This document provides information comparing key statistics and facts between North Korea and South Korea. It outlines details about the countries' capitals, populations, religions, languages, governments, economies, exports/imports and relationships. Specifically, it notes that North Korea is an authoritarian communist state led by Kim Jong Un while South Korea is a democratic republic that has experienced strong economic growth in recent decades becoming the world's 12th largest economy.

4. KOREA NORTH SOUTH
CAPITAL PYONGYANG SEOUL
LAND AREA 221,000 sq. km.
120,538 sq. km. 98,484 sq. km.
POPULATION 24, 589,122 48,860, 500
RELIGION
BUDDHIST
(37%)
CHRISTIAN
(32%)

7. Jeju Island (Jejudo)

8. Ulleung Island (Ulleungdo)

9. Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo)

10.  Changbai and Baekdudaegan
Range

13. One of the
outcomes of the
peninsula's mid-
latitude location
is its seasonal
climate. There
are very distinct
temperature and
moisture
patterns for
each season.

14. Spring is short and characterized by
the sudden onset of warmth, melting the
snow of the long, cold Korean winter,
particularly in the north. As the snow
melts and harsh March winds subside, the
brown hills and plains suddenly turn green.
The rainy season begins in late June or
early July. Summer is very hot and wet,
particularly in the southern half of the
peninsula. These conditions are typical of
a summer monsoonal East Asian climate.

16. Three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (triple width), and blue; the red band is edged in white; on
the hoist side of the red band is a white disk with a red five-pointed star; the broad red band
symbolizes revolutionary traditions; the narrow white bands stands for purity, strength, and dignity; the
blue bands signify sovereignty, peace, and friendship; the red star represents socialism

17. White with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram
from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field; the South Korean
national flag is called Taegukki; white is a traditional Korean color and represents peace and purity;
the blue section represents the negative cosmic forces of the yin, while the red symbolizes the
opposite positive forces of the yang; each trigram (kwae) denotes one of the four universal
elements, which together express the principle of movement and harmony.

21. Language and Alphabet
Hangul, ( Korean: “Great Script”) also
spelled Hangeul or Han’gŭl, alphabetic system used for writing
the korean language. The system, known as Chosŏn muntcha in North
Korea, consists of 24 letters (originally 28), including 14 consonants
and 10 vowels. The consonant characters are formed with curved or
angled lines. The vowels are composed of vertical or horizontal
straight lines together with short lines on either side of the main line.
All Koreans speak and write the same language, which has been
a decisive factor in forging their strong national identity. The words
and accent spoken by the people of the Seoul area are regarded as
standard. Among regional dialects, that of the people of Jejudo
Island off the South Coast is most distinct.

24. Tang’un (Tangun)
founded the Korea
Chosun (Land of the
Morning Calm)
The China’s Han dynasty attacked Korea and
overthrew the last Tangun Chosun in 108 BC. The
northwest Korea was still occupied by China until
313 AD but three independent Korean kingdoms
ruled the other territory of Korea.

40. North Korea under the
Kims
Kim Il Sung
Kim Jong Il

41. South Korea under Rhee
Dr. Syngman Rhee

42. South Korea under the Military
Dictatorship
From 1961 to 1993, South Korea was ruled by military dictators,
namely:
Gen. Park Chung Hee
(1961-79)
Gen. Chun Doo Hwan
(1980-87)
Gen. Roh Tae Woo
(1987-93)

43. Achievements of the Military rule in South
Korea:
1. South Korea’s military force was strengthened
2. South Korea’s military became mostly Christians
3. After the Christian revival, an economic miracle
happened
4. The spiritual and economic miracle caused a cultural
revival
5. Peace talks with China and North Korea began 1991
6. Peaceful turnover of power to the first civilian president
since 1961- Kim Young Sam

50. North Korea South Korea
Country Name :
Conventional long form Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea
Local long form Choson-minjujuui-inmin-
konghwaguk
Taehan-min'guk
Local short form Choson Han'guk
Government Communist state one-man
dictatorship
republic
Executive Branch
President (Chief of State) Kim Jong Un Park Geun Hye
Prime Minister (Head of the
Government)
Pak Pong Ju Jung Hong Won
Cabinet Naegak (cabinet) members State Council

51. North Korea South Korea
Legislative Branch unicameral Supreme
People's Assembly or
Ch'oego Inmin Hoeui (687
seats; members elected by
popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
unicameral National
Assembly or Gukhoe (300
seats; 246 members elected
in single-seat
constituencies, 54
elected by proportional
representation; members
serve four-year terms)
Judicial Branch
Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Central
Court (consists of the chief
justice and two "People's
Assessors" and for
some cases, 3 judges)
Supreme Court of South
Korea (consists of a chief
justice and 13 justices);
Constitutional
Court (consists of a court
head and 8 justices)
Judge selection and term of
office:
judges elected by the
Supreme People's Assembly
for 5-year terms
Supreme Court chief justice
appointed by the president
with the
consent of the National
Assembly

54. South Korea over the past four decades has
demonstrated incredible growth and global integration to
become a high-tech industrialized economy. In the 1960s,
GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer
countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined
the trillion-dollar club of world economies, and is currently
the world's 12th largest economy. Initially, a system of close
government and business ties, including directed credit and
import restrictions, made this success possible. The
government promoted the import of raw materials and
technology at the expense of consumer goods, and
encouraged savings and investment over consumption.

55. Economy North Korea South Korea
Agriculture - products
rice, corn, potatoes,
soybeans, pulses; cattle,
pigs, pork, eggs
rice, root crops, barley,
vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs,
chickens, milk, eggs; fish
Industries
military products; machine
building, electric power,
chemicals; mining (coal, iron
ore, limestone, magnesite,
graphite,
copper, zinc, lead, and
precious metals),
metallurgy; textiles, food
processing; tourism
electronics,
telecommunications,
automobile production,
chemicals, shipbuilding,
steel
Industrial production
growth rate
0.5% 2.5% (2013 est.)
Exports $3.954 billion (2012 est.) $557.3 billion (2013 est.)

56. Economy North Korea South Korea
Exports - commodities minerals, metallurgical
products, manufactures
(including armaments),
textiles, agricultural and
fishery products
semiconductors, wireless
telecommunications
equipment, motor vehicles,
auto parts, computers,
display,
home appliances, wire
telecommunication
equipment, steel, ships,
petrochemicals
Exports – partners China 63%, South Korea
27% (2012 est.)
China 24.5%, US 10.7%,
Japan 7.1%, Hong Kong
6%, Singapore 4.2% (2012
est.)
Imports $4.828 billion (2012 est.) $516.6 billion (2013 est.)
Imports – commodities petroleum, coking coal,
machinery and equipment,
textiles, grain
machinery, electronics and
electronic equipment, oil,
steel, optical instruments,
transport equipment,
organic chemicals, plastics

57. Economy North Korea South Korea
Imports - partners
China 73%, South Korea
19% (2012 est.)
China 15.6%, Japan 12.4%,
US 8.3%, Saudi Arabia
7.6%, Australia 5%,
Australia 4.4% (2012 est.)