South Korea Country Facts

 

Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs                                      
August 2007                                                                   
                                                                       
  Background Note: South Korea Country Facts                                            
                                              
  Chogye temple, Seoul, South Korea,                                          
  May 5, 2006. [© AP Images]                                                  
                                                                       
  Flag of South Korea is white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the
  center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of
  Changes) in each corner of the white field.                                 
                                                                       
  PROFILE                                                                     
                                                                       
  OFFICIAL NAME:                                                              
  Republic of Korea                                                           
                                                                       
  Geography                                                                   
  Area: 98,477 sq. km. (38,022 sq. mi.); about the size of Indiana.           
  Cities (2005): Capital--Seoul (10.3 million). Other major cities--Busan (3.7
  million), Daegu (2.5 million), Inchon (2.6 million), Gwangju (1.4 million), 
  Daejeon (1.5 million), Ulsan (1.0 million).                                 
  Terrain: Partially forested mountain ranges separated by deep, narrow       
  valleys; cultivated plains along the coasts, particularly in the west and   
  south.                                                                      
  Climate: Temperate.                                                         
                                                                       
  People                                                                      
  Nationality: Noun and adjective--Korean(s).                                 
  Population (2006): 48,846,823.                                              
  Population annual growth rate (2006): 0.42%.                                
  Ethnic groups: Korean; small Chinese minority.                              
  Religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Shamanism, Confucianism, Chondogyo.      
  Language: Korean.                                                           
  Education: Years compulsory--9. Enrollment--11.5 million. Attendance--middle
  school 99%, high school 95%. Literacy--98%.                                 
  Health (2006): Infant mortality rate--6.16/1,000. Life expectancy--77.0 yrs 
  (men 73.6 yrs.; women 80.8 yrs).                                            
  Work force (2005): 23.53 million. Services--67.2%; mining and manufacturing 
  --26.4%; agriculture--6.4%.                                                 
                                                                       
  Government                                                                  
  Type: Republic with powers shared between the president, the legislature, and
  the courts.                                                                 
  Liberation: August 15, 1945.                                                
  Constitution: July 17, 1948; last revised 1987.                             
  Branches: Executive--President (chief of state); Prime Minister (head of    
  government). Legislative--unicameral National Assembly. Judicial--Supreme   
  Court and appellate courts; Constitutional Court.                           
  Subdivisions: Nine provinces, seven administratively separate cities (Seoul,
  Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan).                            
  Political parties: Uri Party (Uri); Grand National Party (GNP); Democratic  
  Party (DP); Democratic Labor Party (DLP); People Centered Party (PCP).      
  Suffrage: Universal at 19.                                                  
  Central government budget (2004): Expenditures--$100.46 billion.            
  Defense (2005): $21.06 billion; over 680,000 troops.                        
                                                                       
  Economy                                                                     
  Nominal GDP: 2005, $787.5 billion; 2006 est., $897.4 billion.               
  GDP growth rate: 2004, 4.7%; 2005, 4.0%; 2006 est. 5.0%.                    
  Per capita GNI (2005): $16,291.                                             
  Consumer price index: 2004, 3.6%; 2005, 2.8%; 2006, 2.2%.                   
  Natural resources: Limited coal, tungsten, iron ore, limestone, kaolinite,  
  and graphite.                                                               
  Agriculture, including forestry and fisheries: Products--rice, vegetables,  
  fruit, root crops, barley; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs, fish. Arable 
  land--17% of land area.                                                     
  Industry: Types--Electronics and electrical products, telecommunications,   
  motor vehicles, shipbuilding, mining and manufacturing, petrochemicals,     
  industrial machinery, steel.                                                
  Trade (2006 est.): Exports--$360.0 billion f.o.b.: electronic products      
  (semiconductors, cellular phones and equipment, computers), automobiles,    
  machinery and equipment, steel, ships, petrochemicals. Imports--$343.0      
  billion f.o.b.: crude oil, food, machinery and transportation equipment,    
  chemicals and chemical products, base metals and articles. Major markets    
  (2005)--China (21.8%), U.S. (14.6.%), Japan (8.5%), Hong Kong (5.5%). Major 
  suppliers (2005)--Japan (18.5%), China (14.8%), U.S. (11.8%), Saudi Arabia  
  (6.2%).                                                                     
                                                                       
