<hdr>The World Factbook 1994: Korea, South<nl>Government</hdr><body>
<list>
<item><hi format=bold>Names:</hi>
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>conventional long form:</hi> Republic of Korea
<item>• <hi format=ital>conventional short form:</hi> South Korea
<item>• <hi format=ital>local long form:</hi> Taehan-min'guk
<item>• <hi format=ital>local short form:</hi> none
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Abbreviation:</hi> ROK
<item><hi format=bold>Digraph:</hi> KS
<item><hi format=bold>Type:</hi> republic
<item><hi format=bold>Capital:</hi> Seoul
<item><hi format=bold>Administrative divisions:</hi> 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 6 special cities* (jikhalsi, singular and plural); Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto, Cholla-namdo, Ch'ungch'ong-bukto, Ch'ungch'ong-namdo, Inch'on-jikhalsi*, Kangwon-do, Kwangju-jikhalsi*, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto, Kyongsang-namdo, Pusan-jikhalsi*, Soul-t'ukpyolsi*, Taegu-jikhalsi*, Taejon-jikhalsi*
<item><hi format=bold>Independence:</hi> 15 August 1948
<item><hi format=bold>National holiday:</hi> Independence Day, 15 August (1948)
<item><hi format=bold>Constitution:</hi> 25 February 1988
<item><hi format=bold>Legal system:</hi> combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
<item><hi format=bold>Suffrage:</hi> 20 years of age; universal
<item><hi format=bold>Executive branch:</hi>
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>chief of state:</hi> President KIM Yong-sam (since 25 February 1993); election last held on 18 December 1992 (next to be held NA December 1997); results—KIM Yong-sam (DLP) 41.9%, KIM Tae-chung (DP) 33.8%, CHONG Chu-yong (UPP) 16.3%, other 8%
<item>• <hi format=ital>head of government:</hi> Prime Minister YI Yong-tok (since 29 April 1994); Deputy Prime Minister CHONG Chae-sok (since 21 December 1993) and Deputy Prime Minister YI Hong-ku (since 30 April 1994)
<item>• <hi format=ital>cabinet:</hi> State Council; appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
<item><hi format=bold>National Assembly (Kukhoe):</hi> elections last held on 24 March 1992; results—DLP 38.5%, DP 29.2%, Unification National Party (UNP) 17.3% (name later changed to UPP), other 15%; seats—(299 total) DLP 149, DP 97, UNP 31, other 22; the distribution of seats as of January 1994 was DLP 172, DP 96, UPP 11, other 20
<list style=hang>
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> the change in the distribution of seats reflects the fluidity of the current situation where party members are constantly switching from one party to another
<item><hi format=bold>Political parties and leaders:</hi>
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<item>• <hi format=ital>majority party:</hi> Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), KIM Yong-sam, president
<item>• <hi format=ital>opposition:</hi> Democratic Party (DP), YI Ki-taek, executive chairman; United People's Party (UPP), KIM Tong-kil, chairman; several smaller parties
<item>• <hi format=ital>note:</hi> the DLP resulted from a merger of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), Reunification Democratic Party (RDP), and New Democratic Republican Party (NDRP) on 9 February 1990
</list>
<item><hi format=bold>Other political or pressure groups:</hi> Korean National Council of Churches; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Student Associations; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Council of Labor Unions; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Veterans' Association; Federation of Korean Industries; Korean Traders Association
<item>• <hi format=ital>consulate(s) general:</hi> Agana (Guam), Anchorage, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
<item><hi format=bold>Flag:</hi> 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