Fun Easy English - Travel abroad South Korea.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Korea

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

The Republic of Korea (South Korea or ROK) is a highly developed, stable, democratic republic with powers shared between the president and the legislature. It has a modern economy, and tourist facilities are widely available. English is often not spoken outside the main tourist and business centers.

The Korea National Tourism Organization (KNTO) can be reached from American and Canada by calling 1-800-868-7567 and has a useful website in English at http://www.tour2korea.com. The KNTO also operates a telephone information service in the Republic of Korea, which traveling or resident Americans in Korea can reach by calling 1330 (02-1330 from cell phones) anywhere in the country. The telephone service has English speakers and is available 24 hours every day throughout the year. The Seoul Help Center (SHC) assists foreigners with an English-speaking help line at (02) 731-6800 or 731-6802. The SHC is located in the Seoul City Hall and is open from 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. and 2:30 -5:30 p.m.

PEOPLE

Population
Korea’s population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogenous in the world. Except for a small Chinese community (about 20,000), virtually all Koreans share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. With 48.85 million people, South Korea has one of the world’s highest population densities. Major population centers are located in the northwest, southeast, and in the plains south of the Seoul-Incheon area.

Korea has experienced one of the largest rates of emigration, with ethnic Koreans residing primarily in China (1.9 million), the United States (1.52 million), Japan (681,000), and the countries of the former Soviet Union (450,000).

Language
The Korean language is related to Japanese and Mongolian. Although it differs grammatically from Chinese and does not use tones, a large number of Chinese cognates exist in Korean. Chinese ideograms are believed to have been brought into Korea sometime before the second century BC. The learned class spoke Korean, but read and wrote Chinese. A phonetic writing system ("hangul") was invented in the 15th century by King Sejong to provide a writing system for commoners who could not read classical Chinese. Modern Korean uses hangul almost exclusively with Chinese characters in limited use for word clarification. Approximately 1,300 Chinese characters are used in modern Korean. English is taught as a second language in most primary and secondary schools. Chinese and Japanese are widely taught at secondary schools.

Religion
Half of the population actively practices religion. Among this group, Christianity (49%) and Buddhism (47%) comprise Korea’s two dominant religions. Though only 3% identified themselves as Confucianists, Korean society remains highly imbued with Confucian values and beliefs. The remaining 1% of the population practice Shamanism (traditional spirit worship) and Chondogyo ("Heavenly Way"), a traditional religion.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS

A passport is required. U.S. passport holders may enter the Republic of Korea without a visa for a stay of up to 30 days for tourism or transit to another country. When staying for more than 30 days or for any purpose other than tourism or transit, the U.S. passport holder must obtain a visa prior to entry. Generally, individuals staying in Korea for longer than 90 days must apply for an Alien Registration Card. Individuals who plan to stay longer than the period authorized must apply to Korean Immigration for an extension in advance. Individuals who stay in Korea longer than the period authorized by Korean Immigration are subject to fines and may be required to pay the fines before departing the country. Changes of status from one type of visa to another (from tourism to teaching, for example) are normally not granted in the Republic of Korea and must be obtained at a Korean embassy or consulate after departing Korea.

Active-duty U.S. military personnel may enter the Republic of Korea under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with proper Department of Defense (DOD) identification and travel orders. Every civilian accompanying the force, including DOD civilian employees, invited contractors and family members, must have a valid passport to enter Korea and should obtain an A-3 SOFA visa prior to arrival in Korea. Active duty military personnel should obtain a tourist passport prior to leaving the U.S. to accommodate off-duty travel elsewhere in Asia. DOD travelers should consult the DOD Foreign Clearance Guide before leaving the U.S.

Exit permits are not required to leave Korea. However, if a parent requests through the Korean Immigration Office that a travel restriction be placed on a child, the child is likely to be prevented from departing Korea.

For the most current visa information,visit the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea at 2320 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008, telephone (202) 939-5660, or see the Korean Embassy website at http://www.koreaembassyusa.org/. Republic of Korea Consulates are also located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Guam, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Seattle. The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a web site directory of all Korean diplomatic missions worldwide at http://www.mofat.go.kr/me/me/index.html; at the bottom of the page is a pull-down menu of Korean overseas missions.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 98,477 sq. km. (38,022 sq. mi.); about the size of Indiana.
Cities (2005): Capital--Seoul (10.3 million). Other major cities--Busan (3.7 million), Daegu (2.5 million), Inchon (2.6 million), Gwangju (1.4 million), Daejeon (1.5 million), Ulsan (1.0 million).
Terrain: Partially forested mountain ranges separated by deep, narrow valleys; cultivated plains along the coasts, particularly in the west and south.
Climate: Temperate.

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Korean(s).
Population (2006): 48,846,823.
Population annual growth rate (2006): 0.42%.
Ethnic groups: Korean; small Chinese minority.
Religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Shamanism, Confucianism, Chondogyo.
Language: Korean.
Education: Years compulsory--9. Enrollment--11.5 million. Attendance--middle school 99%, high school 95%. Literacy--98%.
Health (2006): Infant mortality rate--6.16/1,000. Life expectancy--77.0 yrs (men 73.6 yrs.; women 80.8 yrs).
Work force (2005): 23.53 million. Services--67.2%; mining and manufacturing--26.4%; agriculture--6.4%.

Government
Type: Republic with powers shared between the president, the legislature, and the courts.
Liberation: August 15, 1945.
Constitution: July 17, 1948; last revised 1987.
Branches: Executive--President (chief of state); Prime Minister (head of government). Legislative--unicameral National Assembly. Judicial--Supreme Court and appellate courts; Constitutional Court.
Subdivisions: Nine provinces, seven administratively separate cities (Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan).
Political parties: Uri Party (Uri); Grand National Party (GNP); Democratic Party (DP); Democratic Labor Party (DLP); People Centered Party (PCP).
Suffrage: Universal at 19.
Central government budget (2004): Expenditures--$100.46 billion.
Defense (2005): $21.06 billion; over 680,000 troops.

Economy
Nominal GDP: 2005, $787.5 billion; 2006 est., $897.4 billion.
GDP growth rate: 2004, 4.7%; 2005, 4.0%; 2006 est. 5.0%.
Per capita GNI (2005): $16,291.
Consumer price index: 2004, 3.6%; 2005, 2.8%; 2006, 2.2%.
Natural resources: Limited coal, tungsten, iron ore, limestone, kaolinite, and graphite.
Agriculture, including forestry and fisheries: Products--rice, vegetables, fruit, root crops, barley; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs, fish. Arable land--17% of land area.
Industry: Types--Electronics and electrical products, telecommunications, motor vehicles, shipbuilding, mining and manufacturing, petrochemicals, industrial machinery, steel.
Trade (2006 est.): Exports--$360.0 billion f.o.b.: electronic products (semiconductors, cellular phones and equipment, computers), automobiles, machinery and equipment, steel, ships, petrochemicals. Imports--$343.0 billion f.o.b.: crude oil, food, machinery and transportation equipment, chemicals and chemical products, base metals and articles. Major markets (2005)--China (21.8%), U.S. (14.6.%), Japan (8.5%), Hong Kong (5.5%). Major suppliers (2005)--Japan (18.5%), China (14.8%), U.S. (11.8%), Saudi Arabia (6.2%).

USEFUL LINKS

U.S. Government

Miscellaneous

Korea.net - Gateway to Korea.