An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a 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 (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks 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 achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il.
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
territorial sea
12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
not specified
Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, 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)
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
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Seoul
geographic coordinates
37 34 N, 127 00 E
time difference
UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), 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)
17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten nine times; current constitution approved on 29 October 1987
Legal system
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
19 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)
head of government
Prime Minister HAN Duck-soo (since 2 April 2007); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006); KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September 2006)
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 19 December 2002 (next to be held on 19 December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president on prime minister's recommendation
election results
ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 243 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 56 elected by proportional representation; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP 3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 141, GNP 127, DP 12, DLP 9, PFP 5, independents 5
note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party reflect results of 2005 and 2006 by-elections; MDP became DP in May 2005; United Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court)
Political parties and leaders
Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Party or DP [PARK Sang-chun]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup]; People-First Party or PFP [SHIN Kook-hwan and SIM Dae-pyung]; Uri Party [Chung Sye-kyun]
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
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 Alexander VERSHBOW
embassy
32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
mailing address
US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, 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
Economy - overview
Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Four decades ago, 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. Today its GDP per capita is equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This success 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 longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial 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 of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and 2006, growth moderated to about 4-5%. A downturn in consumer spending was offset by rapid export growth. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterize this solid economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$1.196 trillion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$897.4 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$24,500 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
3%
industry
45%
services
52% (2006 est.)
Labor force
23.77 million (31 December 2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
6.4%
industry
26.4%
services
67.2% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.3% (December 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
15% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
2.9%
highest 10%
25% (2005 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
35.8 (2000)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.2% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
28.4% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$200 billion
expenditures
$201 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km electrified) (2005)
Roadways
total
100,279 km
paved
87,032 km (includes 3,060 km of expressways)
unpaved
13,247 km (2004)
Waterways
1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007)
Merchant marine
total
669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188 GRT/13,733,624 DWT
by type
bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker 98, container 81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 6
foreign-owned
22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7)
registered in other countries
365 (Belize 4, Cambodia 23, China 2, Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia 3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore 17, unknown 2) (2006)
Ports and terminals
Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan
Military branches
Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)
Military service age and obligation
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch involved (to be reduced by 6 months beginning 2014); 18 years of age for voluntary military service; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers; women, in service since 1950, are admitted to seven service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2007)
Manpower available for military service
males age 20-49
12,483,677
females age 20-49
12,014,462 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 20-49
10,115,817
females age 20-49
9,721,914 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
344,943
females age 20-49
312,720 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
2.7% (2006)
Disputes - 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 Limiting 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
