Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Korea

conventional short form: South Korea

local long form: Taehan-min'guk

local short form: none

note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han-guk" to refer
to their country

abbreviation: ROK

Government type: republic

Capital: Seoul

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

Independence: 15 August 1945 (from Japan)

National holiday: Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)

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 Dae-jung (since 25
February 1998)

head of government: Prime Minister YI Han-tong (since 23 May 2000)

cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime
minister's recommendation

elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year
term; election last held 18 December 1997 (next to be held by 18
December 2002); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy
prime ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation

election results: KIM Dae-jung elected president; percent of vote -
KIM Dae-jung (NCNP) 40.3% (with ULD partnership), YI Hoe-chang (GNP)
38.7%, YI In-che (NPP) 19.2%

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (273
seats total - 227 elected by direct, popular vote; members serve
four-year terms)

elections: last held 13 April 2000 (next to be held NA April 2004)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
GNP 133, MDP 115, ULD 17, other 8

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (justices are appointed by the
president with the consent of the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Grand National Party or GNP [YI
Hoe-chang, president]; Millennium Democratic Party or MDP [KIM
Dae-jung, president]; United Liberal Democrats or ULD [KIM
Chong-p'il, honorary chairman, KIM Chong-ho, acting president]

note: on 20 January 2000, the National