South Korea, officially the
Republic of Korea (
ROK) and often simply referred to as
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
, is a country in
East AsiaEast Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms. Geographically and geo-politically, it covers about , or about 28 percent of the Asian continent, about 15 percent bigger than the area of Europe, though some categorize Tibet, Xinjiang,...
, located on the southern half of the
Korean PeninsulaThe Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan on the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two...
. It is neighbored by
ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
to the west,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
to the east, and
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
to the north. Its capital is
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
, the second largest
metropolitan city in the world and a major
global cityA global city is a city deemed to be an important node point in the global economic system. The concept comes from geography and urban studies and rests on the idea that globalization can be understood as largely created, facilitated and enacted in strategic geographic locales according to a...
. South Korea lies in a temperate climate region with a predominantly mountainous terrain. Its territory covers a total area of 100,032 square kilometers and has a population of over 48 million, making it the third most densely populated (significantly sized) country in the world (after Bangladesh and Taiwan).
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied as early as the
Lower Paleolithic periodThe Lower Paleolithic is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 2.5 million years ago when the first evidence of craft and use of stone tools by hominids appears in the current archaeological record, until around 100,000 years ago 'when...
. Korean history begins with the founding of
GojoseonGojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom, considered the first proper nation of the Korean people. According to the Samguk Yusa and other Korean medieval-era records, Gojoseon is said to have been founded in 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun, who is said to be the Posterity of Heaven...
in 2333 BCE by
DangunDangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning, Manchuria, and the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the grandson of heaven, and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC...
. Following the unification of
Three Kingdoms of KoreaThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE...
under
SillaSilla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and the longest sustained dynasty in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park , the dynasty was to see the Kyungju Kim clan hold rule for most of its...
668
CECE, Ce or ce may refer to:* Cerium - Places :* Sri Lanka * Ceará, a state in Brazil, ISO 3166-2:BR code...
, Korea went through the
GoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a sovereign state established in 918 by King Taejo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
and
Joseon DynastyJoseon , was a Korean sovereign state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong...
as one nation until the end of the
Korean EmpireThe Greater Korean Empire was a former empire of Korea that succeeded the Joseon Dynasty that had ruled the nation for 500 years.In 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, real property laws,...
in 1910, when Korea was annexed by
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. After
liberation and divisionThe division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a
democracyDemocracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed , or the power to do so is granted by them...
. A
warThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
between the two Koreas ended in an uneasy cease-fire. During a period of military rule, the
South Korean economyThe economy of South Korea is a developed, largely free-market economy that is the fourth largest in Asia and 15th largest in the world. South Korea's transformation into a developed country between 1960 and 1980 was called the Miracle on the Han River by Koreans...
grew significantly, and the country was transformed into a major economy.
South Korea is now a
full democracyThe Economist has in a study examined the state of democracy in 167 countries and attempted to quantify this with an Economist Intelligence Unit Index of Democracy which focused on five general categories: electoral process and pluralism, civil liberties, functioning of government, political...
and a
presidentialA presidential system is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot, in normal circumstances, dismiss it....
republicA republic is a form of government in which the head of state is not a monarch and the people have an impact on its government. The word 'republic' is derived from the Latin phrase res publica which can be translated as "a public affair".Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their...
consisting of 16
administrative divisions||South Korea is divided into 8 provinces , 1 special autonomous province , 6 metropolitan cities , and 1 special city...
. It is a
developed countryThe term developed country is used to describe countries that have a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue and there is fierce debate about this. Economic criteria have tended to dominate...
with a high
standard of living. It has the fourth largest economy in Asia and the
15th largest in the world. The economy is export-driven, with production focussing on
electronicsElectronics is a branch of science and technology that deals with the controlled flow of electrons. The ability to control electron flow is usually applied to information handling or device control. Electronics is distinct from electrical science and technology, which deals with the generation,...
,
automobileThe automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide....
s,
shipShipbuilding is the construction of ships. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history....
s, machinery,
petrochemicalPetrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum or other hydrocarbon origin. Although some of the chemical compounds that originate from petroleum may also be derived from coal and natural gas, petroleum is the major source...
s and
roboticsRobotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, and application. Robotics is related to electronics, mechanics, and software. The word robot was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. , published in 1920...
. South Korea is a member of the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
, WTO, OECD and G-20 major economies. It is also a founding member of APEC and the
East Asia SummitThe East Asia Summit is a forum held annually by leaders of 16 countries in the East Asian region. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings...
, and a
major non-NATO allyMajor non-NATO ally is a designation given by the United States government to exceptionally close allies who have close strategic working relationships with American forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization...
of the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. More recently, South Korea's cultural popularity has increased, being dubbed the
Korean WaveThe Korean wave or Korea fever refers to the significantly increased popularity of South Korean culture around the world since the 21st century, especially among the Millenial Generation...
.
Government
Like many democracies, South Korea's government is divided into three branches:
executive}}In the study of political science the executive branch of government has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the democratic idea of the separation of powers .In many...
,
judicialThe judiciary is the system of courts which interprets and applies the law in the name of the sovereign or state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
, and
legislativeA legislature is a type of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law...
. The executive and legislative 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. South Korea is a constitutional democracy.
The South Korean government's structure is determined by the
Constitution of the Republic of KoreaThe Constitution of the Republic of Korea is its basic law. It was promulgated on July 17, 1948, and last revised in 1987.-History:...
. This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 (see
History of South KoreaThe history of South Korea formally begins with the establishment of South Korea on 15 August 1948 while Syngman Rhee declared the establishment in Seoul on 13 August 1948....
). However, it has retained many broad characteristics; with the exception of the short-lived
Second Republic of South KoreaThe Second Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea for eight months in 1960 and 1961. It succeeded the First Republic, but was followed by a military government under the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction.-Establishment:...
, the country has always had a presidential system with an independent chief executive. South Korea has developed a successful
liberal democracyLiberal democracy is the dominant form of democracy in the 21st century. During the Cold War, liberal democracies were contrasted with the Communist People's Republics or "Popular Democracies", which claimed an alternative conception of democracy...
since the 1960s and the first direct
electionElections in South Korea are held on national level to select the President and the National Assembly.The president is directly elected for a single five-year term by plurality vote. The National Assembly has 299 members elected for a four-year term, 245 in single-seat constituencies and 54 members...
was held in 1948. The
CIA World FactbookThe World Factbook is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. It was originally an annual book, but the 2008 edition was the last to be printed on paper by the CIA...
describes South Korea's democracy as a "fully functioning buta modern democracy".
Before division
Korea began with the founding of Joseon (The name
GojoseonGojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom, considered the first proper nation of the Korean people. According to the Samguk Yusa and other Korean medieval-era records, Gojoseon is said to have been founded in 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun, who is said to be the Posterity of Heaven...
is almost always used to prevent confusion with another Joseon dynasty founded in 14th century; the prefix Go- means 'old' or 'earlier') in 2333 BCE by
DangunDangun Wanggeom was the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom, around present-day Liaoning, Manchuria, and the Korean Peninsula. He is said to be the grandson of heaven, and to have founded the kingdom in 2333 BC...
. Gojoseon expanded until it controlled much of the northern Korean peninsula and parts of
ManchuriaManchuria is a historical name given to a vast geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria either falls entirely within China, or is divided between China and Russia...
. After numerous wars with the Chinese
Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, Gojoseon disintegrated, leading to the
Proto-Three Kingdoms of KoreaProto-Three Kingdoms of Korea refers to the period after the fall of Gojoseon and before the maturation of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla into full-fledged kingdoms...
period.
In the early centuries of the Common Era, Buyeo,
OkjeoOkjeo was a small tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE.Dong-okjeo occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo occupied the Duman River region...
,
DongyeDongye was a state which occupied portions of the northeastern Korean peninsula from roughly 150 BCE to around 400 CE. It bordered Goguryeo and Okjeo to the north, Jinhan to the south, and China's Lelang Commandery to the west...
, and the
SamhanSamhan refers to the ancient confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan in central and southern Korean peninsula, which were eventually absorbed into two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
confederacy occupied the peninsula and southern Manchuria. Of the various small states,
GoguryeoGoguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
,
BaekjeBaekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
, and
SillaSilla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and the longest sustained dynasty in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park , the dynasty was to see the Kyungju Kim clan hold rule for most of its...
grew to control the peninsula as
the Three KingdomsThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE...
. The unification of the Three Kingdoms by
SillaUnified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
in 676 led to the
North South States PeriodNorth South States Period refers to the period in Korean history when Silla and Balhae coexisted at the south and the north.-Unified Silla:...
, in which much of the Korean peninsula was controlled by
Unified SillaUnified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
, while
BalhaeBalhae was an ancient Korean kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-young, a former Goguryeo general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae...
succeeded the northern parts of Goguryeo. In
Unified SillaUnified Silla or Later Silla is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, when it conquered Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, unifying the southern portion of the Korean peninsula...
, poetry and art was encouraged, and Buddhist culture flourished. Relationships between Korea and China remained relatively peaceful during this time. However, Unified Silla weakened under internal strife, and surrendered to
GoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a sovereign state established in 918 by King Taejo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
in 935.
BalhaeBalhae was an ancient Korean kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-young, a former Goguryeo general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae...
, Silla's neighbor to the north, was formed as a successor state to Goguryeo. During its height, Balhae controlled most of Manchuria and parts of Russia. It fell to the Khitan in 926.
After the North-South Period, successor states fought for control during the
Later Three KingdomsThe Later Three Kingdoms of Korea consisted of Silla, Hubaekje , and Taebong . The latter two were viewed as heirs to the earlier Three Kingdoms of Korea, which had been united by Silla...
period. The peninsula was soon united by
Emperor TaejoTaejo of Goryeo , was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century.- Background :...
of
GoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a sovereign state established in 918 by King Taejo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
. Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the
JikjiJikji is the abbreviated title of a Korean Buddhist document, whose full title can be translated "The Monk Baegun's Anthology of the Great Priests' Teachings on Identification of the Buddha’s Spirit by the Practice of Seon." Printed during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1377, it is the world's oldest...
in 1377, using the world's oldest movable metal
printing pressA printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a medium , thereby transferring an image. The mechanical systems involved were first assembled in Germany by the goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg around 1440, based on existing screw-presses used to press...
.
The
Mongol invasionsThe Mongol invasions of Korea consisted of a series of campaigns by the Mongol Empire against Korea, then known as Goryeo, from 1231 to 1270...
in the 13th century greatly weakened Goryeo. However, Goryeo continued to rule Korea as a tributary ally to the Mongols. After the fall of the Mongolian Empire, Goryeo continued its rule. After severe political strife and continued invasions, Goryeo was replaced by the
Joseon DynastyJoseon , was a Korean sovereign state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo Kingdom at what is today the city of Kaesong...
in 1388 following a rebellion by General
Yi Seong-gyeTaejo of Joseon , born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty...
.
King Taejo declared the new name of Korea as Joseon in reference to
GojoseonGojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom, considered the first proper nation of the Korean people. According to the Samguk Yusa and other Korean medieval-era records, Gojoseon is said to have been founded in 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun, who is said to be the Posterity of Heaven...
, and moved the capital to
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
. The first 200 years of the Joseon Dynasty was marked by relative peace and saw the creation of
HangulHangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
by
Sejong the GreatSejong the Great was the Third king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He is best remembered for creating the Korean alphabet Hangul, despite strong opposition from the scholars educated in hanja...
in the 14th century and the rise and influence of
ConfucianismConfucianism is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system developed from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius . It is a complex system of moral, social, political, philosophical, and quasi-religious thought that has had tremendous influence on the culture and history of East Asia...
.
Between 1592 and 1598, the Japanese invaded Korea.
Toyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo in the Sengoku period who unified Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the...
led the forces and tried to invade
the Asian continentAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
through Korea, but was eventually repelled with action of the
Righteous armyRighteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, have emerged repeatedly in Korean history, when the national armies have been unable to defend the country. The first righteous armies emerged during the Khitan invasions of Korea and the Mongol invasions of Korea...
and assistance from
Ming DynastyThe Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history," was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. This war also saw the rise of the career of Admiral
Yi Sun-sinYi Sun-sin was a Korean naval commander noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Japanese invasions of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty...
and his "
turtle shipThe Turtle ship, also known as Geobukseon or Kobukson, was a type of large warship belonging to the Panokseon class in Korea that was used intermittently by the Royal Korean Navy during the Joseon Dynasty from the early 15th century up until the 19th century.The first references to older, first...
