(1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
70.59 years
male:
67.39 years
female:
73.98 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.65 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Korean(s)
adjective:
Korean
Ethnic divisions:
homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Religions:
Christianity 48.6%, Buddhism 47.4%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive folk
religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way) 0.2%
Languages:
Korean, English widely taught in high school
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
96%
male:
99%
female:
99%
Labor force:
20 million
by occupation:
services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture,
fishing, forestry 21% (1991)

@Korea, South, Government

Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Korea
conventional short form:
South Korea
local long form:
Taehan-min'guk
local short form:
none
Abbreviation:
ROK
Digraph:
KS
Type:
republic
Capital:
Seoul
Administrative divisions:
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi,
singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo,
Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do,
Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo,
Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*
Independence:
15 August 1948
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
Constitution:
25 February 1988
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993); election last held on
18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - KIM
Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP)
16.3%, other 8%
head of government:
Prime Minister YI Yong-tok (since 29 April 1994); Deputy Prime
Minister CHONG Chae-sok (since 21 December 1993) and Deputy Prime
Minister YI Hong-ku (since 30 April 1994)
cabinet:
State Council; appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Kukhoe):
elections last held on 24 March 1992; results - DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%,
Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3% (name later chan