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Capital Seoul
37°35? N 127°0? E Largest city Seoul Official language(s) Korean From Japan
August 15, 1945 Area
• Total
• Water (%)
48,422,644 (24th)
491/km˛ (12th)
{{{population_densitymi˛}}}/mi˛ 2004 estimate
$1.029 trillion (12th)
$21,419 (33rd) 0.901 (28th) – high Currency Time zone
• Summer (DST) (UTC+9)
(UTC+10) Internet TLD .kr Calling code +82 |
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South Korea Information
Main articles: Politics of South Korea, Elections in South Korea, Constitution of the Republic of Korea
 The Gyeongbokgung palace
The Gyeongbokgung palace
The Republic of Korea is a developed, stable, democratic republic with powers shared between the president, legislature and judiciary.
The head of state of the Republic of Korea is the president, who is elected by direct popular vote for a single five-year term. In addition to being the highest representative of the republic and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the president also has considerable executive powers and appoints the prime minister with approval of the National Assembly, as well as appointing and presiding over the State Council or cabinet.
 President Roh Moo-hyun
President Roh Moo-hyun
The unicameral Korean legislature is the National Assembly or Gukhoe (??/??), whose members serve a four-year term of office. The legislature currently has 299 seats, of which 243 are elected by regional vote and the remainder are distributed by the proportional representation ballot. The highest judiciary body is the Supreme Court, whose justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly. Since 1948, South Korea has been governed under six major revisions of its Constitution, each signifying a new South Korean republic. The current government is known as the Sixth Republic under the 1988 constitution.
The main political parties in South Korea are the Uri Party, the Grand National Party (GNP), the Democratic Labor Party (DLP), and the Democratic Party (DP). In late 2003 a faction of the Millennium Democratic Party (later DP) split from the party and formed the liberal Uri Party, which gained a slim majority in the National Assembly in the April 2004 legislative elections but failed to secure it after subsequent reelections. The conservative GNP and centrist DP form the political opposition. The progressive DLP, which is aligned with labour unions, represents the interests of the working class, including peasants.
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Main article: Administrative divisions of South Korea.
South Korea consists of 1 Special City (Teukbyeolsi; ???; ???), 6 Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi, singular and plural; ???; ???), and 9 Provinces (do, singular and plural; ?; ?). The names below are given in English, Revised Romanization, Hangul, and Hanja.
Special City
Seoul Special City (Seoul Teukbyeolsi; ?? ???)
Metropolitan Cities
Gwangju Metropolitan City (Gwangju Gwangyeoksi; ?? ???; ?????)
Incheon Metropolitan City (Incheon Gwangyeoksi; ?? ???; ?????)
Daejeon Metropolitan City (Daejeon Gwangyeoksi; ?? ???; ?????)
Ulsan Metropolitan City (Ulsan Gwangyeoksi; ?? ???; ?????)
Daegu Metropolitan City (Daegu Gwangyeoksi; ?? ???; ?????)
Busan Metropolitan City (Busan Gwangyeoksi; ?? ???; ?????)
Provinces
Gyeonggi-do (???, ???)
Gangwon-do (???, ??? or ?-???, ????)
Chungcheongbuk-do (????, ????)
Chungcheongnam-do (????, ????)
Jeollabuk-do (????, ????)
Jeollanam-do (????, ????)
Gyeongsangbuk-do (????, ????)
Gyeongsangnam-do (????, ????)
Jeju-do (???, ???)
See also: Provinces of Korea and Special cities of Korea for historical information.
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Main articles: Demographics of South Korea, Korean people
The Korean people
Korea's population is one of the most Japan, and significant in parts of Central Asia.
Following the Canada. However, South Korea’s burgeoning economy and improved political climate in the early and mid-1990s slowed the high emigration rates typical of the late 1980s. Many of those who emigrated chose to return to South Korea. Currently, the migration rate for South Koreans is close to zero.
The annual rate of population increase in South Korea has dropped steadily from more than 3 % in the late 1950s to 0.38 % in 2005 as a result of people choosing to have fewer children than in the past. South Korea now has the lowest birthrate in the world.
Officially, as of the April 2005, the total size of the foreign laborers in South Korea stood at 378,000, 52 % of which, or 199,000, are in the country illegally. This figure is considered by many to be low and only represents the number of known foreign workers, illegal or not. This large workforce and foreign population mainly comes from South Asian and Philippines. There are also many workers from the former Soviet Union countries and Nigeria.
Along with these workers from South Asia and elsewhere, there are also about 11,000 foreign South Africa. Many Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who work in Korea are perceived as Indians. Indians also live and work in Korea, usually legally employed by major companies.
Cities
About 85 % of South Koreans live in urban areas. The capital city of Seoul had 10.3 million inhabitants in 2003, making it one of the most populated single cities (excluding greater metropolitan areas) in the world. Seoul is also the country's largest city and chief industrial centre. Its density has allowed it to become one of the most "digitally-wired" cities in today's globally connected economy.
Other major cities include Ulsan (1.15 million). Busan is the country's principal seaport.
Language
 Original promulgation of Hangul by King Sejong
Original promulgation of Hangul by King Sejong
South Korea's national language is China.
For thousands of years, a system based on borrowed Peter Yu (Keunwoo Yu in Korean), once said, "The change of the peninsula to simplified characterisation played a central role in converting the power structure and development of future generations."
In 2000 the government adopted the Revised Romanisation of Korean.
 Bulguksa Temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1995.
Bulguksa Temple was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1995.
Religion
According to 2003 statistics compiled by the South Korean government, about 46 % of citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Christians account for 27.3% of the population and Buddhists 25.3%.[1]
Buddhism is stronger in the more conservative east of the country, namely the China). Many adherents of Buddhism combine Buddhist practice and shamanism.
Christianity, which initially got a foothold in Korea in the late 18th century, grew Seoul, Seoul is home to Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest single church in the world.
Various other religions account for about 2.5 % of the religious population. These include the Wonbulgyo movement, which emphasises the unity of all things. Another notable minor religion is Cheondogyo, an indigenous faith combining elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity. Confucianism is also small in terms of self-declared adherents, but the great majority of South Koreans, irrespective of their formal religious affiliation, are strongly influenced by Confucian values, which continue to permeate Korean culture. A significant minority also profess to Islam and are mainly Korean.
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Main article: Foreign relations of South Korea
North and South Korea continue to dispute which country should be deemed the "rightful successor" to the previous Korean states. Despite longstanding animosity following the Korean War in 1950 (which has still not officially ended), the South and North have in recent times sought to establish a more conciliatory relationship. This road has however been punctuated by a number of difficulties, including the North-South presidential summit corruption allegations in June 2000. Nevertheless, events such as the Olympic Games, where the two Koreas currently participate as one team, show a new and more optimistic side to the North-South relationship.
United States and South Korea have often been at odds in recent times with regard to their policy towards North Korea.
Despite previous hostility during the Korean War, South Korea and China established formal diplomatic relations on August 24, 1992. Ties have subsequently burgeoned, and China is now the South's primary trading partner and perhaps its key international relationship.
South Korea's relations with Japan continue to be turbulent, primarily due to a number of disputes between the two countries stemming from Korea's colonial past. Examples include the "Apology and compensation of Japan" , visits by successive Japanese Prime Ministers to the Yasukuni Shrine, and the disputed ownership of the Liancourt Rocks (known as Dokdo in Korean, Takeshima in Japanese).
South Korea's first president Japan under the headship of President Park Chunghee (previously a serviceman in the Japanese army). The South Korea-Japan relationship reached a high point during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but has subsequently soured as longstanding disputes have again flared up.
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