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The government of South Korea is divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The executive and judicial branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. The judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels.
The South Korean government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 (for details, see History of South Korea). However, it has retained many broad characteristics; with the exception of the short-lived Second Republic of South Korea, the country has always had a presidential system with a relatively independent chief executive. The Constitution of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is its basic law. ...
The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ...
The Second Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea for eight months in 1960 and 1961. ...
States with presidential systems are shown in blue A presidential system, or a congressional system, is a system of government of a republic where the executive branch is elected separately from the legislative. ...
As with most stable three-branch systems, a careful system of checks and balances is in place. For instance, the judges of the Constitutional Court are partially appointed by the executive, and partially by the legislature. Likewise, when a resolution of impeachment is passed by the legislature, it is sent to the judiciary for a final decision. The doctrine and practice of dispersing political power and creating mutual accountability between political entities such as the courts, the president or prime minister, the legislature, and the citizens. ...
Executive branch
The executive branch is headed by the president. The president is elected directly by the people, and is the only elected member of the national executive. The president serves for one five-year term; additional terms are not permitted. The president is head of government, head of state, and commander in chief of the South Korean armed forces. The president is vested with the power to declare war, and can also propose legislation to the National Assembly. He can also declare a state of emergency or martial law, subject to the Assembly's subsequent approval. However, the president does not have the power to dissolve the National Assembly. This safeguard reflects the experience of totalitarian governments under the First, Third, and Fourth Republics. The President is head of state of South Korea. ...
The First Republic of South Korea was South Koreas first independent government, ruling the country from 1948 to 1960. ...
The Third Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from 1963 to 1972. ...
The Fourth Republic of South Korea was the government of the country from 1972 to 1979. ...
In the event that they are suspected of serious wrongdoing, the president and cabinet-level officials are subject to impeachment by the National Assembly. Such cases are decided by the Constitutional Court. Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ...
The National Assembly is the South Korean parliament. ...
The president is assisted in his duties by the Prime Minister of South Korea. The Prime Minister is appointed by the president and approved by the National Assembly. In the event that the president is unable to fulfil his duties, the Prime Minister takes control of the state. There are no limits on who can fill the position. The Prime Minister has the power to recommend the appointment or dismissal of cabinet ministers. The Prime Minister of South Korea (êµë¬´ì´ë¦¬ ; Gukmuchongni) is appointed by the President of South Korea with the National Assemblys approval. ...
State Council The State Council is made up of the president, Prime Minister, and cabinet-level ministers. These ministers represent the 18 ministries of the South Korean governnment. The Council is charged with deliberating on major policy decisions; its meetings are chaired by the president and officiated by the Prime Minister. Although the Council has no power to make final decisions, the Constitution requires that certain matters be brought to it before final decisions are made. These include bestowals of state honors, drafts of constitutional amendments, declarations of war, budget proposals, government restructurings, and emergency orders.
Ministries The head of each ministry is appointed by the president. The ministers report to the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Energy is a branch of the South Korean government. ...
The Ministry of Environment is the South Korean branch of government charged with environmental protection. ...
The Ministry of Finance and Economy or MOFE oversees the financial policies of the South Korean government. ...
The Ministry of Information and Communication or MIC is a ministry of the government of South Korea. ...
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, or MOMAF, is a cabinet-level division of the government of South Korea. ...
The Ministry of Unification is a branch of the South Korean government that is charged with working toward the reunification of Korea. ...
Independent agencies Many of these agencies are managed by intermediate agencies; others report directly to the Prime Minister or to the President.
The following agencies report directly to the President:
- National Security Council
- Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unificiation
- Presidential Council on Science and Technology
- Presidential Commission on Small and Medium Business
- Civil Service Commission
- Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption
- Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths
- Board of Audit and Inspection -- the chairperson of this board, charged with general administratvive oversight, must be approved by the National Assembly.
- National Intelligence Service
Several offices report directly to the Prime Minister, inclding the Government Information Agency and the Fair Trade Commission. In addition, the following agencies report jointly to the Prime Minister and the head of their associated ministry: This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...
- National Tax Service
- National Statistical Office
- Supreme Public Prosecutor
- Military Manpower Administration
- National Police Agency
- Korea Meteorological Administration
- Cultural Properties Administration
- Rural Development Administration
- Korea Forest Service
- Small and Medium Business Administration
- Korean Intellectual Property Office
- Korea Food and Drug Administration
- Korean National Railroad
- National Maritime Police Agency
The National Police Agency in South Korea is the only police organization in South Korea and is overseen by the National Public Safety Commission. ...
The Korea Forest Service is charged with maintaining South Koreas forest lands. ...
The Korean National Railroad, now known as Korail, is the national railroad operator in South Korea. ...
Legislative branch - Main article: National Assembly of South Korea
At the national level, the legislative branch consists of the National Assembly of South Korea. This is a unicameral legislature; it consists of a single large assembly. Most of its 273 members are elected from single-member constituencies; however, 46 are elected through proportional representation. The members of the National Assembly serve for four years; in the event that a member is unable to complete his or her term, a by-election is held. The National Assembly is charged with deliberating and passing legislation, auditing the budget and administrative procedures, ratifying treaties, and approving state appointments. In addition, it has the power to impeach or recommend the removal of high officials. The National Assembly is the South Korean parliament. ...
The National Assembly is the South Korean parliament. ...
Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or parliamentary chamber. ...
Proportional representation, also known as full representation, is an electoral system in which the overall votes are reflected in the overall outcome of the body or bodies of representatives. ...
A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ...
The Assembly forms 17 standing committees to deliberate dmatters of detailed policy. For the most part, these coincide with the ministries of the executive branch.
