The Founding Date of South Korea
After Japan defeated China during the Sino-Japanese War and Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, Japan was the conquering military power in Northeast Asia. As a result Japan annexed Korea as a Japanese colony in the year of 1910. The people of Korea were forbidden to learn their own culture as well as to speak their language. For thirty-five years Japan continued to dominate placing Koreans in prison, even to death for protesting to colonial rule.
In 1945, on August 15th, Japan surrendered ending the Pacific War. Exactly ten days later, August 25th, Korea was split into two separate divisions, North and South Korea. The United States took full control of Japanese soldiers in the south, while the Soviet Union controlled surrendering Japanese soldiers from the north.
Immediately a communist government began to form in the north known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while the United States turned its authority over to South Korea forming the Republic of Korea founded in August of 1948.
South Korea's Form of Government
The President is elected by secret ballot winning the majority vote. Unlike the United States, the elected President serves a five-year instead of the American four-year term. The next election is being held in December of 2007.
South Korea’s current political leader is President Roh Moo-hyun. He is the sixteenth president of the Republic of Korea, however he is accompanied by the National Assembly; members elected to serve a four-year term without term limits. There are two hundred and seventy-three Assembly seats: two hundred and twenty-seven through general elections and forty-six appointed by political parties.The President performs his executive functions through the State Council made up of fifteen to thirty members and presided over by the President who makes decisions for government policies. The Prime Minister is the President’s executive assistant, supervising administrative ministries and manages the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the direction of the President.
In addition to the Prime Minister, the President has two Deputy Prime Ministers. Their jobs are to carry out particular affairs delegated by the Prime Minister. The Minister of Finance and Economy and the Minister of Education and Human Resources Development hold offices of Deputy Prime Minister at the same time.
The President upon recommendation by the Prime Minister chooses members of the State Council. Members of the State Council are responsible to the President only, individually and collectively; they have the right to attend the National Assembly and state their opinions, as well as deliberate major state affairs, and act on behalf of the President.
Below the President’s direct control is several smaller agencies carrying out national policies such as the Board of Audit and Inspection, (responsible only to the chief executive having the authority to audit the financial accounts of local and central governments as well as the power to inspect abuses of public authority or misconduct by public officials in official affairs.), the National Intelligence Service, (authorized to collect strategic intelligence of internal as well as external origin and information on subversive and international criminal activities.), the Civil Service Commission, (responsible for the fair and efficient personnel management of civil servants.), and the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption, (responsible to taking all necessary measures to prevent corruption, and to enhance education and public relations.).
South Korea's Current Population
As of July 2002, Korea's current population is 48.324 million, which figures when considering the births to deaths ratio. There are 14.55 births per thousand people whereas there are only 6.02 deaths per thousand. Unlike most countries, however the males outnumber the females. Below fifteen years of age there are 1.11 males per female, at the ages of fifteen to sixty-four there are 1.03 males per female, and ages sixty-five and above the women outlive the men with a ratio of 0.65 males per every female. Overall, the total population is 1.01 males per female. The population grows at an average of 0.85% per year, serving a reasonable explanation for their high population rate.
Major Business/Industries
South Korea's economy really began to increase in the late 1980's, acheived by close government and business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. Even with the growth plunge of 6.6% in 1998, and the 3.1% unemployment rate, labor companies flourished with services occupying 69% of the population, industry 22%, and agriculture 10%. With their leading industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, and food processing, their industrial growth was 6.5% in the year of 2002.
Major Exports
In South Korea there were $159.2 billion worth of exporting goods. Agricultural exports such as rice, barley, vegetables, root crops, fruit, cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs, and fish, as well as commodities such as electronic products, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, steel, ships; textiles, clothing, and footwear. Its exporting parters range from 20.7% from the United States, 12.1% from China, 11% from Japan, 6.3% from Hong Kong, and 3.9% from Taiwan.
Major Trading Partners
South Korea's major trading partners are the United States, China, Germany, and Hong Kong.Links
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