". In the 1620s and 1630s Joseon suffered
invasions by the ManchuDuring the 17th century, there were two Manchu invasions of Korea:*First Manchu expedition to Korea, in 1627*Second Manchu expedition to Korea, in 1637...
who eventually also conquered the Chinese
Ming DynastyThe Ming Dynasty , or Empire of the Great Ming , was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history," was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
.
After
invasions from ManchuriaThe second Manchu invasion of Korea occurred in 1636, when the Manchu Qing Empire brought Korea's Joseon dynasty into submission. It followed the first Manchu invasion of Korea of 1627.-Background:...
, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. Especially,
King YeongjoYeongjo was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong, and succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.-Reign:...
and
King JeongjoKing Jeongjo was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He made various attempts to reform and improve the nation of Joseon. He was preceded by his grandfather King Yeongjo and succeeded by his son King Sunjo...
led a new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty.
During the last years of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "
Hermit KingdomHermit kingdom is a pejorative term applied to any country or society which willfully walls itself off from the rest of the world...
", primarily for protection against Western
imperialismImperialism, as defined by the dictionary of human geography, is “the creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination.” Imperialism, in many ways, is described...
before it was forced to open trade beginning an era leading into
Japanese colonial ruleKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Formally, Japanese rule ended on September 2, 1945 upon the Japanese defeat in World War II in 1945....
.
After division
Despite the initial plan of a unified Korea in the 1943
Cairo DeclarationThe Cairo Declaration was the outcome of the Cairo Conference in Cairo, Egypt, on November 27, 1943. President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of the Republic of China were present...
, escalating
Cold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state of political conflict, military tension, and economic competition existing after World War II , primarily between the USSR and its satellite states, and the powers of the Western world, including the United States...
antagonism between the US and Soviet Union eventually led to the establishment of two separate governments supported by foreign powers, each with its own ideology, leading to
Korea's divisionThe division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
into two political entities:
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
and South Korea. In the North, a former anti-Japanese guerrilla and communist activist,
Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death. He was also the General Secretary of the Workers Party of Korea, exercising autocratic power...
gained power through political mobilization of Koreans, and in the South, an exiled and right-wing Korean political leader,
Syngman RheeSyngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and led South Korea through the...
, was installed as president.
On 25 June 1950, North Korea launched an attempt to unify the country by military force which lead to the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
. At the time, the Soviet Union had boycotted the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
(UN), thus forfeiting their veto rights. This allowed the UN to intervene in a civil war when it became apparent that the superior North Korean forces would unify the entire country. The Soviet Union and
ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
backed North Korea, with the later participation of millions of
Chinese troopsThe People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on 1 August 1927—celebrated annually as "PLA Day"—as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
. After huge advances on both sides, and massive losses among Korean civilians in both the north and the south, the war eventually reached a stalemate. The 1953 armistice, never signed by South Korea, split the peninsula along the
demilitarized zoneThe Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
near the original demarcation line. No peace treaty was signed, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. At least 2.5 million people died during the Korean War.
In 1960,
a student uprisingThe April Revolution, sometimes called the April 19 Revolution or April 19 Movement, was a popular uprising in April 1960, led by labor and student groups, which overthrew the autocratic First Republic of South Korea under Syngman Rhee. It led to the peaceful resignation of Rhee and the transition...
led to the resignation of the autocratic President
Syngman RheeSyngman Rhee or Yi Seungman was the first president of South Korea. His presidency, from August 1948 to April 1960, remains controversial, affected by Cold War tensions on the Korean peninsula and elsewhere. Rhee was regarded as an anti-Communist and a strongman, and led South Korea through the...
. A period of political instability followed, broken by General
Park Chung-heePark Chung-hee was a former ROK Army general and president of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He has been criticized for his authoritarian way of ruling the country , but is also credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
's
military coupThe Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, initially named the Revolutionary Committee, was a group of Korean officials. It oversaw the government of South Korea from May 16 1961 until the inauguration of the Third Republic of South Korea in 1963...
(the
"5-16 coup d'état") against the weak and ineffectual government the next year. Park took over as president until his assassination in 1979, overseeing rapid
export-led economic growthExport-oriented Industrialization sometimes called export substitution industrialization or export led industrialization is a trade and economic policy aiming to speed-up the industrialization process of a country through exporting goods for which the nation has a comparative advantage...
as well as severe political repression. Park was heavily criticised as a ruthless military dictator, although the Korean economy developed significantly during his tenure.
The years after Park's assassination were marked again by considerable political turmoil as the previously repressed opposition leaders all campaigned to run for president in the sudden political void. In 1980 there was another
coup d'étatA coup d'état , or coup for short, is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military...
by General
Chun Doo-hwanChun Doo-hwan is a retired former ROK Army general who served as President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988...
against the transitional government of Choi Gyu Ha, the interim president and a former prime minister under Park. Chun assumed the presidency. His
seizure of powerThe Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the "12/12 Incident" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea....
triggered nationwide protests demanding
democracyDemocracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed , or the power to do so is granted by them...
, in particular in the city of Gwangju, in
Jeollanam-doJeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
, where Chun sent special forces to violently suppress the Gwangju Democratization Movement.
Until 1987, Chun and his government held Korea under a despotic rule when Park Jong Chul—a student attending
Seoul National UniversitySeoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university located in Seoul, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index and 47th in the world and 7th in Asia by THES-QS World University Rankings...
—was tortured to death. On 10 June, the Catholic Priests' Association for Justice revealed Park's torture, igniting huge demonstrations around the country. Eventually, Chun's party, the
Democratic Justice PartyThe Democratic Justice Party was the ruling party of South Korea from 1963 to 1990.It was formed in 1963 as the Democratic Republican Party and was the political vehicle for Park Chung Hee. It quickly became the most powerful party in South Korea, dominating the legislature...
