Short facts about the government of Korea, South

Country name:

conventional long form:  Republic of Korea conventional short form:  South Korea local long form:  Taehan-min'guk local short form:  none note:  the South Koreans generally use the term "Han-guk" to refer to their country 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:

25 February 1988

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 KIM Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998) head of government:  Prime Minister YI Han-tong (since 23 May 2000) 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 18 December 1997 (next to be held by 18 December 2002); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation election results:  KIM Dae-jung elected president; percent of vote - KIM Dae-jung (NCNP) 40.3% (with ULD partnership), YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms) 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

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [KIM Dae-jung, president]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman, KIM Chong-ho, acting president] note:  on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP

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, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission:  Ambassador YANG Song-chol chancery:  2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone:  [1] (202) 939-5600 FAX:  [1] (202) 387-0205 consulate(s) general:  Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle consulate(s):  Hagatna (Guam)

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission:  Ambassador (vacant) embassy:  82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul 110-710 mailing address:  American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 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

Source: World Factbook