1.
Government of South Korea
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The executive and legislative branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own, the judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels. The South Korean governments structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea and this document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948. As with most stable three-branch systems, a system of checks. For instance, the judges of the Constitutional Court are partially appointed by the executive, likewise, when a resolution of impeachment is passed by the legislature, it is sent to the judiciary for a final decision. At the national level, the legislative branch consists of the National Assembly of South Korea and this is a unicameral legislature, it consists of a single large assembly. Most of its 300 members are elected from single-member constituencies, however,56 are elected through proportional representation, the members of the National Assembly serve for four years, in the event that a member is unable to complete his or her term, a by-election is held. The National Assembly is charged with deliberating and passing legislation, auditing the budget and administrative procedures, ratifying treaties, in addition, it has the power to impeach or recommend the removal of high officials. The Assembly forms 17 standing committees to deliberate matters of detailed policy, for the most part, these coincide with the ministries of the executive branch. Bills pass through these committees before they reach the floor, however, before they reach committee, they must already have gained the support of at least 20 members, unless they have been introduced by the president. To secure final passage, a bill must be approved by a majority of those present, after passage, bills are sent to the president for approval, they must be approved within 15 days. Each year, the bill is submitted to the National Assembly by the executive. By law, it must be submitted at least 90 days before the start of the year. The Assembly is also responsible for auditing accounts of past expenditures, sessions of the Assembly may be either regular or extraordinary. These sessions are open-door by default, but can be closed to the public by majority vote or by decree of the Speaker, in order for laws to be passed in any session, a quorum of half the members must be present. Currently, four parties are represented in the National Assembly. The executive branch is headed by the president, the president is elected directly by the people, and is the only elected member of the national executive. The president serves for one term, additional terms are not permitted
2.
Sejong City
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Sejong, officially Sejong Special Self-Governing City and formerly known as Yeongi County is South Koreas de facto administrative capital city. The new capital opened on 2 July 2012, with 36 government agencies slated to move there by 2015, Sejong was named in honor of the Joseon Dynasty King Sejong the Great, the father of Koreas national alphabet. The city was originally called Yeongi County, the goal was to reduce the influence and dominance of Seoul on national governance and economics, whilst promoting the regional development of other areas of the country. The revised plan was approved by the parliament in March 2005, challenges to the new plan were rejected by the Constitutional Court in November 2005. Plans were made to make Sejong an industrial, science and education hub instead and this plan was opposed by many, including Roh’s allies and some members of the ruling Grand National Party, including Lee’s archrival and eventual successor Park Geun-hye. Defeat in the local elections forced Lee to present the proposal to the National Assembly. As of 2014,36 central government offices, including nine ministries, however, the national assembly and many important government bodies are still in Seoul. In July 2012 Sejong was created incorporating all of Yeongi County, in April 2013 the government of Putrajaya, Malaysia signed a letter of intent with the government of Sejong City to mark cooperation between the two cities. Sejong is located between three other major Korean cities, Daejeon, Cheonan and Cheongju and it is about 121 kilometres from Seoul. As of 2012 much of the city was under construction, the residential area, by 2012, had several high-rises built for transferees. At that time the area was cordoned off from much of the under-development governmental area and had some restaurants, six schools. Hansol-dong and Jochiwon-eup is the city main urban center, Sejong is divided into 4 haengjeong-dong,1 eup and 9 myeon. Notes There are no Hanja for Hansol, Dodam, and Areum, the city aims to have a population of 200,000 at the end of 2012,300,000 by 2020 and 500,000 by 2030. The South Korean government plans to move 36 government ministries and agencies to Sejong City, the Sejong Government Complex is located in Sejong City. The complex, on a 213, 000-square-metre plot of land, has seven stories, Construction began in November 2011 in what was South Chungcheong Province, and the complex was completed on November 16,2013. The ceremony to mark the movement of government agencies to the complex occurred on December 23,2013. The Ministry of Health and Welfare is also located in Sejong City, Sejong is centrally located on Gyeongbu Line operated by Korail. Its a 90 minute journey on the Mugunghwa-ho to Seoul and trains run approximately every 30 minutes, also just outside Jochiwon-eup limits in Osong, Cheongwon has a new KTX station Osong Station which is a KTX bullet train that frequently travels 300 km/h
3.
South Korea
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The earliest Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC, with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC and its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity, the third largest in the world, along with 12 World Heritage Sites. Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910, Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945, peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the worlds 10th largest defence budget. South Koreas tiger economy soared at an average of 10% for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River. A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful, today, it is the worlds fifth largest exporter with the G20s largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia. It has free trade agreements with 75% of the economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China, the US. Since 1988, its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency, high personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama, a phenomenon called the Korean Wave, known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style. Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI, South Korea is a leader in low carbon growth, committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC. It is the third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance, ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance. It is the worlds largest spender on R&D per GDP, leading the OECD in graduates in science, the name Korea derives from the name Goryeo. The name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After Goryeo was replaced by Joseon in 1392, Joseon became the name for the entire territory. The new official name has its origin in the ancient country of Gojoseon, in 1897, the Joseon dynasty changed the official name of the country from Joseon to Daehan Jeguk. The name Daehan, which means great Han literally, derives from Samhan, however, the name Joseon was still widely used by Koreans to refer to their country, though it was no longer the official name. Under Japanese rule, the two names Han and Joseon coexisted, there were several groups who fought for independence, the most notable being the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Following the surrender of Japan, in 1945, the Republic of Korea was adopted as the name for the new country. Since the government only controlled the part of the Korean Peninsula
4.
Politics of the Republic of Korea
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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 vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises a Supreme Court, appellate courts, since 1948, the constitution has undergone five major revisions, each signifying a new republic. The current Sixth Republic began with the last major revision in 1987. The head of state is the president, who is elected by popular vote for a single five-year term. The president is Commander-in-Chief of the force of South Korea. The president appoints the prime minister with approval of the National Assembly, on 12 March 2004 the executive power of then president Roh Moo-hyun was suspended when the Assembly voted to impeach him and Prime Minister Goh Kun became an Acting President. On 14 May 2004 the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment decision made by the Assembly, on 10 March 2017, Park Geun-hye became the first president to be removed by the Constitutional Court after impeachment by the National Assembly. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is temporarily serving as a president since the suspension of Park since 9 December 2016 until the next presidential election. The National Assembly has 300 members, elected for a term,244 members in single-seat constituencies and 56 members by proportional representation. The South Korean judiciary is independent of the two branches. The highest judiciary body is the Supreme Court, whose justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly, in addition, the Constitutional Court oversees questions of constitutionality. South Korea has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, South Korea elects on national level a head of state – the president – and a legislature. The president is elected for a term by the people. The National Assembly has 300 members, elected for a term,246 members in single-seat constituencies and 54 members by proportional representation. The main political parties in South Korea are the Saenuri Party, the Democratic Party of Korea, the centrist Peoples Party, the conservative Saenuri Party and the more liberal Democratic Party are the dominant forces of South Korean politics
5.
