Independence:
15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday:
Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Constitution:
17 July 1948
Legal system:
combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage:
19 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook (since 20 April
2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006);
KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September
2006)
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 19 December 2002 (next to be held in
December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent
of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
on prime minister's recommendation
election results: 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 and on 26 October 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP
3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP
9, ULD 3, independents 5
note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party
reflect results of April and October 2005 byelections involving six
and four seats respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; United
Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006. (2006)
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 [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Party
or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup];
People-Centered Party or PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri Party [KIM
Geun-tae]
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