Introduction
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. During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and other UN forces intervened 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 18 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.
Location
Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea
Geographic coordinates
37 00 N, 127 30 E
Area
total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km
water: 290 sq km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 NM; between 3 NM and 12 NM in the Korea Strait
continental shelf: not specified
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m
Natural resources
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential
Irrigated land
11,590 sq km (1998 est.)
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
Population
48,598,175 (July 2004 est.)