South Korea

South Korea is an East Asian country on the south part of the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea to the north, and a demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two countries. The capital of South Korea is Seoul. Authoritarian rule existed for four decades until 1987 when a multi-party system was restored. The government encouraged family-owned industrial conglomerates called "chaebol", two of which were the Hyundai and Samsung groups.

The U.S. still maintains troops in the country. In 2004, in a controversial move, South Korea sent 3,000 soldiers to Iraq.

Media
The BBC says of South Korean media, "Television is influential and the major terrestrial networks command the lion's share of viewing and advertising. Many South Koreans subscribe to digital cable and satellite TV services.

"South Korea is at the leading edge of the digital revolution. It is a trailblazer for high-speed and wireless internet services and has pioneered the distribution of TV via mobile devices. Online gaming is a national passion."

PR Campaigns
In February 2009 Media magazine reported that the "Korean Ministry of Labour has appointed Fleishman Hillard (F-H) to develop a strategic communications campaign to address pressing labour-related issues within the domestic market." A spokesman for F-H stated told reporter David Blecken that the campaign will run for a year and will aim to build understanding between the government, business community, unions, employees and other related interest groups.

Tobacco industry documents and information

 * Korean Cigarette Market Study (Philip Morris, 1990) - analyzes potential target markets (women, "starters") in Korea

Statistics 1950-1975

 * US trained military personnel: 32479
 * US military aid: $6,542,300,000
 * US provided US aid or training to police
 * This country practiced torture on an administrative basis during this period

External resources

 * South Korea, National Geographic, accessed November 2007.