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Compare Korea, North (2007) - Korea, South (2002)

Compare Korea, North (2007) z Korea, South (2002)

 Korea, North (2007)Korea, South (2002)
 Korea, NorthKorea, South
Administrative divisions 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities (si, singular and plural)


provinces: Chagang-do (Chagang), Hamgyong-bukto (North Hamgyong), Hamgyong-namdo (South Hamgyong), Hwanghae-bukto (North Hwanghae), Hwanghae-namdo (South Hwanghae), Kangwon-do (Kangwon), P'yongan-bukto (North P'yongan), P'yongan-namdo (South P'yongan), Yanggang-do (Yanggang)


municipalities: Kaesong-si (Kaesong), Najin Sonbong-si (Najin-Sonbong), Namp'o-si (Namp'o), P'yongyang-si (Pyongyang)
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities* (gwangyoksi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-gwangyoksi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-gwangyoksi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-gwangyoksi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-gwangyoksi*, Taejon-gwangyoksi*, Ulsan-gwangyoksi*
Age structure 0-14 years: 23.3% (male 2,758,826/female 2,679,093)


15-64 years: 68.1% (male 7,852,282/female 8,024,429)


65 years and over: 8.5% (male 709,599/female 1,277,496) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 21.4% (male 5,488,808; female 4,875,379)


15-64 years: 71% (male 17,404,645; female 16,894,361)


65 years and over: 7.6% (male 1,434,873; female 2,225,934) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, potatoes, soybeans, pulses; cattle, pigs, pork, eggs rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 77 (2007) 102 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total: 36


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 22


1,524 to 2,437 m: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
total: 69


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 18


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 21 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 41


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 19


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 7 (2007)
total: 33


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 31 (2002)
Area total: 120,540 sq km


land: 120,410 sq km


water: 130 sq km
total: 98,480 sq km


land: 98,190 sq km


water: 290 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Mississippi slightly larger than Indiana
Background An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. Five years later, Japan formally annexed the entire peninsula. Following World War II, Korea was split with the northern half coming under Soviet-sponsored Communist domination. After failing in the Korean War (1950-53) to conquer the US-backed Republic of Korea (ROK) in the southern portion by force, North Korea (DPRK), under its founder President KIM Il-so'ng, adopted a policy of ostensible diplomatic and economic "self-reliance" as a check against excessive Soviet or Communist Chinese influence. The DPRK demonized the US as the ultimate threat to its social system through state-funded propaganda, and molded political, economic, and military policies around the core ideological objective of eventual unification of Korea under Pyongyang's control. KIM's son, the current ruler KIM Jong Il, was officially designated as his father's successor in 1980, assuming a growing political and managerial role until the elder KIM's death in 1994. After decades of economic mismanagement and resource misallocation, the DPRK since the mid-1990s has relied heavily on international aid to feed its population while continuing to expend resources to maintain an army of 1 million. North Korea's long-range missile development, as well as its nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons programs and massive conventional armed forces, are of major concern to the international community. In December 2002, following revelations that the DPRK was pursuing a nuclear weapons program based on enriched uranium in violation of a 1994 agreement with the US to freeze and ultimately dismantle its existing plutonium-based program, North Korea expelled monitors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In January 2003, it declared its withdrawal from the international Non-Proliferation Treaty. In mid-2003 Pyongyang announced it had completed the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel rods (to extract weapons-grade plutonium) and was developing a "nuclear deterrent." Beginning in August 2003, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the US have participated in the Six-Party Talks aimed at resolving the stalemate over the DPRK's nuclear programs. North Korea pulled out of the talks in November 2005. It test-fired ballistic missiles in July 2006 and tested a nuclear weapon in October 2006. In October 2006, the DRPK announced that it would return to the Six-Party Talks. The Talks reconvened in December 2006. After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 20 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a historic first north-south summit took place between the south's President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il.
Birth rate 15.06 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 14.55 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
revenues: $118.1 billion


expenditures: $95.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $22.6 billion (2000)
Capital name: Pyongyang


geographic coordinates: 39 01 N, 125 45 E


time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Seoul
Climate temperate with rainfall concentrated in summer temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Coastline 2,495 km 2,413 km
Constitution adopted 1948; completely revised 27 December 1972, revised again in April 1992, and September 1998 25 February 1948
Country name conventional long form: Democratic People's Republic of Korea


