: 14914 to 1,523 m: 11under 914 m: 19 (2007)

Airports - withunpaved

runways:

total: 37914 to 1,523 m: 3under 914 m: 34 (2007)

Heliports: 536 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2007)

Railways: total: 3,472 kmstandard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways: total: 102,293 kmpaved: 78,581 km (includes 3,060 km of expressways)unpaved: 23,712 km (2005)




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Waterways: 1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)

Merchantmarine:

total: 804 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,632,019 GRT/20,764,152 DWTby type: bulk carrier 204, cargo 218, carrier 2, chemical tanker 131,container 83, liquefied gas 32, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24,petroleum tanker 65, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 9, specializedtanker 5, vehicle carrier 7

foreign-owned: 15 (Japan 3, Norway 4, UK 1, US 7)registered in other countries: 384 (Belize 1, Cambodia 23, China 1,Cyprus 2, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 5, Kiribati 2, Liberia 3, Malta 6,Marshall Islands 10, Netherlands 1, Panama 311, Russia 1, Singapore 8,Tuvalu 1, unknown 3) (2008)

Ports andterminals:

Inch'on, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Military Korea, South

Militarybranches:

Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force(2008)

Military serviceage and

obligation:

20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript serviceobligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved (tobe reduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18 years of age for voluntarymilitary service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 servicebranches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air,and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned andnoncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers (2007)

Manpoweravailable for

military service:

males age 16-49: 13,691,809females age 16-49: 13,029,859 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit formilitary service:

males age 16-49: 11,282,699females age 16-49: 10,683,668 (2008 est.)

Manpowerreachingmilitarily

significant ageannually:

male: 371,108female: 325,408 (2008 est.)

Militaryexpenditures:

2.7% of GDP (2006)

Transnational

Issues Korea, South

Disputes -international:

Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone hasseparated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents withNorth Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limiting Line, whichSouth Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japanclaim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Koreasince 1954

This page was last updated on 2 October, 2008




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