Constitution of South Korea
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The Constitution of the Republic of Korea is its basic law. It was promulgated on July 17,1948, and was last revised on October 29,1987, south Koreas first 1948 Constitution, drafted by Dr. Chin-O Yu, provided for central control under the President. It was originally based on the Weimar system and it has been amended nine times and almost fully rewritten five times. In 1919, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea promulgated a constitution of Korea, the 1949 Constitution was first amended in 1952 ahead of Syngman Rhees re-election, providing for direct presidential elections and a bicameral legislature. It was passed with procedural irregularities after fierce debate, in 1954, Rhee again forced an amendment, removing term limits for himself and emphasizing a capitalistic economic model. It also provided for elections for supreme court justices and provincial governors, after Park was assassinated in 1979, the Fifth Republic began with the 1980 Constitution under President Chun Doo-hwan. The presidents powers were curbed somewhat, and he was barred from reelection after his seven-year term and it also provided for a unicameral legislature and a cabinet system. With the pro-democratic protests of 1987, the 1988 Constitution of the Sixth Republic was passed, the President is elected by a First Past the Post 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. President Kim Dae-jung changed to the cabinet system, the National Assembly consists of at least 200 members elected to four-year terms. The President serves a six-year term, there are disputes over what freedom and democracy means in Korea, but the direct translation of the Korean word used in the constitution would be liberal democracy. South Korean Bill of Rights is Constitution CHAPTER2, RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF CITIZENS Individuals may not be punished, placed under preventive restrictions, or subjected to involuntary labor except as provided by law. Those detained or arrested must be informed of the reason and of their right to an attorney, warrants must be issued by a judge through due procedures, and accused persons may sue for wrongful arrest in certain cases. However, individual rights are qualified by other provisions and pre-existing laws, including the National Security Act. In Article 119, stable and balanced growth rates, proper distribution of income, Article 125 designates foreign trade as a strategic area to be fostered, regulated and coordinated by the government. The Constitution affirms both the right and the duty to work, requiring regulation of wages and working conditions. Workers have the right to independent association, collective bargaining, following the 1987 revision, the Constitutional Court was established in September 1988. Earlier constitutions provided for various forms of review, but the judiciary did not exercise actual independence
6.
President of South Korea
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The president is directly elected to a five-year term with no possibility of re-election. While in office, the chief executive lives in Cheong Wa Dae, on February 25,2013, Park Geun-hye became the 18th President of South Korea. She was also the first woman to assume this post and she has since been impeached on corruption charges, which was confirmed by the Constitutional Court of Korea on March 10,2017, removing her from office. Prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn has been Acting President since 9 December 2016, chapter 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea states the duties and the powers of the president. The president may refer important policy matters to a referendum, declare war, conclude peace and other treaties, appoint senior public officials. Emergency measures may be taken only when the National Assembly is not in session, the measures are limited to the minimum necessary. The 1987 Constitution removed the 1980 Constitutions explicit provisions that empowered the government to suspend the freedoms. However, the president is permitted to take measures that could amend or abolish existing laws for the duration of a crisis. It is unclear whether such emergency measures could temporarily suspend portions of the Constitution itself, emergency measures must be referred to the National Assembly for concurrence. If not endorsed by the assembly, the measures can be revoked. In a change from the 1980 Constitution, the 1987 Constitution stated that the president is not permitted to dissolve the National Assembly, the official residence of the president is Cheong Wa Dae. It means the House of the Blue Roof Tiles, so it is called the Blue House in English. The president is assisted by the staff of the Presidential Secretariat, apart from the State Council, or cabinet, the chief executive relies on several constitutional organs. These constitutional organs included the National Security Council, which provided advice concerning the foreign, military, another important body is the National Unification Advisory Council, inaugurated in June 1981 under the chairpersonship of the president. The president also was assisted in 1990 by the Audit and Inspection Board, in addition to auditing the accounts of all public institutions, the board scrutinized the administrative performance of government agencies and public officials. Its findings were reported to the president and the National Assembly, Board members were appointed by the president. One controversial constitutional organ was the Advisory Council of Elder Statesmen, the government announced plans to reduce the size and functions of this body immediately after Rohs inauguration. Article 68 of the Constitution requires the president to hold new elections within 60 days
7.
Moon Jae-in
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Moon Jae-in is a South Korean politician who served as the opposition leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea from 2015 to 2016. He was formerly a lawyer and the chief of staff to late President Roh Moo-hyun. In the 19th legislative election on 11 April 2012, Moon won a seat in the Sasang District of Busan, born in Geoje, South Korea, Moon Jae-in was the first son of father Moon Yong-hyung and mother Kang Han-ok among five children. His father was a peasant refugee from South Hamgyeong Province who fled his native city of Hamhung during the Hamhung Retreat and his father settled in Geoje as a laborer for the Geoje POW Camp. His family eventually settled in Busan and Moon attended Kyungnam High School and he enrolled in Kyunghee University where he majored in law. He was arrested and expelled from the university when he organized a student protest against the Yushin Constitution, later, he was forcibly conscripted to the military and recruited to the Special Forces, where he participated in a military mission during the Axe murder incident. After his discharge, he passed the Bar Exam and was admitted to the Judicial Research and he stepped down from the Minjoo Political Party in 2016. After becoming a lawyer, he partnered and worked with Roh Moo Hyun and they remained friends up until Rohs death in 2009. Along with Roh, he took cases involving human rights and civil rights issues and he was a member of Minbyun and the Chairman of Human Rights at Busan Bar. He was a member of the progressive South Korean newspaper, The Hankyoreh. Due to Rohs insistence, Moon became Rohs campaign manager during his presidential bid, after Rohs victory, Moon became Rohs chief of staff and close aide. When prosecutors began investigating Rohs corruption charges, Moon was the counsel to Roh. After Roh committed suicide, Moon was in charge of the funeral, despite his earlier indifference to politics, he began to get involved in the politics. He published a memoir called Moon Jae-in, The Destiny which became a bestseller and his popularity had been rising steady against the likely opponent in the presidential race, Park Geun-hye. For instance, in a February 2012 poll, Moon managed to gain parity with Park in popularity, in early 2012, Moon entered a bid for a seat at the National Assembly and has been campaigning in western Busan. He ran for the 2012 presidential election and was defeated by Park Geun-hye, Moon was elected as the leader of New Politics Alliance for Democracy in February 2,2015. After his recruitment, Moon resigned his position for another scouted advisor Kim Chong-in and he also promised to abolish the domestic wing of NIS in order to maintain their political neutrality, transferring domestic affairs to the police force. Moon also promised transparency on his presidency, moving the president residence from palatial, Moon is currently favored to win Koreas next election as of January 2017
8.
Prime Minister of South Korea
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The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea is appointed by the President of South Korea, with the National Assemblys approval. The officeholder is not required to be a member of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister is not the head of government but rather serves in a role similar to that of a vice-president. The short title in Korean is just Chongni, the position was created on 31 July 1948, two weeks before the government of South Korea was founded, and was held by Lee Beom-seok until 1950. The title was Chief Cabinet Minister from 1961 until 1963, on 27 April 2014, Prime Minister Chung Hong-won announced his desire to resign. However, due to unsuccessful nominations, Chung remained in office until February 2015, on 23 January 2015, President Park Geun-hye named Saenuris Floor Leader Lee Wan-koo as the new prime minister. Lee was confirmed by the National Assembly as prime minister on 16 February 2015, however, on April 20 of the same year, he offered his resignation to the President in the midst of a bribery scandal. The prime minister is the executive assistant to the president. The prime minister holds the position after the president in the State Council of South Korea. The prime minister assists the head of state by supervising ministries, make recommendations for ministers, the most recent person to have served as Acting President has been Hwang Kyo-ahn during the impeachment trial and dismissal of President Park Geun-hye in 2016. A prime minister that has appointed by the president but not yet confirmed by the National Assembly is known as the acting Prime Minister. The term may also be applied to a Prime Minister that has resigned, the Prime Minister becomes acting president if the president dies, resigns, or is impeached. The Prime Ministers Office is supported by two deputy prime ministers, List of Prime Ministers of South Korea Prime Minister of Korea List of Korea-related topics Politics of South Korea Prime Ministers Office South Korea at worldstatesmen. org
9.
