South Korea - Government
Based on the etymolgy of South Korea, it was derived from the Chinese name for Goryeo, which was the Korean dynasty that united the peninsula in the 10th century A.D.; the South Korean name "Han'guk" derives from the long form, "Taehan-min'guk," which is itself a derivation from "Daehan-je'guk," which means "the Great Han Empire". The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes:

9 provinces (do, singular and plural), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi, singular and plural), 1 special city (teugbyeolsi), and 1 special self-governing city (teukbyeoljachisi)

provinces: Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong), Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong), Gangwon-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang), Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang), Jeju-do (Jeju), Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla), Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla)

metropolitan cities: Busan (Pusan), Daegu (Taegu), Daejeon (Taejon), Gwangju (Kwangju), Incheon (Inch'on), Ulsan

special city: Seoul

special self-governing city: Sejong

National symbols

Taegeuk (yin yang symbol), Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon), Siberian tiger; national colors: red, white, blue, black.

The flag
The National flag of South Korea has white with a red-and-blue yin-yang symbol in the center;a black trigram (kwae) from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) is in each corner of the white field; the flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity; the blue represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, and the red symbolizes the opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram stands for one of the universal elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony.
The National Anthem
Title "Aegukga" (Patriotic Song)
Lyric/music YUN Ch'i-Ho or AN Ch'ang-Ho/AHN Eaktay
More about the government of South Korea
Date of Independence 15 August 1945 (from Japan)
National holiday Liberation Day, 15 August (1945)
Legal system mixed system combining European civil law, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought
International law organization participation has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Constitution
History Several previous; latest passed by National Assembly 12 October 1987, approved in referendum 28 October 1987, effective 25 February 1988
Amendment process Proposed by the president or by majority support of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly membership, approval in a referendum by more than one half of the votes by more than one half of eligible voters, and promulgation by the president
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth no
Citizenship by descent only at least one parent must be a citizen of South Korea
Dual citizenship recognized no
Residency requirement for naturalization 5 years
Executive Branch
Chief of state President LEE Jae-myung (since 4 June 2025)
Head of government Acting Prime Minister LEE Ju Ho (since 2 May 2025)
Cabinet State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation
Elections/appointments president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election held on 3 June 2025 (next to be held in 2030) was a special snap election in the wake of the impeachment of former President YOON Suk-yeol; prime minister appointed by president with consent of the National Assembly
Election results 2025: LEE Jae-myung elected president; LEE Jae-myung (DPK) 49.4%, KIM Moon-soo (PPP) 41.2%, LEE Jun-seok (New Reform Party) 8.3%

2022: YOON Suk-yeol elected president; YOON Suk-yeol (PPP) 48.6%, LEE Jae-myung (DPK) 47.8%; other 3.6%
Legislative branch
Legislature name National Assembly (Kuk Hoe)
Legislative structure Unicameral
Number of seats 300 (all directly elected)
Electoral system Mixed system
Scope of elections Full renewal
Term in office 4 years
Most recent election date 4/10/2024
Parties elected and seats per party Democratic Party of Korea (161); People Power Party (90); People Future Party (18); Other (31)
Percentage of women in chamber 20.3%
Expected date of next election April 2028
Judicial branch
Highest court(s) Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 13 justices); Constitutional Court (consists of a court head and 8 justices)
Judge selection and term of office Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly; other justices appointed by the president on the recommendation of the chief justice and consent of the National Assembly; position of the chief justice is a 6-year nonrenewable term; other justices serve 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court justices appointed - 3 by the president, 3 by the National Assembly, and 3 by the Supreme Court chief justice; court head serves until retirement at age 70, while other justices serve 6-year renewable terms with mandatory retirement at age 65
Subordinate courts High Courts; District Courts; Branch Courts (organized under the District Courts); specialized courts for family and administrative issues
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission Ambassador CHO Hyundong (since 19 April 2023)
Chancery 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone [1] (202) 939-5600
FAX [1] (202) 797-0595
Email address and website
[email protected]

https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/us-en/index.do
Consulate(s) general Anchorage (AK), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Hagatna (Guam), Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Joseph (Joe) YUN (since January 2025)
Embassy 188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu, Seoul
Mailing address 9600 Seoul Place, Washington, DC  20521-9600
Telephone [82] (2) 397-4114
FAX [82] (2) 397-4101
Email address and website
[email protected]

https://kr.usembassy.gov/
Consulate(s) Busan
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites 16 (14 cultural, 2 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (n); Changdeokgung Palace Complex (c); Jongmyo Shrine (c); Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple (c); Gochang, Hwasun, and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites (c); Gyeongju Historic Areas (c); Namhansanseong (c); Baekje Historic Areas (c); Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea (c); Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (c)
Key Political parties and their leaders in South Korea
    • International organization participation
  • ADB
  • AfDB (nonregional member)
  • APEC
  • Arctic Council (observer)
  • ARF
  • ASEAN (dialogue partner)
  • Australia Group
  • BIS
  • CABEI
  • CD
  • CICA
  • CP
  • EAS
  • EBRD
  • FAO
  • FATF
  • G-20
  • IADB
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICC (national committees)
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IEA
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IHO
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • IMSO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • LAIA (observer)
  • MIGA
  • MINURSO
  • MINUSTAH
  • NEA
  • NSG
  • OAS (observer)
  • OECD
  • OPCW
  • OSCE (partner)
  • Pacific Alliance (observer)
  • Paris Club (associate)
  • PCA
  • PIF (partner)
  • SAARC (observer)
  • SICA (observer)
  • UN
  • UNAMID
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNHRC
  • UNIDO
  • UNIFIL
  • UNISFA
  • UNMIL
  • UNMISS
  • UNMOGIP
  • UNOCI
  • UNOOSA
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • Wassenaar Arrangement
  • WCO
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO
  • ZC
    • All Important Facts about South Korea

    Want to know more about South Korea? Check all different factbooks for South Korea below.

    South Korea is found in Eastern Asia