Guide Note

South Korea, formally titled The Republic of Korea, is one of the most economically and technologically advanced countries in Asia. Located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea is bordered by North Korea to the north, the Yellow Sea to the west, and the Korean Strait to the southeast.

Fast Facts

Capital: Seoul
President: Lee Myung-bak
Prime Minister: Han Seung-soo
Population: 48,846,823 (2006)¹
Currency: Won
Exchange Rate
Language: Korean
United with North Korea until 1945
Time zone: UTC+9
Country code: 82

Government

The United States of America was the primary influence in the establishment of the South Korean government after the Korean War. Government is divided into three national branches per the Constitution of the Republic of Korea: executive, judicial, and legislative. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. The judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels.

Standard of Living

A global leader in science and technology, South Korea has a strong focus on education, with the world's highest estimated national IQ and ranked first in mathematics, science, problem solving and reading by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. ²

Categories

Geography | Travel | Countries | East Asia | Asian Destinations

View Note History

South Korea

The Mahalo Top 7

Korean Overseas Information Service: Gateway to Korea
CIA World Factbook: South Korea
Wikipedia: South Korea
Library of Congress Portals to the World: South Korea
British Foreign & Commonwealth Office: South Korea
U.S. Department of State: South Korea Profile
BBC Country Profile: South Korea

South Korea Recent News

Topix: South Korea
Google News: South Korea
The New York Times: South Korea News
Korean Overseas Information Service: South Korea News
The Hankyoreh: South Korea News
The Korea Herald: South Korea News

South Korea Vacation

South Korea Travel Information

Official Site: Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Official Site: Korea Tourism Organization
U.S. Department of State: South Korea Consular Information
Wikitravel: South Korea
Lonely Planet: South Korea
TripAdvisor: South Korea
VirtualTourist: South Korea

South Korea Politics

Mahalo's Page on South Korea Election 2008
Wikipedia: Politics of South Korea
BBC News: South Korean Political History
Country Studies: South Korea Politics
Political Resources on the Net: South Korean Politcal Parties

South Korea Government Sites

Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Justice
Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Education
Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Commerce, Industry, & Energy
Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Health & Welfare
Official Site: National Assembly of South Korea
Official Site: Cheong Wa Dae (President of South Korea)

South Korea International Relations

Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official Site: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
WIkipedia: Foreign Relations of South Korea
U.S. Department of State: South Korea Foreign Relations
Country Studies: South/North Korean Relations

South Korea Political Issues

Official Site: National Human Rights Commision of Korea
East and South East Asia: South Korean Political Issues
Reporters Without Borders: South Korea Filters Internet
Wikipedia: Korean Reunification
U.S. Department of State: South Korea Human Rights Report

South Korea Economy

Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Finance & Economy
Official Site: South Korean Central Bank
Wikipedia: South Korea Economy
CIA World Factbook: South Korea Economy
U.S. Department of State: South Korea Economy
Portals to the World: South Korea Economy
The Economist: South Korea Economic Data

South Korea Military

Official Site: South Korea Ministry of Defense
Wikipedia: Military of South Korea
CIA World Factbook: South Korea Military
GlobalSecurity.org: South Korea Military

South Korea Facts and History

Korean Overseas Information Service: South Korea History
Wikipedia: History of South Korea | History of Korea
BBC News: South Korea Historical Timeline
U.S. Department of State: South Korea History

South Korea Maps and Geography

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Creative Commons image by "CIA World Factbook"

Korean Overseas Information Service: South Korea Location & Region
Wikipedia: South Korea Geography
Google Image Search: South Korea Maps

South Korea Capital

Mahalo's Guide to Seoul
Official Site: Seoul Map
Official Site: Government of Seoul
Wikipedia: Seoul
Official Site: Seoul Tourism
Lonely Planet: Seoul Travel Guide
Wikitravel: Seoul Travel Guide
MSN Weather: Seoul Weather

South Korea Major Cities

Official Site: Government of Metropolitan Busan
Official Site: Busan Tourism
Wikipedia: Busan
Wikitravel: Busan Travel Guide
MSN Weather: Busan Weather

South Korea Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: South Korea
Yahoo! Image Search: South Korea
Flickr: South Korea Photos
YouTube & Google Video: South Korea Videos
DailyMotion: South Korea Videos
YouTube: South Korean Tourist Trailer (Time: 00:31) | South Korea Tourism Video (Time: 7:13)

South Korea Culture

Korean Overseas Information Service: South Korean Music & Art | Culture of South Korea
Wikipedia: Contemporary Culture of South Korea | South Korea Sports
Life In Korea: South Korean Holidays

Related Searches

Lee Myung-bak | Grand National Party | South Korea Election 2008 | Seoul | Seoul Hotels | North Korea | China | Japan | Philippines | Namdaemun Gate | North Korea Ends Nuclear Program | N. Korea Nuclear Deadline | U.S. Conflict with North Korea | Vietnam | Laos | Russian Federation | Cambodia | Myanmar | Buddhism | Christianity | Sea of Japan

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