Match 134 DB Rec# - 7,586 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Korea, South
Text :
Korea, South
Geography
Location:
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean peninsula bordering the Sea of
Japan and the Yellow Sea, south of North Korea
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total area:
98,480 sq km
land area:
98,190 sq km
comparative area:
slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundaries:
total 238 km, North Korea 238 km
Coastline:
2,413 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
International disputes:
Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain:
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Natural resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land use:
arable land:
21%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
1%
forest and woodland:
67%
other:
10%
Irrigated land:
13,530 sq km (1989)
Environment:
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
People
Population:
45,553,882 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
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.)
Population growth rate:
1.04% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
15.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
6.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.89 years
male:
67.69 years
female:
74.29 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.66 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Korean(s)
adjective:
Korean
Ethnic divisions:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions:
Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion
(shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%
Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in high school
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
96%
male:
99%
female:
94%
Labor force:
20 million
by occupation:
services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing,
forestry 21% (1991)
Government
Names:
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
Digraph:
KS
Type:
republic
Capital:
Seoul
Administrative divisions:
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*
Independence:
15 August 1948
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
Constitution:
25 February 1988
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American
law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
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
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Kukhoe):
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
Government
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
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
Other political or pressure groups:
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
Member of:
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
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
US diplomatic representation:
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
FAX:
[82] (2) 738-8845
consulate(s):
Pusan
Flag:
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
Economy
Overview:
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.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $508.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate:
8.3% (1994)
National product per capita:
$11,270 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
2% (November 1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$63 billion
expenditures:
$63 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Exports:
$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%
Imports:
$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%
External debt:
$44.1 billion (1993)
Industrial production:
growth rate 12.1% (1994 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP
Electricity:
capacity:
26,940,000 kW
production:
137 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
2,847 kWh (1993)
Industries:
electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel,
textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Economy
Agriculture:
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
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries
(1970-89), $3 billion
Currency:
1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Exchange rates:
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)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Transportation
Railroads:
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
Highways:
total:
63,200 km
paved:
expressways 1,550 km
unpaved:
NA
undifferentiated:
national highway 12,190 km; provincial, local roads 49,460 km (1991)
Inland waterways:
1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Pipelines:
petroleum products 455 km
Ports:
Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, Pohang, Pusan, Ulsan, Yosu
Merchant marine:
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
Airports:
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
Communications
Telephone system:
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
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0
radios:
NA
Television:
broadcast stations:
256 (1 kW or greater 57)
televisions:
NA
Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Manpower availability:
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.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $14 billion, 3.3% of GNP (1995 est.)
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The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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