  PEOPLE                                                                      
                                                                       
  Population                                                                  
  Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically         
  homogenous in the world. Except for a small Chinese community (about 20,000),
  virtually all Koreans share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. With 
  48.85 million people, South Korea has one of the world's highest population 
  densities. Major population centers are located in the northwest, southeast,
  and in the plains south of the Seoul-Incheon area.                          
                                                                       
  Korea has experienced one of the largest rates of emigration, with ethnic   
  Koreans residing primarily in China (1.9 million), the United States (1.52  
  million), Japan (681,000), and the countries of the former Soviet Union     
  (450,000).                                                                  
                                                                       
  Language                                                                    
  The Korean language is related to Japanese and Mongolian. Although it differs
  grammatically from Chinese and does not use tones, a large number of Chinese
  cognates exist in Korean. Chinese ideograms are believed to have been brought
  into Korea sometime before the second century BC. The learned class spoke   
  Korean, but read and wrote Chinese. A phonetic writing system ("hangul") was
  invented in the 15th century by King Sejong to provide a writing system for 
  commoners who could not read classical Chinese. Modern Korean uses hangul   
  almost exclusively with Chinese characters in limited use for word          
  clarification. Approximately 1,300 Chinese characters are used in modern    
  Korean. English is taught as a second language in most primary and secondary
  schools. Chinese and Japanese are widely taught at secondary schools.       
                                                                       
  Religion                                                                    
  Half of the population actively practices religion. Among this group,       
  Christianity (49%) and Buddhism (47%) comprise Korea's two dominant         
  religions. Though only 3% identified themselves as Confucianists, Korean    
  society remains highly imbued with Confucian values and beliefs. The        
  remaining 1% of the population practice Shamanism (traditional spirit       
  worship) and Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way"), a traditional religion.            
                                                                       
  HISTORY                                                                     
  The myth of Korea's foundation by the god-king Tangun in BC 2333 embodies the
  homogeneity and self-sufficiency valued by the Korean people. Korea         
  experienced many invasions by its larger neighbors in its 2,000 years of    
  recorded history. The country repelled numerous foreign invasions despite   
  domestic strife, in part due to its protected status in the Sino-centric    
  regional political model during Korea's Chosun dynasty (1392-1910).         
  Historical antipathies to foreign influence earned Korea the title of "Hermit
  Kingdom" in the 19th century.                                               
                                                                       
  With declining Chinese power and a weakened domestic posture at the end of  
  the 19th century, Korea was open to Western and Japanese encroachment. In   
  1910, Japan began a 35-year period of colonial rule over Korea. As a result 
  of Japan's efforts to supplant the Korean language and aspects of Korean    
  culture, memories of Japanese annexation still recall fierce animosity and  
  resentment, especially among older Koreans. Nevertheless, import restrictions
  on Japanese movies, popular music, fashion, and the like have been lifted,  
  and many Koreans, especially the younger generations, eagerly follow Japanese
  pop culture. Aspects of Korean culture, including television shows and      
  movies, have also become popular in Japan.                                  
                                                                       
  Japan's surrender to the Allied Powers in 1945, signaling the end of World  
  War II, only further embroiled Korea in foreign rivalries. Division at the  
  38th parallel marked the beginning of Soviet and U.S. trusteeship over the  
  North and South, respectively. On August 15, 1948 the Republic of Korea     
  (R.O.K.) was established, with Syngman Rhee as the first President. On      
  September 9, 1948 the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) was  
  established under Kim Il Sung.                                              
                                                                       
