REPUBLIC OF KOREA Official name: Taehan-min'guk (Republic of Korea) (The Korean word for "Korea" is Han-guk) Location: North Asia Borders: Democratic People's Republic of Korea International organisations: The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Coastline: Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea Land area: 98,480 Km2 Population: 48,300,000 Ethnicity: Almost the entire population is of Korean stock. Languages: Korean is the national and universal language. Religion: Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3% Form of government: Presidential democratic republic. The Republic is divided into nine provinces and seven metropolitan cities.

Capital: Seoul Constitution: The new Korean Constitution came into effect on 25 February 1988. Head of state: The President, elected for a five-year term by direct universal suffrage. The Constitution makes the President the effective head of the government. Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the President and accountable to him. Legislature: The Republic of Korea has a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly (Kuk Hoe), which has 273 members, elected for four-year terms. Of these, 227 members are elected from single-seat constituencies and 46 members by proportional representation. Electoral authority: The National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea conducts elections. Its slogan is "Judge wisely and choose precisely, or a bright future will not be reserved for you." Freedom House rating: Political Rights 2, Civil Liberties 2

Political history

The ancient but enfeebled Korean monarchy succumbed to Japanese expanionism in 1910, and Korea spent 35 years as a Japanese colony, which is still bitterly resented. In 1945 the Soviet Union occupied the northern half of the peninsula and the United States the southern half. Each set up governments of their ideological persuasion. The southern government was led by the veteran nationalist Lee Seung-Man (known in the west as Syngman Rhee).

In 1950 the North Koreans launched a sudden military attack on the South. Three years of warfare followed, before United Nations forces stablised the situation along the present border and a cease-fire was agreed on. There has never been a permanent settlement and United States forces are still stationed along the border. Lee's regime was autocratic and oppressive, but reasonably free elections were held in the later 1950s.

In 1961 Lee was forced to retire and an army general, Park Jung-Hee, took office. From 1963 to 1971 Park ruled as an elected president, but in 1971 he declared himself "President for life" and thereafter ruled as a dictator. Following his assassination in 1979, there was a brief period of civilian rule, followed by another coup led by General Chun Doo-hwan. This coup was accompanied by a massacre of civilians in the southern city of Kwangju.

Chun ruled as a dictator until 1987, when he was succeeded by General Roh Tae-woo. Under domestic and international pressure, Roh agreed to allow free presidential elections in December 1987. Since then South Korea has been a stable and increasingly prosperous democracy, though overshadowed by fear of the isolationist and impoverished Communist regime in the North.

The veteran dissident leader Kim Dae-Jung was elected President in 1997. In 2003 he was succeeded by another member of his Democratic Party, Roh Moo-hyun. The Democratic Party is a liberal party which favours negotiations with the North and a gradual withdrawal of American forces from Korea. The opposition Grand National Party is more conservative and favours a tough line with the North. The United Liberal Democrats are also conservatives.