Korea, South

Internet country code

.kr

Internet hosts

315,537 (2007)

Internet users

34.12 million (2006)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005)

Telephone system

general assessment: excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

26.866 million (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular

40.197 million (2006)

Television broadcast stations

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

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $219.5 billion expenditures: $215.7 billion (2006 est.)

Currency (code)

South Korean won (KRW)

Current account balance

$6.092 billion (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$187.2 billion (2006 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35.8 (2000)

Economic aid - donor

ODA, $744 million (2005)

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.

Electricity - consumption

352.5 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - production

366.2 billion kWh (2005)

Exchange rates

South Korean won per US dollar - 955.3 (2006), 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002)

Exports

$331.8 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Exports - partners

China 21.3%, US 13.3%, Japan 8.1%, Hong Kong 5.9% (2006)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$897.4 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.196 trillion (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.2% industry: 39.6% services: 57.2% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$24,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$302.6 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

Japan 16.8%, China 15.7%, US 11%, Saudi Arabia 6.7%, UAE 4.2% (2006)

Industrial production growth rate

8% (2006 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.2% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

29% of GDP (2006 est.)

Labor force

23.98 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 6.4% industry: 26.4% services: 67.2% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$835.2 billion (2006)

Natural gas - consumption

29.17 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

28.29 billion cu m (2005)

Natural gas - production

498.7 million cu m (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption

2.149 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - exports

644,100 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports

2.83 million bbl/day (2004)

Oil - production

7,378 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006)

Population below poverty line

15% (2003 est.)

Public debt

25.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$239 billion (2006 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$NA

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$118 billion (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

3.3% (2006 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; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

Environment - international agreements

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, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

37 00 N, 127 30 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Korea Strait

Irrigated land

8,780 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km

Land use

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

Location

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Map references

Asia

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

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 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) metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)

Capital

name: Seoul geographic coordinates: 37 33 N, 126 59 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten nine times; current constitution approved on 29 October 1987

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

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, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik chancery: 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

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%

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 (from Japan)

International organization participation

AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, 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, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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)

Legal system

combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

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

National holiday

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

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

Suffrage

19 years of age; universal

Background

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.

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 branches

Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

2.7% (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; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers (2007)

Age structure

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 4,714,103/female 4,262,873) 15-64 years: 72.1% (male 18,004,719/female 17,346,594) 65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,921,803/female 2,794,698) (2007 est.)

Birth rate

9.93 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate

5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Ethnic groups

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

8,300 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 6.05 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Languages

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 77.23 years male: 73.81 years female: 80.93 years (2007 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002)

Median age

total: 35.8 years male: 34.8 years female: 36.8 years (2007 est.)

Nationality

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Population

49,044,790 (July 2007 est.)

Population growth rate

0.394% (2007 est.)

Religions

Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.106 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.038 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.688 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.28 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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

Airports

105 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 68 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 19 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 37 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 34 (2007)

Heliports

536 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 738 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,636,466 GRT/17,371,943 DWT by type: bulk carrier 187, cargo 202, carrier 1, chemical tanker 119, container 81, liquefied gas 26, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 21, petroleum tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 19, roll on/roll off 8, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 8 foreign-owned: 22 (China 2, France 8, Japan 1, Sweden 2, UK 1, US 7, Vietnam 1) registered in other countries: 386 (Belize 4, Cambodia 29, China 1, Cyprus 2, Greece 2, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia 4, Malta 3, Marshall Islands 3, Netherlands 1, Panama 316, Russia 1, Singapore 7, unknown 4) (2007)

Pipelines

gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Railways

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

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)