  On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea. Led by the U.S., a
  16-member coalition undertook the first collective action under United      
  Nations Command (UNC). Following China's entry on behalf of North Korea later
  that year, a stalemate ensued for the final two years of the conflict.      
  Armistice negotiations, initiated in July 1951, were ultimately concluded on
  July 27, 1953 at Panmunjom, in what is now the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The
  Armistice Agreement was signed by representatives of the Korean People's    
  Army, the Chinese People's Volunteers, and the U.S.-led United Nations      
  Command (UNC). Though the R.O.K. supported the UNC, it refused to sign the  
  Armistice Agreement. A peace treaty has never been signed. The war left     
  almost three million Koreans dead or wounded and millions of others homeless
  and separated from their families.                                          
                                                                       
  In the following decades, South Korea experienced political turmoil under   
  autocratic leadership. President Syngman Rhee was forced to resign in April 
  1960 following a student-led uprising. The Second Republic under the        
  leadership of Chang Myon ended after only one year, when Major General Park 
  Chung-hee led a military coup. Park's rule, which resulted in tremendous    
  economic growth and development but increasingly restricted political       
  freedoms, ended with his assassination in 1979. Subsequently, a powerful    
  group of military officers, led by Lieutenant General Chun Doo Hwan, declared
  martial law and took power.                                                 
                                                                       
  Throughout the Park and Chun eras, South Korea developed a vocal civil      
  society that led to strong protests against authoritarian rule. Composed    
  primarily of students and labor union activists, protest movements reached a
  climax after Chun's 1979 coup and declaration of martial law. A confrontation
  in Gwangju in 1980 left at least 200 civilians dead. Thereafter,            
  pro-democracy activities intensified even more, ultimately forcing political
  concessions by the government in 1987, including the restoration of direct  
  presidential elections.                                                     
                                                                       
  In 1987, Roh Tae-woo, a former general, was elected president, but additional
  democratic advances during his tenure resulted in the 1992 election of a    
  long-time pro-democracy activist, Kim Young-sam. Kim became Korea's first   
  civilian elected president in 32 years. The 1997 presidential election and  
  peaceful transition of power marked another step forward in Korea's         
  democratization when Kim Dae-jung, a life-long democracy and human rights   
  activist, was elected from a major opposition party. The transition to an   
  open, democratic system was further consolidated in 2002, when self-educated
  human rights lawyer, Roh Moo-hyun, won the presidential election on a       
  "participatory government" platform.                                        
                                                                       
  GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS                                         
  The Republic of Korea (commonly known as "South Korea") is a republic with  
  powers nominally shared among the presidency, the legislature, and the      
  judiciary, but traditionally dominated by the president. The president is   
  chief of state and is elected for a single term of 5 years. The 299 members 
  of the unicameral National Assembly are elected to 4-year terms--243 members
  are from single-seat districts and 56 members are chosen by proportional    
  representation. South Korea's judicial system comprises a Supreme Court,    
  appellate courts, and a Constitutional Court. The judiciary is independent  
  under the constitution. The country has nine provinces and seven            
  administratively separate cities--the capital of Seoul, along with Busan,   
  Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Incheon and Ulsan. Political parties include the Uri
  Party (Uri), Grand National Party (GNP), Democratic Labor Party (DLP),      
  Democratic Party (DP), and People Centered Party (PCP). Suffrage is universal
  at age 19 (lowered from 20 in 2005).                                        
                                                                       
  In December 2002, President Roh Moo-hyun was elected to a single 5-year term
  of office. In the April 2004 elections, the ruling Uri Party won a slim but 
  outright majority in the National Assembly. Because of the loss of seats in 
  by-elections and as a result of convictions for election law violations, Uri
  no longer has a majority, but does retain a plurality of seats.             
                                                                       
