:Korea, South Geography Total area: 98,480 km2 Land area: 98,190 km2 Comparative area: slightly larger than Indiana Land boundaries: 238 km; North Korea 238 km Coastline: 2,413 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: not specific Territorial sea: 12 nm (3 nm in the Korea Strait) Disputes: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks claimed by Japan Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south Natural resources: coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower Land use: arable land 21%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 1%; forest and woodland 67%; other 10%; includes irrigated 12% Environment: occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; earthquakes in southwest; air pollution in large cities :Korea, South People Population: 44,149,199 (July 1992), growth rate 1.1% (1992) Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 73 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 1.6 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Korean(s);adjective - Korean Ethnic divisions: homogeneous; small Chinese minority (about 20,000) Religions: strong Confucian tradition; vigorous Christian minority (24.3% of the total population); Buddhism; pervasive folk religion (Shamanism); Chondogyo (religion of the heavenly way), eclectic religion with nationalist overtones founded in 19th century, about 0.1% of population Languages: Korean; English widely taught in high school Literacy: 96% (male 99%, female 94%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 16,900,000; 52% services and other; 27% mining and manufacturing; 21% agriculture, fishing, forestry (1987) Organized labor: 23.4% (1989) of labor force in government-sanctioned unions :Korea, South Government Long-form name: Republic of Korea; abbreviated ROK 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* Independence: 15 August 1948 Constitution: 25 February 1988 Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948) Executive branch: president, prime minister, two deputy prime ministers, State Council (cabinet) Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Kuk Hoe) Judicial branch: Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President ROH Tae Woo (since 25 February 1988) Head of Government: Prime Minister CHUNG Won Shik (since 24 May 1991); Deputy Prime Minister CHOI Gak Kyu (since 19 February 1991) Political parties and leaders: ruling party: Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), ROH Tae Woo, president, KIM Young Sam, chairman; KIM Chong Pil and PAK Tae Chun, co-chairmen; 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 opposition: Democratic Party (DP), result of a merger of the New Democratic Party and the Democratic Party formalized 16 September 1991; KIM Dae Jung, executive chairman; LEE Ki Taek, executive chairman; several smaller parties Suffrage: universal at age 20 Elections: President: last held on 16 December 1987 (next to be held December 1992); results - ROH Tae Woo (DJP) 35.9%, KIM Young Sam (RDP) 27.5%, KIM Dae Jung (PPD) 26.5%, other 10.1% National Assembly: last held on 26 April 1988 (next to be held around March 1992); results - DJP 34%, RDP 24%, PPD 19%, NDRP 15%, other 8%; seats - (296 total) DJP 125, PPD 70, RDP 59, NDRP 35, other 10; note - on 9 February 1990 the DJP, RDP, and NDRP merged to form the DLP; also the PPD, later renamed the NDP, merged with another party to form the DP in September 1991. The distribution of seats as of December 1991 was DLP 214, DP 72, independent 9, vacant 1 :Korea, South Government Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Council of College Student Representatives; 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 Member of: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, ILO, IMF, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador HYUN Hong Joo; Chancery at 2370 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 939-5600; there are Korean Consulates General in Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle US: Ambassador Donald P. GREGG; Embassy at 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul, AMEMB, Unit 15550 (mailing address is APO AP 96205-0001); telephone [82] (2) 732-2601 through 2618; FAX [82] (2) 738-8845; there is a US Consulate in 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 :Korea, South Economy 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 has increased more than 10% annually over the past six years. This growth has led to an overheated situation characterized by a tight labor market, strong inflationary pressures, and a rapidly rising current account deficit. Policymakers have stated they will focus attention on slowing inflation. In any event, the economy will remain the envy of the great majority of the world's peoples. GNP: purchasing power equivalent - $273 billion, per capita $6,300; real growth rate 8.7% (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.7% (1991) Unemployment rate: 2.4% (1991) Budget: revenues $44 billion; expenditures $44 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992) Exports: $71.9 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: textiles, clothing, electronic and electrical equipment, footwear, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships, fish partners: US 26%, Japan 18% (1991) Imports: $81.6 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains partners: Japan 26%, US 23% (1991) External debt: $38.2 billion (1991) Industrial production: growth rate 7.5% (1991 est.); accounts for about 45% of GNP Electricity: 24,000,000 kW capacity; 106,000 million kWh produced, 2,460 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing, chemicals, steel, electronics, automobile production, shipbuilding Agriculture: 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 Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.9 billion; non-US countries (1970-89), $3.0 billion Currency: South Korean won (plural - won); 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chon (theoretical) Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1 - 766.66 (January 1992), 733.35 (1991), 707.76 (1990), 671.46 (1989), 731.47 (1988), 822.57 (1987) :Korea, South Economy Fiscal year: calendar year :Korea, South Communications Railroads: 3,106 km operating in 1983; 3,059 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 47 km 0.610-meter narrow gauge, 712 km double track, 418 km electrified; government owned Highways: 62,936 km total (1982); 13,476 km national highway, 49,460 km provincial and local roads Inland waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft Pipelines: petroleum products 455 km Ports: Pusan, Inchon, Kunsan, Mokpo, Ulsan Merchant marine: 435 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,924,818 GRT/11,389,397 DWT; includes 2 short-sea passenger, 140 cargo, 53 container, 11 refrigerated cargo, 9 vehicle carrier, 42 petroleum tanker, 10 chemical tanker, 14 liquefied gas, 5 combination ore/oil, 145 bulk, 3 combination bulk, 1 multifunction large-load carrier Civil air: 93 major transport aircraft Airports: 105 total, 97 usable; 60 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 23 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 16 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: adequate domestic and international services; 4,800,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 79 AM, 46 FM, 256 TV (57 of 1 kW or greater); satellite earth stations - 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT :Korea, South Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Marines Corps, Air Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 13,131,113; 8,456,428 fit for military service; 448,450 reach military age (18) annually Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $12.6 billion, 4.5% of GNP (1992 budget)