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Transcript of South Korea
South Korea
Political science Project
Presented By
Kirollos Adel
Ahmed Wagdy
Yassin Nasr
Introduction
Location
South Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula
jutting out from the far east of the Asian land mass. The only country with a land
border to South Korea is North Korea, lying to the north with 238 kilometres
(148 mi) of border running along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. South Korea is
mostly surrounded by water and has 2,413 kilometres (1,499 mi) of coast line
along three seas. To the west is the Yellow Sea, to the south is the East China Sea,
and to the east is Ulleung-do and Liancourt Rocks in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
Geographically, South Korea's land mass is approximately 100,032 square
kilometres (38,623 sq. mi). 290 square kilometres (110 sq. mi) of South Korea
are occupied by water
Currency
South Korean won
Flag
Main cities 1. Seoul2. Busan3. Daegu4. Daejeon5. Gwangju6. Incheon7. Ulsa
Economy
South Korea is one of the world's wealthiest nations. South Korea has a
market economy that ranks 15th in the world by nominal GDP It is a
developed country, with a developed market and high-income economy.
Nominal: $1.449 trillion (2014)
GDP per capita 32,020$
GDP growth rate 2.1%
Media
The South Korean media consist of several different types of public
communication of news: television, radio, cinema, newspapers,
magazines, and Internet-based Web sites.
Political System
Politics of the Republic of Korea takes place in the framework of a
presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is
the head of state, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is
exercised by the government.
Legislative power is in hands of both the government and the National
Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the
legislature.
Since 1948, the constitution has undergone five major revisions, each
signifying a new republic. The current Sixth Republic began with the last
major constitutional revision in 1987.
Political Parties
Party Name Seats in National assembly
Political direction
Saenuri Party (NFP - New Frontier Party)
158 Centre right to right wing
New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD)
130 Centre to Centre left
Justice Party 5 Centre left
Constitution
The Constitution of the Republic of Korea calls for a liberal democratic
political system. Its principles are based on the sovereignty of the people,
with all the authority of state emanating from its citizens: Separation of
powers among the three branches of government, the rule of law, and the
responsibility to promote citizens' welfare, as well as the attainment of a
peaceful unification of Korea.
Consisting of 130 articles, the Constitution provides for an executive
branch headed by a president and an appointed prime minister, a
unicameral legislature called the National Assembly, and a judiciary
consisting of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and lower courts.
The President is elected by direct popular vote, and limited to a single
five-year term. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President with the
consent of the National Assembly. Although not required by the
Constitution, the President also appoints members of the cabinet..
The National Assembly consists of at least 200 (presently 300) members
elected to four-year terms. The Supreme Court's chief justice is appointed
by the president and up to 13 other justices appointed by the president on
recommendation of the chief justice with the approval of the National
Assembly. The President serves a six-year term.
Last Presidential elections
Held in 2012
Candidate Party Votes %
Park Geun-hye Saenuri Party 15,773,128 51.55
Moon Jae-in Democratic United Party 14,692,632 48.02
Kang Ji-won Independent 53,303 0.17
Kim Soon-ja Independent 46,017 0.15
Kim So-yeon Independent 16,687 0.05
Park Jong-sun Independent 12,854 0.04
Last national assembly elections
Held in October 2012
Parties Total seats
Saenuri Party (NFP) 152
Democratic United Party (DUP) 127
Unified Progressive Party (UPP) 13
Liberty Forward Party (LFP) 5
New Progressive Party (NPP) 0
Korea Vision Party (KVP) 0
Creative Korea Party (CKP) 0
Independents 3
Total 300
Political leaders and Opposition
The Democratic Party (DP), until 2013 known as the Democratic United
Party (DUP), is a socially liberal political party in South Korea, and
currently the country's main opposition force in the 18th Assembly, Kim
Han-gil is the party's chairman (since 4 May 2013)
The president Park Geun-hye and the prime minister Jung Hong-won
belong to Saenuri Party (NFP)
Minorities
South Korea is a relatively similar society with an absolute majority of the
population of Korean ethnicity (The Korean ethnic group accounts for
approximately 96% of the total population of the Korean Republic). With
the economic growth immigration increased since 2007, the number of
foreign citizens resident in South Korea passed the million for the first
time in history, 440,000 of them came from China, with more than half of
them being ethnic Koreans of Chinese citizenship. The next largest group
was from the United States with 117,000 residents
With respect to religion the following are the religious groups within the
country
1. Nonreligious: 46.5%
2. Buddhism: 22.8%
3. Protestantism: 18.3%
4. Catholicism: 10.9%
5. Other: 1.4%
Media and Freedom of Press
In the twentieth century, the successive governments of the colonial
Japanese authorities, the U.S. military authorities, and the Republic of
Korea all restricted freedom of the press.
