Background: AL Lhe end of World War

ll ln 1943 korea was dlvlded lnLo Lwo

halves aL Lhe 38
th
para||e| estab||sh|ng
the kepub||c of korea (kCk) |n the North
wlLh Lhe help of Lhe unlLed SLaLes. 1he
unlLed SLaLes and SouLh korea have an
alllance lasLlng Lo Lhls very day. When Lhe
lssue of Lhe korean CovernmenL became
unresolved Lhe faLe of Lhe korean
CovernmenL was Laken Lo Lhe un Ceneral
Assembly where soon LhereafLer
Syngman 8hee became resldenL and
esLabllshed Lhe kepub||c of South korea
on August 1S, 1948.
The Republics
I|rst kepub||c (1948-1960)
Syngman 8hee serves as flrsL
resldenL.
8elaLlons agalnsL Lhe norLh were
Lense
8elled heavlly on u.S. supporL
AnLl-Communlsm ldeology
Second kepub||c (1960-1961!
lorelgn mlnlsLer Peo !eong ln
power
LsLabllshed a arllamenLary
CablneL SysLem
LsLabllshed a llve-?ear lan
8uled by soclal unresL & Lurmoll
1h|rd kepub||c (1963-1972)
Ceneral ark Chung-hee rules
SLrlved Lo flx economy
LsLabllshed relaLlons wlLh !apan
CrowLh of lndusLry & urban
populaLlons
Iourth & I|fth kepub||cs (1972-1987)
AdopLs Lhe ?usln ConsLlLuLlon
allowlng for conLrol over
arllamenL and resldency
Success wlLh llve-?ear lan
naLlonal Assembly dlssolved
LsLabllshes 7 year resldency
S|xth kepub||c (1987-resent)
SLrlcLly uemocraLlc
naLlonal 8eforms
ALLempLs Lo reconclle wlLh Lhe
norLh, buL useless
11
Lh
resldenL, ark Ceun-hye
Lakes offlce ln lebruary 2013,
known Lo be Lhe besL servlng
resldenL.
1
The President
ark Ceun-hye ls Lhe 11
Lh
resldenL of
SouLh korea and preceded Lee
Myung-bak. She ls Lhe flrsL woman
resldenL of SouLh korea and ls 62
years of age. She prevlously served
on Lhe korean naLlonal Assembly and
her faLher was Lhe resldenL of Lhe
1hlrd 8epubllc. 1he resldenL acLs as
Lhe chlef execuLlve, commander-ln-
chlef of armed forces, and head of
sLaLe. Pe/she ls elecLed for a flve-
year Lerm wlLh no re-elecLlon
Branches
Slmllar Lo Lhe u.S. CovernmenL, Lhe
8epubllc ls dlvlded lnLo Lhree
branches: execuLlve, [udlclal, and
leglslaLlve. 1he execuLlve and
leglslaLlve branches operaLe aL a
naLlonal level whlle local
governmenLs have bodles of Lhelr
own. Much llke Lhe u.S. Lhere ls a
dellcaLe checks & ba|ances system.
r|me M|n|ster
AppolnLed by Lhe resldenL wlLh
approval of Lhe naLlonal Assembly.
CurrenL ls !ung Pong-won. 8oles
lnclude prlnclple execuLlve asslsLanL
& supervlsor of mlnlsLrles.
2
The Constitution
CreaLed on !uly 17, 1948 has
slmllarlLles Lo Lhe unlLed SLaLes
ConsLlLuLlon lncludes: Lhe execuLlve
branch, an appolnLed resldenL and
rlme MlnlsLer, unlcameral
leglslaLure (naLlonal Assembly), Lhe
ConsLlLuLlonal CourL, Supreme courLs
and lower courLs. resldenL ls elecLed
and Lhe rlme MlnlsLer ls appolnLed.
ueclares SouLh korea as a democraLlc
republlc & feaLures a 8lll of 8lghLs
(almosL ldenLlcal Lo Lhe u.S. one).
The National Assembly
ConslsLs of 200+ members elecLed Lo
four-year Lerms. lncludes Lhe
Supreme CourL chlef [usLlce and 13
oLher [usLlces appolnLed by Lhe
resldenL
Constitutional Court
ueLermlnes Lhe ConsLlLuLlonallLy of
laws, complalnLs, lmpeachmenLs, and
lssues beLween pollLlcal parLles.
leaLures nlne [usLlces wlLh slx-year
Lerms.
Republic of South Korea