South Korea is a republic with powers shared between the president and the legislature. The president is chief of state and is elected for a single term of 5 years. The 273 members of the unicameral National Assembly are elected to 4-year terms. South Korea's judicial system comprises a Supreme Court, appellate courts, and a Constitutional Court; the judiciary is independent under the constitution. The country has nine provinces and seven administratively separate cities--Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan and Daejeon. Political parties include the Millennium Democratic Party (MDP); Grand National Party (GNP); and, Our Open Party/Uri Party (UP). Suffrage is universal at age 20.

In December 2002, President Roh Moo-hyun was elected to a single 5-year term of office. A National Assembly election was held in 2000, with another scheduled in 2004.

Korea maintains an embassy in the United States at 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-939-5600). Consulates general are located in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Honolulu, and Hagatna (Guam).