  Principal Government Officials                                              
  President--Roh Moo-hyun                                                     
  Prime Minister--Han Duck-soo                                                
  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Human Resource          
  Development--Kim Shin-il                                                    
  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy--Kwon O-kyu       
  Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technology--Kim Woo-shik  
  Minister of Agriculture and Forestry--Im Sang-kyu                           
  Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy--Kim Young-ju                     
  Minister of Construction and Transportation--Lee Yong-sup                   
  Minister of Culture and Tourism--Kim Jong-min                               
  Minister of Environment--Lee Chi-beom                                       
  Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade--Song Min-soon                        
  Minister of Gender Equality and Family--Jang Ha-jin                         
  Minister of Government Administration & Home Affairs--Park Myung-jae        
  Minister of Government Policy Coordination--Kim Young-ju                    
  Minister of Health and Welfare--Rhyu Si-min                                 
  Minister of Information and Communication--Rho Jun-hyong                    
  Minister of Justice--Kim Sung-ho                                            
  Minister of Labor Affairs--Lee Sang-soo                                     
  Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries--Kang Moo-hyun                   
  Minister of National Defense--Kim Jang-soo                                  
  Minister of Planning and Budget--Chang Byoung-wan                           
  Minister of Unification--Lee Jae-jong                                       
  Director of the National Intelligence Service--Kim Man-bok                  
  Chief Secretary to the President for Unification, Foreign, and Security     
  Policy--Baek Jong-chun                                                      
  Ambassador to the U.S.--Lee Tae-sik                                         
  Ambassador to the UN--Choi Young-jin                                        
                                                                       
  Korea maintains an embassy in the United States at 2450 Massachusetts Avenue
  NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-939-5600). Consulates General are located
  in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San  
  Francisco, Seattle, and Hagatna (Agana) in Guam.                            
                                                                       
  ECONOMY                                                                     
  The Republic of Korea's economic growth over the past 30 years has been     
  spectacular. Per capita GNP, only $100 in 1963, exceeded $16,000 in 2005.   
  South Korea is now the United States' seventh-largest trading partner and is
  the 11th-largest economy in the world.                                      
                                                                       
  In the early 1960s, the government of Park Chung Hee instituted sweeping    
  economic policy changes emphasizing exports and labor-intensive light       
  industries, leading to rapid debt-financed industrial expansion. The        
  government carried out a currency reform, strengthened financial            
  institutions, and introduced flexible economic planning. In the 1970s Korea 
  began directing fiscal and financial policies toward promoting heavy and    
  chemical industries, consumer electronics, and automobiles. Manufacturing   
  continued to grow rapidly in the 1980s and early 1990s.                     
                                                                       
  In recent years, Korea's economy moved away from the centrally planned,     
  government-directed investment model toward a more market-oriented one. Korea
  bounced back from the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis with some International
  Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance, but based largely on extensive financial    
  reforms that restored stability to markets. These economic reforms, pushed by
  President Kim Dae-jung, helped Korea maintain one of Asia's few expanding   
  economies, with growth rates of 10% in 1999 and 9% in 2000. The slowing     
  global economy and falling exports slowed growth to 3.3% in 2001, prompting 
  consumer stimulus measures that led to 7.0% growth in 2002. Consumer        
  over-shopping and rising household debt, along with external factors, slowed
  growth to near 3% again in 2003. Economic performance in 2004 improved to   
  4.6% due to an increase in exports, and remained at or above 4% in 2005 and 
  into 2006.                                                                  
                                                                       
  Economists are concerned that South Korea's economic growth potential has   
  fallen because of a rapidly aging population and structural problems that are
  becoming increasingly apparent. Foremost among these structural concerns is 
  the rigidity of South Korea's labor regulations, the need for more          
  constructive relations between management and workers, the country's        
  underdeveloped financial markets, and a general lack of regulatory          
  transparency. Restructuring of Korean conglomerates ("chaebols") and creating
  a more liberalized economy with a mechanism for bankrupt firms to exit the  
  market are also important unfinished reform tasks. Korean policy makers are 
  increasingly worried about diversion of corporate investment to China and   
  other lower wage countries.                                                 
                                                                       
