· Country Name: Republic of Korea

· Capital City: Seoul (10.1 million)

· National flag: Taegeukgi

· National flower: Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon)

· Currency: won

· Language: Korean (Written form: Hangeul)

· Location: Strategically located at the crossroads of Northeast Asia. Korea lies between Japan, the Russian Far East and China.

· Territory: 223,098km2 (South Korea: 99,678km2)

· Highest mountains: Baekdusan 2744m, Hallasan 1950m

· Longest rivers: Amnokgang 790km, Nakdonggang 521.5km, Dumangang 521km, Hangang 481.7km

· Major cities: Seoul (10.1 million), Busan (3.5 million), Incheon (2.6 million), Daegu (2.5 million), Daejeon (1.5 million), Gwangju (1.4 million), Ulsan (1.1 million)

· Climate: Temperate with four distinct seasons

· Population: 48.46 million (2007)
※ Foreign residents: 1.1 million

· Median Age: 36.1 years(2007)

· Economically active population: 24.2 million (2007)

· Population increase rate: 0.33% (2007)

· Life Expectancy: Males 75.7 years, females 82.4 years (2006)

· Religion: A 2005 census showed half of the population actively practices religion. Among this group, Buddhism (43.0%), Protestantism (34.5%) and Catholicism (20.6%) comprise the three dominant religions

· Political System: Democracy with president elected to a single 5-year term by direct popular vote. Division of power among the executive, legislature (unicameral National Assembly) and judiciary

· President: Lee Myung-bak since 2008

· Suffrage: Universal at 19 years of age

· Elections
  - Presidential: every 5 years
  - National Assembly: every 4 years
  - Local Councils: every 4 years

· Political parties: Grand National Party, United Democratic Party, Liberal Forward Party, Democratic Labor Party, Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance, Renewal of Korea Party

· AID: Korea contributed U$455 million in Official Developmental Aid (ODA) in 2006.

· Peacekeeping: Korea began participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations with the dispatch of a battalion of military engineers to Somalia in 1993. It has since joined peacekeeping efforts in India, Pakistan, Liberia, Burundi, Sudan, Georgia, East Timor, Lebanon and Afghanistan and sent the Zaytun forces to Iraq's Kurdish autonomous region.

· Gross Domestic Product: U$969.9 billion (2007)

· Per Capita GNI: U$20,045 (2007)

· GDP Growth Rate: 5.0 percent (2007)

· Foreign Exchange Reserves: U$262.2 billion (2007)

· Exports: U$371.5 billion (2007)

· Imports: U$356.8 billion (2007)

· Major Industrial Products: Semiconductors, automobiles, ships, consumer electronics, mobile telecommunication equipment, steel and chemicals

· FTAs: Korea has signed free trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), ASEAN and the U.S. - 16 countries in all. Currently, negotiations with the EU, Canada and India are under way with the aim of concluding these FTAs negotiations by the end of 2008.

* Haeinsa Temple Janggyeongpanjeon,
  the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana
  Woodblocks (1995)
* Jongmyo Shrine (1995)
* Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (1995)
* Changdeokgung Palace Complex (1997)
* Hwaseong Fortress (1997)
* Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (2000)
* Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000)
* Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (2007)

* The Royal Ancestral Ritual at the Jongmyo Shrine and its Music (2001)
* The Pansori Epic Chant (2003) 
* The Gangneung Danoje Festival (2005)

· Memory of the World Register

* The Hunminjeongeum Manuscript (1997)
* Joseonwangjosillok, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (1997)
* Seungjeongwonilgi, the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat (2001)
* Buljo Jikjisimcheyojeol (vol. II), the second volume of The Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests' Zen Teachings (2001)
* Printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana and miscellaneous Buddhist scriptures (2007)
* Uigwe, The Royal Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty (2007)

[ This page latest update: June 10, 2009 ]