Korea, South (Republic of Korea)

South Korea Republic of Korea
Status	Independent State
Capital	Seoul
Land Area	97 100km21
Location	Asia
Population	48.6m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	82.13yrs (2017)3
GNI	$34 541 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	KR, KOR, 4105
Internet Domain	.kr6
Currency	Won (KRW)7
Telephone	+828

1. Overview
2. South Korea National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Peace Versus Instability
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. Children's Health
10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
11. Links

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1. Overview

“An independent kingdom for much of its long history, Korea was occupied by Japan beginning in 1905 following the Russo-Japanese War. In 1910, Tokyo formally annexed the entire Peninsula. Korea regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in 1945. After World War II, a democratic-based government (Republic of Korea, ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), U.S. troops and UN forces fought alongside ROK soldiers to defend South Korea from a DPRK invasion supported by China and the Soviet Union. A 1953 armistice split the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. PARK Chung-hee took over leadership of the country in a 1961 coup. During his regime, from 1961 to 1979, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita income rising to roughly 17 times the level of North Korea. South Korea held its first free presidential election under a revised democratic constitution in 1987, with former ROK Army general ROH Tae-woo winning a close race. In 1993, KIM Young-sam (1993-98) became South Korea's first civilian president. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. LEE Myung-bak (2008-2013) pursued a policy of global engagement , highlighted by Seoul's hosting of the G-20 summit in November 2010 and the Nuclear Security Summit in March 2012. South Korea also secured a non-permanent seat (2013-14) on the UN Security Council and will host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. President PARK Geun-hye took office in February 2013 and is South Korea's first female leader. Serious tensions with North Korea have punctuated inter-Korean relations in recent years, including the North's sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010 and its artillery attack on South Korean soldiers and citizens in November 2010. In January 2013, assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2013-14 term.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“The Republic of Korea offers the traveller a dazzling range of experiences, beguiling landscapes and 5000 years of culture and history. The blue and red circle at the heart of the South Korean flag neatly symbolises the fluid mix of ancient and modern aspects of the country officially called the Republic of Korea (ROK). South Korea is a dream destination for the traveller, an engaging, welcoming place where the benefits of a fully industrialised, high-tech nation are balanced alongside a reverence for tradition and the ways of old Asia.

South Korea´s compact size and superb transport infrastructure mean that tranquillity is achievable within an hour of the urban sprawl. Hike to the peaks of craggy mountains enclosed by densely forested national parks. Sail to remote islands, where farming and fishing folk welcome you into their homes. Sample the serenity of a Buddhist temple retreat. But rest assured - the ROK knows how to rock. There´s almost always a festival or event on, and friendly Koreans are happy to share their culture. If nothing else, your tastebuds will be tingling at the discovery of one of Asia´s most delicious cuisines.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. South Korea National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
15	Liechtenstein	15
16	UK	16
17	Japan	17
18	S. Korea	18
19	Israel	19
20	Luxembourg	20
21	France	21
22	Belgium	22
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	83.6
2	Finland	83.1
3	Sweden	82.6
	...
20	France	75.1
21	Estonia	73.4
22	Spain	73.0
23	S. Korea	72.5
24	Singapore	71.9
25	Czechia	71.6
26	Italy	70.7
27	Slovenia	70.7
	World Avg	55.4
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #overpopulation #population #South_Korea

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
164	Bulgaria	37.0
165	Denmark	37.1
166	Bosnia & Herzegovina	37.3
167	S. Korea	37.6
168	Estonia	37.9
169	Belgium	38.1
170	Switzerland	38.3
171	Canada	38.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
119	Philippines	4.6%
120	Egypt	4.4%
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
124	Syria	4.2%
125	Burundi	4.2%
126	Panama	4.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
101	Nepal	2.60
102	Macedonia	1.40
103	Fiji	2.61
104	S. Korea	1.38
105	Slovakia	1.36
106	Botswana	2.64
107	Kyrgyzstan	2.64
108	Austria	1.35
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5%
2	Monaco	71.6%
3	UAE	70.0%
	...
145	Mali	1.2%
146	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.2%
147	Guinea-Bissau	1.2%
148	S. Korea	1.1%
149	Jamaica	1.1%
150	Equatorial Guinea	1.1%
151	Maldives	1.0%
152	Cameroon	1.0%
	World Avg	9.2%
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
10	France	82.36
11	Sweden	82.35
12	Canada	82.22
13	S. Korea	82.13
14	New Zealand	82.03
15	Chile	81.96
16	Luxembourg	81.88
17	Norway	81.71
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		Population17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
23	Italy	61.0m
24	S. Africa	50.7m
25	Myanmar (Burma)	48.7m
26	S. Korea	48.6m
27	Tanzania	47.7m
28	Colombia	47.6m
29	Spain	46.8m
30	Ukraine	44.9m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

South Korea's population is predicted to rise to 50.34 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.38. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#equality #freedom #human_rights #politics #south_korea #tolerance

South Korea performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. S. Korea comes in the best 20 in opposing gender inequality₁₈ (the lowest in Asia). It does better than average in terms of eliminating modern slavery₁₉, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₀, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₂ (one of the highest in Asia), its Global Peace Index rating₂₃, fighting corruption₂₄, supporting press freedom₂₅ (amongst the lowest in Asia), LGBT equality₂₆ and in the year from which women could participate in democracy₂₇. Human Rights Watch specifically note that South Korea 'generally respects' basic civil and political liberties₂₈. S. Korea does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in terms of fighting anti-semitic opinions₂₉. There are "unreasonable restrictions" on freedom of expression and freedom of association₂₈. There is too much discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities₂₈.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in South Korea

5. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #South_Korea #terrorism

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
32	India	32
33	New Zealand	33
34	Malaysia	34
35	S. Korea	35
36	Qatar	36
37	Germany	37
38	Togo	38
39	Argentina	39
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
30	Singapore	30
31	Greece	31
32	Bulgaria	32
33	S. Korea	33
34	Mauritius	34
35	Bosnia & Herzegovina	35
36	Romania	36
37	Uruguay	37
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Global Peace Index (2012)23
Pos.		Lower is better23
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
39	Bulgaria	1.70
40	France	1.71
41	Estonia	1.72
42	S. Korea	1.73
43	Lithuania	1.74
44	Argentina	1.76
45	Latvia	1.77
46	UAE	1.79
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₂₃. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₂₃ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₂₃.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)31
Pos.		Lower is better Score31
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
32	Hungary	0.18
33	Switzerland	0.19
34	Latvia	0.23
35	S. Korea	0.30
36	Macedonia	0.30
37	Zambia	0.31
38	Djibouti	0.32
39	Bulgaria	0.37
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

6. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #belief #buddhism #christianity #god #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #universalism

Religiosity (2009)32
Pos.		Lower is better %32
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
17	Uruguay	41
18	Lithuania	42
19	Canada	42
20	S. Korea	43
21	Kazakhstan	43
22	Ukraine	46
23	Slovenia	47
24	Spain	49
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)33
Pos.		Higher is better %33
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
14	Bulgaria	34
15	Hungary	32
16	Norway	31
17	S. Korea	30
18	Finland	28
19	Russia	27
20	Australia	25
21	Taiwan	24
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₄:

Christian	29.4%
Muslim	0.2%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	22.9%
Folk Religion	0.8%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	46.4%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 31.6% (Protestant 24%, Roman Catholic 7.6%), Buddhist 24.2%, other or unknown 0.9%, none 43.3% (2010 survey)₃₅.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on South Korea₃₆. Belief in heaven and hell is at just 22%. Some people don't know what to believe (21%). Even more people believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (40%). Also, 1% specifically believe in heaven but not in hell (which is nice - making them possible "universalists"). 6% believe in reincarnation.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

7. The Internet

#internet #it_security #politics #South_Korea #the_internet

Freedom On The Internet (2012)37
Pos.		Lower is better37
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
13	Kenya	29
14	Georgia	30
15	Nigeria	33
16	S. Korea	34
17	Uganda	34
18	Kyrgyzstan	35
19	Mexico	37
20	India	39
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

Internet Users (2016)38
Pos.		Higher is better38
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
25	Aruba	88%
26	Switzerland	87%
27	France	86%
28	S. Korea	86%
29	Australia	85%
30	Bahamas	85%
31	Puerto Rico	83%
32	Singapore	83%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)39
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio39
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
46	Faroe Islands	1.4
47	Russia	1.3
48	Bulgaria	1.3
49	S. Korea	1.2
50	Dominican Rep.	1.1
51	Slovakia	0.8
52	Hong Kong	0.7
53	Spain	0.6
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

IT Security (2013)40
Pos.		Lower is better40
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
20	Turkey	0.52
21	Poland	0.55
22	Switzerland	0.55
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
25	Libya	0.63
26	Qatar	0.65
27	Chile	0.66
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #genetics #health #mental_health #obesity #organ_donation #public_health #smoking #sociology #South_Korea #suicide #UK

South Korea does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. S. Korea does the second-best in terms of its adolescent birth rate₁₈. It comes in the best 20 in terms of its immunizations take-up₄₁ and in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₀. It does better than average when it comes to the prevalence of overweight adults₄₂. S. Korea does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average when it comes to number of organ donors₄₃ (still good for Asia) and in its alcohol consumption rate₄₄ (amongst the worst in Asia). It sits amongst the bottom 20 in its smoking rate₄₅. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom in its suicide rate₄₆. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)44
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita44
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
149	St Lucia	9.9
150	Swaziland	9.9
151	Spain	10.0
152	S. Korea	10.2
153	Laos	10.4
154	Greece	10.4
155	Denmark	10.4
156	Cook Islands	10.6
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₄₇ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₄₈ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₄₉ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₅₀. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₅₁. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

Organ Donors (At Death) (2017)43
Pos.		Higher is better pmp43
1	Spain	46.9052
2	Portugal	34.0152
3	Belgium	33.6252
	...
37	Iran	11.43
38	Israel	10.7053,54
39	Chile	10.0052
40	S. Korea	9.95
41	Germany	9.7053
42	Colombia	8.9052
43	Jordan	6.91
44	Costa Rica	6.70
	World Avg	13.03
q=70.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)30
Pos.		Lower is better Rank30
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
16	Belgium	16
17	New Zealand	17
18	Jordan	18
19	S. Korea	19
20	Kuwait	20
21	Japan	21
22	Spain	22
23	France	23
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)42
Pos.		Lower is better %42
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
42	Nigeria	28.9
43	Benin	29.5
44	Guinea-Bissau	29.9
45	S. Korea	30.3
46	Maldives	30.6
47	Congo, (Brazzaville)	30.9
48	Liberia	30.9
49	Ivory Coast	31.6
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₅₅. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₅₆. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₅₆ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₅₇ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₅₈. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₅₉. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₆₀.

Smoking Rates (2014)45
Pos.		Lower is better45
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
165	Ukraine	1 854
166	Jordan	1 855
167	Austria	1 988
168	S. Korea	2 073
169	Greece	2 086
170	Azerbaijan	2 114
171	Kazakhstan	2 157
172	Czechia	2 194
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)46
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100k46
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
84	Japan	49.4
85	Hungary	50.6
86	Kazakhstan	52.4
87	Guyana	52.4
88	Belarus	57.5
89	S. Korea	62
90	Russia	63.4
91	Lithuania	71.7
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

9. Children's Health

#health #parenting #population #South_Korea #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)18
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100018
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
4	Hong Kong	3.2
5	Slovenia	3.8
6	Singapore	3.8
7	Netherlands	4.0
8	Denmark	4.0
9	Japan	4.1
10	Cyprus	5.0
11	Sweden	5.7
12	Norway	5.9
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)41
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %41
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
4	Niue	98.8
5	Mongolia	98.7
6	Czechia	98.7
7	Seychelles	98.6
8	S. Korea	98.6
9	Sri Lanka	98.4
10	St Lucia	98.2
11	Bahrain	98.2
12	Iran	98.1
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries