Korea in Brief

Politics

<Cheongwadae>



President

< Roh Moo-Hyun>



<The National Assembly Building >

Korea is a democratic country based on a presidential government system.

The Korean government consists of an executive section, a legislative body and the judiciary, each respectively independent according to the constitution promulgated on July 17, 1948. The president, presidents of local governments and the members of the National Assembly are currently elected by the direct vote of the people of Korea (as of 2001).

The president serves a single five-year term as the chief executive with no additional terms. The president attends to his duties, receives audiences and holds conferences while residing in Cheongwadae. As of 2003, the president of Korea is Roh Moo - Hyun who was inaugurated as the 16th president on February 25, 2003.

As of January 2001, the executive branch is composed of 18 ministries, 4 offices and 16 agencies. Local government consists of the Seoul Metropolis, 6 megalopolises and 9 provinces. The term served by members of the National Assembly is four years, and members can be reelected. The Korean government supports a multiparty system.

The judiciary portion of the government is comprised of a supreme court, a high court, a district court and the constitutional court. Defendants can be justly tried through a complaint and appeal process.

Cheongwadae: http://www.cwd.go.kr(Korean/English)
The National Assembly: http://www.eng.assembly.go.kr (Korean/English)
The Supreme Court: http://www.scourt.go.kr/english (Korean/English)

The National Assembly Library, situated inside the National Assembly Building where legislation and parliamentary functions are performed, holds books, research and academic works on the largest scale in Korea.
People over the age of 20 are allowed to enter the library when they present their identification (a resident card or passport).

The National Assembly Library: http://www.nanet.go.kr/english(Korean/English

Economy

Korea has accomplished remarkable economic growth through economic development plans which have been promoted since the 1960s. Korea's accomplishment has been called an "economic miracle on the Hangang" by advanced foreign countries.

The Korean economy started being recognized worldwide through the construction and shipbuilding industry of the 1970s. It further developed through the auto manufacturing industry and the steel industry in the 1980s and the semiconductor and communication industries in the 1990s.

Korea built the world's 17th largest economic structure and became the 12th trading country in 1987. They leaped into a new strong economy as the GNI per person passed over $10,000 US in 1994.

However, Korea found it necessary to accept funds from the IMF (International Monetary Fund) as a result of the foreign currency crisis that occurred in late 1997. Economic growth then shrunk due to this action, however this crisis acted as an opportunity to bring the Korean economy on to the next stage.

Korea created superior companies able to cope with the world economy through the liquidation of insolvent enterprises and the merger of medium and small-sized enterprises. It has developed by progressively investing into the industries of the future including the semiconductor and communications industries and has been competitive with advanced foreign countries like the USA and Japan.

• Major Economic Indicators of Korea (As of December 1999)
GDP: 483,771.8 billion won ($406.7 billion US)
GNI: 478,250.9 billion won ($402.1 billion US)
GNI per person: 10,206,000 won ($8,581 US)
Annual Growth Rate: 10.7%

Korea National Statistical Office: http://www.nso.go.kr/ (Korean/ English)

Education

The duration of compulsory education in Korea is nine years from elementary school to middle school. Most Koreans attend kindergarten for 1 or 2 years, elementary school for 6 years, middle school for 3 years and high school for 3 years. Every school year is divided into two semesters: the first term is from March to the middle of July and the second term is from September to the middle of December.

In high school, the course of study is divided into either a general course consisting mostly of the education required for entering into a university or a business course which is made up of a vocational education relating to agriculture, engineering, business and general education.

After finishing with their high school education, students take a learning capacity test and can go on to the university based on their test scores and school records. As the acceptance rate for universities is under 30%, it is rather difficult to get into a university.

There are two-types of school in Korea: universities offering 4-year programs and colleges offering 2-year programs. After graduating from a university, students interested in further study can pursue postgraduate courses.

There are also schools for handicapped children and Korean Language Institutes and schools for foreigners in Korea.