Korea, South

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

11 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 106, FM 97, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios

47.5 million (1997)

Telephone system

excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

Telephones - main lines in use

23.1 million (1998)

Telephones - mobile cellular

8.6 million (1998)

Television broadcast stations

121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999)

Televisions

15.9 million (1997)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $68.9 billion expenditures: $82.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $14.5 billion (1998)

Currency

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

Debt - external

$142 billion (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$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 seven times India's, 13 times North Korea's, and comparable to 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 1997-99 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. By 1999 it had recovered financial stability, turning a substantial decline in 1998 into strong growth in 1999. Seoul has also pressed 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. The major economic challenge for the next several years presumably is the maintenance of the pace of market reforms to restore the old growth pattern.

Electricity - consumption

205.77 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

221.258 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 59.56% hydro: 1.91% nuclear: 38.51% other: 0.02% (1998)

Exchange rates

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 1,130.32 (January 2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995)

Exports

$144 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish

Exports - partners

US 17%, Japan 9%, China 9%, Hong Kong 7%, Taiwan 4% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $625.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5% industry: 45% services: 50% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $13,300 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

10% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$116 billion (c.i.f., 1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains

Imports - partners

US 22%, Japan 18%, China 7%, Australia 5%, Saudi Arabia 5% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

22% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.8% (1999 est.)

Labor force

22 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation

services and other 68%, mining and manufacturing 20%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 12% (1998)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

6.3% (1999 est.)

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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

Map references

Asia

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

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

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*

Capital

Seoul

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 "Han-guk" to refer to their country abbreviation: ROK

Data code

KS

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

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: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle consulate(s): Agana (Guam)

Executive branch

chief of state: President KIM Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998) head of government: Prime Minister PAK Tae-chun (since 10 January 2000) 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% (with ULD partnership), YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%

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 1945, date of liberation from Japanese colonial rule

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, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

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 - starting with the April 2000 election the number of seats will be reduced to 273; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held 13 April 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 January 2000 was as follows: GNP 130, MDP (former NCNP) 103, ULD 55, independents 11

National holiday

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Political parties and leaders

Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [KIM Dae-jung, president]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman] note: subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the following parties disbanded - New Korea Party or NKP and Democratic Party or DP; on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Background

Following World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist government was installed in the north. Between 1950 and 1953, US and other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese; an armistice was signed in 1953. Thereafter, South Korea achieved amazing economic growth, with per capita income rising to 13 times the level of North Korea. In 1997, the nation suffered a severe financial crisis from which it continues to make a solid recovery. South Korea has also maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes.

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$9.9 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.2% (FY98/99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 14,080,470 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 8,953,984 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 400,032 (2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 22% (male 5,471,520; female 4,867,688) 15-64 years: 71% (male 17,155,401; female 16,662,227) 65 years and over: 7% (male 1,274,943; female 2,039,190) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

15.12 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Infant mortality rate

7.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.43 years male: 70.75 years female: 78.54 years (2000 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 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

47,470,969 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

0.93% (2000 est.)

Religions

Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.72 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) claimed by Japan [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

103 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 67 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: 20 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 36 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 32 (1999 est.)

Heliports

203 (1999 est.)

Highways

total: 86,990 km paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,182 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 461 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,093,620 GRT/8,100,634 DWT ships by type: bulk 98, cargo 149, chemical tanker 39, combination bulk 4, container 53, liquified gas 13, multi-functional large load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 61, refrigerated cargo 26, roll-on/roll-off 4, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 6 (1999 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, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu

Railways

total: 6,240 km standard gauge: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified) (1998 est.)

Waterways

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft