| Geography 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
Area:
total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km
Area—comparative:
Slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km
Coastline:
2,413 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm
and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
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
Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 65%
other: 13%
(1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
13,350 sq km (1993 est.)
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; driftnet 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, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
People
Population:
46,884,800 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 5,504,333; female 4,874,974)
15-64 years: 71% (male 16,949,807; female 16,432,951)
65 years and over: 7% (male 1,192,688; female 1,930,047)
Population growth rate:
1% (1999 est.)
Birth rate:
15.95 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate:
5.68 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate:
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate:
7.57 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.3 years
male: 70.75 years female: 78.32 years
(1999 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.79 children born/woman (1999 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 junior high and high school
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99.3% female: 96.7%
(1995 est.)
Economy
GDP:
Purchasing power parity—$584.7 billion (1998 est.)
GDP—real growth rate:
-6.8% (1998 est.)
GDP—per capita:
Purchasing power parity—$12,600 (1998 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 6%
industry: 43%
services: 51%
(1997 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%
Household income or consumption by % share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
7.5% (1998)
Labor force:
20 million
Labor force—by occupation:
Services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%,
agriculture, fishing, forestry 21%
(1991)
Unemployment rate:
7.9% (1998)
Budget:
revenues: $100.4 billion
expenditures:
$100.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1997 est.)
Industries:
Electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding,
steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Industrial production growth rate:
3.1% (1997 est.)
Electricity—production:
194.163 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 61.18%
hydro: 2.65%
nuclear: 36.17%
other: 0%
(1996)
Electricity—consumption:
194.163 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture—products:
Rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit;
cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Exports:
$133 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports—commodities:
Electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel,
automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish
Exports—partners:
US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12% (1995)
Imports:
$94 billion (c.i.f., 1998)
Imports—commodities:
Machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,
transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Imports—partners:
US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13% (1995)
Debt—external:
$154 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid—recipient:
$NA
Currency:
1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Exchange rates:
South Korean won (W) per US$1—1,174.00 (Jan. 1999),
1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996),
771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994)
Fiscal year:
Calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 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:
121 (in addition, there are 850 relay stations and
8-channel American Forces Korea Network)
(1997)
Televisions:
9.3 million (1992 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 6,240 km
standard gauge: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified)
(1998 est.)
Highways:
total: 63,500 km
paved: 46,800 km (including 1,720 km of expressways)
unpaved: 16,700 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: 442 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 5,212,089 GRT/8,161,845 DWT
ships by type: bulk 106, cargo 133, chemical tanker 36, combination bulk 5,
container 52, liquefied gas tanker 13, multifunction large-load carrier 1,
oil tanker 56, passenger 3, refrigerated cargo 22, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea
passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 9
(1998 est.)
Airports: 103 (1998 est.)
Airports—with paved runways:
total: 68
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 15
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 21
Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 35
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)
Heliports: 200
Military
Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,
National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Military age:
18 years of age
Availability:
males age 15-49: 13,954,916 (1999 est.)
Fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 8,890,144 (1999 est.)
Reach military age annually:
males: 400,468 (1999 est.)
Expenditures—$ figure:
$9.9 billion (FY98/99)
Expenditures—% of GDP:
3.2% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes—international:
Demarcation Line with North Korea;
Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) claimed by Japan
Government
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:
KS
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 KIM Chong-p'il (since 3 March 1998)
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%, YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%
Legislative branch:
Unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe
(299 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve 4-yr terms)
elections: last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results:
%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 Feb. 1999
was GNP 137, NCNP 105, ULD 53, independents 4
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 [CHO Sun, president];
National Congress for New Politics or NCNP [KIM Dae-jung, president];
United Liberal Democrats or ULD [PAK Tae-chun, president]
note: subsequent to the legislative election of
April 1996 the following parties disbanded—
New Korea Party or NKP and Democratic Party or DP;
New People's Party or NPP merged with the NCNP in Aug. 1998
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, 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, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW,
OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
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:
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 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. 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 already near 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 1997-98 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's
development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an
undisciplined financial sector. By the end of 1998 it had recovered financial stability,
rebuilding foreign exchange reserves to record levels by running a current account surplus
of $40 billion. As of December 1998, the first tentative signs of a rebound in the economy
emerged, and most forecasters expect GDP growth to turn positive at least in the second
half of 1999. Seoul has also made a positive start on a program to get 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. Challenges for the future include cutting redundant staff, which
reaches 20%-30% at most firms and maintaining the impetus for structural reform. |
