South Korea

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Fact Sheet: Location, Size, Geography, Population, Economic description, Political description.

II. Map of South Korea

III. Introduction to the Nation: History, Current Issues, Government and Politics, Foreign Relations, Quality of Life, Government and Criminal Justice Philosophy

IV. The Law Enforcement System: Overview, Philosophy, General Jurisdiction, Duties, Authority of Police.

V. Police Life: Job Satisfaction, Relationships, Training/ Equipment, Philosophy and Practice, Reputation for Integrity.

VI. Conclusion: Assessment of Procedures, Global Security, Justice and Human Rights, Effectiveness/ Ineffectiveness, Innovations.

The Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea, has given the Korean people an effort to spur the nation to new heights of achievements in government, economics, education, and the arts, and to find new human relations based on honesty, a respect for social order and law, and the development of creative initiative.

At the end of World War II, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States agreed on a temporary division of the peninsula of Korea into northern and southern zones at the 38th parallel to accept the surrender of Japanese forces. However, the USSR considered the division of the country an opportunity to enforce the Communist creed. Now South Korea is the divided half of the nation with a concept of modern republic government. (REF. 2)

Korea is a peninsula from the northeast section of the Asian continent in a southern direction, for approximately 1,000 km. The shortest distance between Korea and Japan is 206 km, and it is about 190 km to the Shantung peninsula in China to the west. The Korean peninsula is irregular in shape, and is in a north to south direction. It separates the Yellow Sea from the East Sea. The Korean peninsula and its small surrounding islands lie between 124 11'E and 131 53'E and between 33 06'N and 43 01' N. (REF 2) The area of the peninsula is 221,487 square km, (about 86,000 square miles). At the present time, the land is divided into two parts; The Republic of Korea, (South Korea) and Communist North Korea. The area of The Republic of Korea is 99,117 square km, (about 45% of the peninsula). Korea is characterized by abundant hills and mountains which occupy about seventy percent of its territory. Low hills in the south and west are shared by the higher mountains toward the east and north of the peninsula. Korea's mountains form ranges in two different directions; north and south. The two famous mountain ranges are known as the T'aebaeksan mountain range and the Nangnimsan mountain range. Although very beautiful, these two ranges have been a great barrier to communications between the eastern and western sides of the Korean peninsula since early times. Korea has many streams and six major rivers which drain into the South Sea and Yellow Sea, causing flooding and occasional typhoons in the summer months in South Korea. There are few plains and basins in the Korean peninsula, but many islands, roughly 3,000, off the southern coast.

This population in the Republic of Korea increased rapidly after World War II

In the mid 1980's, South Korea had a population of 41,000,000; a density of 415 persons per square km. More recently in 2005, South Korea's population was 48,422,644, with a population growth rate of 0.38%. Ethnicity groups in South Korea consist of Korean background, with the exception of about 20,000 Chinese. Languages include Korean as well as English, which is widely taught throughout middle and high schools across the population. (REF 3)

The growth of the Korean economy has been one of the great success stories of recent national development. For most of its long history, Korea has been "economically backward." Few industries developed in Korea before the nation gained its independence from Japan. After the 1950's war, in the 1960's, Korea launched its first five-year plan. The government had to choose between two different approaches to economic development; an inward-looking strategy or an outward Ð'-oriented strategy. They elected and outward approach that emphasized exports and participation in the world economy. This allowed South Korea to promote exports of light manufactured goods. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. (REF 2 /3).

Politics were introduced into Korea for the first time at the time of national liberation in 1945. Before that no political parties had been organized for the nation. There were not even any of the three branches of government during the thirty-six years of Japanese rule. A constitution was established in July 1948. A former Prime Minister and military government leaders organized the Democratic Republican Party in 1963, and won in the elections later that year. The legal system in South Korea "combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought." (REF 3)

MAP OF SOUTH KOREA

*Capital: Seoul

"Korea was an independent kingdom under Chinese rule for most of the past one thousand years. Following its victory in the Japanese War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea, and five years later it formally took over the entire peninsula. After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. During the Korean War (1950-1953), the United States and other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula at the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 18 times the level of North Korea. In 1987, South Korean voters elected ROH Tae-woo to the presidency, ending 26 years of military dictatorships. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy." (REF 4) Current issues in South Korea include environmental, economic and international issues. Air pollution in the larger cities is a current problem, as well as water pollution from sewage and various industries. The economic challenge right now in South Korea and most likely for the next several years is the maintenance of the pace of market reforms to restore the old growth