Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993) head of government : Prime Minister KO Kon (since 4 March 1997); Deputy Prime Ministers KANG Kyong-sik (since 5 March 1997) and KWON O-ki (since 20 December 1995) cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 18 December 1992 (next to be held 18 December 1997); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation election results: KIM Yong-sam elected president; percent of vote - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections : last held 11 April 1996 (next to be held NA 2000) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NKP 139, NCNP 79, ULD 50, DP 15, independents 16; note - the distribution of seats as of December 1996 was NKP 155, NCNP 78, ULD 47, DP 12, independents 7
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: majority party : New Korea Party (NKP), KIM Yong-sam, president opposition: United Liberal Democratic Party (ULD), KIM Chong-pil, president; Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, chairman; National Congress for New Politics (NCNP), KIM Tae-chung, president
Political pressure groups and leaders: Korean National Council of
Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation
of Student Associations; National Federation of Farmers' Associations;
National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean
Traders Association; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions
International organization participation: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, BIS
(pending member), CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, OAS (observer), OECD,
OSCE (partner), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador PAK Kun-u chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant) embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001 telephone : [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845 consulate(s): Pusan
Flag description: 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