ale(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.6 years
male : 70.01 years
female: 77.69 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.78 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean

Ethnic groups: homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese)

Religions: Christianity 49%, Buddhism 47%, Confucianism 3%, pervasive
folk religion (shamanism), Chondogyo (Religion of the Heavenly Way),
and other 1%

Languages: Korean, English widely taught in high school

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99.3%
female: 96.7% (1995 est.)

@Korea, South: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 "Hanguk" to refer to
their country
abbreviation: ROK

Data code: KS

Government type: republic

National capital: Seoul

Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6
special 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*

Independence: 15 August 1948

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 August (1948)

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 Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993)
head of government : Prime Minister KO Kon (since 4 March 1997);
Deputy Prime Ministers KANG Kyong-sik (since 5 March 1997) and KWON
O-ki (since 20 December 1995)
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 1992 (next to be held 18 December
1997); prime minister appointed by the president; deputy prime
ministers appointed by the president on the prime minister's
recommendation
election results: KIM Yong-sam elected president; percent of vote -
KIM Yong-s