c 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: 94%

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
note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Hanguk" to refer to
their country

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 Hong-ku (since 17 December
1994); Deputy Prime Minister HONG Chae-yong (since 4 October 1994) and
Deputy Prime Minister KIM Tok (since 23 December 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 changed to UPP), other 15%; seats - (299 total) DLP 149,
DP 97, UNP 31, other 22; the distribution of seats as of January 1994
was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20
note: the change in the distribution