Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

11 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.kr

Internet users [time series]

15.3 million (2000)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 106, FM 97, shortwave 6 (1999)

Radios [time series]

47.5 million (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

general assessment: 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 - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

24 million (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

27 million (June 2000)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

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

Televisions [time series]

15.9 million (1997)

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $81.8 billion expenditures: $94.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $6.1 billion (1999)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

South Korean won (KRW)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

KRW

Debt - external [time series]

$137 billion (November 2000)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$NA

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth. Three decades ago 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, 16 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 GDP growth had recovered, reversing the substantial decline of 1998. Seoul has pressed the country's largest business groups to restructure and to strengthen their financial base. Growth in 2001 likely will be a more sustainable rate of 5%.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

232.767 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - production [time series]

250.287 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 59.22% hydro: 1.64% nuclear: 39.12% other: 0.02% (1999)

Exchange rates [time series]

South Korean won per US dollar - 1,271.89 (January 2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996)

Exports [time series]

$172.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

US 20.5%, Japan 11%, China 9.5%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 4.4% (1999)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $764.6 billion (2000 est.)

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

agriculture: 5.6% industry: 41.4% services: 53% (1999 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $16,100 (2000 est.)

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

9% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 24.3% (1993)

Imports [time series]

$160.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

US 20.8%, Japan 20.2%, China 7.4%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, Australia 3.9% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

17% (2000)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.3% (2000)

Labor force [time series]

22 million (2000)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

services 68%, industry 20%, agriculture 12% (1999)

Population below poverty line [time series]

NA%

Unemployment rate [time series]

4.1% (2000 est.)

Area [time series]

total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than Indiana

Climate [time series]

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

Coastline [time series]

2,413 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, 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 [time series]

37 00 N, 127 30 E

Irrigated land [time series]

13,350 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 19% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 65% other: 13% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Asia

Maritime claims [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan 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*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi*

Capital [time series]

Seoul

Constitution [time series]

25 February 1988

Country name [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 "Han-guk" to refer to their country abbreviation: ROK

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: 82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President KIM Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998) head of government: Prime Minister YI Han-tong (since 23 May 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%

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

[1] (202) 387-0205 consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle consulate(s): Hagatna (Guam)

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

[82] (2) 738-8845

Flag (Flag description) [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

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

International organization participation [time series]

AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, 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), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with 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 National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8

National holiday [time series]

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

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

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, KIM Chong-ho, acting president] note: on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP

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

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 [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Background [time series]

After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula at the 38th parallel known as the DMZ. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid 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. In June 2000, a historic first south-north summit took place between the south's President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il. In December 2000, President KIM Dae-jung won the Noble Peace Prize for his lifeling committment to democracy and human rights in Asia. He is the first Korean to win a Nobel Prize.

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$12 billion (2000)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

3.2% (FY98/99)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 14,148,552 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 8,979,778 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 394,397 (2001 est.)

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 21.59% (male 5,475,453; female 4,864,918) 15-64 years: 71.14% (male 17,291,202; female 16,789,380) 65 years and over: 7.27% (male 1,352,312; female 2,131,105) (2001 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

14.85 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.93 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

0.01% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

180 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

3,800 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

7.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Languages [time series]

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 74.65 years male: 70.97 years female: 78.74 years (2001 est.)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Population [time series]

47,904,370 (July 2001 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.89% (2001 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13 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 (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.72 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Disputes - international [time series]

Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) disputed with Japan

Airports [time series]

102 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 68 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 21 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 32 (2000 est.)

Heliports [time series]

203 (2000 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 87,534 km paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,146 km (1999)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 496 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,421,993 GRT/8,757,034 DWT ships by type: bulk 105, cargo 168, chemical tanker 38, combination bulk 5, container 49, liquefied gas 16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 70, refrigerated cargo 27, roll on/roll off 4, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 4, vehicle carrier 5 (2000 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu

Railways [time series]

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

Waterways [time series]

1,609 km note: restricted to small native craft

Korea, South