Location: Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea Area: total: 98,480 sq km land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km Climate: temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter Terrain: mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south Capital: Seoul Administrative divisions: 9 provinces (do) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi) : provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang) : metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju- gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan) Population: 48,422,644 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups: homogeneous Nationality: noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean Languages: Korean Religions: no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%, other 1% Literacy: 97.9%

Government type: republic Executive branch: • chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since February 2003) • head of government: Prime Minister LEE Hae-chan (since May 2004) • cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation • elections: president elected by popular vote for single five-year term National Holiday: 15 August (1945) ACD Member: ACD Member since 2002 Prime Mover (PM) on Working Group: IT Development Co-Prime Mover on Working Group: None Korea government official web site : www.korea.assembly.go.kr

Currency (code): South Korean won (KRW) GDP: $983.3 billion (2005 est.) GDP per capita: $20,300 (2005 est.) Exports - commodities: semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor ehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals Exports - partners: China, US , Japan , Hong Kong Imports - commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics Imports - partners: Japan , China , US , Saudi Arabia Agriculture - products: rice, root, crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish Industries: electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, ship building, steel Source: The World Fact Book 2005 (www.cia.gov)