UCLA Center
for East Asian Studies
South Korea and the United States Today
Population
South Korea 46 million U.S. 261 million annual growth rate: 1.02% annual growth rate: 0.99% life exp. 73.6 years 75.9 years infant mortality 8/1000 8.1/1000 birth rate 1.78/1000 15/1000 Minorities homogeneous, except for 20,000 Chinese 16.6% urban population 81% 76% density 1210 people per sq. mile 68 people per sq. mile 29% < age 15 22% % > age 60 17%
Land Area
South Korea 38,023 sq. miles U.S. 3,618,764 sq. miles cultivated 21% 20% forest 65% 29% pasture 1.0% 26%
Health Care
South Korea physician/ people U.S. 1 physician/404 people hospital bed/people 1 hospital bed/198 people
Indicators of Living Standards
South Korea per capita GDP: $12,390 U.S. per capita GDP: $23,120 1 telephone/2.1 people 1 telephone/1.3 people 1 television/3.4 people 1 television/1.2 people cars: cars: 143 million literacy: 97.4% literacy: 95% daily newspapers sold: /1000 people daily newspapers sold: 255/1000 people
Economic Measures
South Korea 1997 GDP $4.4 trillion U.S. 1997 GDP: $8.1 trillion 1991-97 average annual growth rate:7.2 % 1991-97 average annual growth rate: 2.6% defense spending as a share of GDP 3.5 % defense spending share of GDP: 3.1% defense share of gov't spending: 21.8 % defense share of gov't spending: 15.9%
- South Korea is the eighth largest trading partner of the U.S.
- South Korea had a $ 3.4 billion trade surplus with the U.S. in 1996 and a $ 1.8 billion surplus in 1997.
Last Updated on 7/24/99
By Cathy Mach