State Council of South Korea
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The most influential part of the executive branch of the South Korean government are the ministries. As of 2013, executive branch of South Korea consists of 18 ministries, State Council includes its 18 ministers, the prime minister and the president. Any ministers must be appointed into the State Council before he or she can be confirmed by the National Assembly, there must be no more than thirty and no less than fifteen council members excluding the President and the Prime Minister. The President is the Chairperson of the State Council, and the Prime Minister is the Vice-Chairperson, the State Council is the highest body for policy deliberation and resolution in the executive branch of the Republic of Korea. It has to be noted that the State Council of the Republic of Korea performs somewhat different roles than those of other nations with similar forms. More specifically, the Korean State Council performs policy resolutions as well as policy consultations to the President
10.
National Assembly (South Korea)
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The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, often shortened to the National Assembly in domestic English-language media, is the 300-member unicameral national legislature of South Korea. The latest legislative elections were held on 13 April 2016, single-member constituencies comprise 253 of the assemblys seats, while the remaining 47 are allocated by proportional representation. The unicameral assembly consists of at least 200 members according to the South Korean constitution, in 1990 the assembly had 299 seats,224 of which were directly elected from single-member districts in the general elections of April 1988. Under applicable laws, the remaining seventy-five representatives were elected from party lists, by law, candidates for election to the assembly must be at least thirty years of age. The National Assemblys term is four years, in a change from the more authoritarian Fourth Republic and Fifth Republic, under the Sixth Republic, the assembly cannot be dissolved by the president. The constitution stipulates that the assembly is presided over by a Speaker, the Speaker and Deputy Speakers are elected in a secret ballot by the members of the Assembly, and their term in office is restricted to two years. The Speaker is independent of party affiliation, and the Speaker, parties that hold at least 20 seats in the assembly form floor negotiation groups, which are entitled to a variety of rights that are denied to smaller parties. These include a greater amount of funding and participation in the leaders summits that determine the assemblys legislative agenda. To introduce a bill, a legislator must present the initiative to the Speaker with the signatures of at least ten members of the assembly. The bill must then be edited by a committee to ensure that the bill contains correct and it can then be approved or rejected by the Assembly. There are 16 standing committees which examine bills and petitions falling under their respective jurisdictions, as of 2012,246 members represent constituencies, while 54 were elected from PR lists. In contrast to elections to the Assembly, presidential elections occur every five years. A proposal to lower the number of required to form a negotiation group to 15 was passed on 24 July 2000. In order to meet the quorum, the United Liberal Democrats, the legislators returned to the MDP after the collapse of the ULD–MDP coalition in September 2001. From 2004 to 2009, the assembly gained notoriety as a frequent site for legislative violence, the Assembly first came to the worlds attention during a violent dispute on impeachment proceedings for then President Roh Moo-hyun, when open physical combat took place in the assembly. Since then, it has been interrupted by periodic conflagrations, piquing the worlds curiosity once again in 2009 when members battled each other with sledgehammers, images of the melee were broadcast around the world. Elections for the assembly were held under UN supervision on 10 May 1948, the First Republic of South Korea was established on 17 July 1948 when the constitution of the First Republic was established by the Assembly. The Assembly also had the job of electing the President, under the first constitution, the National Assembly was unicameral
11.
Constitutional Court of Korea
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The Constitutional Court of Korea is an independent and specialised court in South Korea, whose primary role is the reviewing of constitutionality under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. A decision of the Constitutional Court cannot be appealed and binds all state agencies, the Constitutional Court, along with the ordinary courts, protects the Constitution through adjudication procedures. Jurisdiction belonging to the Constitutional Court, all interpret and apply the Constitution, aiming to solve constitutional conflicts, the Constitutional Court also protects basic rights. In addition, in case a statute is deemed to infringe upon basic rights, any statute legislated by the legislative body may be ruled void through judgment on the constitutionality of statutes at the Constitutional Court. In addition, the Court may decide to impeach a member of the administrative or judicial body in case of abuse of public power and it may also order the dissolution of a political party, should the party act against democratic social order. Nine Justices serve on the court, all of whom are appointed by the President, three of the positions are appointed directly by the President. Of the remaining six positions, three are appointed from candidates nominated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and three are appointed from candidates elected by the National Assembly. In addition, the head of the court is chosen by the President, Justices serve renewable terms of six years, and are required to retire their posts at the age of 65, excepting the head of the Constitutional Court, who may serve until the age of 70. Justices of the Constitutional Court are prohibited from joining political parties, in addition, Justices of the Constitutional Court are prohibited by law from running businesses, holding other public offices, and being otherwise employed. Further, the President is the Chairman of the Council of Justices, the Constitutional Court is composed of nine Justices qualified to be court judges and appointed by the President. Three Justices are appointed from persons selected by the National Assembly, the Justices exercise jurisdiction in judgments as a member of either the full bench or panel. As members of Council of Justices, they exercise voting rights on important matters concerning the administration of the Constitutional Court, the Council of Justices is vested with the authority to decide important matters relating to the Courts administration. It consists of all the Justices and is presided over by the President of the Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Court Administration is responsible for the management of the general administrative affairs of the Constitutional Court. This Administration is composed of 1 Office,2 Bureaus, and 1 Division, specifically, these are the Planning & Coordination Office, the Judgment Affairs Bureau, the Judicial Records & Materials Bureau, and the General Services Division. The Deputy Secretary General assists the Secretary General, the Constitution Research Officers are engaged in studies and researches concerning the deliberation and adjudication of cases under the order of the President of the Constitutional Court. Adjudication on the constitutionality of the statutes is a system which nullifies the statute that has been found unconstitutional by the review of the Court. It is a component of constitutional adjudication, which secures checks-and-balances mechanism against the legislative branch for the purposes of protecting the Constitution. Anyone, including judicial persons may file a constitutional complaint, therefore, constitutional complaint is the core of our systematic mechanisms to assure basic rights
12.