Bills pass through these committees before they reach the floor. However, before they reach committee, they must already have gained the support of at least 20 members, unless they have been introduced by the president. To secure final passage, a bill must receive a majority of those present; a tie vote is not sufficient. After passage, bills are sent to the president for approval; they must be approved within 15 days.
Each year, the budget bill is submitted to the National Assembly by the executive. By law, it must be submitted at least 90 days before the start of the fiscal year, and the final version must be approved at least 30 days before the start ofthe fiscal year. The Assembly is also responsible for auditing accounts of past expenditures, which must be submitted at least 120 days before the start of the fiscal year.
Sessions of the Assembly may be either regular (once a year, for no more than 100 days) or extraordinary (by request of the president or a caucus, no more than 30 days). These sessions are open-door by default, but can be closed to the pubic by majority vote or by decree of the Speaker. In order for laws to be passed in any session, a quorum of half the members must be present. In law, a quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group. ...
Currently, four political parties of South Korea are represented in the National Assembly. Political parties in South Korea lists political parties in South Korea. ...
Judicial branch The judicial branch is headed by the Constitutional Court. This system was newly established in the Sixth Republic, to help guard against the excesses shown by past regimes. The Constitutional Court consists of nine justices. Of these, three are recommended by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, three by the National Assembly, and three by the president; however, all must be appointed by the president. The President of the Constitutional Court is appointed by the national president, subject to the approvial of the National Assembly. The members of the court serve for six-year renewable terms, and cannot be older than 65 (except for the President of the court, who may be as old as 70). The Constitution of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is its basic law. ...
The Sixth Republic of South Korea is the countrys present-day government. ...
The Constitutional Court is charged purely with constitutional review and with deciding cases of impeachment. Other judicial matters are overseen by the Supreme Court. This is the final court of appeal for all cases in South Korean law. The Supreme Court, seated in Seoul, consists of fourteen Justices, including one Chief Justice. The Justices must be at least 40 years old, and have at least 15 years of experience practicing law. They serve for six-year terms; the Chief Justice cannot be reappointed, but the other justices can. Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ...
Court of Appeals is the title of certain appellate courts in various jurisdictions. ...
Seoul (IPA: , (help· info)) is the capital and largest city of South Korea (Republic of Korea). ...
Below the Supreme Court come appellate courts, stationed in five of the country's major cities. Appellate courts typically consist of a panel of three judges. Below these are district courts, which exist in most of the large cities of South Korea. Below these are branch and municipal courts, positioned all over the country and limited to small claims and petty offenses. Specialized courts also exist for family, administrative, and patent cases. Small claims courts are courts of limited jurisdiction that hear civil cases between private litigants. ...
All courts are under the jurisdiction of the national judiciary; independent local courts are not permitted. Judges through out the system are required to have passed a rigorous training system including a two-year program and two-year apprenticeship. All judicial training is provided through the Judicial Research and Training Institute, and is limited to those who have already passed the National Judicial Examination. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has the power over all court administration, and can recommend court-related legislation to the National Assembly.
Local government Local autonomy was established as a constitutional principle of South Korea beginning with the First Republic. However, for much of the 20th century this principle was not honored. From 1965 to 1995, local governments were run directly by provincial governments, which were run directly by the national government. However, since the elections of 1995, a degree of local autonomy has been restored. Local magistrates and assemblies are elected in each of the primary and secondary administrative divisions of South Korea, that is, in every province, metropolitan or special city, and district. Officials at lower levels, such as eup and dong, are appointed by the city or county government. The First Republic of South Korea was South Koreas first independent government, ruling the country from 1948 to 1960. ...
Administrative divisions of South Korea South Korea is divided into 1 Special City (Teukbyeolsi), 6 Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi), and 9 Provinces (Do). ...
As noted above, local autonomy does not extend to the judicial branch. It also does not yet extend to many other areas, including fire protection and education, which are managed by independent national agencies. Local governments also have very limited policy-making authority; generally, the most that they can do is decide how national policies will be implemented. However, there is some political pressure for the scope of local autonomy to be extended.
Although the chief executive of each district is locally elected, deputy executives are still appointed by the central government. It is these deputy officials who have detailed authority over most administrative matters.
Civil service The South Korean civil service is large, and remains a largely closed system, although efforts at openness and reform are ongoing. In order to gain a position in civil service, it is usually necessary to pass one or more difficult examinatio. Positions have traditionally been handed out based on seniority, in a complex graded system; however, this system was substantially reformed in 1998.
There are more than 800,000 civil servants in South Korea today. More than half of these are employed by the central government; only about 300,000 are employed by local governments. In addition, only a few thousand each are employed by the national legislative and judicial branches; the overwhelming majority are employed in the various ministries of the executive branch. The size of the civil service increased steadily from the 1950s to the late 1990s, but has dropped slightly since 1995. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...
The civil service, not including political appointees and elected officials, is comprised of career civil servants and contract civil servants. Contract servants are typically paid higher wages and hired for specific jobs. Career civil servants make up the bulk of the civil service, and are arranged in a nine-tiered system in which grade 1 is occupied by assistant ministers and grade 9 by the newest and lowest-level employees. Promotions are decided by a combination of seniority, training, and performance review. Civil servants' base salary makes up less than half of their annual pay; the remainder is supplied in a complex system of bonuses. Contract civil servants are paid on the basis of the competitive rates of pay in the private sector. The private sector of a nations economy consists of those entities which are not controlled by the state - i. ...
Elections Elections are overseen by the National Election Commission of South Korea.
References - Korea Overseas Information Service (2003). Handbook of Korea, 11th ed., Seoul: Hollym. ISBN 1-56591-212-8.
See also - List of Korea-related topics
- Government of North Korea
- Government
This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ...
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