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Communications

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

11 (2000)

Internet country code [time series]

.kr

Internet users [time series]

25.6 million (2002)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)

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 (2000)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

28 million (September 2000)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

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

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $118.1 billion expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

South Korean won (KRW)

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

KRW

Debt - external [time series]

$135.2 billion (yearend 2002 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

31.6 (1993)

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

ODA $200 million

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is 18 times North Korea's and equal 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 longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged to a negative 6.6% in 1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% 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 6.2%, despite anemic global growth, followed by moderate 2.8% growth in 2003. In 2003 the six-day work week was reduced to five days.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

270.3 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

290.7 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 62.4% hydro: 0.8% other: 0.2% (2001) nuclear: 36.6%

Exchange rates [time series]

South Korean won per US dollar - 1,251.09 (2002), 1,290.99 (2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998)

Exports [time series]

$162.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

US 20.4%, China 14.7%, Japan 9.4%, Hong Kong 6.3% (2002)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

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

purchasing power parity - $941.5 billion (2002 est.)

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

agriculture: 4.4% industry: 41.6% services: 54% (2001 est.)

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

purchasing power parity - $19,600 (2002 est.)

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

6.3% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2.6% highest 10%: 24.8% (1998 est.)

Imports [time series]

$148.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

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

Imports - partners [time series]

Japan 19.6%, US 15.2%, China 11.4%, Saudi Arabia 5% (2002)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

6.5% (2002 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.8% (2002 est.)

Labor force [time series]

22 million (2001)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

services 69%, industry 21.5%, agriculture 9.5% (2001)

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

20.92 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

21.11 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption [time series]

2.14 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

804,700 bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

2.965 million bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line [time series]

4% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

3.1% (2002 est.)

Geography

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

Geography - note [time series]

strategic location on Korea Strait

Irrigated land [time series]

11,590 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 17.44% permanent crops: 2.05% other: 80.51% (1998 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 territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

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

Government

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]

17 July 1948

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Korea conventional short form: South Korea local short form: none note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country local long form: Taehan-min'guk abbreviation: ROK

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD embassy: 82 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-chu (HAN Sung-joo) consulate(s): New York, Tamuning (Guam) consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President NO Mu-hyun (ROH Moo-hyun) (since 25 February 2003) head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (KOH Kun) (since 27 February 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Chin-p'yo (KIM Jin-pyo) (since 27 February 2003) and YUN Tok-hong (since 6 March 2003) 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 NA December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - NO Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of vote - NO Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-ch'ang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%

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, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, 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); note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected; possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in the National Assembly 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; note - the distribution of seats as of April 2003 was: GNP 153, MDP 101, ULD 11, DPP 1, PPR 1, independents 5; one seat vacant

National holiday [time series]

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

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

Democratic People's Party or DPP [leader NA]; Grand National Party or GNP [CH'OE Pyong-ryol, chairman]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [CHO Sun-hyong, chairman]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, president]; Uri Party [KIM Kun-t'ae, chairman]

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

Introduction

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. During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. 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 20 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. 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 Chong-il.

Military

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]

$13,094.3 million (FY02)

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

2.8% (FY02)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 14,252,851 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 8,994,941 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 345,331 (2003 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 20.6% (male 5,256,451; female 4,703,853) 15-64 years: 71.5% (male 17,527,407; female 16,991,229) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 1,512,157; female 2,297,940) (2003 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

12.6 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate [time series]

6.03 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

220 (2001 est.)

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

4,000 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

total: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) male: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages [time series]

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 75.36 years male: 71.73 years female: 79.32 years (2003 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98.1% male: 99.3% female: 97% (2003 est.)

Median age [time series]

total: 33.2 years male: 32.2 years female: 34.2 years (2002)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Population [time series]

48,289,037 (July 2003 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.66% (2003 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: 1.1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

1.56 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; Liancourt Rocks (Take-shima/Tok-do) are disputed with Japan

Transportation

Airports [time series]

102 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 69 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 21 (2002) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 33 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 31 (2002)

Heliports [time series]

204 (2002)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 86,990 km paved: 64,808 km (including 1,996 km of expressways) unpaved: 22,182 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 541 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,490,521 GRT/10,602,751 DWT note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, UK 1 (2002 est.) ships by type: bulk 114, cargo 174, chemical tanker 63, combination bulk 9, container 52, liquefied gas 17, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 69, refrigerated cargo 21, roll on/roll off 6, short-sea passenger 2, specialized tanker 6, vehicle carrier 5

Pipelines [time series]

gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2003)

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

total: 3,125 km standard gauge: 3,125 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2002)

Waterways [time series]

1,609 km note: restricted to small native craft

Korea, South