Constitution:
17 July 1948
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 ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hae-chan (since 25 May 2004);
Deputy Prime Ministers HAN Duck-soo (14 March 2005), KIM Jin-pyo
(since 28 January 2005), and OH Myung (since 18 October 2004)
cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation
elections: president elected by popular vote for single five-year
term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in
February 2008); prime minister appointed by president with consent
of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
on prime minister's recommendation
election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - ROH
Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP)
48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats - members elected
for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat constituencies, 56 by
proportional representation
elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008;
byelections held on 30 April 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP
3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 146, GNP 125, DLP 10, DP
9, ULD 3, independents 6
note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party
reflect results of 2005 byelections involving six seats; MDP became
DP in May 2005 (2005)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent of
National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by
president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief
Justice of the court)
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Labor Party or DLP [KIM Hye-kyung, chairwoman];
Democratic Party or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap, chairman]; Grand National
Party or GNP [PARK Geun-hye, chairwoman]; United Liberal Democrats
or ULD [KIM Hak-won, chairman]; Uri Party [MOON Hee-sang, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;
National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of
Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National
Federation of Student Associations
International organization participation:
AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
Group, BIS, CP, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM,
IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS
(observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lee Tae-sik (designated)
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston,
Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s): Agana (Guam) and New York