1998 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1998 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km
Area-comparative
slightly larger than Indiana
Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Coastline
2,413 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Environment-current issues
air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment-international agreements
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Desertification
Geographic coordinates
37 00 N, 127 30 E
Irrigated land
13,350 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 238 km border countries: North Korea 238 km
Land use
arable land: 19% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 65% other: 13% (1993 est.)
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Map references
Asia
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
Natural hazards
occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
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: 22% (male 5,505,564; female 4,894,780) 15-64 years: 71% (male 16,772,319; female 16,272,145) 65 years and over: 7% (male 1,126,963; female 1,845,025) (July 1998 est.)
Birth rate
16.08 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate
5.67 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Infant mortality rate
7.79 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Languages
Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.95 years male: 70.37 years female: 78 years (1998 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 98% male: 99.3% female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean
Net migration rate
-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population
46,416,796 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate
1.01% (1998 est.)
Religions
Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.61 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.79 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special 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*
Constitution
25 February 1988
Country name
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
Data code
KS
Executive branch
chief of state: President Kim Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998) head of government: Acting Prime Minister KIM Chong-p'il (since 3 March 1998) 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 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%, YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%
FAX
[82] (2) 738-8845 consulate(s): Pusan
Flag description
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
republic
Independence
15 August 1945; note-date of liberation from Japanese colonial rule
International organization participation
AfDB, APEC, AsDB, BIS (pending member), CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador YI Hong-ku 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 Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen W. BOSWORTH embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly Political parties and leaders: Grand National Party (GNP), CHO Sun, president; National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), Kim Dae-jung, president; United Liberal Democrats (ULD), PAK Tae-chun, president; New People's Party (NPP), YI In-che, president note: subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the following parties disbanded-New Korea Party (NKP) and Democratic Party (DP) Political pressure groups and leaders: 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; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
Legal system
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-NKP 139, NCNP 79, ULD 50, DP 15, independents 16; note-the distribution of seats as of February 1998 was GNP 165, NCNP 78, ULD 43, NPP 8, independents 4, vacant 1
National capital
Seoul
National holiday
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture-products
rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish catch of 2.9 million metric tons, seventh largest in world
Budget
revenues: $101 billion expenditures: $101 billion, including capital expenditures of $20 billion (1996 est.)
Currency
1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)
Debt-external
$154 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid
$NA
Economy-overview
As one of the Four Dragons of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth. Three decades ago its GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is eight times India's, 15 times North Korea's, and already up with 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 1997/98 exposed certain longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. Also, a number of private sector conglomerates are near bankruptcy. At yearend 1997, an international effort, spearheaded by the IMF, was underway to shore up reserves and stabilize the economy. Growth in 1998 will be sharply cut. Long-term growth will depend on how successfully South Korea implements planned economic reforms that would bolster the financial sector, improve corporate management, and open the economy further to foreign participation.
Electricity-capacity
31.665 million kW (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita
3,831 kWh (1995)
Electricity-production
174.52 billion kWh (1995)
Exchange rates
South Korean won (W) per US$1-1,706.80 (January 1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994), 802.67 (1993)
Exports
total value: $129.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish partners: US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12% (1995)
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
GDP
purchasing power parity-$631.2 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector
agriculture: 8% industry: 45% services: 47% (1991 est.)
GDP-per capita
purchasing power parity-$13,700 (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate
6% (1997 est.)
Imports
total value: $150.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996) commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13% (1995)
Industrial production growth rate
8.2% (1996)
Industries
electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Inflation rate-consumer price index
5% (1996)
Labor force
total: 20 million by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0
Radios
42 million (1993 est.)
Telephone system
excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; satellite earth stations-3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Telephones
16.6 million (1993)
Television broadcast stations
256 (57 of which are 1 kW or greater) (1987 est.)
Televisions
9.3 million (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate
2% (1996)
Transportation
Airports
103 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 67 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 14 under 914 m: 19 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 36 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 32 (1997 est.)
Heliports
202 (1997 est.)
Highways
total: 83,400 km paved: 63,467 km (including 1,920 km of expressways) unpaved: 19,933 km (1996 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 474 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,749,052 GRT/10,447,597 DWT ships by type: bulk 118, cargo 131, chemical tanker 28, combination bulk 3, combination ore/oil 1, container 70, liquefied gas tanker 12, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 72, refrigerated cargo 22, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 2, vehicle carrier 13 note: South Korea owns an additional 273 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,985,267 DWT operating under the registries of Cambodia, Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Panama, and Singapore (1997 est.)
Pipelines
petroleum products 455 km; note-additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed Ports and harbors: Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu
Railways
total: 3,081 km standard gauge: 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) (1996 est.)
Waterways
1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Military expenditures-dollar figure
$17.4 billion (1996)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP
3.3% (1996)
Military manpower-availability
males age 15-49: 13,849,615 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 8,837,541 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-military age
18 years of age
Military manpower-reaching military age annually
males: 399,034 (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes-international
Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) claimed by Japan