CIA - The World Factbook

An independent Korean state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. In October 2007, a second North-South summit took place between the South's President ROH Moo-hyun and the North Korean leader. Harsh rhetoric and unwillingness by North Korea to engage with President LEE Myung-bak following his February 2008 inauguration has strained inter-Korean relations.

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

slightly larger than Indiana

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter

mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest

air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing

strategic location on Korea Strait

48,636,068 (July 2010 est.)

8.72 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

6.15 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.22 children born/woman (2010 est.)

less than 0.1% (2007 est.)

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Christian 26.3% (Protestant 19.7%, Roman Catholic 6.6%), Buddhist 23.2%, other or unknown 1.3%, none 49.3% (1995 census)

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

17 July 1948; note - amended or rewritten many times; current constitution approved on 29 October 1987

combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

19 years of age; universal

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 245 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 54 elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president with consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by the president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court)

Democratic Party or DP [CHUNG Sye-kyun] (formerly the United Democratic Party or UDP); Democratic Labor Party or DLP [KANG Ki-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [CHUNG Mong-joon]; Liberty Forward Party or LFP [LEE Hoi-chang]; New Progressive Party or NPP [ROH Hoe-chan]; Pro-Park Alliance or PPA [SUH Choung-won]; Renewal Korea Party or RKP [SONG Yong-o]

Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student Associations

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, APT, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

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

Since the 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies, and currently is among the world's twenty largest economies. Initially, a system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, made this success possible. 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 longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports. Growth moderated to about 4-5% annually between 2003 and 2007. With the global economic downturn in late 2008, South Korean GDP growth slowed to 2.2% in 2008 and declined 0.2% in 2009. In the third quarter of 2009, the economy began to recover, in large part due to export growth, low interest rates, and an expansionary fiscal policy. The South Korean economy's long term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, and overdependence on manufacturing exports to drive economic growth.

$1.356 trillion (2009 est.)

$1.353 trillion (2008 est.)

$1.324 trillion (2007 est.)

$809.7 billion (2009 est.)

24.37 million (2009 est.)

28.2% of GDP (2009 est.)

28% of GDP (2009 est.)

24.4% of GDP (2008 est.)

1.75% (31 December 2008)

3.25% (31 December 2007)

7.17% (31 December 2008)

$80.66 billion (31 December 2008)

$92.59 billion (31 December 2007)

$478 billion (31 December 2008)

$541.7 billion (31 December 2007)

$937 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.061 trillion (31 December 2007)

$494.6 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.124 trillion (31 December 2007)

$835.2 billion (31 December 2006)

rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish

electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel

440 billion kWh (2008 est.)

385.1 billion kWh (2008 est.)

30,440 bbl/day (2008 est.)

2.175 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

2.982 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

443 million cu m (2008 est.)

34.76 billion cu m (2008 est.)

36.21 billion cu m (2008 est.)

50 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)

$30.38 billion (2009 est.)

-$6.349 billion (2008 est.)

$355.1 billion (2009 est.)

$433.5 billion (2008 est.)

semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

China 21.5%, US 10.9%, Japan 6.6%, Hong Kong 4.6% (2008)

$313.4 billion (2009 est.)

$427.4 billion (2008 est.)

machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics

China 17.7%, Japan 14%, US 8.9%, Saudi Arabia 7.8%, UAE 4.4%, Australia 4.1% (2008)

$245.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$201.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$333.6 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$381.1 billion (31 December 2008)

$86 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$124.2 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$74.6 billion (30 June 2008)

South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - 1,296.88 (2009), 1,101.7 (2008), 929.2 (2007), 954.8 (2006), 1,024.1 (2005)

21.325 million (2008)

45.607 million (2008)

AM 96, FM 322, shortwave 1 (2008)

57 (plus 103 cable operators and 119 relay cable operators) (2008)

37.476 million (2008)

gas 1,423 km; refined products 827 km (2009)

1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2008)

Inch'on, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2009)

20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - less than 22 months (Army, Marines), approx. 25 months (Air Force) (to be reduced to 18 months beginning 2016); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; some 4,000 women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx. 2.3% of all officers (2009)

Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limiting Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954