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Communications

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 - $17.4 billion, 3.3% of GNP (1996)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 13,602,115 males fit for military service: 8,706,545 males reach military age (18) annually: 398,322 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0

Radios [time series]

42 million (1993 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

16.6 million (1993)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

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

Televisions [time series]

9.3 million (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $69 billion expenditures: $67 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]

$NA

Economic overview [time series]

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 nine times India's, 14 times North Korea's, and already up with the lesser economies of the European Union. This success has been achieved by a unique combination of authoritarian government guidance of what is at bottom an essentially 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, only to move back up to 8% in 1994 and 9% in 1995. 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 because of the exhaustion of former growth opportunities and the need to deal with pollution and the other problems of success.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 28,750,000 kW production: 165 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,899 kWh (1994)

Exchange rates [time series]

South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 787.27 (January 1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994), 802.67 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$125.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish partners: US 19%, Japan 14%, EU 13%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$77 billion (1995 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $590.7 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

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

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

$13,000 (1995 est.)

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

9% (1995)

Imports [time series]

$135.1 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: Japan 24%, US 22%, EU 13%

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

12.2% (1995 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.3% (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

2% (1995 est.)

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; drift net fishing natural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest international agreements: party to - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates [time series]

37 00 N, 127 30 E

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Seoul

Constitution [time series]

25 February 1988

Data code [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, 524-9273 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) was elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 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 Su-song (since 15 December 1995) was appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; Deputy Prime Ministers NA Ung-pae (since 20 December 1995) and KWON O-ki (since 20 December 1995) were appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation cabinet: State Council was 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

International organization participation [time series]

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

Judicial branch [time series]

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

Legal system [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

Country name (Name of country) [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 abbreviation: ROK

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

members elected for four-year terms; elections last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (299 total) NKP 139, NCNP 79, ULD 50, DP 15, independents 16

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: New Korea Party (NKP), KIM Yong-sam, president opposition: United Liberal Democratic Party (ULD), KIM Chong-p'il, president; Democratic Party (DP), KIM Won-ki, co-chairman and CHANG Ul-pyong, co-chairman; National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), KIM Tae-chung, president

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [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, APO AP 96205-0001 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 23% (male 5,531,032; female 4,962,915) 15-64 years: 71% (male 16,374,678; female 15,910,846) 65 years and over: 6% (male 1,014,649; female 1,688,171) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

16.24 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.66 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

8.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

Korean, English widely taught in high school

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 73.26 years male: 69.65 years female: 77.39 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate [time series]

-0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

45,482,291 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.02% (1996 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.6 male(s)/female all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.77 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 105 with paved runways over 3 047 m: 1 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 20 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 13 with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 14 with paved runways under 914 m: 54 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 3 (1995 est.)

Heliports [time series]

201 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 61,296 km paved: 51,918 km (including 1,550 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,378 km (1993)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 428 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,076,981 GRT/9,822,089 DWT ships by type: bulk 124, cargo 122, chemical tanker 21, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 1, container 59, liquefied gas tanker 12, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 61, refrigerated cargo 13, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 10 note: South Korea owns an additional 231 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,128,506 DWT operating under the registries of Panama, Liberia, Cyprus, Malta, The Bahamas, and Thailand (1995 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 455 km

Ports [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

total: 3,101 km standard gauge: 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) narrow gauge: 20 km 0.762-m gauge

Waterways [time series]

1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Korea, South