1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 98,480 sq km land area: 98,190 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana
Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Coastline
2,413 km
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
International disputes
Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
Irrigated land
13,530 sq km (1989)
Land boundaries
total 238 km, North Korea 238 km
Land use
arable land: 21% permanent crops: 1% meadows and pastures: 1% forest and woodland: 67% other: 10%
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
Maritime claims
continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
Natural resources
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Terrain
mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
People and Society
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.)
Birth rate
15.63 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
6.18 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Infant mortality rate
20.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
20 million by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)
Languages
Korean, English widely taught in high school
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.89 years male: 67.69 years female: 74.29 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94%
Nationality
noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Net migration rate
0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
45,553,882 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
1.04% (1995 est.)
Religions
Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%
Total fertility rate
1.66 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Abbreviation
ROK
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*
Capital
Seoul
Constitution
25 February 1988
Digraph
KS
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
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
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
Independence
15 August 1948
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Legislative branch
unicameral
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
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
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
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
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
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal
Type
republic
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
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
Budget
revenues: $63 billion expenditures: $63 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Currency
1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Economic aid
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3 billion
Electricity
capacity: 26,940,000 kW production: 137 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,847 kWh (1993)
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)
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%
External debt
$44.1 billion (1993)
Fiscal year
calendar year
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%
Industrial production
growth rate 12.1% (1994 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP
Industries
electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.6% (1994)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $508.3 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$11,270 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
8.3% (1994)
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.
Unemployment rate
2% (November 1994)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0 radios: NA
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
Television
broadcast stations: 256 (1 kW or greater 57) televisions: NA
Transportation
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
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
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
Pipelines
petroleum products 455 km
Ports
Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, Pohang, Pusan, Ulsan, Yosu
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
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $14 billion, 3.3% of GNP (1995 est.) ________________________________________________________________________ KUWAIT
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.)