South Korea Country Facts - Tips

South Korea Country Facts - Tips

South KoreaCountry Facts Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs
August 2007

Background Note: South KoreaCountry 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

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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
************************************************************
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