ulk carrier 125, cargo 196, chemical tanker 88, container
71, liquefied gas 20, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 22, petroleum
tanker 51, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle
carrier 3
foreign-owned: 2 (Germany 1, United Kingdom 1)
registered in other countries: 366 (2005)

Airports:
179 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 88
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 21
1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 38 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 91
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 88 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
206 (2004 est.)

Military Korea, South

Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police
(Coast Guard)

Military service age and obligation:
20-30 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 24-28 months, depending on the military branch
involved; 18 years of age for voluntary military service; some 4,000
women serve as commissioned and noncommissioned officers, approx.
2.3% of all officers; women, in service since 1950, are admitted to
seven service branches, including infantry; excluded from artillery,
armor, anti-air, and chaplaincy corps (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 20-49: 12,458,257 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 20-49: 9,932,026 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 344,723 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$16.18 billion (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.8% (2004)

Transnational Issues Korea, South

Disputes - international:
Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone
has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime
disputes with North Korea over the Northern Limit Line; South Korea
and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by
South Korea since 1954

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Kuwait

Introduction Kuwait

Background:
Britain oversaw foreign relations and defense for the ruling
Kuwaiti AL-SABAH dynasty from 1899 until independence in 1961.
Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following
several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led, UN coalition began a
ground assault on