Statistical information South Korea 1998

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. Since late 1997, however, the nation has suffered widespread financial and organizational difficulties. Continuing tensions between North and South have raised concerns of provocative military actions by the North.
top of pageLocation: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates: 37 00 N, 127 30 E
Map reference:
AsiaAreaTotal: 98,480 km²
Land: 98,190 km²
Water: 290 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Indiana
Land boundariesTotal: 238 km
Border countries: (1) North Korea 238 kmCoastline: 2,413 km
Maritime claimsContiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: not specified
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
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
ElevationExtremes lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
Extremes highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower
Land useArable land: 19%
Permanent crops: 2%
Permanent pastures: 1%
Forests and woodland: 65%
Other: 13% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 13,350 km² (1993 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazards: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Geographytop of pagePopulation: 46,416,796 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.01% (1998 est.)
NationalityNoun: Korean(s)
Adjective: Korean
Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Languages: Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Religions: Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Demographic profileAge structure0-14 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.)
Dependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.01% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 16.08 births/1000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 5.67 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.31 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: air pollution in large cities; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Desertification
Air pollutantsSex ratioAt 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.)
Mothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 7.79 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 73.95 years
Male: 70.37 years
Female: 78 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.79 children born/woman (1998 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 expendituresLiteracyDefinition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: 99.3%
Female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
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
Note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Hanguk" to refer to their country
Abbreviation: ROK
Government type: republic
Capital: Seoul
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* 15 August 1945; note_date of liberation from Japanese colonial rule
Dependent areasIndependenceNational holiday: Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
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 Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998): ead 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%
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
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leadersInternational 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 representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador YI Hong-ku
In the us chancery: 2,450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 939-5,600
In the us consulates general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen W. BOSWORTH
From the us embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul
From the us mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15,550, APO AP 96,205-0001
From the us telephone: [82] (2) 397-4,114
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: 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.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)
Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $13,700 (1997 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture: 8%
Industry: 45%
Services: 47% (1991 est.)
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
Industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Industrial production growth rate: 8.2% (1996)
Labor forceTotal: 20 million
By occupation servicesandother: 52%
By occupation mining and manufacturing: 27%
By occupation agriculture fishing forestry: 21% (1991)
Unemployment rate: 2% (1996)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudgetRevenues: $101 billion
Expenditures: $101 billion, including capital expenditures of $20 billion (1996 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation 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: total value:$129.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish
Partners: US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12% (1995)
Imports: total value:$150.2 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
Commodoties: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Partners: US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13% (1995)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $154 billion (1998 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange 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)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 31.665 million kW (1995)
Production: 174.52 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 3,831 kWh (1995)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephones: 16.6 million (1993)
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)
Broadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresDollar figure: $17.4 billion (1996)
Percent of gdp: 3.3% (1996)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 103 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 67
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 18
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 15
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With paved runways under 914 m: 19 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 36
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 32 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 202 (1997 est.)
Pipelines: petroleum products 455 km; note_additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed
RailwaysTotal: 3,081 km
Standard gauge: 3,081 km 1.435-m gauge (560 km electrified) (1996 est.)
RoadwaysWaterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft
Merchant marineTotal: 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.)
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) claimed by Japan
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs