Korea, South

Broadcast media

multiple national TV networks with 2 of the 3 largest networks publicly operated; the largest privately owned network, Seoul Broadcasting Service (SBS), has ties with other commercial TV networks; cable and satellite TV subscription services available; publicly operated radio broadcast networks and many privately owned radio broadcasting networks, each with multiple affiliates, and independent local stations (2010)

Internet country code

.kr

Internet users

total: 44.9 million | percent of population: 91.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 13

Radio broadcast stations

AM 96, FM 322, shortwave 1 (2008)

Telephone system

general assessment: excellent domestic and international services featuring rapid incorporation of new technologies | domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular services widely available with a combined telephone subscribership of roughly 170 per 100 persons; rapid assimilation of a full range of telecommunications technologies leading to a boom in e-commerce | international: country code - 82; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and US; satellite earth stations - 66 (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 29.48 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 57.2 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 117 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Television broadcast stations

57 (plus 103 cable operators and 119 relay cable operators) (2008)

Agriculture - products

rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish

Budget

revenues: $350.7 billion | expenditures: $337.9 billion (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Central bank discount rate

2% (31 December 2014) | 2.5% (31 December 2013) | country comparison to the world: 118

Commercial bank prime lending rate

4.5% (31 December 2014 est.) | 4.64% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Current account balance

$89.22 billion (2014 est.) | $81.15 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Debt - external

$425.4 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $423.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.2 (2013 est.) | 35.8 (2000) | country comparison to the world: 113

Economy - overview

South Korea over the past four decades has demonstrated incredible economic growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy. In the 1960s, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion-dollar club of world economies. A system of close government and business ties, including directed credit and import restrictions, initially made this success possible. 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 1997-98 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios and massive short-term foreign borrowing. GDP plunged by 7% in 1998, and then recovered by 9% in 1999-2000. South Korea adopted numerous economic reforms following the crisis, including greater openness to foreign investment and imports. Growth moderated to about 4% annually between 2003 and 2007. South Korea's export focused economy was hit hard by the 2008 global economic downturn, but quickly rebounded in subsequent years, reaching over 6% growth in 2010. The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement was ratified by both governments in 2011 and went into effect in March 2012. Between 2012 and 2014, the economy experienced slow growth due to sluggish domestic consumption and investment. The administration in 2015 is likely to face the challenge of balancing heavy reliance on exports with developing domestic-oriented sectors, such as services. The South Korean economy's long-term challenges include a rapidly aging population, inflexible labor market, dominance of large conglomerates (chaebols), and the heavy reliance on exports, which comprise about half of GDP. In an effort to address the long term challenges and sustain economic growth, the current government has prioritized structural reforms, deregulation, promotion of entrepreneurship and creative industries, and the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises.

Exchange rates

South Korean won (KRW) per US dollar - | 1,053 (2014 est.) | 1,095 (2013 est.) | 1,126.47 (2012 est.) | 1,108.29 (2011 est.) | 1,156.1 (2010 est.)

Exports

$572.7 billion (2014 est.) | $559.6 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Exports - commodities

semiconductors, petrochemicals, automobile/auto parts, ships, wireless communication equipment, flat display displays, steel, electronics, plastics, computers

Exports - partners

China 25.4%, US 12.3%, Japan 5.6%, Hong Kong 4.8%, Singapore 4.2% (2014 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$1.41 trillion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$1.781 trillion (2014 est.) | $1.724 trillion (2013 est.) | $1.676 trillion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 14

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 50.4% | government consumption: 15.1% | investment in fixed capital: 29.1% | investment in inventories: 0.1% | exports of goods and services: 50.6% | imports of goods and services: -45.3% | (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 2.3% | industry: 38.3% | services: 59.4% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$35,300 (2014 est.) | $34,100 (2013 est.) | $33,200 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 46

GDP - real growth rate

3.3% (2014 est.) | 2.9% (2013 est.) | 2.3% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Gross national saving

35.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | 34.3% of GDP (2013 est.) | 34.2% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 17

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 6.8% | highest 10%: 37.8% (Q4 2014)

Imports

$525.5 billion (2014 est.) | $515.6 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Imports - commodities

crude oil/petroleum products, semiconductors, natural gas, coal, steel, computers, wireless communication equipment, automobiles, fine chemical, textiles

Imports - partners

China 17.1%, Japan 10.2%, US 8.7%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Qatar 4.9%, Germany 4.1% (2014 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

0% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Industries

electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.3% (2014 est.) | 1.3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Labor force

26.27 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 25

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 5.7% | industry: 24% | services: 70.4% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.269 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.193 trillion (31 December 2013) | $1.121 trillion (28 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Population below poverty line

14.6% (2013 est.)

Public debt

34.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | 33.8% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$363.6 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $346.5 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

Stock of broad money

$1.973 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.754 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$278.8 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $254.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 22

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$152.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $140.7 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Stock of domestic credit

$1.187 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) | $1.055 trillion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Stock of narrow money

$556.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $470.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Taxes and other revenues

24.9% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Unemployment rate

3.5% (2014 est.) | 3.1% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

688.3 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Crude oil - imports

2.949 million bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl | country comparison to the world: 152

Electricity - consumption

474.8 billion kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 10

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 159

Electricity - from fossil fuels

69.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1.7% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

26.8% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.9% of total installed capacity (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 166

Electricity - installed generating capacity

86.97 million kW (2011 est.) | country comparison to the world: 12

Electricity - production

517.1 billion kWh (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Natural gas - consumption

53.15 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 16

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Natural gas - imports

46.26 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Natural gas - production

515 million cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Natural gas - proved reserves

5.748 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Refined petroleum products - consumption

2.261 million bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 11

Refined petroleum products - exports

1.182 million bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7

Refined petroleum products - imports

911,700 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 8

Refined petroleum products - production

2.745 million bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 7

Area

total: 99,720 sq km | land: 96,920 sq km | water: 2,800 sq km | country comparison to the world: 109

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Pennsylvania; slightly larger than Indiana

Climate

temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter; cold winters

Coastline

2,413 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m | highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m

Environment - current issues

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-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 25.47 cu km/yr (26%/12%/62%) | per capita: 548.7 cu m/yr (2003)

Geographic coordinates

37 00 N, 127 30 E

Geography - note

strategic location on Korea Strait

Irrigated land

8,804 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

total: 237 km | border countries (1): North Korea 237 km

Land use

agricultural land: 18.1% | arable land 15.3%; permanent crops 2.2%; permanent pasture 0.6% | forest: 63.9% | other: 18% (2011 est.)

Location

Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: not specified

Natural hazards

occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest | volcanism: Halla (elev. 1,950 m) is considered historically active although it has not erupted in many centuries

Natural resources

coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential

Terrain

mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south

Total renewable water resources

69.7 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces (do, singular and plural), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi, singular and plural), 1 special city (teugbyeolsi), and 1 special self-governing city (teukbyeoljachisi) | provinces: Chungbuk (North Chungcheong), Chungnam (South Chungcheong), Gangwon, Gyeongbuk (North Gyeongsang), Gyeonggi, Gyeongnam (South Gyeongsang), Jeju, Jeonbuk (North Jeolla), Jeonnam (South Jeolla) | metropolitan cities: Busan (Pusan), Daegu (Taegu), Daejeon (Taejon), Gwangju (Kwangju), Incheon (Inch'on), Ulsan | special city: Seoul | special self-governing city: Sejong

Capital

name: Seoul | geographic coordinates: 37 33 N, 126 59 E | time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

effective 17 July 1948; amended several times, last in 1987 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Korea | conventional short form: South Korea | local long form: Taehan-min'guk | local short form: Han'guk | abbreviation: ROK

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Mark William LIPPERT (since 21 November 2014) | embassy: 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 | mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit | telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 | FAX: [82] (2) 725-0152

