Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea
local short form: none
note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to
their country
local long form: Taehan-min'guk
abbreviation: ROK
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Seoul
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan 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*,
Ulsan-gwangyoksi*
Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Constitution:
17 July 1948
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President NO Mu-hyun (ROH Moo-hyun) (since 25
February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (KOH Kun) (since 27
February 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Chin-p'yo (KIM Jin-pyo)
(since 27 February 2003) and YUN Tok-hong (since 6 March 2003)
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 19 December 2002 (next to be held NA
December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation
election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - NO
Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of
vote - NO Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-ch'ang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227
elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms);
note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected;
possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in
the National Assembly
elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats
as of April 2003 was: GNP 153, MDP 101, ULD 11, DPP 1, PPR 1,
independents 5; one seat vacant
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the
consent of the National Assembly)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic People's Party or DPP [leader NA]; Grand National Party
or GNP [CH'OE Pyong-ryol, chairman]; Millennium Democratic Party or
MDP [CHO Sun-hyong, chairman]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM
Chong-p'il, president]; Uri Party [KIM Kun-t'ae, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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
International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner),
Australia Group, BIS, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest),
NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG,
UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-chu (HAN Sung-joo)
consulate(s): New York, Tamuning (Guam)
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD
embassy: 82 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550
telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
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