  North-South Economic Ties                                                   
  North and South Korea have moved forward on a number of economic cooperation
  projects. The following projects are most prominent:                        
                                                                       
                                                                       
    * Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC): Since the June 2003 groundbreaking, the
      KIC has grown to include a variety of South Korean companies operating in
      this North-South cooperation project. The R.O.K. envisages a substantial
      enlargement of participation in the project in the following years,     
      although new investment was suspended following the North's testing of a
      nuclear device in October 2006.                                         
    * Tourism: R.O.K.-organized tours to Mt. Kumgang in North Korea began in  
      1998. Since then, more than a million visitors have traveled to Mt.     
      Kumgang.                                                                
    * Infrastructure Development: Although east and west coast railroad and   
      roads links have been reconnected across the DMZ, neither rail link has 
      been tested. The roads crossing the DMZ are used on a daily basis between
      South Korea and Mt. Kumgang, as well as to the Kaesong Industrial       
      Complex.                                                                
                                                                       
  Two-way trade between North and South Korea, legalized in 1988, hit almost  
  $1.35 billion in 2006, up 27.8% from 2005. This total included a substantial
  quantity of non-trade goods provided to the North as aid (fertilizer, etc.) 
  or as part of inter-Korean cooperative projects. According to R.O.K. figures,
  about 60% of the total trade consisted of commercial transactions, much of  
  that based on processing-on-commission arrangements. The R.O.K. is North    
  Korea's second-largest trading partner.                                     
                                                                       
  FOREIGN RELATIONS                                                           
  In August 1991, South Korea joined the United Nations along with North Korea
  and is active in most UN specialized agencies and many international forums.
  The Republic of Korea also hosted major international events such as the 1988
  Summer Olympics, the 2002 World Cup Soccer Tournament (co-hosted with Japan),
  and the 2002 Second Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies. 
                                                                       
  Economic considerations have a high priority in Korean foreign policy. The  
  R.O.K. seeks to build on its economic accomplishments to increase its       
  regional and global role. It is a founding member of the Asia-Pacific       
  Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and chaired the organization in 2005.     
                                                                       
  The Republic of Korea maintains diplomatic relations with more than 170     
  countries and a broad network of trading relationships. The United States and
  Korea are allied by the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty. Korea and Japan         
  coordinate closely on numerous issues. This includes consultations with the 
  United States on North Korea policy.                                        
                                                                       
  Korean Peninsula: Reunification and Recent Developments                     
  For almost 20 years after the 1950-53 Korean War, relations between North and
  South Korea were minimal and very strained. Official contact did not occur  
  until 1971, beginning with Red Cross contacts and family reunification      
  projects in 1985. In the early 1990s, relations between the two countries   
  improved with the 1991 South-North Basic Agreement, which acknowledged that 
  reunification was the goal of both governments, and the 1992 Joint          
  Declaration of Denuclearization. However, divergent positions on the process
  of reunification and North Korean weapons programs, compounded by South     
  Korea's tumultuous domestic politics and the 1994 death of North Korean     
  leader Kim Il-sung, contributed to a cycle of warming and cooling of        
  relations.                                                                  
                                                                       
  Relations improved again following the 1997 election of Kim Dae-jung. His   
  "Sunshine Policy" of engagement with the D.P.R.K. set the stage for the     
  historic June 2000 inter-Korean summit between President Kim and North Korean
  leader Kim Jong Il. President Kim was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 
  for the policy, but the prize was somewhat tarnished by revelations of a $500
  million dollar "payoff" to North Korea that immediately preceded the summit.
                                                                       