Supreme Court of South Korea
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The Supreme Court of Korea is the highest court in South Korea. Articles 101–110 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea establish the Supreme Court and enumerate its powers, the Supreme Court of Korea is composed of the Chief Justice of the Republic of Korea, and 13 other Supreme Court Justices,12 of which have adjudicatory functions. The 13th justice of the Supreme Court is appointed by the Chief Justice as the Minister of Court Administration, the current Chief Justice is Yang Sung-Tae. The 13 other Justices are appointed to the court by the President on the recommendation of the Chief Justice and the consent of the National Assembly, for the most part, Supreme Court Justices are appointed from the bench. Supreme Court Justices are required to retire at age 70, the Supreme Court also employs a number of research judges, whose function is to assist the Justices in researching their opinions. These research judges may either be assigned to a particular justice, the research judges are appointed from among the judges of the other courts, usually presiding judges of the district courts or else associate judges of the high courts. As of September 2012, there are 106 research judges including 1 Chief research judge and 1 Senior research judge, in addition, there are 10 non-judge researchers. As the court of last resort for the Republic of Korea, the Supreme Court is organized into three Petty Benches, each consisting of four Justices. Normally, the Petty Benches hear cases from the lower courts, should the Petty Bench assigned to a case fail to reach a consensus, the case will be heard by the Grand Bench. The Grand Bench must be composed of more than two-thirds of the Justices, unlike the Petty Benches, the Grand Bench can enter judgments by simple majority, rather than needing a consensus. If no majority can be reached amongst the Justices sitting on the Grand Bench, in addition to its adjudicative functions, the Supreme Court is also responsible for the administration of the South Korean court system. The Supreme Court Justices Council comprises the highest body of administration in the Republic of Korea. This council is presided over by the Chief Justice, with all of the Justices of the Supreme Court sitting on the Council, in addition, the Council is responsible for confirming the nominations of the Chief Justice of judges for the lower courts. To pass a resolution, the Justices Council requires a quorum of more than two-thirds of the Justices of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice has a vote on the Council, and is given the prerogative to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie. The National Court Administration is headed by the Minister of the National Court Administration, the Minister and Vice Minister of the National Court Administration have the right to address the National Assembly and the State Council on issues related to court administration. The court and its offices are housed in a 66,500 square meter building located at 967 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu. This has been the home of the Supreme Court of South Korea since December 1,1995. Before moving to its new building, the court was housed in a 10,300 square meter building built in 1928 as well as two buildings at 37 Seosomun-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
13.
Elections in South Korea
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Elections in South Korea are held on national level to select the President and the National Assembly. Local elections are every four years to elect governors, metropolitan mayors, municipal mayors. The president is elected for a single five-year term by plurality vote. The National Assembly has 300 members elected for a term,253 in single-seat constituencies and 47 members by proportional representation. Since the 2016 legislative elections, South Korea has a three-party system, polling places are usually located in schools. During the absentee or early voting period, voters can vote at any polling place in the country, on election day, voters may only vote at polling places in their registered constituency. Korean voters mark paper ballots with a rubber stamp using red ink, there is one race per ballot paper, if there are multiple office up for election, ballot papers are color coded and voters are issued one ballot per race. Korea uses a central count model, after the polls close, ballot boxes are sealed and transported to the constituencys counting center. Traditionally, ballots were counted, but since around 2012. The scanners resemble cash sorter machines, sorting the ballots into stacks by how they are voted, stacks are then counted using machines resembling currency counting machines. Korean elections have been praised as a model of best practice, however, the legality of the introduction of optical scan technology has been challenged and there have been allegations of rigged counting. C. Korea, A history of the Korean people, 인명국사대사전 (Inmyeong guksa daesajeon, Unabridged biographical dictionary of Korean history. Overview of candidates, parties and outcomes of South Korean elections since 1952 Comment on the October 26,2005 by-election results
14.
National Election Commission of South Korea
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The agency was established in accordance with Article 114 of the Constitution of South Korea. The NEC is equal in status with the National Assembly, the branch, the Supreme Court. The purpose of its establishment is to manage elections. The term of office of the members of the Commission shall be six years, no member of the Commission shall be expelled from office except by impeachment or a sentence of imprisonment without prison labor or heavier punishment. The members of the Commission shall not join political parties, nor shall they participate in political activities, National Election Commission- Composition The National Election Commission is an independent constitutional agency composed of 9 members. 3 members are appointed by the President,3 elected by the National Assembly and 3 nominated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson are elected from among the Commissioners and as is its custom, the Vice Chairperson of State Minister level is a full-time position unlike the Chairperson and supports the Chairperson as well as oversees the Secretariat as directed by the Chairperson. 6-year term of office is guaranteed by the constitution, the Secretariat, the Internet Election News Deliberation Commission and the Election Debate Broadcasting Commission are the NEC’s affiliated institutions. Si/Do Election Commission- Composition Si/Do Election Commissions are composed of the Chairperson, each political party that has a negotiating group in the National Assembly recommends one person as a Commissioner. The Chairperson of the Commission is elected from among the members, the Vice Chairperson is nominated by the National Election Commission and serves full-time. Under each Si/Do Election Commission are a secretariat and the Election Broadcasting Debates Commission, - Secretariat The Secretariat consists of the Vice Chairperson, the Secretary General and Four Divisions. Gu/Si/Gun Election Commission- Composition Gu/Si/Gun Election Commissions are composed of the Chairperson, the Chairperson and the Deputy Chairperson are elected from among the Commissioners and as is its custom, the Judge is elected as the Chairperson. No Commissioner holds a full-time position, the Gu/Si/Gun Election Commission has the Secretariat and the Election Debate Broadcasting Commission within the organization. - Secretariat The Gu/Si/Gun Election Commission that manages the National Assembly constituencies has an Executive Bureau, otherwise, an Executive Bureau/Executive Division consists of the fourth grade Director General of Secretariat and two divisions. Eup/Myeon/Dong Election Commissions- Composition Eup/Myeon/Dong Election Commissions are composed of the Chairperson, the Gu/Si/Gun Election Commission appoints four members among the persons of learning and high moral repute. The Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson are elected from among the Commissioners, no Commissioner holds a full-time position. - Executive Organs The Eup/Myeon/Dong Election Commission elects secretaries and clerks among local government officials to provide support to the Election Commission. In addition, returning officers selected from public officials or faculties are assigned to constituencies
15.
South Korean presidential election, 2007
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The 17th South Korean presidential election took place on 19 December 2007. The election was won by Lee Myung-bak of the Grand National Party, Lee defeated United New Democratic Party candidate Chung Dong-young and independent candidate Lee Hoi-chang by the largest margin since direct elections were reintroduced in 1987. It also marked the first time a president-elect in Korea was under investigation by a prosecutor, voter turnout was 63. 0%, an all-time low according to the National Election Commission. This list of dates are the major events managed by the NEC, february 28,2007 - The official census is published, for the purpose of finding eligible voters April 23,2007 - Beginning of pre registration of candidates. November 21 to November 25,2007 - The NEC compiles and publishes the electoral rolls, November 25 and November 26,2007 - Official period to register as a presidential candidate. Chung Dong-young was elected as the candidate of the party on October 14,2007. Moon Kook-hyun, former CEO of Yuhan Kimberly, was elected as the presidential candidate of the party on November 4,2007. Rule of presidential primary, the result of this partys primary will combining the members vote, civil delegates. Candidates Lee In-je was elected as the presidential candidate of the party. The GNP primary consisted of opinion polling and popular vote, the official result was announced on August 20,2007, at 07,20 UTC, naming Lee Myung-bak the presidential candidate from the Hannara party. Because Lee Myung-bak won the race with a margin, there was controversy regarding the method primary election used. However, Park Geun-hye conceded her loss to Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye declared her presidential candidacy in the 2012 presidential election and won the primary. 1997 and 2002 presidential candidate for GNP, Lee Hoi-chang had announced his candidacy on November 7,2007 as an independent, online voting, All members of this party can log on to the official homepage to cast their vote. Confirmation process by cell phone is needed, off-line voting, There are 227 voting stations around the nation. Voters can cast their vote from 09,00 to 22,00, number of party members who can cast their vote,50,117. Shim Sang-jeong 17,122 votes Kwon Young-ghil 19,109 votes As a result, the Exit poll was announced at 18,00 on election day. It expected Lee Myung-baks absolute majority, on April 7,2011, a National Intelligence Service agent was guilty of investigating Lee Myung-baks secret real estate-related information before the election
16.
South Korean presidential election, 2012
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The 18th South Korean presidential election was held in South Korea on 19 December 2012. Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single term in office. The term of incumbent president Lee Myung-bak has ended on 24 February 2013, according to the Korea Times,30.7 million people voted with turnout at 75. 8%. Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri party was elected the first female South Korean president with 51. 6% of the vote opposed to 48. 0% for her opponent Moon Jae-in. Parks share of the vote was the highest won by any candidate since the beginning of free and his victory brought to a close ten years of liberal administration under Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. Despite the fact that he was elected in a victory and received initial approval ratings of 70%. At the end of 2011, Park Geun-hye assumed control of the Grand National Party and she distanced herself from Lee and led the party towards the center. In legislative elections in April 2012, Park guided the party to an upset victory and this contributed to an increase in her poll ratings and consolidated her position as frontrunner for the Saenuri nomination. In the DUP, focus initially lay on Sohn Hak-kyu as a nominee, but by late 2011 Moon Jae-in. Although the DUP invited Ahn to join the party, only 2. 3% of respondents to a poll on 21 April thought that Ahn was best suited to be DUP nominee. The DUP itself has been troubled by the split between pro-Roh members such as Moon Jae-in and the Honam wing of former president Kim Dae-jung, ballot numbers for party candidates were given according to the candidates party seat distribution in the National Assembly. Ballot numbers for independent candidates were determined through a lottery by the National Election Commission. The 2012 Democratic United Party presidential primary saw an open primary system implemented for the first time and this new open primary introduced mobile voting, it was hailed as a revolution in voting because people could participate in voting more conveniently. However, controversies persisted during the elections, as questions of the legitimacy. The official result was announced on 16 September 2012, at 15,32 KST, after nominated, Moon stated that he would like to join forces with Ahn Cheol-soo. 11 of Saenuri Party Acting First Lady of Park Jeong-hee Slogan, / Female President in ready Yim Tae-hee Former Chief of staff of Lee Myung-bak administration Slogan, No worries with Yim Tae-hee. The official result was announced at Saenuri Convention, which place on 20 August 2012 at 05,40 KST. The first member of the Saenuri Party to officially announce their candidacy was Kim Moon-soo on 22 April and he stated further that Park Geun-hyes leadership of the party represented only an ambiguously prevailing trend, and could not be relied upon to reach victory in the elections
17.
South Korean presidential election, 2017
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The 19th South Korean presidential election is scheduled to be held on 9 May 2017, after the impeachment and dismissal of incumbent Park Geun-hye. Under present law, the election will be decided in a round on a first-past-the-post basis. The election was scheduled to be held on or before 20 December 2017. In the meantime, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn succeeded Park as acting president, after Park was impeached by the Constitutional Court, acting president Hwang has indicated he will not run for a term in his own right. Park Geun-hye of the conservative Saenuri Party won the presidential election in 2012. The Saenuri Party lost the election in April 2016, with opposition parties including liberal Democratic Party of Korea. Commentators described the result as leaving Park a lame duck president, and the Nikkei Asian Review noted that, in the wake of her crushing defeat, rivals sense a prime opportunity to complete the power shift in the December 2017 presidential vote. The Korea Times stated, The drama of deals and power struggles for next years election has already begun. On 9 December 2016, President Park was impeached by the National Assembly by a vote of 234 for and 56 against after her implication in the 2016 South Korean political scandal, the Constitutional Court reviewed the motion of impeachment. On 10 March 2017, Park was formally removed from office, a presidential election must now be held within 60 days. In the interim, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn succeeds Park and will see out the remainder of the 18th term, candidates were determined by an open primary of citizens who registered as a voter between February 15th to March 9th, and March 12th to March 21st. Overall,2,144,840 people registered as a primary voter,71. 6% of the registered voters voted in the primary, putting the vote total at 1,642,640. Candidate was determined by a combination of polls, conducted between March 30th to March 31st, and the votes cast by the delegates at the party convention held in March 31st. Candidate was chosen by a primary and an opinion poll conducted between April 4th and 5th. The primary was conducted through March 25th to April 4th, with 7 regional primaries being held, Ahn Cheol-soo was declared winner of the primary on April 4th. The candidate were Ahn Cheol-soo, former party co-chairman, former co-chairman of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy, withdrawn presidential candidate in 2012, founder of AhnLab, Inc. Candidate was determined by a combination of votes from a commission based on 4 debates, held in different region of the country, votes from the party members. Candidates were Yoo Seong-min, member of the National Assembly for Daegu and Nam Kyung-pil, Yoo Seong-min was nominated as the candidate of Baerun Party on March 28th
18.
South Korean legislative election, 2008
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Legislative elections were held in South Korea on April 9,2008. The conservative Grand National Party won 153 of 299 seats while the main opposition United Democratic Party won 81 seats and this election marked the lowest-ever voter turnout of 46. 0%. As of April 9,2008, there are six parties represented in the 18th National Assembly of South Korea, in addition to independents, Grand National Party. The current major conservative party within the National Assembly, United Democratic Party, led by Son Hak-gyu. The current major liberal party within the National Assembly, United Democratic Party is now known as Democratic Party. Liberty Forward Party, led by Lee Hoi-chang, the Chungcheong Region-strongholder and current second conservative party within the National Assembly against the GNP. Pro-Park Geun-hye Coalition, led by Seo Cheong-won, although their leader is former GNP leader Park Geun-hye. A conservative coalition with Park Geun-hye within the National Assembly that broke away from the GNP after a dispute on the GNPs candidate nomination, Democratic Labour Party, led by Chun Young-se. A minor but the most progressive party within the 18th National Assembly, renewal of Korea Party, led by Moon Kook-hyun. A minor but pro-environmental liberal party within the National Assembly, against the Grand Nationals, the New Progressive Party Jinbo Shin-dang), led by Sim Sang-jeong and Roh Hoe-chan, won 2. 94% votes but not enough to gain any seats. The New Progressive Party split from the Democratic Labour Party as a reaction to nationalism after the 2007 presidential elections, the national summary of votes and seats by party follow, 1Later changed to Future Hope Alliance
19.
