Capital: Seoul
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*

Independence: 15 August 1948
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)

Constitution: 25 February 1988

Legal system: combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993); election last held on 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997); results - KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%
head of government: Prime Minister YI Yong-tok (since 29 April 1994); Deputy Prime Minister CHONG Chae-sok (since 21 December 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister YI Hong-ku (since 30 April 1994)
cabinet: State Council; appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Kukhoe): elections last held on 24 March 1992; results - DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%, Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3% (name later changed to UPP), other 15%; seats - (299 total) DLP 149, DP 97, UNP 31, other 22; the distribution of seats as of January 1994 was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20
note: the change in the distribution of seats reflects the fluidity of the current situation where party members are constantly switching from one party to another

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders:
majority party: Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), KIM Yong-sam, president
opposition: Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, executive chairman; United People's Party (UPP), KIM Tong-kil, chairman; several smaller parties
note: the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990
Other political or pressure groups: Korean National Council of Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Student Associations; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean Traders Association
Member of: AfDB, APEC, AsDB, CCC, COCOM (cooperating), CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, OAS (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador HAN Sung-su
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: (202) 939-5600
consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador James T. LANEY
embassy: 82 Sejong-Ro, Chongro-ku, Seoul
mailing address: American Embassy, Unit 15550, Seoul; APO AP 96205-0001
telephone: [82] (2) 397-4000 through 4008 and 397-4114
FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845
consulate(s): Pusan

Flag: 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

NOTE: The information regarding Korea, South on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Korea, South Government 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Korea, South Government 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.