Today, after decades of state control and heavy censorship, the press (in
print, on television, and online) is experiencing a period of relative
freedom. The repressive Basic Press Law was repealed in 1987, and since
1990 the television market has expanded significantly. Whereas in 1980
there were only 28 national newspapers, today there are 122. In 2002
satellite broadcasting brought multi-channel commercial television to
homes across South Korea. According to most outside observers, political
discourse is unrestricted in South Korea; however, persistent concerns
are worth noting. The National Security Law allows the government to
limit the expression of ideas deemed pro-North Korean or communist;
broad interpretations of this statute place a chill on peaceful dissent. In
addition, in 2003 President Roh brought a libel suit against four of the
major national newspapers, and the government has stated that editorials
are subject to legal action if they are found to contain falsehoods. Outside
observers have criticized pressure tactics used by both the South Korean
government and the business community to influence reporting. Major
newspapers include Chosun Ilbo, Dong-A Ilbo, Joong-Ang Ilbo, and
Hankook Ilbo , all published in Seoul. The five nationwide television
networks are KBS-1 and KBS-2 (public broadcast), MBC (run as a public
organization), EBS (state-funded), and SBS (a commercial broadcaster).
Some 70 percent of South Korean households have broadband Internet
access, and the online media marketplace is growing rapidly. Popular
news Web sites (such as OhMyNews.com) register as many as 15 million
visits per day.
South Korea is ranked as number 57 in the press freedom index
Human Rights
Human rights in South Korea have evolved significantly from the days of
military dictatorship and reflects the state's current status as a
constitutional democracy. Citizens regularly choose the President and
members of the National Assembly in free and fair multiparty elections.
Every citizen over the age of 21 has the right to vote.
There is no state religion in South Korea. There are no government-
established requirements for religious recognition. The Traditional
Temples Preservation Law protects cultural properties including
Buddhist temples, which receive some subsidies from the government for
their preservation and upkeep. Buddha's Birthday and Christmas are the
only national holidays that are religious in nature.
The government does not permit religious instruction in public schools.
Private schools are free to conduct religious activities.
Official censorship is in place. The National Security Law makes it a crime
to express sympathies with North Korea, and though it is not consistently
enforced, there are over 100 people imprisoned under it annually. A play
about the Yodok political prison camp in North Korea has come under
significant pressure from authorities to tone down its criticism and the
producers have allegedly been threatened with prosecution under the
security law.
Some conservative groups have complained that police keep a tight watch
on their demonstrations and that some people were prevented from
attending rallies. Former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was
once accused of attempting to distract reporters from a meeting of
activists for human rights in North Korea.
South Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the
world, and it is difficult for outsiders to be fully accepted. Legal
protections for the rights of minority populations are often weak. The
large population of workers from Southeast Asia, over half of whom are
estimated to be in the country illegally, face considerable discrimination
both in and out of the workplace.
The law prohibits all forms of trafficking in persons; however, there were
reports that persons were trafficked to, from, and within the country.
Women from Russia, other countries of the former Soviet Union, China,
Mongolia, the Philippines, and other Southeast Asian countries were
trafficked to the country for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude.
They were recruited personally or answered advertisements and were
flown to Korea, often with entertainer or tourist visas. In some instances,
once these visa recipients arrived in the country, employers illegally held
victims' passports. In addition some foreign women recruited for legal
and brokered marriages with Korean men ended up in situations of sexual
exploitation, debt bondage, and involuntary servitude once married.
Korean women were trafficked primarily for sexual exploitation to the
United States, sometimes through Canada and Mexico, as well as to other
countries, such as Australia and Japan. Relatively small numbers of
migrants seeking opportunities in the country were believed to have
become victims of trafficking as well, although the MOL Employment
Permit System reduced the number of workers trafficked into the
country. There were reports that human traffickers exploited ROK
passports for the purpose of human trafficking. There was no credible
evidence that officials were involved in trafficking.
The law prohibits arbitrary arrest and detention, and the government
generally observed these prohibitions. However, the National Security Act
grants the authorities broad powers to detain, arrest, and imprison
persons who commit acts the government views as intended to endanger
the "security of the state." Critics continued to call for reform or
abolishment of the law, contending that its provisions did not define
prohibited activity clearly. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) maintained that
the courts had established legal precedents for strict interpretation of the
law that preclude arbitrary application. The number of NSL investigations
and arrests has dropped significantly in recent years.According to the
Freedom house South Korea is classified as Free considering political
freedom with 2 points declined compared to 2012
Political conflicts and problems
By 1950, the conflicts on the border of North and South Korea led to the
beginning of the Korean. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South
Korea and almost immediately the United Nations member states began
to send aid to South Korea. North Korea was however, able to quickly
advance south by September 1950. By October though, U.N. forces were
able to again move the fighting north and on October 19, North Korea's
capital, Pyongyang was taken. In November, Chinese forces joined North
Korean forces and the fighting was then moved back south and in January
1951, South Korea's capital, Seoul was taken. In the months that followed,
heavy fighting ensued but the center of the conflict was near the 38th
parallel. Although peace negotiations began in July of 1951, fighting
continued throughout 1951 and 1952. On July 27 1953, peace
negotiations ended and the Demilitarized Zone was formed. Shortly
thereafter, an Armistice Agreement was signed by the Korean People's
Army, the Chinese People's Volunteers and the United Nations Command,
which was led by the U.S. South Korea however, never signed the
agreement and to this day an official peace treaty has never been signed
between North and South Korea.