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador AHN Ho-young (since 7 June 2013) | chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 | FAX: [1] (202) 797-0595 | consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle

Executive branch

chief of state: President PARK Geun-hye (since 25 February 2013) | head of government: Prime Minister HWANG Kyo-ahn (since 18 June 2015); Deputy Prime Ministers HWANG Woo-yea (since 7 November 2014), CHOI Kyung-hwan (since 13 June 2014) | cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 19 December 2012 (next to be held in December 2017); prime minister appointed by president, approved by National Assembly | election results: PARK Geun-Hye elected president; percent of vote - PARK Geun-Hye (NFP) 51.6%, MOON Jae-In (DUP) 48%, other 0.4%

Flag description

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; the South Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony

Government type

republic

Independence

15 August 1945 (from Japan)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CD, CICA, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club (associate), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court of South Korea (consists of a chief justice and 13 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of a court head and 8 justices) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; other justices appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the chief justice and consent of the National Assembly; position of the chief justice is a 6-year non-renewable term; other justices serve 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court justices appointed - 3 by the president, 3 by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Supreme Court chief justice; court head serves until retirement at age 70, while other justices serve 6-year renewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65 | subordinate courts: High Courts; District Courts; Branch Courts (organized under the District Courts); specialized courts for family and administrative issues

Legal system

mixed legal system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought

Legislative branch

description: unicameral National Assembly or Kuk Koe (300 seats; 246 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 54 directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 11 April 2012 (next to be held in April 2016) | election results: percent of vote by party - NFP 42.8%, DUP 36.5%, UPP 10.3%, LFP 3.2%, other 7.2%; seats by party - NFP 152, DUP 127, UPP 13, LFP 5, independent 3 | note: seats by negotiation group as of August 2015 - NFP 160, NPAD 130, Justice Party 5, Independents 3; note - 2 seats are vacant

National anthem

name: "Aegukga" (Patriotic Song) | lyrics/music: YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay | note: adopted 1948, well-known by 1910; both North Korea's and South Korea's anthems share the same name and have a vaguely similar melody but have different lyrics

National holiday

Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

National symbol(s)

taegeuk (yin yang symbol), Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon); national colors: red, white, blue, black

Political parties and leaders

Justice Party [CHEON Ho-sun] | Liberty Forward Party or LFP (merged with NFP in October 2012) | New Frontier Party (NFP) or Saenuri (formerly Grand National Party) [KIM Moo-sung] | New Politics Alliance for Democracy or NPAD [MOON Jae-in] (merger of the Democratic Party or DP (formerly DUP) [KIM Han-gil] and the New Political Vision Party or NPVP [AHN Cheol-soo] in March 2014) | Unified Progressive Party or UPP (disbanded in December 2014)

Political pressure groups and leaders

Catholic Priests' Association for Justice | Christian Council of Korea | Citizen's Coalition for Economic Justice | Federation of Korean Industries | Federation of Korean Trade Unions | Korean Confederation of Trade Unions | Korean Veterans' Association | Lawyers for a Democratic Society | National Council of Churches in Korea | People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

Suffrage

19 years of age; universal

Background

An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion supported by China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the Peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former ROK Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became the first civilian president of South Korea's new democratic era. President KIM Dae-jung (1998-2003) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to South Korean democracy and his "Sunshine" policy of engagement with North Korea. President PARK Geun-hye, daughter of former ROK President PARK Chung-hee, took office in February 2013 and is South Korea's first female leader. South Korea held a non-permanent seat (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Discord with North Korea has permeated inter-Korean relations for much of the past decade, highlighted by the North's attacks on a South Korean ship and island in 2010, multiple nuclear and missile tests, and a five-month closure of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex in 2013.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 13,185,794 | females age 16-49: 12,423,496 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 10,864,566 | females age 16-49: 10,168,709 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 365,760 | female: 321,225 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Republic of Korea Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2011)

Military expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2012) | 2.77% of GDP (2011) | 2.8% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 25

