combines elements of continental European civil law systems,
Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

19 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President LEE Myung-bak (since 25 February 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister HAN Seung-soo (since 29 February
2008)
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 19 December 2007 (next to be held on in
December 2012); prime minister appointed by president with consent
of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president
on prime minister's recommendation
election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president on 19 December
2002; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang
(GNP) 46.6%; others 4.5%; LEE Myung-bak elected president on 19
December 2007; percent of vote - LEE Myung-bak (GNP) 48.7%; CHUNG
Dong-young (UNDP) 26.1%); LEE Hoi-chang (independent) 15.1; others
10.1%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats; 243 members
elected in single-seat constituencies, 56 elected by proportional
representation; to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
GNP 153, UDP 81, LFP 18, Pro-Park Alliance 14, DLP 5, CKP 3,
independents 25

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (justices appointed by the president with consent of
National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by the
president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief
Justice of the court)

Political parties and leaders:

Creative Korea Party or CKP [MOON Kook-hyun]; Democratic Labor Party
or DLP [CHUN Young-se]; Grand National Party or GNP [PARK Hee-tae];
Liberty Forward Party or LFP [LEE Hoi-chang]; Democratic Party or DP
[CHUNG Sye-kyun] (formerly the United Democratic Party or UDP)

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions;
Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of
Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association;
National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of
Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National
Federation of Student Associat