South Korea

South Korea  

Korea, South, officially known as the Republic of Korea, country in northeastern Asia that occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. South Korea is bounded on the north by North Korea; on the east by the East Sea (Sea of Japan); on the southeast and south by the Korea Strait, which separates it from Japan; and on the west by the Yellow Sea. It has a total area of 99,268 sq km (38,328 sq mi), including numerous offshore islands in the south and west, the largest of which is Cheju (area, 1845 sq km/713 sq mi). The state of South Korea was established in 1948 following the post-World War II partitioning of the peninsula between the occupying forces of the United States in the south and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the north. South Korea rose from devastation in the 1950s—the result of war with North Korea—to become one of the world’s largest economies in the 1990s. The capital and largest city of South Korea is Seoul.

South Korea has a predominantly rugged, mountainous terrain. The principal range is the T’aebaek-sanmaek, which extends in a generally north-south direction parallel to the eastern coast. The country’s highest peak, located on the island of Cheju, is Halla-san (1950 m/ 6398 ft). Plains constitute less than one-fifth the total area and are concentrated in the west along the coast; the coastal plains in the east and south are very narrow. Apart from the eastern coast, South Korea has a highly indented coastline characterized by high tidal ranges. The country’s two longest rivers, the Naktong and Han, rise in the T’aebaek-sanmaek, the former flowing south to the Korea Strait, the latter northwest to the Yellow Sea. Other major rivers include the Kum, Yongsan, and Tongjin.

South Korea has a basically continental climate, with cold, dry winters and hot, rainy summers. In Seoul the average January temperature range is -9° to 0° C (16° to 32° F), and the average July temperature range is 21° to 29° C (70° to 84° F). Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior. The average annual precipitation in Seoul is 1250 mm (49 in), and in Pusan is 1370 mm (54 in). Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months (June to September). The southern coast is subject to late summer typhoons that bring strong winds and heavy rains.

Mixed deciduous and coniferous forests cover about three-quarters of the land, but have been thinned for use as fuel. Principal species include pine, maple, elm, poplar, fir, and aspen. Bamboo, laurel, and evergreen oak are found in the mild southern coastal areas. Large mammals, such as tigers, leopards, bears, and lynx, used to be common throughout the Korean Peninsula, but these animals have virtually disappeared from South Korea due to deforestation and poaching.

In contrast to North Korea, South Korea is relatively poor in mineral resources. The principal resources are coal (mostly anthracite), iron ore, and graphite. Other minerals include gold, silver, copper, lead, tungsten, zinc, and uranium. Limestone is abundant.

A new constitution was approved by referendum in 1987, replacing one that had been in effect since 1980.

Executive power is vested in a president who is directly elected to a single five-year term. The president, whose powers are limited by the 1987 constitution, may not dissolve the legislature or suspend basic legal rights. The president appoints a cabinet, with the consent of the legislature. The cabinet is headed by the prime minister.

Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly. In the 1996 election, of the assembly’s 299 members, 253 were directly elected, and the other 46 were selected from party lists in proportion to the overall vote. All members serve four-year terms.

The highest court in South Korea is the Supreme Court, consisting of 14 justices (including the chief justice). Below the Supreme Court are four appellate courts, located in Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, and Kwangju. District courts, which are located in the major cities, have jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases of the first instance. South Korea also provides for a Constitutional Court, which passes judgment on the constitutionality of laws (when requested to do so by the courts), impeachment matters, and the dissolution of political parties.

South Korea is divided into nine provinces and six cities (Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Taejon, Kwangju, and Inch’on) with provincial status. The provincial governors and mayors of the six cities are elected by the people every four years.

In 1990 the ruling Democratic Justice Party merged with two opposition groups, the New Democratic Republican Party and the Reunification Democratic Party, to form the Democratic Liberal Party (DLP). The DLP won a plurality in the parliamentary elections of March 1992; the Democratic Party and the Unification National Party, later renamed the United People’s Party, were the main opposition groups. In December 1995 the governing DLP was renamed the New Korea Party (NKP). In the parliamentary elections of 1996 the NKP won a plurality; the main opposition parties were the newly formed National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), and the Democratic Party. Shortly after the elections the NKP recruited several independent legislators to gain a majority in the National Assembly.

In the mid-1990s South Korea had about 57,200 licensed physicians and about 8700 licensed doctors of Oriental medicine. The government sponsors no comprehensive social insurance program. A program with a limited number of subscribers, however, provides retirement pensions and medical and industrial accident insurance.

The president is commander in chief of the armed forces. In 1996 total active military forces stood at 660,000. Membership was as follows: army, 548,000; navy, 60,000; and air force, 52,000. Reserve forces total 4.5 million. In the mid-1990s approximately 36,000 U.S. troops were also stationed in the country.