Since the end of the Korean War, tensions between North and South
Korea have remained. For example according to CNN, in 1968, North
Korea unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate South Korea's president. In
1983, a bombing in Myanmar that was linked to North Korea, killed 17
South Korean officials and in 1987, North Korea was accused of bombing
a South Korean airplane. Fighting has also repeatedly occurred both land
and sea borders because each nation is continually trying to unify the
peninsula with its own system of government.
In 2010, tensions between North and South Korea were especially high
after a South Korean warship was sunk on March 26. South Korea claims
that North Korea sunk the Cheonan in the Yellow Sea off the South Korean
island of Baengnyeong. North Korea denied responsibility for the attack
and tensions between the two nations have been high ever since.
Most recently on November 23, 2010, North Korea launched an artillery
attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong. North Korea claims that
South Korea was conducting "war maneuvers" but South Korea states that
it was conducting maritime military drills. Yeonpyeong was also attacked
in January 2009. It is located near a maritime border between the
countries that North Korea wants moved south. Since the attacks South
Korea began practicing military drills in early December.
Membership in International Organization
South Korea is a member in a large number of international
organization ,most importantly :
1. United Nations
2. World Trade Organization
3. G-20 (Group of 20 world largest economies )
4. Security council
5. G-8(Group of great 8 industrialized countries
6. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
7. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
8. International Finance Corporation (IFC)
9. World health organization
10. International Monetary Fund (IMF)
11. Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Relations with Egypt
Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1995. Egypt
has an embassy in Seoul and South Korea has an embassy in Cairo.
It is clear that both countries share excellent relations in all possible
spheres of interaction, and post revolution Egypt for sure has a lot to
learn and gain from the Korean side. In return, Egypt offers to Korea a
source for raw materials and energy that are needed to fuel its Economic
growth, as well as a consumers’ market of 90 million Egyptians, reaching
up to more than a billion consumers in Africa, Europe and the Middle East
when thinking of Egypt as a gateway to those markets while benefiting
from the free trade agreements Egypt maintains with the latter sides
.
Looking back at its own relatively recent democratic transformation and
economic development, the Republic of Korea is one of the most suited
countries to understand the current position and aspirations of Egypt and
Egyptians. In Cairo, the Korean example is amongst the first models of
development that are being studied to make use of this experience where
and when applicable in the Egyptian case. This scrutiny in the Korean
model led to the belief that education and vocational training should be at
the focus of social restructuring. During the visit of the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Egypt to Seoul in March 2012, to chair Egypt’s participation in
the Nuclear Security Summit, bilateral meetings were arranged to pave
the way for the direct engagement of the competent authorities in both
countries to share the Korean example for education and vocational
training, as well as in other fields of interest for further cementing of
relations between Egypt and Korea.
Since the Republic of Korea officially became a donor country, Egypt has
been the leading African recipient of official Korean Development
Assistance, especially in the form of technical assistance for capacity
building and human development. Egypt appreciates receiving this
assistance, and is keen to maintain its position as the leading African
recipient of Korean aid, with the view to diversify the beneficiary sectors
to assist in the post-revolutionary Egypt planning, and in line with the
commitments agreed during the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid
Effectiveness which was held in Busan in November/December 2011.
Likewise, Egypt encourages the Korean government to formulate three-
way partnerships in aid assistance to other needy Arab, African and
Islamic countries. Egypt maintains such successful programs with other
donor countries, and is hopeful to cooperate in such manner with the
Republic of Korea for the benefit of third countries in need of foreign
assistance, and where understanding and catering for social and religious
structures might be of special emphasis.
In addition to the official aspects of the relationship of both countries,
cultural cooperation and exchange is of great importance, and in the
Egyptian Embassy in Seoul we try to make it a pivotal point of focus,
mindful that the Korean public at large has much enthusiasm to learn of
and explore the Egyptian culture. By this understanding we maximize
participation in all official cultural exchanges hosted in Korea, and
welcome dearly all Koreans traveling to Egypt to enjoy its multi-faceted
tourist attractions, and remain confident that over the coming years the
number of Korean tourists to Egypt can exponentially increase. It is also
worth noting that a recent approval has been granted to establish a
Korean cultural center in Cairo to promote its rich culture to the People of
Egypt, and perhaps at a later stage, a similar Egyptian specialized center
can be opened in Seoul. Until then, the Embassy invites the Korean
audience to enjoy the taste of Egyptian culture in the annual events such
as the Hi-Seoul, the Seongbok festival, and the Korean Arab Society World
Travel Fair. Furthermore, this year in the Egyptian booth in Yeosu Expo,
one of Egypt’s top traditional dance troupes will perform during
celebration of the Egyptian National day at the Expo, and all Koreans are
welcome to share this moment of celebration and enjoy a taste of
Egyptian folklore.
In 2013 an agreement to establish a petrochemical complex in Ain Sukhna
at $4.8 billion cost.The complex is expected to provide 50,000 job
opportunities. The complex will be carried out by international
consortium led by the Korean Company "SK", and will produce Ethylene
and Polythene.