  Relations again became tense following the October 2002 North Korean        
  acknowledgement of a covert program to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.  
  Following this acknowledgement, the United States, along with the People's  
  Republic of China, proposed multilateral talks among the concerned parties to
  deal with this issue. At the urging of China and its neighbors, the D.P.R.K.
  agreed to meet with China and the United States in April 2003. In August of 
  that year, the D.P.R.K. agreed to attend Six-Party Talks aimed at ending the
  North's pursuit of nuclear weapons that added the Republic of Korea, Japan, 
  and Russia to the table. Two more rounds of Six-Party Talks between the     
  United States, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, and the D.P.R.K. were   
  held in February and June of 2004. At the third round, the United States put
  forward a comprehensive proposal aimed at completely, verifiably, and       
  irreversibly eliminating North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.            
                                                                       
  A fourth round of talks was held in two sessions spanning a period of 20 days
  between July and September 2005. All parties agreed to a Joint Statement of 
  Principles on September 19, 2005, in which, among other things, the D.P.R.K.
  committed to "abandoning all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs  
  and returning, at an early date, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of  
  Nuclear Weapons and to IAEA safeguards." The Joint Statement also committed 
  the United States and other parties to certain actions as the D.P.R.K.      
  denuclearized. The United States offered a security assurance, specifying   
  that it had no nuclear weapons on R.O.K. territory and no intention to attack
  or invade the D.P.R.K. with nuclear or other weapons. Finally, the United   
  States and D.P.R.K., as well as the D.P.R.K. and Japan, agreed to undertake 
  steps to normalize relations, subject to their respective bilateral policies.
  On October 9, 2006, North Korea announced a successful nuclear test, verified
  by the United States on October 11. In response, the United Nations Security
  Council, citing Chapter VII of the UN Charter, unanimously adopted Resolution
  1718, condemning North Korea's action and imposing sanctions on certain     
  luxury goods and trade of military units, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) 
  -related parts, and technology transfers.                                   
                                                                       
  The Six-Party Talks resumed in December 2006 after a 13-month hiatus.       
  Following a bilateral meeting between the United States and D.P.R.K. in     
  Berlin in January 2007, another round of Six-Party Talks was held in February
  2007. On February 13, 2007, the parties reached an agreement on "Initial    
  Actions for the Implementation of the Joint Statement" in which North Korea 
  agreed to shut down and seal its Yongbyon nuclear facility, including the   
  reprocessing facility, and to invite back International Atomic Energy Agency
  (IAEA) personnel to conduct all necessary monitoring and verification of    
  these actions. The other five parties agreed to provide emergency energy    
  assistance to North Korea in the amount of 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil    
  (HFO) in the initial phase (within 60 days) and the equivalent of up to     
  950,000 tons of HFO in the next phase of North Korea's denuclearization. The
  six parties also established five working groups to form specific plans for 
  implementing the Joint Statement in the following areas: denuclearization of
  the Korean Peninsula, normalization of D.P.R.K.-U.S. relations, normalization
  of D.P.R.K.-Japan relations, economic and energy cooperation, and a Northeast
  Asia peace and security mechanism. All parties agreed that the working groups
  would meet within 30 days of the agreement, which they did. The agreement   
  also envisions the directly-related parties negotiating a permanent peace   
  regime on the Korean Peninsula at an appropriate separate forum. As part of 
  the initial actions, North Korea invited IAEA Director General ElBaradei to 
  Pyongyang in early March for preliminary discussions on the return of the   
  IAEA to the D.P.R.K.                                                        
                                                                       
  The sixth round of Six-Party Talks took place on March 19-23, 2007. The     
  parties reported on the first meetings of the five working groups. The talks
  recessed following the March round.                                         
                                                                       
  Under President Roh Moo-hyun, the R.O.K. has simultaneously sought the      
  elimination of the D.P.R.K.'s nuclear weapons through the Six-Party Talks and
  pursued a policy of reconciliation known as the "Peace and Prosperity       
  Policy." By engaging with the D.P.R.K. through projects such as the Kaesong 
  Industrial Complex, the R.O.K. hopes to invigorate the North Korean economy 
  and engineer a gradual, long-term unification process.                      
                                                                       
  U.S.-KOREAN RELATIONS                                                       
  The United States believes that the question of peace and security on the   
  Korean Peninsula is, first and foremost, a matter for the Korean people to  
  decide.                                                                     
                                                                       
