Country Trading Profiles South Korea

Political outline | Living conditions | Useful resources | Communications

Political outline

Executive Power: The President is the chief of the state as well as head of the government. He's elected by a popular vote for a single five-year term. President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and enjoys executive powers. He appoints the Prime Minister and the State Council (cabinet) with consent of the parliament.
Prime Minister is not required to be a member of parliament and his main role is to assist the President.
Legislative Power: The legislature in South Korea is unicameral. The parliament called National Assembly has 299 seats distributed between parties in proportion to their share of the vote to serve four-year terms.
The executive branch of the government is directly or indirectly dependent on the support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence.
Main political parties: South Korea has a multi-party system, but parties have little chance of gaining power alone. The major parties in the country are:
- GNP (Grand National Party): a conservative party which won the presidential election in Dec 2007. It is strong in the Gyeongsang region;
- United New Democratic Party (UNDP): a liberal party which is strong in the Jeolla region.
- DLP (Democratic Labor Party): a democratic socialist party with its support base in farmers, industrial workers, and progressive intellectuals;
- MDP (Millennium Democratic Party): a party with its support base in provinces of Jeolla.
Current political leaders: LEE Myung-bak: President (since 25 February 2008) L1- GNP (Grand National Party)
- KIM Hwang-sik: Prime Minister since October 2010;
- SOHN Hak-kyu: Leader of United New Democratic Party (UNDP).
Next election dates: Presidential: December 2012
National Assembly: April 2012

Living conditions

Health and safety

Health precautions: All passengers and flight crews who arrive in Korea from regions where cholera, yellow fever, and bubonic plague have been detected may be required to complete a quarantine questionnaire.
International hospitals: There is no international hospital in Korea. But Emergency Treatment Hospitals and General hospitals, private hospitals are operating international clinics for foreigners: Hospitals and Clinics in Seoul, Hospitals for foreigners.
For further information on sanitary conditions: National Quarantine Station (in korean)
National Veterinary Research & Quarantine Service
National Plant Quarantine Service
For further information on safety conditions: The Travel Tip on Korea by the American State Department
Contact your Embassy: Embassy of Greece in South Korea
1, Changgyo Dong
Chung Ku Seoul (100797) Korea
Phone: (00822) 7291400-1
Fax: 7291402
greekemb@kornet.net

Emergency numbers

Police	112
Fire, Emergency, Ambulance	119
Medical Emergency	1339
Seoul Metropolitan Police Foreign Affairs	(82-2)739-6848

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Seoul (GMT+9)
Summer time period: None

Map of the time zone

Type of climate: - Spring (May): Mostly clear and dry days.
- Summer (August): Hot and humid. Two to three typhoons usually hit Korea during this season. 50 to 60 percent of the annual precipitation comes in summer. Monsoon season (heavy rain season) starts in June and lasts about 30 days.
- Fall (October): A little cooler than spring but still mostly clear and dry days.
- Winter (January): Cold and dry.

For further information: Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

To find an accommodation: COEX Inter-Continental; Grand Hilton Seoul; Grand Hyatt Seoul; The Westin Chosun, Seoul Seoul Tourism Youth Hostels Association Korea Tourism Organization website
To find an apartment: Seoul Apartment Dreamland Consulting
Global Midas Realty & Relocation
Century 21 Seoul Realty
Seoul Real Estate Consulting

Freeboard of Nice Rent
To find a job: Employment Permit System (EPS) of Ministry of Labor
WorkNet of Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS)
World Job of Human Resources Development Service of Korea
Human Resources Development Service of Korea

Communications

Telephone codes: To make a call from South Korea to Greece: dial 001, 002, 008, 00365, 00700 (or +) 30
To make a call to in South Korea from Greece: dial 00 (or +) +82
Mobile telephone standards: WIPI, Brew, GVM, HSDPA(High Speed Downlink Packet Access) , WiBro, CDMA 2000, CDMA(1x) EV-DO [Evolution - Data only], CDMA(1x) EV-DV [Evolution - Data and Voice]
GSM phones do not work.
Internet suffix: .kr

COUNTRY TRADING PROFILES

General Information

Political outline

Living conditions

Health and safety

Emergency numbers

Time difference and climate

Map of the time zone

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

Communications