Korea, South

Radio broadcast stations

AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0

Radios

42 million (1993 est.)

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)

Telephones

16.6 million (1993)

Television broadcast stations

256 (57 of which are 1 kW or greater) (1987 est.)

Televisions

9.3 million (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh largest in world

Budget

revenues: $69 billion expenditures : $67 billion, including capital expenditures of $17 billion (1995 est.)

Currency

1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)

Debt - external

$93 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid

$NA

Economy - overview

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 eight times India's, 15 times North Korea's, and already up with the lesser economies of the European Union. This success has been achieved by a unique system of guidance by an authoritarian government of what is essentially an entrepreneurial process. The government has sponsored large-scale adoption of technology and management from Japan and other modern nations; has successfully pushed the development of export industries while encouraging the import of machinery and materials at the expense of consumer goods; and has pushed its labor force to a work effort seldom matched anywhere even in wartime. Real GDP grew by an average 10% in 1986-91, then paused to a "mere" 5% in 1992-93, moved back up to 8% in 1994 and 9% in 1995, and about 7% in 1996. With a much higher standard of living and with a considerable easing of authoritarian controls, the work pace has softened. Growth rates will probably slow down over the medium term.

Electricity - capacity

31.67 million kW (1994)

Electricity - consumption per capita

3,563 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

155.89 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 849.88 (January 1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992)

Exports

total value : $130.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish partners: US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12%

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $647.2 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 8% industry: 45% services: 47% (1991 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $14,200 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

6.9% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $150.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities : machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13%

Industrial production growth rate

11.9% (1995)

Industries

electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing

Inflation rate - consumer price index

5% (1996)

Labor force

total: 20 million by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)

Unemployment rate

1.9% (1996)

Area

total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Indiana

Climate

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Coastline

2,413 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point : Halla-san 1,950 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net 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 signed, but not ratified: Desertification

Geographic coordinates

37 00 N, 127 30 E

Irrigated land

13,350 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km

Land use

arable land: 19% permanent crops : 2% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 65% other: 13% (1993 est.)

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

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf : not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

Terrain

mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

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*

Constitution

25 February 1988

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 "Hanguk" to refer to their country abbreviation: ROK

Data code

KS

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 telephone : [82] (2) 397-4114

Diplomatic representation in the 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

Executive branch

chief of state: President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993) head of government : Prime Minister KO Kon (since 4 March 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers KANG Kyong-sik (since 5 March 1997) and KWON O-ki (since 20 December 1995) 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 1992 (next to be held 18 December 1997); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation election results: KIM Yong-sam elected president; percent of vote - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%

FAX

[82] (2) 738-8845 consulate(s): Pusan

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

Government type

republic

Independence

15 August 1948

International organization participation

AfDB, APEC, AsDB, BIS (pending member), CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE (partner), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly

Legal system

combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent 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 December 1996 was NKP 155, NCNP 78, ULD 47, DP 12, independents 7

National capital

Seoul

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 August (1948)

Political parties and leaders

majority party : New Korea Party (NKP), KIM Yong-sam, president opposition: United Liberal Democratic Party (ULD), KIM Chong-pil, president; Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, chairman; National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), KIM Tae-chung, president

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Military branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$17.4 billion (1996)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.3% (1996)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 13,730,520 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males : 8,775,136 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 397,167 (1997 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 5,515,667; female 4,925,479) 15-64 years: 71% (male 16,579,117; female 16,096,684) 65 years and over : 6% (male 1,067,663; female 1,764,201) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

16.17 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

5.66 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Infant mortality rate

8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in high school

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.6 years male : 70.01 years female: 77.69 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99.3% female: 96.7% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate

-0.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

45,948,811 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.02% (1997 est.)

Religions

Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Sex ratio

at birth : 1.14 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan KUWAIT

Airports

103 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total : 101 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 53 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1996 est.)

Heliports

199 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 74,235 km paved: 56,419 km (including 1,824 km of expressways) unpaved: 17,816 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 461 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,634,127 GRT/10,343,557 DWT ships by type: bulk 123, cargo 124, chemical tanker 27, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 1, container 71, liquefied gas tanker 13, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 68, refrigerated cargo 17, short-sea passenger 2, vehicle carrier 11 note: South Korea owns an additional 254 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,744,507 DWT operating under the registries of Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Panama, Singapore, and Thailand (1996 est.)

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, Ulsan, Yosu

Railways

total: 3,081 km standard gauge : 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) (1996 est.)

Waterways

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft