GDP: purchasing power parity—$584.7 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: -6.8% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$12,600 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector: agriculture: 6% industry: 43% services: 51% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.5% (1998)

Labor force: 20 million

Labor force—by occupation: services and other 52%, mining and manufacturing 27%, agriculture, fishing, forestry 21% (1991)

Unemployment rate: 7.9% (1998)

Budget: revenues: $100.4 billion expenditures: $100.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)

Industries: electronics, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel, textiles, clothing, footwear, food processing

Industrial production growth rate: 3.1% (1997 est.)

Electricity—production: 194.163 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source: fossil fuel: 61.18% hydro: 2.65% nuclear: 36.17% other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 194.163 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 0 kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Agriculture—products: rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish

Exports: $133 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports—commodities: electronic and electrical equipment, machinery, steel, automobiles, ships; textiles, clothing, footwear; fish

Exports—partners: US 17%, EU 13%, Japan 12% (1995)

Imports: $94 billion (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports—commodities: machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, textiles, organic chemicals, grains

Imports—partners: US 22%, Japan 21%, EU 13% (1995)

Debt—external: $154 billion (1998 est.)

Economic aid—recipient: $NA

Currency: 1 South Korean won (W) = 100 chun (theoretical)

Exchange rates: South Korean won (W) per US$1—1,174.00 (January 1999), 1,401.44 (1998), 951.29 (1997), 804.45 (1996), 771.27 (1995), 803.45 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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Telephones: 16.6 million (1993)

Telephone system: excellent domestic and international services domestic: NA international: fiber-optic submarine cable to China; satellite earth stations—3 Intelsat (2 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Pacific Ocean region)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 79, FM 46, shortwave 0

Radios: 42 million (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations: 121 (in addition, there are 850 relay stations and eight-channel American Forces Korea Network) (1997)

Televisions: 9.3 million (1992 est.)

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Railways: total: 6,240 km standard gauge: 6,240 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified) (1998 est.)

Highways: total: 63,500 km paved: 46,800 km (including 1,720 km of expressways) unpaved: 16,700 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 1,609 km; use restricted to small native craft

Pipelines: petroleum products 455 km; note—additionally, there is a parallel petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) pipeline being completed

Ports and harbors: Chinhae, Inch'on, Kunsan, Masan, Mokp'o, P'ohang, Pusan, Tonghae-hang, Ulsan, Yosu

Merchant marine: total: 442 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,212,089 GRT/8,161,845 DWT ships by type: bulk 106, cargo 133, chemical tanker 36, combination bulk 5, container 52, liquefied gas tanker 13, multifunction large-load carrier 1, oil tanker 56, passenger 3, refrigerated cargo 22, roll-on/roll-off cargo 2, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 9 (1998 est.)

Airports: 103 (1998 est.)

Airports—with paved runways: total: 68 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 18 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 21 (1998 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways: total: 35 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 32 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 200 (1998 est.)

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Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (Coast Guard)

Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower—availability: males age 15-49: 13,954,916 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service: males age 15-49: 8,890,144 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually: males: 400,468 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $9.9 billion (FY98/99)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 3.2% (FY98/99)

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Disputes—international: Demarcation Line with North Korea; Liancourt Rocks (Takeshima/Tokdo) claimed by Japan

Сегодня ситуация в Корее определяется взаимодействием трех основных сил. Смесь эта неустойчива, а ставки высоки.

Во-первых, экономическое чудо Южной Кореи вышло из-под контроля. Финансовая система покатилась вниз, темпы экономического роста неизбежно придется снизить, а уровень безработицы вырастет. Спасение Кореи снова зависит от внешних сил, которые могут и подчинить ее себе - глубоко укоренившийся в каждом корейце страх.

Во-вторых, в стране, принимающей сильную власть, появился новый лидер. Героический и много испытавший оппозиционер Ким Дэ-Чжун избран президентом, но некоторые корейцы все еще не уверены в том, что он предпримет, учитывая его популистское прошлое и связи с профсоюзами.

В-третьих, вечно опасный сосед - Северная Корея, чья экономика находится в руинах, чье население голодает, чьей огромной до неприличия армии прощается все, злорадствует и так же опасна, как и прежде. Попытается ли этот хищный сосед использовать ослабление Южной Кореи как шанс для нападения, для завершения "объединения"? Или, во время взаимных трудностей прибегнет к какой-либо форме примирения, как в 1991-92 гг., когда стороны достигли существенных соглашений в процессе воссоединения?

Репутация живучести