South Korea

Official Name:

Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Area:

98.480 km ²

Population (2007):

49.044.790 inhabitants

Coastline:

2.413 km

Capital:

Seoul

Maritime Ports and terminals:

Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Maritime claims:

• Territorial sea: 12 nm between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
• Contiguous zone: 24 nm
• Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
• Continental shelf: not specified

Political divisions:

9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural) provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang) metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)

Language(s):

Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school

National holiday:

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

Nationality:

Korean(s)

Official time:

UTC 9.

Member of:

AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Internet country code:

.kr

Economic Profile

Currency:

South Korean won (KRW)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

USD24.500 (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

(2006 est.) USD 897.400.000.000

PIB (Real growth rate:

4,8% (2006 est.)

GDP (Composition by sector): (2006 est.)

• Agriculture: 3%
• Industry: 45%
• Services: 52%

Labor force:

23.770.000 (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation (2006):

• Agriculture 6,4%
• Industry: 26,4%
• Services 67,2%

Unemployment rate:

3,3% (2006 est.)

Inflation rate (Consumer prices):

2,2% (2006 est)

Investment (Gross Fixed):

28,4% del PIB (2006 est.)

Budget:

• Revenues: USD200.000.000.000
• Expenditures: USD201.000.000.000

Public debt:

31,9% of GDP (2006 est.)

Current account balance:

USD 2.000.000.000 (2006 est.)

Exports:

USD 326.000.000.000 FOB (2006 est.)

Exports - Commodities:

Semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Exports - Partners:

China 21,8%, US 14,6%, Japan 8,5%, Hong Kong 5,5% (2005)

Imports:

USD 309.300.000.000 f FOB (2006 est.)

Imports - Commodities:

Machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics

Imports - partners:

Japan 18,5%, China 14,8%, US 11,8%, Saudi Arabia 6,2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

USD 239.000.000.000 (2006 est.)

Debt - external:

USD 249.400.000.000 (2006)