, and its leader,
Roh Tae-wooRoh Tae-woo Roh Tae-woo Roh Tae-woo ....
announced the June 29th Declaration, which included the direct election of the president. Roh went on to win the election by a narrow margin against the two main opposition leaders, Kim Dae-Jung and
Kim Young-SamKim Young-sam was the first civilian President of South Korea since a series of dictatorships beginning with Park Chung-hee. Kim Young-sam was inaugurated on 25 February 1993 and served a single 5-year term...
.
In 1988, Seoul successfully hosted the
1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan...
, and continuing economic development led to membership in the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentThe Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an international organisation of 30 countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and free-market economy...
(OECD) in 1996. As with many of its Asian neighbors, South Korea was adversely affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, however the country was able to recover and continue its economic growth.
In June 2000, as part of president Kim Dae-Jung's
Sunshine PolicyThe Sunshine Policy was the South Korean foreign policy towards North Korea until Lee Myung-bak's election to presidency in 2008. The doctrine emphasizes peaceful cooperation, seeking short-term reconciliation as a prelude to eventual Korean reunification...
of engagement, a North-South summitInter-Korean Summits are meetings between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea. There have been two major meetings in the last decade, the first in 2000 and the second in 2007. The importance of these summits lies in the lack of formal communication between North and South Korea, which...
took place in PyongyangPyongyang is the capital of North Korea, located on the Taedong River. According to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, it has a population of 3,255,388.The city was split from the South P'yŏngan province in 1946...
, the capital of North Korea. Later that year, Kim received the Nobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:...
"for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular."
In 2002, South Korea and Japan jointly co-hosted the
2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia...
, however South Korean and Japanese relations later soured due to conflicting claims of
sovereigntySovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
over the Dokdo Islets (also known as Takeshima and the
Liancourt RocksThe Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...
), in what became known as the
Liancourt Rocks disputeThe Liancourt Rocks dispute is a territorial dispute between the Republic of Korea and Japan.Currently, both the Republic of Korea, and Japan claim sovereignty over Liancourt Rocks, a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan...
.
Foreign relations
South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 170 countries. The country has also been a member of the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. On January 1, 2007, South Korean Foreign Minister
Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moon is the current Secretary-General of the United Nations succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before becoming Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he graduated from college,...
assumed the post of
UN Secretary-GeneralThe Secretary-General of the United Nations, acronym UNSYG, is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
. It has also developed links with the
Association of Southeast Asian NationsThe Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN , is a geo-political and economic organization of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand...
as both a member of ASEAN Plus three, a body of observers, and the
East Asia SummitThe East Asia Summit is a forum held annually by leaders of 16 countries in the East Asian region. EAS meetings are held after annual ASEAN leaders’ meetings...
(EAS).
Beginning in May 2007, South Korea and the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
are negotiating a
free trade agreementThe European Union-Korea Free Trade Agreement is a projected free trade agreement between the European Union and South Korea. The Agreement was expected to be completed in March 2009; however, several issues need to be resolve before an agreement can be finished. As of August 2009, no agreement...
to reduce trade barriers. South Korea is also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and another with
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
.
United States
The United States engaged in the decolonization of Korea (mainly South, Soviet Union engaged North Korea) from Japan after World War II. After 3 years of military administration by the United States, the South Korean government was established.
Upon the onset of the Korean War, the United States Military was sent to South Korea to defend against the invasion by North Korea and later China. Since then, the two nations have had strong economic, diplomatic and military ties, although they have at times disagreed with regards to policies towards North Korea. Currently, the U.S. Eighth Army,
Seventh Air ForceThe Seventh Air Force is a United States Air Force Numbered Air Force under Pacific Air Forces. 7 AF, as Air Forces Korea, is also the air component of United States Forces Korea and also supports U.S. Pacific Command, United Nations Command, and Combined Forces Command...
and
U.S. Naval Forces KoreaCommander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea is a major shore command of the United States Navy that serves as the shore support agency for all U.S. Naval activity in South Korea. Known by the initials "CNFK", Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea is headquartered in Seoul on Yongsan Army Garrison and...
are stationed in South Korea.
China
Historically, Korea has had relatively close relations with the
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
. Before the formation of South Korea, Korean independence fighters worked with Chinese soldiers during the Japanese occupation. However, after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the
People's Republic of ChinaThe People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the most populous in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately one-fifth of the world's population...
embraced
MaoismMaoism, variably and officially known as Mao Zedong Thought , is a variant of Marxism derived from the teachings of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong , widely applied as the political and military guiding ideology in the Communist Party of China from Mao's ascendancy to its leadership until the...
while South Korea fell under the influence of the United States. The PRC assisted North Korea with manpower and supplies during the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
, and in its aftermath the diplomatic relationship between South Korea and the PRC almost completely ceased. Relations thawed gradually and South Korea and the PRC re-established formal diplomatic relations on August 24, 1992. The two countries sought to improve bilateral relations and lifted the forty-year old trade embargo, and South Korean-Chinese relations have improved steadily since 1992. The Republic of Korea broke off official relations with the
Republic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, is a state in East Asia that has evolved from a single-party state with full global recognition and jurisdiction over China into a democratic state with limited international recognition and jurisdiction only over Taiwan and minor islands, though it...
upon gaining official relations with the People's Republic.
Japan
Although there were no formal diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan after the end of World War II, South Korea and Japan signed the
Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of KoreaThe Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea was signed on June 22, 1965 to establish basic relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea ....
in 1965 to establish diplomatic ties. There is heavy
anti-Japanese sentiment in South KoreaAnti-Japanese sentiment in Korea is complex and multi-faceted. Anti-Japanese attitudes in the Korean Peninsula can be traced back to the effects of Japanese pirate raids and the Japanese invasions of Korea , such as dismembering more than 20,000 noses and ears from Koreans and bringing them back to...
due to a number of unsettled Japanese-Korean disputes, many of which stem from the period of
Japanese occupationKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Formally, Japanese rule ended on September 2, 1945 upon the Japanese defeat in World War II in 1945....
. During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, more than 100,000 Koreans were forced to serve in the
Imperial Japanese ArmyThe Imperial Japanese Army , or literally Army of the Empire of Greater Japan was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945...
