SOUTH KOREA PRESENTATION

I. Facts & Statistics

Location: Eastern Asia, Southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the
East & Yellow Sea
Capital: Seoul, Korea
Ethnic Make-Up: homogeneous though throughout the recent years, it has
been becoming more popular to foreigners
Religions: Around 46% of the population has no affiliated religion, 26%
Christians, 26% Buddhists, Confucianists, Others
Government: Republic
II. History & Country Profile (Source: bbc.com)
- Republic of Korea was proclaimed in August 1948, and received UNbacked support from the US after the Norths invasion two years later
- Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace agreement
- The ff. four decades were marked by authoritative rule govtsponsored schemes encouraged growth of chaebol or family-owned
industrial conglomerates (ex. Samsung & Hyundai) helped transform
S. Korea into one of worlds major economies & leading exporter of
cars and electronic goods
- One of the Asian Tigers which have free & highly developed economies
which grew between 1960s-1990s
- 1987: multi-party political system started
- Tensions between North and South Korea have resulted to the worlds
most heavily fortified frontier their demilitarized zone (DMZ)
- Koreans associate their origins with one of the most beautiful points of
the globe, the great mountain on their northern border, Paekdusan
(White-Head Mountain) with a crystal-pure volcanic lake at the summit
- The first Korean Dangun = a kingly vessel filled by different people
at different times who drew their legitimacy from this eternal lineage
- Archaeological evidence that human beings inhabited their peninsula
half a million years ago
- No written history of Korean existed until centuries before the birth of
Christ
III. Political Legal (Source: korealaw.com)
- Sixth Republic began with the last major constitutional revision in 1987
- presidential representative democratic republic
o president as head of state and of a multi-party system (a system
which multiple political parties have capacity to gain control over
govt offices, separately or in coalition)
o President: Park Geun-Hye
- Six basic codes
o Constitution
o Civil Code

o Commercial Code meet needs of new, socio-economic

constraints (economic regulation)
o Code of Civil Procedure
o Criminal Code general rules which apply to all crimes and
individual crimes
o Code of Criminal Procedure
Other forms of written law are those passed by the National Assembly,
Presidential decrees, Ministerial Ordinances, those of the Government
Ministries or Offices (not technically laws), Supreme Court and others
Since Japan occupied Korea for around 35 years, the Korean legal
system has some resemblance to that of the Japanese. However,
efforts to adopt several aspects of the American legal system were
made.
o Executive power exercised by government
o Legislative power exercised by government and National
Assembly (300-member unicameral legislature that serve for 4
years)
o Judiciary power independent of executive and legislature
Supreme Court
Appellate Courts
Constitutional Court

IV. Culture
A. Korean Family Values
a. Family is the most important part of Korean life
b. Father as the head and provider of the family
c. Eldest son has special duties: parents, younger siblings, wife,
then daughters
d. Members of the family are tied to each other
B. Concept of Kibun
a. Has no literal English translation
b. Pride, face, mood, feelings, state of mind
c. Korean interpersonal relationships operate on the principle of
harmony
d. Maintain peaceful, comfortable atmosphere all the time
e. Nunchi ability to determine another persons kibun using the
eye
f. Social harmony is crucial
C. Meeting Etiquette
a. Many S. Koreans shake hands with expatriates after the bow
(blending both cultural styles)
b. Person of lower status bows to person of higher status, but most
senior one initiates the handshake
c. Man-na-suh-pan-gop-sumnida = pleased to meet you
d. Wait to be introduced in social gatherings

D. Dining & Gift-giving Etiquette

a. Inconsiderate to give someone an expensive gift even if you
know that they cannot afford to reciprocate accordingly
b. Bring fruit or chocolates or flowers invited to a Koreans home
c. Number 4 is unlucky, 7 is lucky
d. Red and yellow royal colors
e. Arriving more than 30 minutes is offensive when in a dining
event
f. Hosts are the ones that greet guests individually, pours drinks for
their guests, accompany them to the gate to wish them farewell
g. Wait to be told where to sit (strict protocol to be followed)
h. Never point your chopsticks nor pierce your food with it
i. Do not pick up food with hands
j. Finish everything on your plate to avoid offending host