Statistical information South Korea 1994
South Korea in the World
top of pageBackground: At the end of World War II, the US and the Soviet Union agreed that US troops would accept the surrender of Japanese forces south of the 38th parallel and the Soviet Union would do so in the north. In 1948, the UN proposed nationwide elections; after P'yongyang's refusal to allow UN inspectors in the north, elections were held in the south and the Republic of Korea was established. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea was established the following month in the north. Communist North Korean forces invaded South Korea in 1950. US and other UN forces intervened to defend the South and Chinese forces intervened on behalf of the North. After a bitter three-year war, an armistice was signed in 1953, establishing a military demarcation line near the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved amazing economic growth, with per capita output rising to 13 times the level in the North.
top of pageLocation: Eastern Asia, between North Korea and Japan
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Asia, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal area total: 98,480 km²
Land: 98,190 km²
Land boundaries: total 238 km, North Korea 238 km
Coastline: 2,413 km
Maritime claimsContinental shelf: not specified
Territorial sea: 12 nm; 3 nm in the Korea Strait
Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
ElevationNatural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land useArable land: 21%
Permanent crops: 1%
Meadows and pastures: 1%
Forest and woodland: 67%
Other: 10%
Irrigated land: 13,530 km² (1989)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest
Geographytop of pagePopulation: 45,082,880 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 1.04% (1994 est.)
Nationality: noun:Korean(s)
Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Languages: Korean, English widely taught in high school
Religions: Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.04% (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 15.7 births/1000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 6.17 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.91 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 21.7 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 70.59 years
Male: 67.39 years
Female: 73.98 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.65 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 96%
Male: 99%
Female: 99%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Korea
Conventional short form: South Korea
Local long form:Taehan-min'guk
local short form; none
Abbreviation: ROK
Government 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*
Dependent areasIndependence: 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
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branchChief 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 Yong-tok (since 29 April 1994); Deputy Prime Minister CHONG Chae-sok (since 21 December 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister YI Hong-ku (since 30 April 1994)
Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM (cooperating), CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationFrom the us chief of mission: Ambassador James T. LANEY
From the us chancery: 2,450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [82] (2) 397-4,000 through 4,008 and 397-4,114
From the us consulates general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
From the us embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15,550, Seoul; APO AP 96,205-0001
From the us FAX: [82] (2) 738-8,845
From the us consulates: 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
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy 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 GNP 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. Growth increased to 6.3% in 1993 as a result of fourth quarter manufacturing production growth of over 10% and is expected to be in the 8% range for 1994.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 6.3% (1993)
Real gdp per capita pppGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 8% of GNP 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
Industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 5% (1992 est.), accounts for about 45% of GNP
Labor force: 20 million
By occupation servicesandother: 52%
By occupation mining and manufacturing: 27%
By occupation agriculture fishing forestry: 21% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 2.6% (October 1993)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues:$48.4 billion
Public debtTaxes and other revenuesRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Current account balanceInflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $81 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, textiles, clothing, footwear, fish
Partners: US 26%, Japan 17%, EC 14%
Imports: $78.9 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Partners: Japan 26%, US 24%, EC 15%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $42 billion (1992)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 810.48 (January 1994), 802.68 (1993), 780.65 (1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989)
top of pageElectricity accessElectricity production: 105 billion kWh (1992)
Electricity consumptionPer capita: 2,380 kWh (1992)
Electricity exportsElectricity importsElectricity installed generating capacityElectricity transmission distribution lossesElectricity generation sourcesPetroleumRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones fixed linesTelephones mobile cellularTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternet country codeInternet usersBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $13.0 billion, 3.6% of GNP (1994 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 104
Usable: 95
With permanentsurface runways: 61
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 23
With runways 1220-2439 m: 18
Airports with paved runwaysAirports with unpaved runwaysHeliportsPipelines: petroleum products 455 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Merchant marine: 417 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,425,920 GRT/10,535,850 DWT, bulk 123, cargo 132, chemical tanker 16, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 60, liquefied gas 13, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 47, refrigerated cargo 11, short-sea passenger 1, vehicle carrier 9
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs