2. Introduction to country FACTS AND STATISTICS Capital(and largest city)Seoul37°35′N 127°0′E / 37.583°N 127°E / 37.583; 127 Official languagesKorean DemonymSouth Korean, Korean GovernmentPresidentialrepublic - PresidentLee Myung-bak - Prime MinisterHan Seung-soo - Prime Minister-designateChung Un-chan LegislatureNational Assembly
3. - Independence declared March 1, 1919 - Provisional Government April 13, 1919 - LiberationAugust 15, 1945
4. - Constitution July 17, 1948 - Government Proclaimed August 15, 1948 AreaTotal100,140 km2 (108th) 38,622 sq mi - Water (%) 0.3 Population estimate 48,379,392 (26th) - Density 493/km2 (21st)1,274/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2008 estimate - Total$1.342 trillion[2] (13th) -
5. CurrencySouth Korean won (₩) (KRW) Time zone Korea Standard Time (UTC+9) Summer (DST) Drives on theRight Calling code 82
6. Social - cultural environment Entertainment cuisines Big Bang (band), shown here on Thai television, is also a popular Korean boy band. Bulgogi, a traditional Korean barbecue made of either beef or pork Sujeonggwa
7. Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) on a mobile phone The android EveR-3 in the traditional Korean dress Hanbok. The Cheongja unhak sanggam mun maebyeong from the Goryeo Dynasty.
8. Sports World Peace Gate at Olympic Park, Seoul Hapkido tournament
10. Economic environment MS Freedom of the Seas, the largest passenger ship in the world built by STX Europe, owned by South Korea's STX Corporation. South Korea is the largest shipbuilder in the world The 63 Building was the tallest building in Asia when it was completed in 1985.
11. South Korea is the fifth largest automobile producer in the world, led by Hyundai and Kia. Samsung's Omnia HD, featuring a 3.7" AMOLEDtouchscreen. Samsung is the leading high-tech electronics brand and the largest consumer electronics manufacturer in the world. South Korea is the world's largest maker of LCD, Plasma display, OLED and CRT displays,[81] led by LG Display and Samsung SDI.
12. Transportation & energy Incheon International Airport, rated the best airport worldwide consecutively since 2005 by Airports Council International. An Express Bus Terminal on Seoul Subway Line 9. Banpo Bridge, a gigantic rainbow fountain with nearly 10,000 LED nozzles pumping out 190 tonnes of water every minute over Han River.
13. Science & technology Yi So-yeon, South Korea's first spaceflight participant Albert HUBO,developed by KAIST, can make expressive gestures with its 5 separate fingers.
16. Agreement on Trade Promotion and Economic and Technological Cooperation in 1974; Agreement on Cooperation in Science & Technology in 1976; Convention on Double Taxation Avoidance in 1985; and Bilateral Investment Promotion/ Protection Agreement in 1996.
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20. Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests in 1993, 1998, 2006 and 2009.
21. As of mid 2009, relationships between North and South Korea are very tense; North Korea has been reported to have deployed missiles,[31] ended its former agreements with South Korea,[32] and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned.[33]
22. As of 2009, North and South Korea are still technically at war (having never signed an armistice after the Korean War) and share the world’s most heavily fortified border.[34]
23. On May 27, 2009 , North Korea declared that the ceasefire treaty, signed post Korean War, is no longer valid due to the South Korean government's pledge to "definitely join" the Proliferation Security Initiative.
