Form of government: unitary multiparty republic with one legislative house (National Assembly [299]).
Chief of state: President.
Head of government: Prime Minister.
Capital: Seoul.
Official language: Korean.
Official religion: none.
Monetary unit: 1 won (W)=100 chon; valuation (Oct. 6,
1995) 1 U.S.$=W 798; 1 
=W
1,215.
Population (1995): 44,834,000.
Density (1995): persons per sq mi 1,168.3, persons per sq km 451.1.
Urban-rural (1995): urban 81.0%; rural 19.0%.
Sex distribution (1995): male 50.34%; female 49.66%.
Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 23.2%; 15-29, 28.2%; 30-44, 25.1%; 45-59, 14.5%; 60-74, 7.3%; 75 and over, 1.7%.
Population projection: (2000) 46,789,000; (2010) 49,683,000.
Doubling time: 70 years.
Ethnic composition (1990): Korean 99.9%; other 0.1%.
Religious affiliation (1991): religious{1} 54.0%, of which Buddhist 27.6%, Protestant 18.6%, Roman Catholic 5.7%, Confucian 1.0%, Wonbulgyo 0.3%, Ch'ondogyo 0.2%, other 0.6%; nonreligious 46.0%.
Major cities (1990): Seoul 10,612,577; Pusan 3,798,113; Taegu 2,229,040; Inch'on 1,817,919; Kwangju 1,139,003.
Birth rate per 1,000 population (1995): 16.0 (world avg. 25.0).
Death rate per 1,000 population (1995): 6.0 (world avg. 9.3).
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1995): 10.0 (world avg. 15.7).
Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1995): 1.8.
Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1993): 7.0.
Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1993): 1.1.
Life expectancy at birth (1995): male 68.0 years; female 76.0 years.
Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1993): diseases of the circulatory system 149.0; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 105.9; accidents, poisoning, and violence 73.0; diseases of the digestive system 40.5; diseases of the respiratory system 24.1.
Budget (1994). Revenue: W 58,824,000,000,000 (taxes on goods and services 35.5%, income taxes 29.9%, nontax revenue 11.5%, social security contributions 7.8%, taxes on international trade 4.8%). Expenditures: W 53,952,000,000,000 (defense 19.3%, education 15.5%, general public services 10.6%, social security and welfare 10.2%, agriculture 8.5%, transportation and communications 7.7%).
Public debt (external, outstanding; 1993): U.S.$24,567,000,000.
Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1994): rice 7,056,000, cabbages 2,600,000, dry onions 1,051,000, apples 631,000, tangerines 555,000, garlic 476,000, barley 443,000, soybeans 160,000; livestock (number of live animals) 6,300,000 pigs, 3,200,000 cattle, 74,000,000 chickens; roundwood (1993) 6,485,000 cu m; fish catch (1993) 2,648,977. Mining and quarrying (1994): copper ore 224,000; iron ore 191,313; zinc concentrate 14,243; lead concentrate 4,345. Manufacturing (1993): cement 47,313,000; pig iron 21,870,000; urea fertilizers 831,066; newsprint 742,327; caustic soda 506,794; synthetic fabrics 2,459,299,000 sq m; television receivers 15,956,000 units; passenger cars 1,527,753 units. Construction (1994): residential 63,576,000 sq m; nonresidential 52,908,000 sq m. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1993) 163,449,000,000 (163,449,000,000); coal (metric tons; 1993) 9,443,000 (42,419,000); crude petroleum (barrels; 1993) none (544,714,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1993) 64,566,000 (59,079,000); natural gas (cu m; 1993) none (6,140,000,000).
Household income and expenditure (1993){2}. Average household size (1990) 3.8; income per household W 27,470,000 (U.S.$34,223); sources of income: wages 55.7%, other 44.3%; expenditure: food and beverages 29.3%, education and recreation 13.5%, transportation and communications 10.2%, clothing and footwear 7.7%, health care 5.4%, household durable goods 5.2%, housing 4.4%, energy 4.3%, other 20.0%.
Gross national product (1993): U.S.$337,910,000,000 (U.S.$7,670 per capita).
Population economically active (1993): total 19,754,000; activity rate 44.8% (participation rates: ages 15 and over, 61.0%; female 39.9%; unemployed 2.8%).
Tourism (1993): receipts from visitors U.S.$3,510,000,000; expenditures by nationals abroad U.S.$4,105,000,000.
Land use (1993): forested 65.4%; meadows and pastureland 0.9%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 20.8%; other 12.9%.
Imports (1993): U.S.$83,800,100,000 (machinery and transport equipment 33.9%, mineral fuels and lubricants 18.0%, manufactured goods 14.4%, inedible crude materials 10.6%, chemicals 9.8%). Major import sources: Japan 23.9%; United States 21.4%; Germany 4.7%; Saudi Arabia 4.5%; Australia 4.0%; Indonesia 3.1%; Malaysia 2.3%; Canada 2.0%; Singapore 1.8%.
Exports (1993): U.S.$82,235,900,000 (machinery and transport equipment 44.9%, manufactured goods 25.2%, chemicals 6.0%, food and live animals 2.5%, mineral fuels 2.2%). Major export destinations: United States 22.1%; Japan 14.1%; Hong Kong 7.8%; Germany 4.4%; Singapore 3.8%; Taiwan 2.8%; Indonesia 2.5%; India 2.2%.
Transport. Railroads (1994): length 4,049 mi, 6,517 km; passenger-km 30,216,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 14,064,000,000. Roads (1993): total length 38,087 mi, 61,296 km (paved 85%). Vehicles (1993): passenger cars 4,271,253; trucks and buses 2,002,755. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 2,138; total deadweight tonnage 11,724,942. Air transport (1994): passenger-km 39,260,000,000; metric ton-km cargo 4,825,626,000; airports (1995) with scheduled flights 14.
Communications. Daily newspapers (1993): total number 63; total circulation 9,736,000{3}; circulation per 1,000 population 221{3}. Radio (1994): 42,570,000 receivers (1 per 1.0 persons). Television (1994): 10,430,000 receivers (1 per 4.3 persons). Telephones (main lines; 1993): 16,632,600 (1 per 2.6 persons).
Educational attainment (1990). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 11.0%; primary education or less 21.7%; some secondary and secondary 53.9%; postsecondary 13.4%. Literacy (1990): total population age 15 and over literate 96.3%; males literate 99.1%; females literate 93.5%.
Health (1993): physicians 51,518 (1 per 855 persons); hospital beds 164,588 (1 per 268 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1995) 10.0.
Food (1992): daily per capita caloric intake 3,285 (vegetable products 86%, animal products 14%); 140% of FAO recommended minimum requirement.
Total active duty personnel (1995): 633,000 (army 82.1%, navy 9.5%, air force 8.4%). Military expenditure as percentage of GNP (1993): 3.6% (world 3.3%); per capita expenditure U.S.$271.