  Under the 1953 U.S.-R.O.K. Mutual Defense Treaty, the United States agreed to
  help the Republic of Korea defend itself against external aggression. Since 
  that time in support of this commitment, the United States has maintained   
  military personnel in Korea, including the Army's Second Infantry Division  
  and several Air Force tactical squadrons. To coordinate operations between  
  these units and the over 680,000-strong Korean armed forces, a Combined     
  Forces Command (CFC) was established in 1978. The head of the CFC also serves
  as Commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) and U.S. Forces Korea      
  (USFK). The current commander is General Burwell Baxter "B.B." Bell.        
                                                                       
  Several aspects of the security relationship are changing as the U.S. moves 
  from a leading to a supporting role. In 2004, agreement was reached on the  
  return of the Yongsan base in Seoul--as well as a number of other U.S.      
  bases--to the R.O.K. and the eventual relocation of all U.S. forces to south
  of the Han River. In addition, the U.S. and R.O.K. agreed to move 12,500 of 
  the 37,500 U.S. troops out of Korea by 2008. At the same time U.S. troops are
  being redeployed from Korea, the U.S. will bolster combined U.S./R.O.K.     
  deterrent and defense capabilities by providing $11 billion in force        
  enhancements in Korea and at regional facilities over the next four years.  
                                                                       
  As Korea's economy has developed, trade has become an increasingly important
  aspect of the U.S.-R.O.K. relationship. The U.S. seeks to improve access to 
  Korea's expanding market and increase investment opportunities for American 
  business. The implementation of structural reforms contained in the IMF's   
  1998 program for Korea improved access to the Korean market, although a range
  of serious sectoral and structural barriers remained. Korean leaders appear 
  determined to successfully manage the complex economic relationship with the
  United States and take a more active role in international economic fora as 
  befits Korea's status as a major trading nation. On April 1, 2007, the U.S. 
  and Korea successfully concluded Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations.   
  Eight rounds of formal talks held over the course of 10 months culminated in
  a deal that will "further enhance the strong United States-Korea partnership,
  which has served as a force for stability and prosperity in Asia," as stated
  by President Bush. If approved by the U.S. Congress and the Korean National 
  Assembly, the FTA is expected to stimulate billions of dollars in trade     
  through the removal of trade barriers and increased investment.             
                                                                       
  Principal U.S. Embassy Officials                                            
  Ambassador--Alexander R. Vershbow                                           
  Deputy Chief of Mission--William A. Stanton                                 
  Counselor for Political Affairs--Joseph Yun                                 
  Counselor for Economic Affairs--Andrew Quinn                                
  Counselor for Management Affairs--An Le                                     
  Acting Counselor for Public Affairs--Robert Ogburn                          
  Consul General--Julia Stanley                                               
  Counselor for Commercial Affairs--John Fogarasi                             
  Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Lloyd Harbert                           
  Chief, Joint U.S. Military Advisory Group, Korea (JUSMAG-K)--Col. Kevin     
  Madden                                                                      
  Defense Attaché--Col. Kip McCormick                                         
  Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Agent in Charge--Troy Derby        
  Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Seoul Bureau Chief--J. Loren Reeder  
  DHS-Citizenship & Immigration Services--Jose R. Olivares                    
  DHS-Immigration & Customs Enforcement Attaché--Barry Tang                   
  Federal Bureau of Investigation Legal Attaché--J. Sung Maeng                
                                                                       
  The U.S. Embassy in South Korea is located at 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul
  110-710. The contact information for the U.S. Embassy is: American          
  Embassy-Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 (tel.: 82-2-397-4114; fax:     
  82-2-738-8845). The U.S. Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) is located at 146-1,
  Susong-dong, Jongno-gu, Leema Bldg., Rm. 303, Seoul 110-140 (fax:           
  82-2-720-7921). The U.S. Export Development Office/U.S. Trade Center can be 
  reached c/o U.S. Embassy (fax: 82-2-739-1628).                              
                                                                       