conventional short form: North Korea


local long form: Choson-minjujuui-inmin-konghwaguk


local short form: Choson


abbreviation: DPRK
conventional long form: Republic of Korea


conventional short form: South Korea


local long form: Taehan-min'guk


local short form: none


note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country


abbreviation: ROK
Currency - South Korean won (KRW)
Death rate 7.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 6.02 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $12 billion (1996 est.) $128.2 billion (2001)
Diplomatic representation from the US none; note - Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang represents the US as consular protecting power chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD


embassy: 82 Sejong-ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul 110-710


mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-0001


telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114


FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
Diplomatic representation in the US none; North Korea has a Permanent Mission to the UN in New York chief of mission: Ambassador YANG Song-chol


chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600


FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle


consulate(s): Tamuning (Guam)
Disputes - international risking arrest, imprisonment, and deportation, tens of thousands of North Koreans cross into China to escape famine, economic privation, and political oppression; North Korea and China dispute the sovereignty of certain islands in Yalu and Tumen rivers; Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents in the Yellow Sea with South Korea which claims the Northern Limiting Line as a maritime boundary; North Korea supports South Korea in rejecting Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima) Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks/Take-shima/Tok-do disputed with Japan
Economic aid - donor - ODA $200 million (2000)
Economic aid - recipient $NA; note - approximately 350,000 metric tons in food aid, worth approximately $118 million, through the World Food Program appeal in 2004, plus additional aid from bilateral donors and non-governmental organizations (2005) -
Economy - overview North Korea, one of the world's most centrally planned and isolated economies, faces desperate economic conditions. Industrial capital stock is nearly beyond repair as a result of years of underinvestment and shortages of spare parts. Industrial and power output have declined in parallel. Due in part to severe summer flooding followed by dry weather conditions in the fall of 2006, the nation has suffered its 12th year of food shortages because of on-going systemic problems, including a lack of arable land, collective farming practices, and chronic shortages of tractors and fuel. Massive international food aid deliveries have allowed the people of North Korea to escape mass starvation since famine threatened in 1995, but the population continues to suffer from prolonged malnutrition and poor living conditions. Large-scale military spending eats up resources needed for investment and civilian consumption. In 2004, the regime formalized an arrangement whereby private "farmers' markets" were allowed to begin selling a wider range of goods. It also permitted some private farming on an experimental basis in an effort to boost agricultural output. In October 2005, the regime reversed some of these policies by forbidding private sales of grains and reinstituting a centralized food rationing system. By December 2005, the regime terminated most international humanitarian assistance operations in North Korea (calling instead for developmental assistance only) and restricted the activities of remaining international and non-governmental aid organizations such as the World Food Program. External food aid now comes primarily from China and South Korea in the form of grants and long-term concessional loans. Firm political control remains the Communist government's overriding concern, which will likely inhibit the loosening of economic regulations. As one of the Four Tigers of East Asia, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Three decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is roughly 20 times North Korea's and equal to the lesser economies of the European Union. This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged by 6.6% in 1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms have stalled. Led by industry and construction, growth in 2002 was an impressive 5.8%, despited anemic global growth.
Electricity - consumption 18.57 billion kWh (2005) 254.08 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 22.19 billion kWh (2005) 273.2 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: 61%


hydro: 1%


nuclear: 38%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m


highest point: Paektu-san 2,744 m
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m


highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Environment - current issues water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water; waterborne disease; deforestation; soil erosion and degradation air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Modification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Ethnic groups racially homogeneous; there is a small Chinese community and a few ethnic Japanese homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)
Exchange rates official: North Korean won per US dollar - 141 (2006), 170 (December 2004), 150 (December 2002), market: North Korean won per US dollar - 2,500-3,000 (December 2006) South Korean won per US dollar - 1,317.01 (January 2002), 1,290.99 (2001), 1,130.96 (2000), 1,188.82 (1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997)
Executive branch chief of state: KIM Jong Il (since July 1994); note - on 3 September 2003, rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) reelected KIM Jong Il chairman of the National Defense Commission, a position accorded nation's "highest administrative authority"; SPA reelected KIM Yong Nam president of its Presidium also with responsibility of representing state and receiving diplomatic credentials


head of government: Premier KIM Yong Il (since 11 April 2007); Vice Premiers KWAK Pom Gi (since 5 September 1998), JON Sung Hun (since 3 September 2003), RO Tu Chol (since 3 September 2003), THAE Jong Su (since 16 October 2007)


cabinet: Naegak (cabinet) members, except for Minister of People's Armed Forces, are appointed by SPA


elections: last held in September 2003 (next to be held in September 2008)


election results: KIM Jong Il and KIM Yong Nam were only nominees for positions and ran unopposed
chief of state: President ROH Muh-hyun (since 25 February 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister KO Kun (since 27 February 2003); Deputy Prime Minister KIM Chin-p'yo (since 27 February 2003)


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 NA December 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation


election results: results of the 19 December 2002 election - ROH Muh-hyun elected president, took office 25 February 2003; percent of vote - ROH Muh-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; YI Hoe-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5%
Exports NA bbl/day $159.2 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities minerals, metallurgical products, manufactures (including armaments), textiles, agricultural and fishery products electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish
Exports - partners China 35%, South Korea 24%, Thailand 9%, Japan 9% (2005) US 20.7%, China 12.1%, Japan 11.0%, Hong Kong 6.3%, Taiwan 3.9% (2001)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $931 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 30%


industry: 34%


services: 36% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 4%


industry: 42%


services: 54% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $19,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 1.6% (2006 est.) 5.8% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 40 00 N, 127 00 E 37 00 N, 127 30 E
Geography - note strategic location bordering China, South Korea, and Russia; mountainous interior is isolated and sparsely populated strategic location on Korea Strait
Heliports 23 (2007) 204 (2002)
Highways - total: 87,534 km


paved: 65,388 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)


unpaved: 22,146 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 3%


highest 10%: 25% (1998 est.)
Illicit drugs for years, from the 1970s into the 2000s, citizens of the Democratic People's Republic of (North) Korea (DPRK), many of them diplomatic employees of the government, were apprehended abroad while trafficking in narcotics, including two in Turkey in December 2004; police investigations in Taiwan and Japan in recent years have linked North Korea to large illicit shipments of heroin and methamphetamine, including an attempt by the North Korean merchant ship Pong Su to deliver 150 kg of heroin to Australia in April 2003 -
Imports 23,520 bbl/day (2004 est.) $146.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities petroleum, coking coal, machinery and equipment, textiles, grain machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains
Imports - partners China 42%, South Korea 28%, Russia 9%, Thailand 8% (2005) Japan 18.9%, US 15.9%, China 9.4%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, Australia 3.9% (2001)
Independence 15 August 1945 (from Japan) 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 6.5% (2002 est.)
Industries military products; machine building, electric power, chemicals; mining (coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, and precious metals), metallurgy; textiles, food processing; tourism electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing
Infant mortality rate total: 22.56 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 24.2 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 20.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
7.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% 2.8% (2002 est.)
International organization participation ARF, FAO, G-77, ICAO, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO AfDB, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 11 (2000)
Irrigated land 14,600 sq km (2003) 11,590 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Central Court (judges are elected by the Supreme People's Assembly) Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly)
Labor force 9.6 million (2002 est.) 22 million (2001)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 36%


industry and services: 64% (2002)
services 69%, industry 22%, agriculture 10% (2001)
Land boundaries total: 1,673 km


border countries: China 1,416 km, South Korea 238 km, Russia 19 km
total: 238 km


border countries: North Korea 238 km
Land use arable land: 22.4%


permanent crops: 1.66%


other: 75.94% (2005)
arable land: 17.44%


permanent crops: 2.05%


other: 80.51% (1998 est.)
Languages Korean Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school
Legal system based on Prussian civil law system with Japanese influences and Communist legal theory; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Legislative branch unicameral Supreme People's Assembly or Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 3 August 2003 (next to be held in August 2008)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; ruling party approves a list of candidates who are elected without opposition; some seats are held by minor parties
unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273 seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve four-year terms); note - beginning in 2004, all members will be directly elected; possible redistricting before 2004 may affect the number of seats in the National Assembly


elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8; note - the distribution of seats as of January 2002 is: GNP 136, MDP 118, ULD 15, DPP 2, independents 2
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.92 years


male: 69.18 years


female: 74.8 years (2007 est.)
total population: 74.88 years


male: 71.2 years


female: 78.95 years (2002 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99%


male: 99%


female: 99%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98%


male: 99.3%


female: 96.7% (1995 est.)
Location Eastern Asia, northern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Korea Bay and the Sea of Japan, between China and South Korea Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Map references Asia Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


note: military boundary line 50 nm in the Sea of Japan and the exclusive economic zone limit in the Yellow Sea where all foreign vessels and aircraft without permission are banned
contiguous zone: 24 NM


continental shelf: not specified


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
Merchant marine total: 171 ships (1000 GRT or over) 854,268 GRT/1,225,453 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 12, cargo 131, chemical tanker 1, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 14, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 3


foreign-owned: 29 (Egypt 1, India 1, Israel 1, Lebanon 3, Lithuania 1, Pakistan 1, Romania 6, Russia 1, Syria 7, Turkey 1, UAE 4, Yemen 2)


registered in other countries: (unknown 1) (2007)
total: 501 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,679,171 GRT/9,172,403 DWT


ships by type: bulk 104, cargo 160, chemical tanker 47, combination bulk 6, container 52, liquefied gas 16, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 73, refrigerated cargo 25, roll on/roll off 5, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 5, includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 1, Bulgaria 1, China 1, Greece 1, Japan 1, Malaysia 1, Norway 1, Panama 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
Military branches North Korean People's Army: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force; civil security forces (2005) Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $12.8 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2.8% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 14,194,960 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 8,990,488 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males: 394,397 (2002 est.)
National holiday Founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), 9 September (1948) Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Nationality noun: Korean(s)


adjective: Korean
noun: Korean(s)


adjective: Korean
Natural hazards late spring droughts often followed by severe flooding; occasional typhoons during the early fall occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Natural resources coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines oil 154 km (2006) petroleum products 455 km; note - additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed
Political parties and leaders major party - Korean Workers' Party or KWP [KIM Jong Il]; minor parties - Chondoist Chongu Party [RYU Mi Yong] (under KWP control), Social Democratic Party [KIM Yong Dae] (under KWP control) Democratic People's Party or DPP [CHO Sun, chairman]; Grand National Party or GNP [YI Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [leader NA]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM Chong-p'il, honorary chairman, KIM Chong-ho, acting president]


note: on 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP
Political pressure groups and leaders none 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
Population 23,301,725 (July 2007 est.) 48.324 million (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 4% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate 0.785% (2007 est.) 0.85% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors - Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu
Radio broadcast stations AM 17 (including 11 stations of Korean Central Broadcasting Station; North Korea has a "national intercom" cable radio station wired throughout the country that is a significant source of information for the average North Korean citizen; it is wired into most residences and workplaces and carries news and commentary), FM 14, shortwave 14 (2006) AM 104, FM 136, shortwave 5 (2001)
Radios - 47.5 million (2000)
Railways total: 5,214 km


standard gauge: 5,214 km 1.435-m gauge (3,500 km electrified) (2006)
total: 3,124 km


standard gauge: 3,124 km 1.435-m gauge (661 km electrified) (2000)
Religions traditionally Buddhist and Confucianist, some Christian and syncretic Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way)


note: autonomous religious activities now almost nonexistent; government-sponsored religious groups exist to provide illusion of religious freedom
Christian 49%, Buddhist 47%, Confucianist 3%, Shamanist, Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way), and other 1%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.979 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.555 male(s)/female


total population: 0.945 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.65 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Suffrage 17 years of age; universal 20 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 850; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Russian (Indian Ocean region); other international connections through Moscow and Beijing
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services


domestic: NA


international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)
Telephones - main lines in use 980,000 (2003) 24 million (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 28 million (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations 4 (includes Korean Central Television, Mansudae Television, Korean Educational and Cultural Network, and Kaesong Television targeting South Korea) (2003) 121 (plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1999)
Terrain mostly hills and mountains separated by deep, narrow valleys; coastal plains wide in west, discontinuous in east mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south
Total fertility rate 2.05 children born/woman (2007 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 3.1% (2002 est.)
Waterways 2,250 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2007) 1,609 km


note: restricted to small native craft
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