South Korean legislative election, 2012
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The legislative election for the 19th National Assembly was held in South Korea on 11 April 2012. The election was won by the ruling Saenuri or New Frontier Party, the election has been read as a bellwether for the presidential election to be held later in the year. The result confounded exit polls and media analysis which had predicted a closer outcome, the South Korean National Assembly consists of 246 directly elected seats and 54 nationwide proportional representation seats chosen under an FPTP-PR parallel voting system. In South Koreas presidential system, the head of state chooses the cabinet, four parties won seats in the 2012 election, Saenuri Party, led by Park Geun-hye. The largest conservative party and incumbent government, formerly name the Grand National Party, the party was renamed in February after a period of internal crisis in which an Emergency Response Commission assumed control of the party. Democratic United Party, led by Han Myeong-sook, the largest liberal party and principal opposition. Liberty Forward Party, led by Sim Dae-pyung, the second-largest conservative party with its primary support base in Chungcheong. Unified Progressive Party, led jointly by Rhyu Si-min, Lee Jung-hee, other parties that put forward candidates included the left-wing New Progressive Party and the centre-right Korea Vision Party. However, the DUP–UPP coalition also came under strain due to irregularities in the UPPs primaries that involved co-leader Lee Jung-hee, campaigning for the election officially began on 29 March, though party leaders toured the country beforehand to rally support for their bids. The opposition DUP tried to harness discontent with the incumbent Lees administration, the opposition coalition endeavored to depict the ruling party as unsocial and favoring the rich, while promising to create jobs. The incumbent government emphasised the threat of North Korea and made the case for continuing their hard line towards the northern neighbour and they accused the opposition of jeopardising the free trade agreement with the U. S. The DUP had demanded renegotiation of the treaty and threatened to cancel it in case of the United States refusal to negotiate, the international media highlighted the candidacy of Cho Myung-chul, a professor who defected from North Korea in 1994. After accusations of unauthorized government surveillance surfaced, legislators called for an investigation, the presidential office published an analysis stating that 84% of the recorded incidents had taken place under the previous administration of Roh Moo-hyun. A post-election analysis by polling institute Realmeter showed that the partys handling of scandal was effective. Kim subsequently failed to win his seat in the election, polls were barred in the final week of the election, just before indications suggested the two largest parties would get somewhere between 130–135 seats each. A high turnout, particularly with the youth, was seen as beneficial to the opposition, the voting centres were open from 6, 00−18,00. Voting occurred via electronic ballot counting and scanning that gave an instantaneous result, Cho Myung-chuls successful candidature was the first time that one of the 23 thousand North Korean refugees living in the South was elected to the National Assembly. *Independents **Progressives 1 Comparison includes members elected in 2008 for the Pro-Park Coalition The result showed considerable regional variations
20.
South Korean legislative election, 2016
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South Koreas 20th legislative elections were held on 13 April 2016. All 300 members of the National Assembly were elected,253 from first-past-the-post constituencies and 47 from proportional party lists, in votes for party lists, however, the Minjoo Party came third, behind the Saenuri Party in first place and the new Peoples Party in second. The election marked an upheaval in the South Korean party system, installing a hung parliament for the first time since 2000, in the 2012 legislative election, the ruling conservative Saenuri Party won a slim majority of 152 seats out of 300. The party also retained control of the presidency, as Saenuri candidate Park Geun-hye won the election that year. By the time of the 2016 legislative election, the Saenuri delegation had fallen to 146 out of 292 filled Assembly seats, the 2016 election was seen as an important stepping stone to the next presidential election, which will be held in December 2017. A deadline of 31 December 2015 was set for the redistricting to take place, nonetheless, by the end of 2015 the National Assembly had not approved a new electoral map. Viewing the situation as an emergency, the National Election Commission was forced to allow registered candidates to campaign without a set map of constituencies. The crisis was resolved in February 2016 with an agreement between the two major parties that allowed a new electoral map to be passed by the National Assembly. The new set of provisions raised the number of districts from 246 to 253, the dissolution of the UPP left the Justice Party as the sole left-wing democratic socialist party in the National Assembly. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the most influential trade union organisation in Korea that had originally supported the UPP. The opposition was further fragmented when Ahn Cheol-soo defected from the main opposition Minjoo Party, the outgoing 19th National Assembly was marked by political gridlock. In February 2016, Minjoo lawmakers undertook the worlds longest filibuster to stall an anti-terrorism bill, in order to win seats through proportional representation, parties needed to pass an election threshold of either 5 single-member districts or 3% of the total list vote. Eligible voters were required to be registered and at least 19 years old on the day of the election, polls on Election Day were open from 6 a. m. to 6 p. m. Korea Standard Time. Since 2009, voters have been able to vote overseas, for the first time in a national election, the National Election Commission also allowed early votes to be cast at polling stations in Korea without notice. This early voting period lasted from April 8 to 9, in time the NEC reported a high turnout of 12. 2%. The Saenuri Partys candidate nomination process proved contentious, many of the deselected candidates defected from the party and announced that they would run as independents. On April 4, a spokesman for the party said that during the selection process, we upset our people. The party published a theme song apologizing for the nominations controversy and it also is thought by many that it was the main reason that caused the Saenuri Party to lose
21.
South Korean local elections, 2010
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The 5th local elections were held in South Korea on 2 June 2010. The voter turnout reached 54. 4%, the highest in 15 years, overall voter turnout,54. 5% Source：투표진행상황 The ruling GNP was able to win 4 out of 7 mayoral seats but suffer by massive landslide on the gubernatorial election winning only 2 out of 9 seats. On the other hand, DEP was able to capture 2 mayoral seats, the LFP won Daejeon while two independent candidates won gubernatorial seats one in Gyeongsangnam-do and the other in Jeju-do. Source, 구·시·군의회의원선거 정당별 당선인수 기초의원비례대표선거 정당별 당선인수 5th local elections results - the Central Election Management Committee
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South Korean by-elections, 2011
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The main focus of the October by-election was about filling the vacant seat of the mayor of Seoul. The election was won by an independent candidate Park Won-soon against the Grand National Party candidate. The Blue House under the Lee Myung-bak government has been negatively impacted the most, president Lee Myung-bak did not make any official commentary right after the elections result due to a real estate dispute and due to the growing younger voters opposition against him. This October by-election is known to have a impact on the right wing political establishments in South Korea, notably Lee Myung-bak government. Grand National Party politician, Jeon Yeo-ok, made a remark that the Grand National Party is a party that betrays its supporters after the loss, the youth faction of the GNP made a suggestion to rename the party to another name to avoid criticisms. There has been a growing pessimistic outlook for the Grand National Party, some high-profile GNP members deny that this by-election is a loss. For instance, chairperson Hong Jun-pyo responded as neither a win nor a loss, hongs comment later triggered backlashes among other GNP members, including Won Hee-ryong
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Democratic Party of Korea
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Democratic Party is a social liberal political party in South Korea. The party was founded on 26 March 2014 as a merger of the Democratic Party, Ahn and Kim became joint leaders of the new party. The party performed poorly in by-elections that July, however, leadership of the party was assumed by an emergency committee. The next year, at a party convention on February 7, Moon, who had previously served as chief of staff for former president Roh Moo-hyun, was the leader of the partys pro-Roh faction, which was opposed to Ahn and Kim. Moon came under fire for imposing a pro-Roh hegemony in the party, as Ahn, the party hemorrhaged support as the factional conflict intensified, falling from around 40 to 30 percent in opinion polls. A survey conducted on November 12–14 showed that supporters of the party wanted Ahn, Moon rejected the demand, and Ahn left the party. Ahn was followed by a number of supportive NPAD assembly members, including his former co-leader Kim Han-gil, meanwhile, Ahn and Kim merged their group with that of another defector from the NPAD, Chun Jung-bae, to form the Peoples Party. Following the defections, the NPAD was renamed the Minjoo Party of Korea, Moon handed power to Kim Chong-in, an academic and former assemblyman who had more recently served as economic advisor to conservative President Park Geun-hye. Kim Chong-in viewed the pro–Roh Moo-hyun faction and what he considered the extremist wing of the party as responsible for the partys troubles, lee left the party in response. Kim offered to resign in March, but decided to stay on as leader after a visit from Moon. Kim affirmed that he would continue to attempt to change the partys image, lee Hae-chan returned to the Assembly as an independent representing Sejong City. Following its election victory, Kim Chong-in announced that the Minjoo Party would change its emphasis from welfare to economic growth, Kim stated that the party would also change its position to support the establishment of for-profit hospitals, in contrast to the partys earlier opposition to the policy
24.
Liberty Korea Party
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The Liberty Korea Party Hangul, 자유한국당, Hanja, Jayuhangukdang, lit. Korean Free Party) is a political party in South Korea. Until February 2017, it was known as the Saenuri Party, the party formerly held a plurality of seats in the 20th Assembly before its ruling status was transferred to the Democratic Party of Korea on 27 December 2016. The party was founded in 1997 as a merger of United Democratic Party and its earliest ancestor was the Democratic Republican Party under the authoritarian rule of Park Chung-hee in 1963. Upon Parks death and at the beginning of the rule of Chun Doo-hwan in 1980, in 1988, party member Roh Tae-woo introduced a wide range of political reforms including direct Presidential elections and a new constitution. The party was renamed in 1993, during the presidency of Kim Young-sam, in October 2012, the Advancement Unification Party merged with the Saenuri Party. Following the 2000 parliamentary elections, it was the single largest political party, the party was defeated in the parliamentary election in 2004 following the impeachment of President Roh Moo-hyun, gaining only 121 seats out of 299. The defeat reflected public disapproval of the impeachment which was instigated by the party and this was the first time in its history that the party had not won the most seats. It gained back five seats in by-elections, bringing it to 127 seats as of October 28,2005, on December 19,2007, the GNPs candidate, former Seoul mayor Lee Myung-bak won the presidential election, ending the partys ten years period in opposition. One of the bases of popular support of the party originates from the conservative, traditionalist elite. It is strongest in the Gyeongsang region, former party head and 2007 presidential candidate Park Geun-hye is the daughter of former President Park Chung-hee who ruled from 1961 to 1979. The GNP suffered a setback in the 2010 local elections, losing a total of 775 local seats throughout the counties, gNP-affiliated politician, Oh Se-hoon, lost his mayoral position of Seoul after the Seoul Free Lunch Referendum. The Grand National Party has celebrated its 14th anniversary on November 21,2011 amid uncertainties from intra-party crises, the DDoS attacks during the October 2011 by-election have become a central concern of the GNP as it could potentially disintegrate the party leadership. In February 2012, the party changed its official colour from blue to red. In the past 30 years blue was the symbol of the conservative parties, the party supports free trade and neoliberal economic policies. The party favors maintaining strong cooperates with the United States and Japan while distancing South Korea from North Korea, the party is also conservative on social issues such as oppose legal recognition of same-sex couples. One of the partys important policies is to financially secure The Four Major Rivers Project since President Lee Myung-bak was in office and this projects budget disputes have sparked controversial political motions in the National Assembly for three consecutive years. The party has been inclined toward the creation of a new capital city for South Korea
25.
Justice Party (South Korea)
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The Justice Party is a progressive political party in South Korea. It was founded on 21 October 2012 as a split off from the Unified Progressive Party, the party changed its name from Progressive Justice Party to Justice Party at the 2nd party congress on 16 July 2013. Kim Se-kyun stepped down from the co-leadership in September 2016, in the legislative election held in April 2016, the party increased their seat total by one, with the election of Roh Hoe-chan to the Seongsan constituency in the city of Changwon. The party polled 7. 2% in the party list ballot, returning in total, six legislators to the National Assembly
26.
Korean reunification
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Korean reunification refers to the potential future reunification of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, and the Korean Demilitarized Zone under a single government. The process towards such a merger was started by the June 15th North–South Joint Declaration in June 2000, the current division of the Korean Peninsula is the result of decisions taken at the end of World War II. In 1910, the Empire of Japan annexed Korea, and ruled over it until its defeat in World War II, in 1945, the United Nations developed plans for trusteeship administration of Korea. The division of the peninsula into two occupation zones was agreed — a northern zone administered by the Soviet Union and a southern zone administered by the United States. At midnight on 10 August 1945, two lieutenant colonels selected the 38th parallel as a dividing line. Japanese troops to the North of this line were to surrender to the Soviet Union, the desire of many Koreans for a peaceful unification was ended when the Korean War broke out in 1950. In June 1950, North Korea began the Korean War by invading South Korea, with Mao Zedong encouraging confrontation with the United States and Joseph Stalin reluctantly supporting the invasion. After three years of fighting that involved both Koreas, China and United Nations forces led by the U. S. the war ended with an agreement at approximately the same boundary. Despite now being politically separate entities, the governments of North and South Korea have proclaimed the restoration of Korea as a single state as a goal. The two sides, in order to restore severed national ties, promote understanding, and expedite independent peaceful unification, have agreed to carry out various exchanges in many fields. The two sides have agreed to cooperate positively with each other to seek early success of the North-South Red Cross talks, the agreement outlined the steps to be taken towards achieving a peaceful reunification of the country. However, the North-South Coordination Committee was disbanded the year after no progress had been made towards implementing the agreement. In January 1989, the founder of Hyundai, Jung Ju-young, toured North Korea, after a twelve-year hiatus, the prime ministers of the two Koreas met in Seoul in September 1990 to engage in the Inter-Korean Summits or High-Level Talks. The North and the South agreed to hold an authority-to-authority negotiation as soon as possible to put the above-mentioned agreed points into speedy operation. A unified Korean team marched in the ceremonies of the 2000,2004, and 2006 Olympics. There were plans for a unified team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. In the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan, eventual political integration of the Koreas under a democratic government from the South is generally viewed as inevitable by the U. S. and South Korea. However, the nature of unification, i. e. Relations between the two Koreas have been strained in recent years, with actions taken under the rule of Kim Jong-il and his son
27.
Korean conflict
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During the Cold War, North Korea was backed by the Soviet Union, China, and other Communist states, and South Korea was backed by the United States and its allies. The division of Korea occurred at the end of World War Two in 1945, tensions erupted into the Korean War in 1950. When the war ended, the country was devastated, but the division remained, North and South Korea continued a military standoff with periodic clashes. The conflict survived the collapse of the Eastern Bloc of 1989 to 1991, the USA maintains a military presence in the South to deter an attack from the North. In 1997, US President Bill Clinton described the division of Korea as the Cold Wars last divide, in 2002, US President George W Bush described North Korea as a member of an Axis of Evil. Facing increasing isolation, North Korea has developed nuclear missiles, Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1910. In the following decades during the Japanese occupation of Korea, nationalist and radical groups emerged, mostly in exile, divergent in their outlooks and approaches, these groups failed to unite in one national movement. Based in China, the Korean Provisional Government failed to obtain widespread recognition, following the end of the occupation, many high-ranking Koreans were accused of collaborating with Japanese imperialism. An intense struggle between various figures and political groups aspiring to lead Korea ensued, on August 9,1945, in the closing days of World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and advanced into Korea. Though the Soviet declaration of war had been agreed by the Allies at the Yalta Conference, the US government became concerned at the prospect of all of Korea falling under Soviet control. The US government therefore requested Soviet forces halt their advance at the 38th parallel north, leaving the south of the peninsula, including the capital, Seoul and this was incorporated into General Order No.1 to Japanese forces after the surrender of Japan on August 15. On August 24, the Red Army entered Pyongyang and established a government over Korea north of the parallel. American forces landed in the south on September 8 and established the United States Army Military Government in Korea, the Allies had originally envisaged a joint trusteeship which would usher Korea towards independence, but most Korean nationalists wanted independence immediately. Meanwhile, the wartime co-operation between the Soviet Union and the US deteriorated as the Cold War took hold, both occupying powers began promoting into positions of authority Koreans aligned with their side of politics and marginalizing their opponents. Many of these political leaders were returning exiles with little popular support. In North Korea, the Soviet Union supported Korean Communists, Kim Il-sung, who from 1941 had served in the Soviet Army, became the major political figure. Society was centralized and collectivized, following the Soviet model, politics in the South were more tumultuous, but the strongly anti-Communist Syngman Rhee, who had been educated in the United States, was positioned as the most prominent politician. The rival leaders, Kim Koo and Lyuh Woon-hyung, were assassinated, as a result, two antagonistic states emerged, with diametrically opposed political, economic, and social systems
28.
