from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Korea
Introduction, North
Background: An independent kingdom for much of its long history,
Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the
Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally
annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II,
Korea was split with the northern half coming under
Soviet-sponsored Communist domination. After failing in
the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed
Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by
force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President
KIM Il-so'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic
and economic "self-reliance" as a check against
excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The
DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its
social system through state-funded propaganda, and
molded political, economic, and military policies
around the core ideological objective of eventual
unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's
son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially
designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming
a growing political and managerial role until the elder
KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic
mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK
since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international
aid to feed its population while continuing to expend
resources to maintain an army of 1 million. North
Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its
nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and
massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern
to the international community. In December 2002,
following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing a
nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in
violation of a 1994 agreement with the US to freeze and
ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based
program, North Korea expelled monitors from the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January
2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international
Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang
announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent
nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium)
and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." Since August
2003, North Korea has participated in the Six-Party
Talks with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the
US designed to resolve the stalemate over its nuclear
programs. The fourth round of Six-Party Talks were held
in Beijing during July-September 2005. All parties
agreed to a Joint Statement of Principles in which,
among other things, the six parties unanimously
reaffirmed the goal of verifiable denuclearization of
the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. In the Joint
Statement, the DPRK committed to "abandoning all
nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and
returning, at an early date, to the Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA
safeguards." The Joint Statement also commits the US
and other parties to certain actions as the DPRK
denuclearizes. The US offered a security assurance,
specifying that it had no nuclear weapons on ROK
territory and no intention to attack or invade the DPRK
with nuclear or other weapons. The US and DPRK will
take steps to normalize relations, subject to the
DPRK's implementing its denuclearization pledge and
resolving other longstanding concerns. While the Joint
Statement provides a vision of the end-point of the
Six-Party process, much work lies ahead to implement
the elements of the agreement.
Geography, North
Location: Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula
bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between
China and South Korea
Geographic 40 00 N, 127 00 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 120,540 sq km
land: 120,410 sq km
water: 130 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Mississippi
comparative:
Land total: 1,673 km
boundaries: border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km,
Russia 19 km
Coastline: 2,495 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
note: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan
and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea
where all foreign vessels and aircraft without
permission are banned
Climate: temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow
valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in
east
Elevation lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
extremes: highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
Natural coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron
resources: ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 22.4%
permanent crops: 1.66%
other: 75.94% (2005)
Irrigated 14,600 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding;
hazards: occasional typhoons during the early fall
Environment - water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water;
current waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and
issues: degradation
Environment - party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
international Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer
agreements: Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and
note: Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely
populated
People, North
Population: 23,113,019 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23.8% (male 2,788,944/female 2,708,331)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,762,442/female 7,955,522)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 667,792/female 1,229,988)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 32 years
male: 30.7 years
female: 33.4 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.84% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 15.54 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 7.13 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 23.29 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 24.97 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 21.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 71.65 years
expectancy at male: 68.92 years
birth: female: 74.51 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.1 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups: racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese
community and a few ethnic Japanese
Religions: traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian
and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)
note: autonomous religious activities now almost
nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups
exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Languages: Korean
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99%
Government, North
Country name: conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of
Korea
conventional short form: North Korea
local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk
local short form: Choson
abbreviation: DPRK
Government Communist state one-man dictatorship
type:
Capital: name: Pyongyang
geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4
divisions: municipalities (si, singular and plural)
provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North
Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong),
Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South
Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North
P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do
(Yanggang)
municipalites: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si
(Najin), Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)
Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
holiday: (DPRK), 9 September (1948)
Constitution: adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972,
revised again in April 1992, and September 1998
Legal system: based on German civil law system with Japanese
influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note -
branch: on 3 September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's
Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the
National Defense Commission, a position accorded
nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA
reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also
with responsibility of representing state and receiving
diplomatic credentials; SPA appointed PAK Pong Ju
premier
head of government: Premier PAK Pong Ju (since 3
September 2003); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5
September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003),
RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003)
cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister
of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA
elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held
in September 2008)
election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were
only nominees for positions and ran unopposed
Legislative unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin
branch: Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in
August 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of
candidates who are elected without opposition; some
seats are held by minor parties
Judicial Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme
branch: People's Assembly)
Political major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong
parties and Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi
leaders: Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM
Yong Dae] (under KWP control)
Political none
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC,
organization IPU, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
participation: WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in
representation New York
in the US:
Diplomatic none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents
representation the US as consular protecting power
from the US:
Flag three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple
description: width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on
the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a
red five-pointed star
Economy, North
Economy - North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned
overview: and isolated economies, faces desperate economic
conditions. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond
repair as a result of years of underinvestment and
shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power output
have declined in parallel. Despite an increased harvest
in 2005 because of more stable weather conditions,
fertilizer assistance from South Korea, and an
extraordinary mobilization of the population to help
with agricultural production, the nation has suffered
its 11th year of food shortages because of on-going
systemic problems, including a lack of arable land,
collective farming practices, and chronic shortages of
tractors and fuel. Massive international food aid
deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to
escape mass starvation since famine threatened in 1995,
but the population continues to suffer from prolonged
malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale
military spending eats up resources needed for
investment and civilian consumption. In 2004, the
regime formalized an arrangement whereby private
"farmers markets" were allowed to begin selling a wider
range of goods. It also permitted some private farming
on an experimental basis in an effort to boost
agricultural output. In October 2005, the regime
reversed some of these policies by forbidding private
sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food
rationing system. In December 2005, the regime
confirmed that it intended to carry out earlier threats
to terminate all international humanitarian assistance
operations in the DPRK (calling instead for
developmental assistance only) and to restrict the
activities of international and non-governmental aid
organizations such as the World Food Program. Firm
political control remains the Communist government's
overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the
loosening of economic regulations.
GDP $40 billion
(purchasing note: North Korea does not publish any reliable
power parity): National Income Accounts data; the datum shown here is
derived from purchasing power parity (PPP) GDP
estimates for North Korea that were made by Angus
Maddison in a study conducted for the OECD; his figure
for 1999 was extrapolated to 2005 using estimated real
growth rates for North Korea's GDP and an inflation
factor based on the US GDP deflator; the result was
rounded to the nearest $10 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (official NA
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 1% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 30%
composition by industry: 34%
sector: services: 36% (2002 est.)
Labor force: 9.6 million
Labor force - agriculture: 36%
by occupation: industry and services: 64%
Unemployment NA%
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate NA%
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA
Agriculture - rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs,
products: pork, eggs
Industries: military products; machine building, electric power,
chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, magnesite, graphite,
copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy;
textiles, food processing; tourism
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 18.75 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 29%
production by hydro: 71%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 17.43 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
production:
Oil - 25,000 bbl/day (2003)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: 22,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $1.275 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures
commodities: (including armaments), textiles, fishery products
Exports - China 45.6%, South Korea 20.2%, Japan 12.9% (2004)
partners:
Imports: $2.819 billion c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment,
commodities: textiles, grain
Imports - China 32.9%, Thailand 10.7%, Japan 4.8% (2004)
partners:
Debt - $12 billion (1996 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food
recipient: aid, worth approximately $118 million, through the
World Food Program appeal in 2004, plus additional aid
from bilateral donors and non-governmental
organizations
Currency North Korean won (KPW)
(code):
Currency code: KPW
Exchange official: North Korean won per US dollar - 170
rates: (December 2004), 150 (December 2002), 2.15 (December
2001); market: North Korean won per US dollar - 300-600
(December 2002)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications, North
Telephones - 980,000 (2003)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - NA
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: NA
international: country code - 850; satellite earth
stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian
(Indian Ocean region); other international connections
through Moscow and Beijing
Radio AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central
broadcast Broadcasting Station), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2003)
stations:
Radios: 3.36 million (1997)
Television 4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae
broadcast Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network,
stations: and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) (2003)
Televisions: 1.2 million (1997)
Internet .kp
country code:
Internet 1 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet NA
users:
Transportation, North
Airports: 77 (2006)
Airports - total: 36
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - total: 41
with unpaved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 20
914 to 1,523 m: 13
under 914 m: 7 (2006)
Heliports: 22 (2006)
Pipelines: oil 154 km (2006)
Railways: total: 5,214 km
standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 31,200 km
paved: 1,997 km
unpaved: 29,203 km (1999 est.)
Waterways: 2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)
Merchant total: 232 ships (1000 GRT or over) 983,182 GRT/
marine: 1,370,104 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 14, cargo 176, chemical tanker 1,
container 4, livestock carrier 3, passenger/cargo 5,
petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll
off 8, vehicle carrier 1
foreign-owned: 60 (British Virgin Islands 1, China 1,
Denmark 1, Egypt 2, Greece 1, India 1, Lebanon 6,
Lithuania 1, Marshall Islands 1, Pakistan 3, Romania
11, Russia 1, Singapore 1, Syria 14, Turkey 4, UAE 6,
US 3, Yemen 2)
registered in other countries: 5 (Belize 2, Mongolia 3)
(2006)
Ports and Ch'ongjin, Haeju, Hungnam (Hamhung), Kimch'aek, Kosong,
terminals: Najin, Namp'o, Sinuiju, Songnim, Sonbong (formerly
Unggi), Ungsang, Wonsan
Military, North
Military North Korean People's Army: Ground Force, Navy, Air
branches: Force; civil security forces (2005)
Military 17 years of age (2004)
service age
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 17-49: 5,851,801
available for females age 17-49: 5,850,733 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 17-49: 4,810,831
for military females age 17-49: 4,853,270 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 194,605
reaching females age 17-49: 187,846 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $5,217.4 million (FY02)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational, North
Issues
Disputes - China seeks to stem illegal migration of tens of
international: thousands of North Koreans escaping famine, economic
privation, and political oppression; North Korea and
China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in
Yalu and Tumen rivers and a section of boundary around
Paektu-san (mountain) is indefinite; Military
Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized
Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953;
periodic maritime disputes with South over the Northern
Limit Line; North Korea supports South Korea in
rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/
Take-shima)
Refugees and IDPs: 50,000-250,000 (government repression and famine)
internally (2005)
displaced
persons:
Trafficking in current situation: North Korea is a source country for
persons: men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
forced labor and sexual exploitation; North Korea's own
system of political repression includes forced labor in
a network of prison camps where an estimated 150,000 to
200,000 persons are incarcerated; the illegal status of
North Koreans in China and other countries increases
their vulnerability to trafficking schemes and sexual
and physical abuse; North Koreans forcibly returned
from China may be subject to hard labor in prison camps
operated by the government
tier rating: Tier 3 - North Korea does not fully comply
with minimum standards for the elimination of
trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do
so
Illicit drugs: for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of
the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea
(DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the
government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking
in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004;
police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent
years have linked North Korea to large illicit
shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an
attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to
deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003
from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Korea
Introduction, South
Background: Korea was an independent kingdom for much of the past
millennium. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese
War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it
formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War
II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the
southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a
Communist-style government was installed in the north
(the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops
and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to
defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China
and the Soviet Union. 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 14 times the level of North Korea. In
1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South Korea's first civilian
president following 32 years of military rule. South
Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. 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 Jong Il.
Geography, South
Location: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula
bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic 37 00 N, 127 30 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km
Area - slightly larger than Indiana
comparative:
Land total: 238 km
boundaries: border countries: North Korea 238 km
Coastline: 2,413 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the
claims: Korea Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified
Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west
and south
Elevation lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
extremes: highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
resources: potential
Land use: arable land: 16.58%
permanent crops: 2.01%
other: 81.41% (2005)
Irrigated 8,780 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods;
hazards: low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Environment - air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water
current pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial
issues: effluents; drift net fishing
Environment - party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
international Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty,
agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategic location on Korea Strait
note:
People, South
Population: 48,846,823 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)
15-64 years: 71.9% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)
65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female
2,678,914) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 35.2 years
male: 34.2 years
female: 36.3 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.42% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 77.04 years
expectancy at male: 73.61 years
birth: female: 80.75 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 8,300 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions: no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%,
Confucianist 1%, other 1%
Languages: Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high
school
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9%
male: 99.2%
female: 96.6% (2002)
Government, South
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
local short form: Han'guk
abbreviation: ROK
Government republic
type:
Capital: name: Seoul
geographic coordinates: 37 34 N, 127 00 E
time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
Administrative 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7
divisions: metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla),
Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North
Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong),
Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North
Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)
metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on),
Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan),
Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu),
Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)
Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
holiday:
Constitution: 17 July 1948
Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law
systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical
thought
Suffrage: 19 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25
branch: February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook
(since 19 April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM
Woo-sik (since 3 January 2006) and KWON O-kyu (since 3
July 2006)
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 in December 2007); prime minister
appointed by president with consent of National
Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
on prime minister's recommendation
election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president;
percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE
Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Legislative unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats -
branch: members elected for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat
constituencies, 56 by proportional representation)
elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in
April 2008; byelections held on 30 April 2005 and on 26
October 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%,
GNP 41%, DLP 3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri
144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP 9, ULD 3, independents 5
note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election;
seats by party reflect results of April and October
2005 byelections involving six and four seats
respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; United Liberal
Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006.
(2006)
Judicial Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with
branch: consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court
(justices appointed by president based partly on
nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of
the court)
Political Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun];
parties and Democratic Party or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National
leaders: Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup]; People-Centered Party or
PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri Party [KIM Geun-tae]
Political Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean
pressure Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions;
groups and Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders
leaders: Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National
Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance
of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations;
National Federation of Student Associations
International AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
organization Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA,
participation: IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer),
OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS,
UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO, ZC
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik
representation chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston,
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San
Francisco, Seattle
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW
representation embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
from the US: mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP
96205-5550
telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
Flag white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the
description: center; there is a different black trigram from the
ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the
white field
Economy, South
Economy - Since the early 1960s, South Korea has achieved an
overview: incredible record of growth and integration into the
high-tech modern world economy. Four decades ago, GDP
per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer
countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea
joined the trillion dollar club of world economies.
Today its GDP per capita is equal to the lesser
economies of the EU. 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. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then
recovered 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% 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 7%, despite anemic global
growth. Between 2003 and 2005, growth moderated to
about 4%. A downturn in consumer spending was offset by
rapid export growth. In 2005, the government proposed
labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme
to help make the labor market more flexible, and new
real estate policies to cool property speculation.
Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export
surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income
characterize this solid economy.
GDP $1.101 trillion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $801.2 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $22,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 3.3%
composition by industry: 40.3%
sector: services: 56.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 23.53 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 6.4%
by occupation: industry: 26.4%
services: 67.2% (2005 est.)
Unemployment 3.7% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 15% (2003 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.9%
income or highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 35.8 (2000)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 2.8% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 29.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $195 billion
expenditures: $189 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 20% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle,
products: pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Industries: electronics, telecommunications, automobile production,
chemicals, shipbuilding, steel
Industrial 5.9% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 342.1 billion kWh (2004)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 62.4%
production by hydro: 0.8%
source: nuclear: 36.6%
other: 0.2% (2001)
Electricity - 321.1 billion kWh (2004)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2004)
production:
Oil - 2.061 million bbl/day (2004)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 645,200 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: 2.263 million bbl/day (2004)
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 24.09 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - 21.11 billion cu m (2003 est.)
imports:
Current $16.56 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $288.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment,
commodities: motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals
Exports - China 21.8%, US 14.6%, Japan 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.5%
partners: (2005)
Imports: $256 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil,
commodities: steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics
Imports - Japan 18.5%, China 14.8%, US 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2%
partners: (2005)
Reserves of $210.4 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $153.9 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $423.3 million (2004)
donor:
Currency South Korean won (KRW)
(code):
Currency code: KRW
Exchange South Korean won per US dollar - 1,024.1 (2005),
rates: 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002), 1,291
(2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications, South
Telephones - 23.745 million (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 38.342 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: excellent domestic and
system: international services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic
submarine cables - 1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1
Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China, 1
Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1
Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan-China, 1
Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2
Indian Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2
Indian Ocean)
Radio AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 47.5 million (2000)
Television terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay
broadcast cable operators 190 (2005)
stations:
Televisions: 15.9 million (1997)
Internet .kr
country code:
Internet 5,433,591 (2005)
hosts:
Internet 11 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 33.9 million (2005)
users:
Transportation, South
Airports: 107 (2006)
Airports - total: 69
with paved over 3,047 m: 3
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 11
under 914 m: 20 (2006)
Airports - total: 38
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 3
runways: under 914 m: 35 (2006)
Heliports: 540 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2006)
Railways: total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 97,252 km
paved: 74,641 km (including 3,060 km of expressways)
unpaved: 22,611 km (2004)
Waterways: 1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006)
Merchant total: 669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188 GRT/
marine: 13,733,624 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker
98, container 81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5,
passenger/cargo 24, petroleum tanker 57, refrigerated
cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3,
vehicle carrier 6
foreign-owned: 22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7)
registered in other countries: 365 (Belize 4, Cambodia
23, China 2, Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong
6, Indonesia 1, Liberia 3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6,
Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore 17, unknown
2) (2006)
Ports and Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan
terminals:
Military, South
Military Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong
branches: Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast
guard) (2006)
Military 20-30 years of age for compulsory military service;
service age conscript service obligation - 24-28 months, depending
and on the military branch involved; 18 years of age for
obligation: voluntary military service; some 4,000 women serve as
commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3%
of all officers; women, in service since 1950, are
admitted to seven service branches, including infantry,
but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and
chaplaincy corps (2005)
Manpower males age 20-49: 12,483,677
available for females age 20-49: 12,014,462 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 20-49: 10,115,817
for military females age 20-49: 9,721,914 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 344,943
reaching females age 20-49: 312,720 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $21.06 billion FY05 (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 2.6% FY05 (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational, South
Issues
Disputes - Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide
international: Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea
since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with North Korea
over the Northern Limit Line; South Korea and Japan
claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by
South Korea since 1954