. Korean women were lured to the war front to serve the Imperial Japanese Army as sexual slaves, called
comfort womenComfort women is a euphemism for women working in military brothels, especially those women who were forced into prostitution as a form of sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II....
.
http://www.comfort-women.org/index.php Longstanding issues such as
Japanese war crimesJapanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism. Some of the incidents have also been described as an Asian Holocaust and Japanese war atrocities...
against Korean civilians, the visits by Japanese politicians to the
Yasukuni Shrineis a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is dedicated to the kami of soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. Currently, its Symbolic Registry of Divinities lists the names of over 2,466,000 enshrined men and women whose lives were dedicated to the...
honoring Japanese soldiers killed at war (including some class A war criminals), the re-writing of
Japanese textbooksJapanese history textbook controversies refers to controversial content in government-approved history textbooks used in the secondary education of Japan...
to overlook Japanese aggression during World War II, and the territorial disputes over Dokdo Island continue to trouble Korean-Japanese relations. In response to then-
Prime MinisterThe is the usual English-language term used for the head of government of Japan, although the literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Minister for the general administration of the Cabinet...
Junichiro Koizumiis a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. He retired from politics when his term in parliament ended.Widely seen as a maverick leader of the Liberal Democratic Party , he became known as an economic reformer, focusing on Japan's government debt and the...
's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, former
PresidentThe President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...
Roh Moo-hyun suspended all summit talks between South Korea and Japan. Japan sent much aid to support development of South Korea after the war, but the amount of compensation for colonial suffering was questioned for its legitimacy. The amount of money they paid and the method of distribution to the individual caused protest among those people who suffered from forced labor and abuse.
North Korea
Both
NorthNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
and South Korea continue to officially claim sovereignty over the entire peninsula and any outlying islands. With longstanding animosity following the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
from 1950 to 1953, North Korea and South Korea signed an agreement to pursue peace. On October 4, 2007, Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader
Kim Jong-ilKim Jong-il is the paramount leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
signed an eight-point agreement on issues of permanent peace, high-level talks, economic cooperation, renewal of train services, highway and air travel, and a joint Olympic cheering squad.
Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by
North Korean missile testsThere have been a number of North Korean missile tests. It has also fired a number of short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, apparently as political gestures.* 2009 North Korean missile test...
in 1993, 1998,
2006The 2006 North Korean nuclear test was the detonation of a nuclear device conducted on October 9, 2006 by North Korea.North Korea announced its intention to conduct a test on October 3, six days prior, and in doing so became the first nation to give warning of its first nuclear test...
and 2009. , relationships between North and South Korea are very tense; North Korea has been reported to have deployed missiles, ended its former agreements with South Korea, and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned.
As of 2009, North and South Korea are still technically at war (having never signed an armistice after the Korean War) and share the world’s most heavily fortified border. On May 27, 2009, North Korea declared that the ceasefire treaty, signed post Korean War, is no longer valid due to the South Korean government's pledge to "definitely join" the
Proliferation Security InitiativeThe Proliferation Security Initiative is a U.S.-led mulitnational initiative involving the interdiction of third-country ships on the high seas on the basis of carrying nuclear materials. The PSI has over 90 member nations, including Russia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany,...
.
Armed forces
A history of domination by its neighbors and unresolved tension with North Korea have prompted South Korea to pump 2.6% of its GDP and 15% of all government spending into its military, while maintaining compulsory conscription for men. Consequently, South Korea has the world's sixth largest number of
active troops, the world's second-largest number of
reserve troops and the twelfth largest
defence budget.
The South Korean military consists of the
ArmyThe Republic of Korea Army is by far the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 522,000 members as of 2008. This size is maintained through conscription, South Korean men must complete 24 months of military service between graduation of high school and the age of 35...
(ROKA), the
NavyThe Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is a branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
(ROKN), the
Air ForceThe Republic of Korea Air Force is the air force of South Korea. It operates under the Ministry of National Defense....
(ROKAF), and the
Marine CorpsThe Republic of Korea Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Republic of Korea...
(ROKMC), and reserve forces. Many of these forces are concentrated near the
Korean Demilitarized ZoneThe Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
. All South Korean males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically for a period of two years. However, there have been debates about shortening the length of the military services, and even dismissing the mandatory service itself. The government recently allowed some male students who were in the process of earning a university bachelor's degree and master's degree to dismiss the military requirements to allow them to further study and research their fields. Furthermore, Koreans of mixed race are exempt from military duty if they "look distinctively biracial".
The South Korean army has 2,300
tankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility and tactical offensive and defensive capabilities...
s in operation, including the K1A1 and K2 Black Panther. The
South Korean navyThe Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is a branch of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
has the world's sixth largest fleet of
destroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range but powerful attackers .Before World War II, destroyers were light vessels without the endurance...
s, including the King Sejong the Great class destroyer, which has an
Aegis guided missileThe Aegis combat system is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin...
system.. The South Korean airforce operates the ninth largest airforce in the world, including
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
fighters such as the F-15K, KF-16, and the indigenous
T-50 Golden EagleThe T-50 Golden Eagle is a South Korean supersonic advanced trainer and light attack jet, developed by the Korean Aerospace Industries beginning in the late 1990s. The T-50 is South Korea's first indigenous supersonic aircraft and one of the few supersonic trainers...
.
From time to time, South Korea has sent its troops overseas to assist American forces. It has participated in most major conflicts that the United States has been involved in the past 50 years. South Korea dispatched 320,000 troops to fight alongside American,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n,
FilipinoThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
,
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
and
South VietnamSouth Vietnam refers to a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the State of Vietnam and later as the “Republic of Vietnam” . Its capital was Saigon...
ese soldiers in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War or the Second Indochina War was a Cold War military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1959 to 30 April 1975...
, with a peak strength of 50,000. Most recently, South Korea sent 3,300 troops of the
Zaytun DivisionThe Zaytun Division was a contingent of Republic of Korea Army troops operating in Northern Iraq from September 2004 to December 2008, carrying out peacekeeping and reconstruction tasks.-Formation:...
to help re-building in northern
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
, and was the 3rd largest contributor in the
coalition forcesThe Multi-National Force - Iraq is a military command, led by the United States, that is fighting the Iraq War against Iraqi insurgents or resistants. Multi-National Force - Iraq replaced the previous force, Combined Joint Task Force 7, on May 15, 2004. General Ray Odierno serves as Commanding...
after only the US and Britain.