  Additional Resources                                                        
  The following general country guides are available from the Superintendent of
  Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402:           
  Library of Congress. North Korea: A Country Study. 1994.                    
  Library of Congress. South Korea: A Country Study. 1992.                    
  Department of State. The Record on Korean Unification 1943-1960. 1961.      
  Department of the Army. Communist North Korea: A Bibliographic Survey. 1971.
                                                                       
  Internet Resources on North and South Korea                                 
  The following sites are provided to give an indication of Internet sites on 
  Korea. The Department of State does not endorse unofficial publications,    
  including Internet sites.                                                   
                                                                       
                                                                       
    * R.O.K. Embassy--http://www.koreaembassyusa.org/                         
    * Korea Society--http://www.koreasociety.org/; links to academic and other
      sites.                                                                  
    * Nautilus Institute--http://www.nautilus.org/; produced by the Nautilus  
      Institute in Berkeley, California, and includes press roundup Monday    
      through Friday.                                                         
    * Korea Web Weekly--http://www.kimsoft.com/korea.htm; links to North Korean
      sites.                                                                  
    * Korea Herald--http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/; South Korean               
      English-language newspaper.                                             
    * Korea Times--http://times.hankooki.com/; South Korean English-language  
      newspaper.                                                              
    * (North) Korean Central News Agency--http://www.kcna.co.jp/index-e.htm   
                                                                       
  TRAVEL AND BUSINESS INFORMATION                                             
  The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises Americans
  traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information Sheets, Public   
  Announcements, and Travel Warnings. Consular Information Sheets exist for all
  countries and include information on entry and exit requirements, currency  
  regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime, political       
  disturbances, and the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
  Public Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly about    
  terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions overseas that  
  pose significant risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
  are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel 
  to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or unstable.        
                                                                       
  For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad  
  should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet
  web site at http://www.travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution,
  Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings can be found. Consular Affairs    
  Publications, which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
  safe trip abroad, are also available at http://www.travel.state.gov. For    
  additional information on international travel, see http://www.usa.gov/     
  Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.                                  
                                                                       
  The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens traveling or residing   
  abroad to register via the State Department's travel registration website or
  at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Registration will make your
  presence and whereabouts known in case it is necessary to contact you in an 
  emergency and will enable you to receive up-to-date information on security 
  conditions.                                                                 
                                                                       
  Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be obtained 
  by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or the regular   
  toll line 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada.           
                                                                       
  The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S. Department of   
  State's single, centralized public contact center for U.S. passport         
  information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer service   
  representatives and operators for TDD/TTY are available Monday-Friday, 7:00 
  a.m. to 12:00 midnight, Eastern Time, excluding federal holidays.           
                                                                       
  Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S. Centers for 
  Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
  (877-394-8747) and a web site at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm give the
  most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations or requirements,
  and advice on food and drinking water safety for regions and countries. A   
  booklet entitled "Health Information for International Travel" (HHS         
  publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S. Government       
  Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202) 512-1800.                 
                                                                       
  Further Electronic Information                                              
  Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at http://          
  www.state.gov, the Department of State web site provides timely, global     
  access to official U.S. foreign policy information, including Background    
  Notes and daily press briefings along with the directory of key officers of 
  Foreign Service posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
  provides security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies  
  working abroad through its website http://www.osac.gov                      
                                                                       
  Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and market    
  information offered by the federal government and provides trade leads, free
  export counseling, help with the export process, and more.                  
  STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides   
  authoritative economic, business, and international trade information from  
  the Federal government. The site includes current and historical            
  trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, 
  and country analysis and provides access to the National Trade Data Bank.   

 

***********************************************************
See http://www.state.gov/r/pa/bgn/ for all Background notes
************************************************************
To change your subscription, go to http://www.state.gov/misc/echannels/66822.htm