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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 103 usable: 93 with permanent-surface runways: 59 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 22 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 18

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

63,201 km total (1991); 1,551 expressways, 12,190 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Merchant marine [time series]

431 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,689,227 GRT/11,016,014 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 138 cargo, 61 container, 11 refrigerated cargo, 9 vehicle carrier, 45 oil tanker, 12 chemical tanker, 13 liquefied gas, 2 combination ore/oil, 135 bulk, 2 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 455 km

Ports [time series]

Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

3,091 km total (1991); 3,044 km 1.435 meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 847 km double track; 525 km electrified, government owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

excellent domestic and international services; 13,276,449 telephone subscribers; broadcast stations - 79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations - 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $12.2 billion, 3.6% of GNP (1993 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 13,286,969; fit for military service 8,542,640; reach military age (18) annually 432,434 (1993 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 8% of GNP and employs 21% of work force (including fishing and forestry); principal crops - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; livestock and livestock products - cattle, hogs, chickens, milk, eggs; self-sufficient in food, except for wheat; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh-largest in world

Budget [time series]

revenues $48.4 billion; expenditures $48.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3.0 billion

Electricity [time series]

24,000,000 kW capacity; 105,000 million kWh produced, 2,380 kWh per capita (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 791.99 (January 1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988)

Exports [time series]

$76.8 billion (f.o.b., 1992) commodities: textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish partners: US 24%, Japan 15% (1992)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$42 billion (1992)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$81.7 billion (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: Japan 24%, US 22% (1992)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 5.0% (1992 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.5% (1992 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GNP - purchasing power equivalent - $287 billion (1992 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$6,500 (1992 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

5% (1992 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The driving force behind the economy's dynamic growth has been the planned development of an export-oriented economy in a vigorously entrepreneurial society. Real GNP increased more than 10% annually between 1986 and 1991. This growth ultimately led to an overheated situation characterized by a tight labor market, strong inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising current account deficit. As a result, in 1992, focusing attention on slowing the growth rate of inflation and reducing the deficit is leading to a slow-down in growth. The economy remains the envy of the great majority of the world's peoples.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2.4% (1992 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 98,480 km2 land area: 98,190 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana

Climate [time series]

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Coastline [time series]

2,413 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest; air pollution in large cities

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan

Irrigated land [time series]

13,530 km2 (1989)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 238 km, North Korea 238 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 21% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 10%

Location [time series]

Northeast Asia, between North Korea and Japan

Map references [time series]

Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait

Natural resources [time series]

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Abbreviation [time series]

ROK

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi,, singular and plural); Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do,, Kwangju-jikhalsi*,, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*, Independence: 15 August 1948

Capital [time series]

Seoul

Constitution [time series]

25 February 1988

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Seung Soo chancery: 2370 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 939-5600 consulates general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

President: last held on 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - KIM Young Sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Dae Jung (DP) 33.8%, CHUNG Ju Yung (UPP) 16.3%, other 8% National Assembly: last held on 24 March 1992; results - DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%, Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3% (name later changed to UPP), other 15%; seats - (299 total) DLP 149, DP 97, UNP 31, other 22; the distribution of seats as of May 1993 was DLP 167, DP 95, UPP 14, other 23 note: the change in the distribution of seats reflects the fluidity of the current situation where party members are constantly switching from one party to another

Executive branch [time series]

president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, State Council (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

Chief of State: President KIM Young Sam (since 25 February 1993) Head of Government: Prime Minister HWANG In Sung (since 25 February 1993); Deputy Prime Minister LEE Kyung Shick (since 25 February 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister HAN Wan Sang (since 25 February 1993)

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM (cooperating country), CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional short form: South Korea local long form: Taehan-min'guk local short form: none

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 15 August (1948)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

majority party: Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), KIM Young Sam, president opposition: Democratic Party (DP), LEE Ki Taek, executive chairman; United People's Party (UPP), CHUNG Ju Yung, chairman; several smaller parties note: the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Raymond BURGHARDT embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul, AMEMB, Unit 15550 mailing address: APO AP 96205-0001 telephone: [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845 consulate: Pusan

People

Birth rate [time series]

15.72 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.16 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

22.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

Korean, English widely taught in high school

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 70.29 years male: 67.1 years female: 73.68 years (1993 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate [time series]

0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population [time series]

44,613,993 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.05% (1993 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (Shamanism), Chondogyo (religion of the heavenly way) 0.2%

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.64 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Korea, South