Demographics Of South Korea

Demographics of South Korea From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the demographic features of the population of South Korea, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population. Nationality noun: South Korean(s) adjective: South Korean Background Although a variety of different Asian peoples had migrated to the Korean Peninsula in past centuries, very few have remained permanently, so by 1990 both South Korea and North Korea were among the world's most ethnically homogeneous nations. The number of indigenous minorities was negligible. In South Korea, people of foreign origin, including Chinese, Japanese, Westerners, Southeast Asians, South Asians and others were a small percentage of the population whose residence was generally temporary. Koreans tend to equate nationality or citizenship with membership in a single, homogeneous ethnic group or "race" (minjok, in Korean). A common language and culture also are viewed as important elements in Korean identity. The idea of multiracial or multiethnic nations, like the United States or India, strikes many Koreans as odd or even contradictory. Regional differences Against the background of ethnic homogeneity, however, significant regional differences exist. Within South Korea, the most important regional difference is between the Gyeongsang region, embracing Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do provinces in the southeast, and the Jeolla region, embracing Jeollabuk-do and Jeollanam-do provinces in the southwest. The two regions, separated by the Jirisan Massif, nurture a rivalry said to reach back to the Three Kingdoms of Korea Period, which lasted from the fourth century to the seventh century A.D., when the kingdoms of Baekje and Silla struggled for control of the peninsula. Observers noted that interregional marriages are rare, and that as of 1990 a new four lane highway completed in 1984 between Gwangju and Daegu, the capitals of Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangbuk-do provinces, had not been successful in promoting travel between the two areas. South Korea's political elite, including presidents Park Chung Hee, Chun Doo Hwan, and Roh Tae Woo, have come largely from the Gyeongsang region. As a result, Gyeongsang has been a special beneficiary of government development assistance. By contrast, the

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Jeolla region has remained comparatively rural, undeveloped, and poor. Chronically disaffected, its people rightly or wrongly have a reputation for rebelliousness. Regional bitterness was intensified by the May 1980 Gwangju massacre, in which about 200 and perhaps many more inhabitants of the capital of Jeollanam-do were killed by government troops sent to quell an insurrection. Many of the troops reportedly were from the Gyeongsang region. Population settlement patterns South Korea was one of the world's most densely populated countries, with an estimated 425 people per square kilometer in 1989--over sixteen times the average population density of the United States in the late 1980s. By comparison, China had an estimated 114 people, the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) 246 people, and Japan 323 people per square kilometer in the late 1980s. Because about 70 percent of South Korea's land area is mountainous and the population is concentrated in the lowland areas, actual population densities were in general greater than the average. As early as 1975, it was estimated that the density of South Korea's thirty-five cities, each of which had a population of 50,000 or more inhabitants, was 3,700 people per square kilometer. Because of continued migration to urban areas, the figure was doubtless higher in the late 1980s. The extreme crowding in South Korea in 1990 was a major factor not only in economic development and in the standard of living but also in the development of social attitudes and human relationships. More than most other peoples, South Koreans have had to learn to live peacefully with each other in small, crowded spaces, in which the competition for limited resources, including space itself, is intense. Continued population growth means that the shortage of space for living and working will grow more severe. According to the government's Economic Planning Board, the population density will be 530 people per square kilometer by 2023, the year the population is expected to stabilize. Koreans living overseas By the end of 1988 there were over 2 million South Korean overseas residents. North America was the preferred destination, as the choice of over 1.2 million. Korean immigrants in the United States and Canada gained a reputation for hard work and economic success. South Koreans also were overseas residents of Japan (at least 680,000), Central and South America (785,000), the Middle East (62,000), Western Europe (40,000), New Zealand (30,000), other Asian countries (27,000), and Africa (25,000). A limited number of South Korean government-sponsored migrants settled in Chile, Argentina, and other Latin American countries. Because of South Korea's rapid economic expansion, an increasing number of its citizens reside abroad on a temporary basis as business executives, technical personnel, foreign students, and construction workers. A small number of overseas South Koreans had migrated back to South Korea primarily because of the much improved economic conditions and the difficulties in adjusting to living abroad. Ethnic groups

