Politics
Republic of Korea
Capital: Seoul
Government: Republic
Independence: 15 August 1945
National Holidays: Liberation Day, August 15
Executive Branch: The president is elected by popular vote for a single five-year term.
Last election was held on 19 December 2012.
Next election to be held in December 2017
The prime minister is appointed by the president with the consent of The National Assembly.
Legislative: Unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe has 300 seats and 246 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 54 elected by proportional representation. The members serve four-year terms.
Elections were last held on 11 April 2012.
The next elections are to be held in April 2016.
Percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NFP 152, DUP 127, UPP 13, LFP 5, independents 3.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president with consent of National Assembly
The Constitutional Court justices are appointed by the president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court
Sufferage: 19 Years of age; universal
THEIR Ambassador: Ambassador AHN Ho-young
THEIR embassy in the US: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
THEIR cansulate in the US: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
US Ambassador: Ambassador Sung Y. KIM
US Embassy There: 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
UN Representative: N/A
Symbolism of Flag: 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; the Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony
National Symbols: taegeuk (yin yang symbol)
International Disputes: Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954
Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Stateless Persons: 179
Human Trafficking: N/A
Drug use: N/A
Government: Republic
Independence: 15 August 1945
National Holidays: Liberation Day, August 15
Executive Branch: The president is elected by popular vote for a single five-year term.
Last election was held on 19 December 2012.
Next election to be held in December 2017
The prime minister is appointed by the president with the consent of The National Assembly.
Legislative: Unicameral National Assembly or Gukhoe has 300 seats and 246 members elected in single-seat constituencies, 54 elected by proportional representation. The members serve four-year terms.
Elections were last held on 11 April 2012.
The next elections are to be held in April 2016.
Percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NFP 152, DUP 127, UPP 13, LFP 5, independents 3.
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president with consent of National Assembly
The Constitutional Court justices are appointed by the president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court
Sufferage: 19 Years of age; universal
THEIR Ambassador: Ambassador AHN Ho-young
THEIR embassy in the US: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
THEIR cansulate in the US: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle
US Ambassador: Ambassador Sung Y. KIM
US Embassy There: 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710
UN Representative: N/A
Symbolism of Flag: 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; the Korean national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony
National Symbols: taegeuk (yin yang symbol)
International Disputes: Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km-wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic incidents with North Korea in the Yellow Sea over the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea claims as a maritime boundary; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954
Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Stateless Persons: 179
Human Trafficking: N/A
Drug use: N/A