The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of
troopA troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. A cavalry soldier of private rank is called a trooper ....
s in South Korea since the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
to defend South Korea in case of a North Korean attack. There are also approximately 29,000
U.S. Military personnel stationed in KoreaUnited States Forces Korea refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States armed forces stationed in South Korea.Major components of the force include the Eighth United States Army, the Seventh Air Force and U.S...
, most of them serving one year of unaccompanied tours. The American troops, which primarily are assigned to the Eighth United States Army are stationed in installations at
OsanOsan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately 35 km south of Seoul. The population of the city is around 120,000. The local economy is supported by a mix of agricultural and industrial enterprises....
, Yongsan,
DongducheonDongducheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.The city located in the north of Seoul is strategically important for the defence of the Korean capital.The main camps of the US Second Infantry Division are located in the city with the division command at Uijeongbu City. Then-Secretary of...
, Sungbuk, and
DaeguDaegu , also spelled Taegu, and officially called the Daegu Metropolitan City, with over 2.5 million people, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon...
. A still functioning
UN CommandThe United Nations Command is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War...
is technically the top of the
chain of commandIn a military context, the chain of command is the line of authority and responsibility along which orders are passed within a military unit and between different units...
of all forces in South Korea, including the US forces and the entire South Korean military. Although, if a sudden escalation of war between North and South Korea were to occur, as of currently, the United States would assume control of the South Korean Army in all military and paramilitary moves. However, in September 2006, the Presidents of the United States and the Republic of Korea agreed that South Korea should assume the lead for its own defense. In early 2007, the U.S. Secretary of Defense and ROK Minister of National Defense determined that South Korea will assume wartime operational control of its forces on April 17, 2012. U.S. Forces Korea will transform into a new jointwarfighting command, provisionally described as Korea Command (KORCOM).
Administrative divisions
- See also Special cities of Korea
In North and South Korea, Special Cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces...
and Provinces of KoreaThis article describes the historical evolution of Korea's provinces . For detailed information on current administrative divisions, please see Administrative divisions of North Korea and Administrative divisions of South Korea....
The major administrative divisions in South Korea are provinces
, metropolitan cities
(self-governing cities that are not part of any province), and one special city.
| | Namea | hangulHangul is the native alphabet of the Korean language, as distinguished from the logographic Sino-Korean hanja system...
| hanjaHanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
| populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
|
|---|
| Special cities (Teukbyeolsi)a |
| 1 |
Seoul (Special City) Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
|
서울특별시 |
서울特別市 |
10,421,782 |
| Metropolitan cities (Gwangyeoksi)a |
| 2 |
BusanBusan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world. Busan has a population of about 3.6 million. It is South Korea's second largest metropolis, after Seoul. The city is located on the Southeasternmost tip of the Korean...
|
부산광역시 |
釜山廣域市 |
3,635,389 |
| 3 |
Daegu Daegu , also spelled Taegu, and officially called the Daegu Metropolitan City, with over 2.5 million people, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon...
|
대구광역시 |
大邱廣域市 |
2,512,604 |
| 4 |
IncheonIncheon, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City, is South Korea's third largest metropolis, after Seoul and Busan. As the largest seaport on the west coast and home to the country's largest airport, Incheon International Airport, Incheon is South Korea's most important transport hub...
|
인천광역시 |
仁川廣域市 |
2,628,000 |
| 5 |
Gwangju Gwangju Metropolitan City is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
|
광주광역시 |
光州廣域市 |
1,415,953 |
| 6 |
Daejeon Daejeon is located in the center of South Korea. It is the fifth largest city in South Korea, with a population of 1,442,856 at the end of 2005. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway...
|
대전광역시 |
大田廣域市 |
1,442,857 |
| 7 |
UlsanUlsan, officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the industrial powerhouse of South...
|
울산광역시 |
蔚山廣域市 |
1,087,958 |
| Provinces (Do)a |
| 8 |
Gyeonggi-doGyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
|
경기도 |
京畿道 |
10,415,399 |
| 9 |
Gangwon-doGangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
|
강원도 |
江原道 |
1,592,000 |
| 10 |
Chungcheongbuk-doChungcheongbuk-do is a province in the centre of South Korea. It was formed in 1896 from the northeastern half of the former Chungcheong province...
(Northern Chungcheong) |
충청북도 |
忠淸北道 |
1,462,621 |
| 11 |
Chungcheongnam-doChungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...
(Southern Chungcheong) |
충청남도 |
忠淸南道 |
1,840,410 |
| 12 |
Jeollabuk-doJeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
(Northern Jeolla) |
전라북도 |
全羅北道 |
1,890,669 |
| 13 |
Jeollanam-do Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
(Southern Jeolla) |
전라남도 |
全羅南道 |
1,994,287 |
| 14 |
Gyeongsangbuk-doGyeongsangbuk-do is a province in eastern South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
(Northern Gyeongsang) |
경상북도 |
慶尙北道 |
2,775,890 |
| 15 |
Gyeongsangnam-doGyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon.-History:Before 1895, the area corresponding to modern-day Gyeongsangnam-do was part of Gyeongsang Province, one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty...
(Southern Gyeongsang) |
경상남도 |
慶尙南道 |
2,970,929 |
| Special self-governing province (Teukbyeoljachi-do)a |
| 16 |
Jeju-teukbyeoljachidoJeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
|
제주특별자치도 |
濟州特別自治道 |
560,000 |
Geography and climate
South Korea occupies the southern portion of the
Korean PeninsulaThe Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan on the east, the East China Sea to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two...
, which extends some 680 miles (1,100 km) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the
Yellow SeaThe Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
to the west, and the
Sea of JapanThe Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, bordered by Japan, South Korea, North Korea and Russia. It is referred to in North Korea as the Korea East Sea and in South Korea as the East Sea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure...
(East Sea) to the east. Its southern tip lies on the
Korea StraitThe Korea Strait is a sea passage between South Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean...
and the
East China SeaThe East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km². In China, the sea is called the East Sea....
.
The country's total area is .
South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains,
river basinsA drainage basin is an extent of land where water from rain or snow melt drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean...
, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the
Nakdong RiverThe Nakdong River is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan.-Geography:...
.
South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not
arableIn geography, arable land is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops. It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles...
.
LowlandIn physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. The term is thus applied to the landward portion of the upward slope from oceanic depths to continental highlands, to a region of depression in the interior of a mountainous region, to a plain of denudation, or...
s, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30% of the total land area.
About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea.
Jeju-doJeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
is located about 100 kilometers (about 60 mi) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 square kilometres (712 sq mi). Jeju is also the site of South Korea's highest point:
HallasanHallasan is a shield volcano on Jeju Island of South Korea. Hallasan is the highest mountain of South Korea. The area around the mountain is a designated national park, the Hallasan National Park...
, an extinct
volcano3. Conduit
4. Base
5. Sill
6. Dike
7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano
8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano
10. Throat
11. Parasitic cone
12. Lava flow
13. Vent
14. Crater
15...
, reaches 1,950 meters (6,398 ft) above sea level. The most eastern islands of South Korea include
UlleungdoUlleungdo is a South Korean island in the Sea of Japan . Formerly known as Dagelet to the Europeans, Ulleungdo is about 120 km east of the Korean Peninsula. Volcanic in origin, the rocky steep-sided island is the top of a large stratovolcano which rises from the seafloor, reaching a maximum...
and
Liancourt RocksThe Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto in Korean or in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan . Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea...
(Dokdo in Korean), while
MaradoMarado or Mara Island is a tiny treeless island 11 km off the south coast of Jeju, in southernmost South Korea, having an area of 0.3 km². It is home to about 90 people, and has long been known for its population being composed of strong women and docile men...
and
Socotra RockSocotra Rock is a submerged rock 4.6 meters below sea level located in the East China Sea. The rock is the subject of a territorial dispute between South Korea, which considers it to lie within its exclusive economic zone, referring to it as Ieodo or Parangdo , and China, which considers it to...
are the southernmost islands of South Korea.
South Korea has 20 national parks and some popular nature places like
BoseongBoseong County is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Boseong is famous for its green tea leaves. It is also the birthplace of the Korean independence activist Philip Jaisohn.- History :...
Tea Field,
Suncheon Bay Ecological ParkSuncheon Ecological Park is a protected natural area near Suncheon, South Korea. It is effectively a bay between Yeosu peninsula and Goheung peninsula. It is located 8km from the center of Suncheon, and has 21.6㎢ of mudflats and 5.4㎢ of reed beds....
in South Jeolla province.
Climate
South Korea has a
humid continental climateThe humid continental climate is a climate found over large areas of landmasses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between polar and tropical air masses. The humid continental climate is marked by variable weather patterns and a large seasonal...
and a
humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. This climate type covers a broad category of climates, and the term "subtropical" may be a misnomer for the winter climate....
, and is affected by the
East Asian monsoonThe East Asian monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to East Asia. It affects approximately one-third of the global population, and the countries China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, etc. It is driven by temperature differences...
, with
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
heavier in summer during a short rainy season called
jangmaThe East Asian rainy season is the frontal precipitation caused by a front, a persistent east-west zone of disturbed weather during spring which is quasi-stationary and stretches from the east China coast, across Taiwan, and eastward into the southern peninsula of South Korea and Japan...
(장마), which begins end of June through the end of July. Winters can be cold: in Seoul, the average January temperature range is −7 °
CCelsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
to 1 °C (19 °
FFahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Today, the scale has been replaced by the Celsius scale in most countries; it is still in use for non-scientific purposes in the United States and a few other nations, such as...
to 33 °F), and the average August temperature range is 22 °C to 30 °C (71 °F to 86 °F). Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior. Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months of June through September. The southern coast is subject to late summer
typhoonsA tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones feed on heat released when moist air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor contained in the moist air...
that bring strong winds and heavy rains. The average annual
precipitationIn meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the Earth's surface. The main forms of precipitation include rain, snow, ice pellets, and graupel...
varies from 1,370 millimeters (54
inchAn inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
es) in Seoul to 1,470 millimeters (58 inches) in
BusanBusan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world. Busan has a population of about 3.6 million. It is South Korea's second largest metropolis, after Seoul. The city is located on the Southeasternmost tip of the Korean...
. There are occasional typhoons that bring high winds and floods.
Environment
During the first 20 years of South Korea's growth surge, little effort was made to preserve the environment. Unchecked industrialization has resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat. However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including an $84 billion five-year
green growthGreen Growth is the strategy model for Korea. Lee Myung Bak, the president of Korea, has embraced a vision of Low Carbon, Green Growth as the core 60th anniversary of the founding of the nation.Now, the concept is global. -External links:...
project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology.. This amounts to around two percent of GDP. Seoul's
tap waterTap water is part of indoor plumbing, which became available in the developed world in the late 19th century and common in the mid-20th century....
recently became safe to drink, with city offials branding it "Arisu" in a bid to convince the public. Efforts have also been made with
afforestationAfforestation is establishing a forest on land that is not a forest, or has not been a forest for a long time by planting trees or their seeds. The term may also be applied to the legal conversion of land into the status of royal forest....
projects. Another multi-billion dollar project was the restoration of
CheonggyecheonCheonggyecheon is a nearly 6 km long, modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development required it to be covered by transportation infrastructure...
, a stream running through central Seoul that had earlier been paved over by a motorway.)
One major challenge is air quality, with acid rain, sulphur oxides and annual yellow dust storms being particular problems. It is acknowledged that much of these difficulties are a result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter.
South Korea is a member of
Antarctic-Environmental ProtocolThe Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, also known as the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol is part of the Antarctic Treaty System. It provides for comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems.It opened for signature on...
,
Antarctic TreatyThe Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all land and...
,
Biodiversity TreatyThe Convention on Biological Diversity , known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty that was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992...
,
Kyoto ProtocolThe Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at combating global warming...
,
DesertificationThe United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies...
, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous WastesThe Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known simply as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of...