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South Korea is a homogeneous society with absolute majority of the population of Korean ethnicity. In 1970, an estimate of 120,000 Chinese resided in South Korea. However, due to economic restrictions by the Korean government, the number fell to around 21,000 today. That number is suspect, however, due to the high number of Chinese who now work and reside in Korea more or less permanently. In a 10-year period starting in the late 1990s the number of Chinese in Korea exploded. It is estimated that there are at least 300,000 and possibly more than 1,000,000 Chinese citizens living in South Korea as permanent residents or illegal immigrants, including Joseonjok (조선족/朝鮮族, Chinese citizens of Korean descent) and Han Chinese.[1] There is a large Chinese community in Seoul's southwestern area (Daerim/Namguro) and a smaller but established community in Seongnam. This community, known as Hwakyo (화교, 華僑) by the Koreans, distrusts ordinary Koreans and tend to avoid those unfamiliar to them. There are migrant workers from Southeast Asia and increasingly from Eastern Europe, and in the main cities, particularly Seoul, there is a small but growing number of foreigners related to business and education. The number of marriages between Koreans and foreigners has risen steadily in the past few years. In 2005, 14 percent of all marriages in South Korea were marriages to foreigners (about 26,000 marriages). Many Korean agencies encourage 'international' marriages to Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai women, adding a new degree of complexity to the issue of ethnicity. [2] There are also some 29,000 United States military personnel who are usually invisible to most Koreans because they are restricted to their bases. Languages The Korean language is spoken by a vast majority of the population. English is widely taught in primary school, middle school and high school, and continues to be taught in higher education. Middle school and High school students also begin to study a 2nd foreign language by their second year. Most schools offer Japanese, Chinese, and German, and students can learn basic proficiency. Private academies and private classes teach various languages including Mandarin, Japanese, French, German, Russian, Vietnamese, Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew. Still, a great emphasis is placed on English for examination purposes. CIA World Factbook demographic statistics The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Year Population

Growth rate

Age structure

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2007 49,044,790 0.578%

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 4,714,103/female 4,262,873) 15-64 years: 72.1% (male 18,004,719/female 17,346,594)

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65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,921,803/female 2,794,698)

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0-14 years: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139) 15-64 years: 71.8% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862)

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2006 48,846,823 0.58% •

65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914)

Age structure • • •

0-14 years: 18.3% (male 4,714,103/female 4,262,873) 15-64 years: 72.1% (male 18,004,719/female 17,346,594) 65 years and over: 9.6% (male 1,921,803/female 2,794,698)

Growth • • • • •

Birth rate: 9.38 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (August 2006 est.) Death rate: 5.94 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) Infant mortality rate: 6.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio • • • • •

at birth: 1.13 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 15-99 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Life expectancy • • •

total population: 79.05 years male: 75.7 years female: 82.4 years (2007 est.)

Religions Main article: Religion in South Korea

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Nonreligious: 46.92% Christianity: 29.25% Buddhism: 22.8% Confucianism: 0.23% Islam: 0.08%[3][4][5] - 0.27%*[6] (* If it includes foreign workers from Muslim countries who have no citizenship) Other: 0.53% - 0.72%

Literacy • • • •

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002) Sources: CIA World Factbook 2006; International Religious Freedom Report 2006

References

1. ^ Yonhap News recently used the smaller number in an article " No 'real'

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

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Chinatown in S. Korea, the result of xenophobic attitudes" by Kim Hyung Jin (August 29, 2006) http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20060829/4801000000200608290912 33E3.html but a story on the Korean Hwakyo community by Tsinghua University reports the higher figure (“화교자본 끌어들이려면 화교사회 키워라”; in Korean) http://www.tsinghua.co.kr/introduce/board_view_form.html?cpage=4&uid=193&b oard_id=2&keyfield=&search_text= ^ Onishi, Norimitsu. "Marriage brokers in Vietnam cater to S. Korean bachelors." February 21, 2007. International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/21/news/brides.php ^ "South Korea". Adherents.com. http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_341.html. Retrieved on 2008-07-29. ^ Baker, Don. "Islam Struggles for a Toehold in Korea". Harvard Asia Quarterly. http://www.asiaquarterly.com/content/view/167/. Retrieved on 2008-07-29. ^ "Dynamic Korea: Muslims, a minority among minorities". The Jakarta Post. 2008-07-30. http://old.thejakartapost.com/community/korea3.asp. Retrieved on 2008-07-29. ^ "Korea’s Muslims Mark Ramadan". The Chosun Ilbo. September 11, 2008. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200809/200809110016.html. Retrieved on 2008-10-09. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Library of Congress Country Studies. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.

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