Administrative divisions of South Korea
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South Korea is made up of 17 first-tier administrative divisions,6 metropolitan cities,1 special city,1 special self-governing city, and 9 provinces, including one special self-governing province. These are further subdivided into a variety of entities, including cities, counties, districts, towns, townships, neighborhoods and villages. The governors of the divisions are elected every four years. A si is one of the divisions of a province, along with gun, cities have a population of at least 150,000, once a county attains that population, it becomes a city. Cities with a population of over 500,000 are divided into districts, Gimhae, Hwaseong, gus are then further divided into neighborhoods, cities with a population of less than 500,000 do not have wards – these cities are directly divided into neighborhoods. A gun is one of the divisions of a province, and of the cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon. A gun has a population of less than 150,000, is densely populated than a gu. Gun are comparable to British non-metropolitan districts, counties are divided into towns and districts. Specially, the size of a gun is less than a US county, a gu is equivalent to district in the West. Most cities are divided into gu, though the cities of Busan, Daegu, Incheon. Gu are similar to boroughs in some Western countries, and a gu office handles many of the functions that would be handled by the city in other jurisdictions, an eup is similar to the unit of town. Along with myeon, an eup is one of the divisions of a county, the main town or towns in a county—or the secondary town or towns within a citys territory—are designated as eup. In order to form an eup, the population required is 20,000. A myeon is one of the divisions – along with eup – of a county, myeons have smaller populations than eup and represent the rural areas of a county or city. The minimum population limit is 6,000, a dong is the primary division of districts, and of those cities which are not divided into districts. The dong is the smallest level of government to have its own office. In some cases, a legal dong is divided into several administrative dong. Administrative dong are usually distinguished from one another by number, in such cases, each administrative dong has its own office and staff
29.
Human rights in South Korea
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Human rights in South Korea have evolved significantly from the days of military dictatorship and reflects the states current status as a constitutional democracy. Citizens regularly choose the President and members of the National Assembly in free, for most of the 20th century South Korean citizens lived under non-democratic rule by the successive authoritarian military regimes of Syngman Rhee, Park Chung-hee, Chun Doo-hwan, and Roh Tae-woo. Civil liberties, most especially the freedoms of speech and association, were curtailed and regime opponents risked torture. In 1967, the KCIA fabricated a spy ring, imprisoning 34 citizens, every citizen over the age of 19 has the right to vote. The National Security Law makes it a crime to express sympathies with North Korea, 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, several established human rights organizations, however, have held lectures and exhibits critical of North Korea with no interference. Censorship is more notable in the media, songs and theater play in Japanese language or relating to Japan are generally prohibited. Though technically legal, pornography must still meet some minimum standards of artistic integrity, in 1997 a human rights film festival was blocked and the organizers arrested for refusing to submit their films for pre-screening. The government blocks access to North Korean websites and, sometimes, there is currently a debate over whether to revoke the ability to make anonymous comments online. Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Opinion and Expression, announced that the government under the President Lee Myung-bak severely curtailed the freedom of expression in South Korea. South Korea, like Japan, is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in the world, 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. This has led to the privately funded establishment of a specifically targeted at children with an immigrated parent, with English. When Hines Ward, who is of mixed Korean and African American heritage, earned MVP honors in Super Bowl XL, South Koreas still continuing traditionalist beliefs result in few people being open about their homosexuality. Homosexuality is discouraged, although homosexuality is legal in South Korea, as a result, there are few if any legal protections in place for gays and lesbians, and many of them are afraid to come out to their families, friends, and co-workers. Gay men are not allowed to serve in the military, the government has taken major steps to minimize the impact the refugees might have on its policy towards the North. The station accused the government of either being behind the campaign or tacitly encouraging it, the government also blocked activists from sending radios to the North, and a scuffle reportedly left activist Norbert Vollertsen injured. Military service is mandatory for nearly all South Korean men, according to Amnesty International, there were 758 conscientious objectors detained for refusing to perform their military service as of June 2004. Through much of modern South Korean history, the military was largely cushioned from public scrutiny, resulting in decades of abuse, since 1993, the public has vocally deplored the human rights violations taking place within the military, such as extreme hazing
30.
Foreign relations of South Korea
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The foreign relations of South Korea are South Korean relations with other governments. The Republic of Korea maintains diplomatic relations with 190 countries, the country has also been a member of the United Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. South Korea is a member of the United Nations, WTO, OECD/DAC, ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit and it is also a founding member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the East Asia Summit. On January 1,2007, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon assumed the post of UN Secretary-General, Inter-Korean relations may be divided into five periods. The fourth stage, activated by Nordpolitik under Roh, was represented by expanding public, the fifth stage was improved following the 1997 election of Kim Dae-jung. His Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea set the stage for the historic June 2000 Inter-Korean summit, the possibility of Korean reunification has remained a prominent topic. However, no treaty has yet been signed with the North. In June 2000, a historic first North Korea-South Korea summit took place, since then, regular contacts have led to a cautious thaw. President Kim was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for the policy, military ties remain fraught with tension, however, and in 2002 a brief naval skirmish left four South Korean sailors dead, leaving the future of the Sunshine policy uncertain. The North Korea cut off talks but the South remained committed to the policy of reconciliation, despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests in 1993,1998,2006 and 2009. As of 2009 North Korea and South Korea are still opposed, on May 27,2009 North Korea media declared that the armistice is no longer valid due to the South Korean governments pledge to definitely join the Proliferation Security Initiative. As a result of this, North Korea severed all ties, in November 2010, Unification Ministry officially declared the Sunshine Policy a failure, thus bringing the policy to an end. On November 23,2010, North Korean artillery shelled Yeonpyeong with dozens of rounds at Yeonpyeong-ri, active South Korean-Chinese people-to-people contacts have been encouraged. Academics, journalists and particularly families divided between the Republic of Korea and the Peoples Republic of China were able to exchange visits freely in the late 1980s, nearly 2 million ethnic Koreans especially in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Chinas Jilin Province have interacted with South Koreans. The Republic of Korea had long been an ally of the Republic of China, diplomatic ties between Seoul and Taipei Republic of China were nevertheless severed in 1992. Formal diplomatic relations were established between Seoul and Beijing Peoples Republic of China on August 24,1992, in 2004 the PRC government began the Northeast Project This sparked a massive uproar in South Korea when the project was widely publicized. After the KORUS FTA was finalized on June 30,2007 the Chinese government has immediately begun seeking an FTA agreement with South Korea. The FTA between Korea and China are under discussion South Korea has been running a surplus with China which hit a record US$32.5 billion in 2009
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