South Korea

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South Korea

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name Daehan Minguk/Republic of Korea Area 98,799 sq km/38,146 sq mi Capital Seoul Language Korean (official) Religion Buddhist 48%, Confucian 3%, Christian 47%, mainly Protestant; Chund Kyo (peculiar to Korea, combining elements of Shaman, Buddhist, and Christian doctrines) Time difference GMT +9 Major holidays 1–3 January, 1, 10 March, 5 May, 6 June, 17 July, 15 August, 1, 3, 9 October, 25 December; variable: New Year (Chinese, January/February), Lord Buddha's Birthday (May), Moon Festival (September/October)


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Pusan, Taegu, Inchon, Kwangju, Taejon, Songnam Major ports Pusan, Inchon Physical features southern end of a mountainous peninsula separating the Sea of Japan from the Yellow Sea Airports seven international airports and over 10 major domestic airports; total passengers carried: 33.3 million (2003 est) Railways total length: 6,819 km/4,237 mi; total passenger journeys: 1.02 billion (2003) Roads total road network: 97,252 km/60,430 mi, of which 76.8% paved (2003 est); passenger cars: 304.5 per 1,000 people (2003 est)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state Roh Moo Hyun from 2004 Head of government Han Duck Soo from 2007 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions nine provinces and seven cities with provincial status Political parties New Korea Party (NKP, formerly Democratic Liberal Party (DLP)), right of centre; National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), left of centre; Democratic Party (DP), left of centre; New Democratic Party (NDP), centrist, pro-private enterprise; United Liberal Democratic Party (ULD), ultra-conservative, pro-private enterprise Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 687,700; plus 4.5 million reservists and paramilitary forces of 4,500 (2006 est) Conscription 26 months (army) or 30 months (navy and air force) Defence spend (% GDP) 2.6 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 4.2 (2003 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.8 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency won GDP (US$) 787.6 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 764.7 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 21,850 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 2.7% (2006 est) Unemployment 3.5% (2006) Labour force 7.9% agriculture, 26.8% industry, 65.3% services (2005) Foreign debt (US$) 152.6 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners China, Japan, USA, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong Resources coal, iron ore, tungsten, gold, molybdenum, graphite, fluorite, natural gas, hydroelectric power, fish Industries electrical machinery, transport equipment (principally motor vehicles and shipbuilding), chemical products, textiles and clothing, iron and steel, electronics equipment, food processing, tourism Exports electrical and electronis products, machinery and equipment, textiles, clothing, footwear, passenger cars, metal goods, chemical products (‘invisible export’ – overseas construction work). Principal market: China 21.8% (2005) Imports machinery and transport equipment (especially electrical and electronic machinery), petroleum and petroleum products, grain and foodstuffs, steel, chemical products, basic manufactures. Principal source: Japan 18.5% (2005) Arable land 16.6% (2006 est) Agricultural products rice, maize, barley, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fruit; livestock (pigs and cattle)


POPULATION

Population 47,983,000 (2006 est) Population growth rate 0.3% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 486 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 81 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 18%, 15–59 68%, 60+ 14% (2005 est) Ethnic groups with the exception of a small Nationalist Chinese minority, the population is almost entirely of Korean descent Life expectancy 75 (men); 82 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 6 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 99% (men); 97% (women) (2003 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 18.1 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 6.1 (2002 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) <0.1 (2005 est) AIDS deaths <500 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 97 (urban); 71 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 49.2 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 79.4 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 1,034 (2001 est) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 477 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 54.5 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 68.4 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

2333 BC Traditional date of founding of Korean state by Tangun (mythical son from union of bear-woman and god). 1122 BC Ancient texts record founding of kingdom in Korea by Chinese nobleman Kija. 194 BC Northwest Korea united under warlord, Wiman. 108 BC Korea conquered by Chinese. 1st–7th centuries AD Three Korean kingdoms – Koguryo, Paekche, and Silla – competed for supremacy. 668 Korean peninsula unified by Buddhist Silla kingdom; culture combining Chinese and Korean elements flourished. 935 Silla dynasty overthrown by Wang Kon of Koguryo, who founded Koryo dynasty in its place. 1258 Korea accepted overlordship of Mongol Yüan Empire. 1392 Yi dynasty founded by Gen Yi Song-gye, vassal of Chinese Ming Empire; Confucianism replaced Buddhism as official creed; extreme conservatism characterized Korean society. 1592 and 1597 Japanese invasions repulsed by Korea. 1636 Manchu invasion forced Korea to sever ties with Ming dynasty. 18th–19th centuries Korea resisted change in political and economic life and rejected contact with Europeans. 1864 Attempts to reform government and strengthen army by Taewongun (who ruled in name of his son, King Kojong); converts to Christianity persecuted. 1873 Taewongun forced to cede power to Queen Min; reforms reversed; government authority collapsed. 1882 Chinese occupied Seoul and installed governor. 1894–95 Sino-Japanese War: Japan forced China to recognize independence of Korea; Korea fell to Japanese influence. 1904–05 Russo-Japanese War: Japan ended Russian influence in Korea. 1910 Korea formally annexed by Japan; Japanese settlers introduced modern industry and agriculture; Korean language banned. 1919 ‘Samil’ nationalist movement suppressed by Japanese. 1945 After defeat of Japan in World War II, Russia occupied regions of Korea north of 38th parallel (demarcation line agreed at Yalta Conference) and USA occupied regions south of it. 1948 The USSR refused to permit United Nations (UN) supervision of elections in the northern zone; the southern zone became independent as the Republic of Korea, with Syngman Rhee as president. 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea; UN forces (mainly from the USA) intervened to defend South Korea; China intervened in support of North Korea. 1953 The Korean War ended with an armistice which restored the 38th parallel; no peace treaty was agreed and US troops remained in South Korea. 1961 Military coup placed Gen Park Chung Hee in power; a major programme of industrial development began. 1972 Martial law imposed and presidential powers increased. 1979 Government of President Choi Kyu-Hah introduced liberalizing reforms. 1979 Gen Chun Doo Hwan assumed power after antigovernment riots; Korea emerged as leading shipbuilding nation and exporter of electronic goods. 1987 Constitution made more democratic as result of Liberal pressure; ruling Democratic Justice Party (DJP) candidate Roh Tae Woo elected president amid allegations of fraud. 1988 Olympic Games held in Seoul. 1991 Large-scale antigovernment protests forcibly suppressed; South Korea joined UN. 1992 South Korea established diplomatic relations with China. 1994 US military presence stepped up in response to perceived threat from North Korea. 1997 South Korea admitted to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Kim Dae Jung, former dissident and political prisoner, became first opposition politician to lead South Korea. 1998 Kim Dae Jung became president, with Kim Jong Pil as prime minister. New labour laws ended lifetime employment and financial system opened up. More than 2,000 prisoners released, including 74 political prisoners. Continuing labour unrest as GDP contracted by 5%. 1999 Talks on possible reunification with North Korea suspended. 2000 Kim Jong Pil resigned as prime minister; replaced by Park Tae Joon, who resigned after opposition Grand National Party won majority in elections; replaced by Lee Han Dong. At first summit meeting between divided countries, Kim Dae Jung was welcomed by leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Two leaders agreed to further economic contact by South Korean investment in North Korea, and to open rail links between them. Kim Dae Jung awarded Nobel Peace Prize. 2002 In worst clash between North and South Korea in three years naval vessels fired on each other in disputed coastal waters in Yellow Sea. Incident threatened to derail President Kim Dae Jung's policy of engagement with North Korea. 2003 In largest mass crossing of demilitarized zone since Korean War, hundreds of South Koreans travelled to Pyongyang for opening of gymnasium funded by South Korean conglomerate Hyundai. 2004 Amid controversy, 3,000 troops dispatched to Iraq; parliament voted to extend deployment. Yeongi-Kongju area chosen as site for new capital; to replace Seoul by 2030. Seoul admitted its scientists carried out experiment to enrich uranium in 2000; UN's nuclear watchdog decided not to bring matter to Security Council. 2005 Fugitive former chief of Daewoo Kim Woo-choong returned; arrested for his part in industrial giant's financial collapse; sentenced to ten years in prison. Scandal broke when it was revealed that Dr Hwang Woo-suk, scientist and national hero, had faked his landmark stem cell findings; charged with misuse of funding. 2006 South Korea's foreign minister, Ban Ki-moon, became UN secretary general. Government approved further one-year extension of military deployment in Iraq. 2007 Two Koreas agreed to restart high-level talks that were suspended after North's nuclear test. Chief executive officer of Hyundai, country's biggest car maker, sentenced to three years in prison for embezzlement. After ten months of negotiations, free trade deal with USA agreed. For first time in 56 years, passenger trains crossed the South–North border. Leaders of South and North Korea pledged at summit in Pyongyang to seek formal end of the Korean War and increase economic contacts.


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