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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0 radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

13.3 million telephones; excellent domestic and international services local: NA intercity: NA international: 3 INTELSAT (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) earth stations

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: 256 (1 kW or greater 57) televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $14 billion, 3.3% of GNP (1995 est.) KUWAIT

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 13,580,832; males fit for military service 8,701,742; males reach military age (18) annually 405,290 (1995 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 8% of GDP 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: $63 billion expenditures: $63 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3 billion

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 26,940,000 kW production: 137 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,847 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 790.48 (January 1995), 803.44 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990)

Exports [time series]

$96.2 billion (f.o.b., 1994) commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, textiles, clothing, footwear, fish partners: US 26%, Japan 17%, EU 14%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$44.1 billion (1993)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Imports [time series]

$102.3 billion (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: Japan 26%, US 24%, EU 15%

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

growth rate 12.1% (1994 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

5.6% (1994)

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

GDP - purchasing power parity - $508.3 billion (1994 est.)

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

$11,270 (1994 est.)

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

8.3% (1994)

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 GDP 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, economic policy focused on slowing the growth rate of inflation and reducing the deficit. Annual growth slowed to 5%, still above the rate in most other countries of the world, and recovered to 6.3% in 1993. The economy expanded by 8.3% in 1994, driven by booming exports.

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% (November 1994)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 98,480 sq km land area: 98,190 sq km 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]

current issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; driftnet fishing natural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan

Irrigated land [time series]

13,530 sq km (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]

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea, south of North Korea

Map references [time series]

Asia

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); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*

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 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 [time series]

chief of state: President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993); election last held on 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8% head of government: Prime Minister YI Hong-ku (since 17 December 1994); Deputy Prime Minister HONG Chae-yong (since 4 October 1994) and Deputy Prime Minister KIM Tok (since 23 December 1994) cabinet: State Council; appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation

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

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

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

Independence [time series]

15 August 1948

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, 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 note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Hanguk" to refer to their country

Legislative branch (National Assembly (Kukhoe)) [time series]

elections 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 January 1994 was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20 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

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 Yong-sam, president opposition: Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, executive chairman; United People's Party (UPP), KIM Tong-kil, 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: Ambassador James T. LANEY embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, Seoul; APO AP 96205-0001 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 24% (female 5,280,998; male 5,640,789) 15-64 years: 71% (female 15,877,182; male 16,291,183) 65 years and over: 5% (female 1,554,512; male 909,218) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

15.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

20 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: 70.89 years male: 67.69 years female: 74.29 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate [time series]

0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

45,553,882 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.04% (1995 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]

1.66 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 114 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 14 with paved runways under 914 m: 63 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 63,200 km paved: expressways 1,550 km unpaved: NA undifferentiated: national highway 12,190 km; provincial, local roads 49,460 km (1991)

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 412 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,129,796 GRT/9,985,197 DWT ships by type: bulk 123, cargo 125, chemical tanker 17, combination bulk 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 61, liquefied gas tanker 13, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 51, refrigerated cargo 9, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 9

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 455 km

Ports [time series]

Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, Pohang, Pusan, Ulsan, Yosu

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 6,763 km standard gauge: 6,716 km 1.435-meter gauge (525 km electrified; 847 km double track) narrow gauge: 47 km 0.610-meter gauge

Korea, South