cu m (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
$26.78 billion (2004 est.)

Exports:
$250.6 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor
vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals

Exports - partners:
China 19.7%, US 17%, Japan 8.6%, Hong Kong 7.2% (2004)

Imports:
$214.2 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel,
transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics

Imports - partners:
Japan 20.6%, China 13.2%, US 12.9%, Saudi Arabia 5.3% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$199.1 billion (2004 est.)

Debt - external:
$160 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
ODA $334 million (2003)

Currency (code):
South Korean won (KRW)

Currency code:
KRW

Exchange rates:
South Korean won per US dollar - 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003),
1,251.1 (2002), 1,291 (2001), 1,131 (2000)

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Communications Korea, South

Telephones - main lines in use:
22.877 million (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
33,591,800 (2003)

Telephone system:
general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: NA
international: country code - 82; fiber-optic submarine cable to
China; the Russia-Korea-Japan submarine cable; satellite earth
stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1
Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 58, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2004)

Radios:
47.5 million (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
64 (additionally 119 Cable Operators; 239 Relay Cable Operators)
(2004)

Televisions:
15.9 million (1997)

Internet country code:
.kr

Internet hosts:
694,206 (2001)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
11 (2000)

Internet users:
29.22 million (2003)

Transportation Korea, South

Railways:
total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,342 km electrified) (2004)

Highways:
total: 86,990 km
paved: 66,721 km (including 1,996 km of expressways)
unpaved: 20,269 km (2001)

Waterways:
1,608 km
note: most navigable only by small craft (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 1,433 km; refined products 827 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Inch'on, Masan, P'ohang, Pusan, Ulsan

Merchant marine:
total: 601 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,992,656 GRT/11,081,142 DWT
by type: b