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 Dae-jung (since 25 February 1998)
head of government: Prime Minister KIM Chong-p'il (since 3 March
1998)
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 1997 (next to be held by 18
December 2002); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation
election results: KIM Dae-jung elected president; percent of
vote—KIM Dae-jung (NCNP) 40.3%, YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 38.7%, YI In-che
(NPP) 19.2%
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 February 1999 was GNP 137, NCNP 105, ULD 53, independents 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the
president subject to the consent of the National Assembly
Political parties and leaders: Grand National Party or GNP [CHO
president]
note: subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the
following parties disbanded—New Korea Party or NKP and Democratic
Party or DP; New People's Party or NPP merged with the NCNP in
August 1998
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,
CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador YI Hong-ku
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
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 Stephen W. BOSWORTH embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001