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The
Land of Morning calm |
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 Politics |
<Cheongwadae>
<President Kim Dae-Jung>
<The National Assembly Building > |
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Korea is a democratic country based on a presidential
government system.
The Korean government consists of an executive
section, a legislative body and the judiciary, each respectively independent
according to the constitution promulgated on July 17, 1948. The president,
presidents of local governments and the members of the National Assembly are
currently elected by the direct vote of the people of Korea (as of 2001).
The president serves a single five-year term as the chief executive with
no additional terms. The president attends to his duties, receives audiences and
holds conferences while residing in Cheongwadae. As of 2001, the president of
Korea is Kim Dae-Jung who was inaugurated as the 15th president on February 15,
1998.
As of January 2001, the executive branch is composed of 18
ministries, 4 offices and 16 agencies. Local government consists of the Seoul
Metropolis, 6 megalopolises and 9 provinces. The term served by members of the
National Assembly is four years, and members can be reelected. The Korean
government supports a multiparty system.
The judiciary portion of the
government is comprised of a supreme court, a high court, a district court and
the constitutional court. Defendants can be justly tried through a complaint and
appeal process.
Cheongwadae: http://www.cwd.go.kr (Korean/English)
The National
Assembly: http://www.assembly.go.kr (Korean/English)
The Supreme
Court: http://www.scourt.go.kr
(Korean/English) |
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• The Largest Library
in Korea - the National Assembly Library |
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The National Assembly Library, situated inside the
National Assembly Building where legislation and parliamentary functions are
performed, holds books, research and academic works on the largest scale in
Korea.
People over the age of 20 are allowed to enter the library when
they present their identification (a resident card or passport).
The
National Assembly Library: http://www.nanet.go.kr
(Korean/English) |
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Economy |
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Korea has accomplished remarkable economic growth
through economic development plans which have been promoted since the 1960s.
Korea's accomplishment has been called an "economic miracle on the Hangang" by
advanced foreign countries.
The Korean economy started being recognized
worldwide through the construction and shipbuilding industry of the 1970s. It
further developed through the auto manufacturing industry and the steel industry
in the 1980s and the semiconductor and communication industries in the 1990s.
Korea built the world's 17th largest economic structure and became the
12th trading country in 1987. They leaped into a new strong economy as the GNI
per person passed over $10,000 US in 1994.
However, Korea found it
necessary to accept funds from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) as a result
of the foreign currency crisis that occurred in late 1997. Economic growth then
shrunk due to this action, however this crisis acted as an opportunity to bring
the Korean economy on to the next stage.
Korea created superior companies
able to cope with the world economy through the liquidation of insolvent
enterprises and the merger of medium and small-sized enterprises. It has
developed by progressively investing into the industries of the future including
the semiconductor and communications industries and has been competitive with
advanced foreign countries like the USA and Japan.
• Major Economic Indicators of Korea (As of December
1999)
GDP: 483,771.8 billion won ($406.7 billion US)
GNI:
478,250.9 billion won ($402.1 billion US)
GNI per person: 10,206,000 won
($8,581 US)
Annual Growth Rate: 10.7%
Korea National Statistical
Office: http://www.nso.go.kr
(Korean/ English) |
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Education |
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The duration of compulsory education in Korea is nine
years from elementary school to middle school. Most Koreans attend kindergarten
for 1 or 2 years, elementary school for 6 years, middle school for 3 years and
high school for 3 years. Every school year is divided into two semesters: the
first term is from March to the middle of July and the second term is from
September to the middle of December.
In high school, the course of study
is divided into either a general course consisting mostly of the education
required for entering into a university or a business course which is made up of
a vocational education relating to agriculture, engineering, business and
general education.
After finishing with their high school education,
students take a learning capacity test and can go on to the university based on
their test scores and school records. As the acceptance rate for universities is
under 30%, it is rather difficult to get into a university.
There are
two-types of school in Korea: universities offering 4-year programs and colleges
offering 2-year programs. After graduating from a university, students
interested in further study can pursue postgraduate courses.
There are
also schools for handicapped children and Korean Language Institutes and schools
for foreigners in Korea.
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¡íOfficial Name
¡íNational Flag
¡íNational Anthem
¡íNational Flower
¡íPopulation
¡íLanguage
¡íSize
¡íCapital
¡íGovernment
¡íGNP
¡íExchangeRate |
Daehanminguk (Hanguk,
Daehan)
Taegeukgi
Aegukga
Rose of Sharon
68,940,000 [South Korea:
46,860,000, North Korea: 22,080,000] (As of 1999)
Korean
99,392 square
km
Seoul
Democratic Republic
$8,581 US [North Korea $714 US] (As of
1999)
$1 US = 1,273 Won (As of February 14, 2001) |
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