Country name in English: Republic of Korea

Conventional short form: South Korea

Country name in Korean: Daehanminguk (transliterated into Roman letters). It means "great (dae) Korean (han) democratic (min) country (guk)".

Conventional short form: Hanguk (transliterated into Roman letters). It means "Korean (han) country (guk)".
* Note: South Koreans generally use the term "Hanguk" to refer to their country.

Abbreviation: ROK

Geography

Location and size: Strategic location in waters of the Sea of Japan, Korea Strait, and Yellow Sea. Total land area of Korean Peninsula, including islands, 220,847 square kilometers (84,572 sq. mi.); approximately 98,477 square kilometers (44.6 percent, 38,023 sq. mi.) constitutes territory of South Korea.

Capital: Seoul

Latitude/Longitude at Seoul: 37° 58' N/126° 98' E

Average temperature in Seoul: Jan -4, July +24 (centigrade)

People

Population: 46,460,000 (Dec. 1998), Seoul: 11,610,000

Population growth rate: 0.9% (1998)

Population density: 1,197 per sq. mi.

Urban: 83%

Ethnic group: homogeneous Korean (except for about 20,000 Chinese and about 5,000 Japanese)

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 73.6 years (1997 est.)

Male: 70.01 years (1997 est.)

Female: 77.69 years (1997 est.)

Language

Official language: Korean

Government

Type: unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly, 299 representatives).

Head of state: Pres. Kim Dae Jung

Head of government: Prime Min. Kim Jong Pil

Local divisions: 9 provinces and 7 special cities

Defence: 3.3% of GNP (1997)

Economy

GNP - real growth rate: -7% (1998)

Principal industry: electronics, autos, steel, chemicals, shipbuilding, textiles, clothing

Consumer prices: +6% (1998)

Labor force: services 52%, manuf. & mining 27%, agri. 21%

Monetary unit: Won (Jan. 1999: 1,170 = US$1)

Assets - external: US$133 bil. (1998 est.)

Debts - external: US$152.4 bil. (1998 est.)

Per capita GNP: US$6,321 (1998), US$9,511 (1997)

Imports: US$93.3 bil. (1998); Major partners: U.S. 22%, EU 13%, Japan 21%

Exports: US$133.2 bil. (1998); Major partners: U.S. 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12%

Education

Free: elementary school (ages 6-12)

Literacy rate: 98% (1998)

Religious affiliation

Religious 62.0%: Buddhist 27.2%, Protestant 26.9%, Roman Catholic 5.8%, Confucian 1.0%, Wonbulgyo 0.3%, Ch'ondogyo 0.2%, other 0.6%; nonreligious 38.0%