Politics of South Korea Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Government
South Korea is a republic with powers shared between the President of South Korea and the legislature called the National Assembly. The president is chief of state and is elected for a term of 5 years. He appoints a Prime Minister who runs the government as directed by him. The 299 members of the unicameral National Assembly are elected to 4-year terms. South Korea's judicial system comprises a Supreme Court, appellate courts, and a Constitutional Court. The country has nine provinces and six administratively separate cities--Seoul, Pusan, Inchon, Taegu, Kwangju, and Taejon. Political parties include the Uri Party, Grand National Party (GNP), Democratic Labour Party (KDLP), Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) and United Liberal Democrats (ULD). Suffrage is universal at age 20.
1 Special City (Teukbyeolsi), 6 Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi, singular and plural), and 9 Provinces (Do, singular and plural).
AfDB, APEC, AsDB, BIS, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA (observer), IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, Zangger Committee
The flag of South Korea is white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field.Country name
note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han-guk" to refer to their country
Data code
KS
Government type
RepublicCapital
Seoul
Administrative divisions
(Main article: Administrative divisions of South Korea. For historical information, see Provinces of Korea and Special cities of Korea)Independence
August 15, 1945, date of liberation from Japanese colonial ruleNational holiday
Liberation Day, August 15 (1945)Constitution
February 25, 1988Legal system
combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thoughtSuffrage
20 years of age; universalExecutive branch
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, justices are appointed by the president subject to the consent of the National AssemblyPolitical parties and leaders
Note: Subsequent to the legislative election of April 1996 the following parties disbanded - New Korea Party or NKP and Democratic Party or DP. On 20 January 2000, the National Congress for New Politics or NCNP was renamed the Millennium Democratic Party or MDP. In September 2003 members of the MDP left that party to form the Uri Party. Before the April 2004 election, the GNP had 146 seats, the MDP 62 seats, the Uri Party 47 seats and the ULD 5 seats in the 273-seat Assembly. Two seats were vacant and there were 10 independents.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 Associations
International organization participation
Flag description