Military service age and obligation

20-30 years of age for compulsory military service, with middle school education required; conscript service obligation - 21 months (Army, Marines), 23 months (Navy), 24 months (Air Force); 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service; women, in service since 1950, admitted to 7 service branches, including infantry, but excluded from artillery, armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps; HIV-positive individuals are exempt from military service (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 13.69% (male 3,489,464/female 3,232,372) | 15-24 years: 13.52% (male 3,518,488/female 3,122,997) | 25-54 years: 46.63% (male 11,687,846/female 11,214,687) | 55-64 years: 13.14% (male 3,190,093/female 3,264,411) | 65 years and over: 13.02% (male 2,662,353/female 3,732,485) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

8.19 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 220

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.6% (2011) | country comparison to the world: 135

Contraceptive prevalence rate

80% | note: percent of women aged 15-44 (2009)

Death rate

6.75 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 139

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 37.2% | youth dependency ratio: 19.2% | elderly dependency ratio: 18% | potential support ratio: 5.6% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99.7% of population | rural: 87.9% of population | total: 97.8% of population | urban: 0.3% of population | rural: 12.1% of population | total: 2.2% of population (2012 est.)

Education expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 75

Ethnic groups

homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

7.2% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 69

Hospital bed density

10.3 beds/1,000 population (2009)

Infant mortality rate

total: 3.86 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 3.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 194

Languages

Korean, English (widely taught in junior high and high school)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 80.04 years | male: 76.95 years | female: 83.34 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Major urban areas - population

SEOUL (capital) 9.774 million; Busan (Pusan) 3.216 million; Incheon (Inch'on) 2.685 million; Daegu (Taegu) 2.244 million; Daejon (Taejon) 1.564 million; Gwangju (Kwangju) 1.536 million (2015)

Median age

total: 40.8 years | male: 39.2 years | female: 42.2 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

noun: Korean(s) | adjective: Korean

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

6.3% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 139

Physicians density

2.14 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

49,115,196 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 27

Population growth rate

0.14% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 186

Religions

Christian 31.6% (Protestant 24%, Roman Catholic 7.6%), Buddhist 24.2%, other or unknown 0.9%, none 43.3% (2010 survey)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 17 years | male: 18 years | female: 16 years (2012)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.13 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female | total population: 1 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.25 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 220

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9% | male: 9.7% | female: 8.5% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Urbanization

urban population: 82.5% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.66% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 204 (2014)

Airports

111 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 53

Airports - with paved runways

total: 71 | over 3,047 m: 4 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 | 914 to 1,523 m: 13 | under 914 m: 23 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 40 | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 | 38 (2013)

Heliports

466 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 786 | by type: bulk carrier 191, cargo 235, carrier 8, chemical tanker 130, container 72, liquefied gas 44, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 15, petroleum tanker 55, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 10, vehicle carrier 6 | foreign-owned: 31 (China 6, France 2, Japan 14, Taiwan 1, US 8) | registered in other countries: 457 (Bahamas 1, Cambodia 10, Ghana 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 3, Indonesia 2, Kiribati 1, Liberia 2, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 41, North Korea 1, Panama 373, Philippines 1, Russia 1, Singapore 3, Tuvalu 1, unknown 8) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 14

Pipelines

gas 2,216 km; oil 16 km; refined products 889 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Busan, Incheon, Gunsan, Kwangyang, Mokpo, Pohang, Ulsan, Yeosu | container port(s) (TEUs): Busan (16,163,842), Kwangyang (2,061,958), Incheon (1,924,644) | LNG terminal(s) (import): Incheon, Kwangyang, Pyeongtaek, Samcheok, Tongyeong, Yeosu

Railways

total: 3,460 km | standard gauge: 3,460 km 1.435-m gauge (1,422 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 52

Roadways

total: 104,983 km | paved: 83,199 km (includes 3,779 km of expressways) | unpaved: 21,784 km (2009) | country comparison to the world: 44

Waterways

1,600 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 50