,
Law of the SeaThe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
,
Marine DumpingThe Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping from Ships and Aircraft also called the Oslo Convention was an international agreement designed to control the dumping of harmful substances from ships and aircraft into the sea. It was adopted on February 15, 1972 in Oslo, Norway...
, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer ProtectionThe Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of a number of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...
,
Ship PollutionMarpol 73/78 is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 as modified by the Protocol of 1978....
,
Tropical Timber 83The International Tropical Timber Agreement is an agreement to provide an effective framework for cooperation between tropical timber producers and consumers and to encourage the development of national policies aimed at sustainable utilization and conservation of tropical forests and their...
,
Tropical Timber 94International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1994 was drafted to ensure that by the year 2000 exports of tropical timber originated from sustainably managed sources and to establish a fund to assist tropical timber producers in obtaining the resources necessary to reach this objective.The agreement...
,
WetlandsThe Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
, and
WhalingThe International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling is an international environmental agreement signed in 1946 in order to "provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry"...
.
Economy
South Korea had the world's second-fastest growing economy from 1960 to 1990. Korea's transformation into a
developed countryThe term developed country is used to describe countries that have a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue and there is fierce debate about this. Economic criteria have tended to dominate...
during this time was termed the
Miracle on the Han RiverMiracle on the Han River refers to the period of highly accelerated economic growth, industrialization, technological achievement, urbanization, skyscraper boom, modernization, globalization and successful transformation from the ashes of the Korean War to a wealthy developed country that took...
, and South Korea was considered one of the Four Asian Tigers. The growth surge was initially achieved by paying low wages to manufacture labour-intensive goods, aimed at export. South Korea is a member of the OECD, and is classified as a high-income economy by the
World BankThe World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries. The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
and an
advanced economyThe term developed country is used to describe countries that have a high level of development according to some criteria. Which criteria, and which countries are classified as being developed, is a contentious issue and there is fierce debate about this. Economic criteria have tended to dominate...
by the IMF and CIA and a
developed marketIn investing, developed markets are those countries that are thought to be the most developed and therefore less risky.-FTSE Group's developed market list:...
by the
FTSE GroupFTSE Group is a British provider of stock market indices and associated data services, operating out of premises in Canary Wharf.-Products:...
. However, it is still considered an emerging market by MSCI due to "lack of full convertibility of the won, the rigidity of the identification system, and anti-competitive practices".
Today, the South Korean economy is dominated by large business groups known as
ChaebolChaebol refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate. They are government-supported powerful global multinationals owning numerous international enterprises...
. These include companies such as Samsung,
LGLG may refer to:* LG Group, a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate** LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lateral giant interneuron, an interneuron in crayfish...
,
Hyundai-KiaThe Hyundai Kia Automotive Group is South Korea's largest automobile manufacturer, the second largest automaker in Asia after Toyota and the world's fourth largest automaker after Toyota, GM and Volkswagen...
and
SKSK Group is the fourth largest conglomerate in South Korea.The SK Group is composed of 92 subsidiary and affiliate companies that share the SK brand and culture. In 2007, SK Group recorded combined revenues of $88.0 billion, with exports contributing $26.0 billion of that total...
. The Chaebol are government-supported powerful global multinationals owning numerous international enterprises. The Korean word means "business family" or "monopoly" and is often used the way "conglomerate" is used in English.
Despite lacking
natural resourcesNatural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
and having the
smallest territory among the G-20 major economies, the South Korean economy is the
fourth largest in Asia and 15th largest in the world. Like
West GermanyWest Germany is a common English name for the period of the Federal Republic of Germany between its' formation in May 1949 to German reunification in October 1990, when the German Democratic Republic was dissolved and the five states on its territory joined the Federal Republic of Germany,...
and
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, rapid industrialization since the 1960s has made South Korea one of the world's top ten
exporters. It is the seventh largest
trading partner of the United States and the eighth largest trading partner of the European Union.
South Korea is the world's largest
shipbuilderShipbuilding is the construction of ships. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history....
, and one of the world's top five
automobileAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing nations.
South Korea is also dominant in crude oil imports, refined oil exports, and the building construction industry.
Its capital, Seoul, is one of the world's top ten
financialFINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
and
commercialA commercial district or commercial zone is any part of a city or town in which the primary land use is commercial activities , as opposed to a residential neighbourhood, an industrial zone, or other types of neighbourhoods...
cities, and is the center of the service industry in South Korea
In 2008,
Free Trade AgreementA free trade agreement is a trade treaty between two or more countries. Usually these agreements are between two countries and are meant to reduce or completely remove tariffs to trade. According to the World Trade Organization there are more than 200 FTAs in force...
s with the
USThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(also known as
KORUS FTAThe Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement between the United States and the Republic of Korea. Negotiations were announced on February 2, 2006 and were concluded on April 1, 2007...
) and EU were carried out. At that time, Korea's GDP (PPP) per capita was estimated at $27,646.
High-tech industries
South Korea has a high-tech
infrastructureInfrastructure can be defined as the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function....
, with the world's highest
broadband internet accessBroadband Internet access, often shortened to just broadband, is a high data rate Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56k modem....
per capita, and the fastest average
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
connections.
In consumer electronics, South Korea is the world's largest LCD, OLED,
CRT-In computing:* The C runtime library , in programming]-In medicine:* Capillary refill time, a medical sign* Corneal Refractive Therapy, in optometrics* Cognitive Retention Therapy, a dementia treatment...
and
plasma displayA plasma display panel is a type of flat panel display common to large TV displays . Many tiny cells between two panels of glass hold a mixture of noble gases. The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light...
maker. The South Korean companies Samsung and
LGThe LG Group is South Korea's third largest conglomerate that produces electronics, chemicals, and telecommunications products and operates subsidiaries like LG Electronics, LG Telecom and LG Chem in over 80 countries. LG Group sponsors the LG Cup Baduk Tournament.LG Group founder Koo In-Hwoi...
are among the top three manufacturers of televisions and mobile phones.
South Korea also exports radioactive isotope production equipment for medical and industrial use to countries such as Russia, Japan and Turkey.
The government is also investing in the
roboticsRobotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, and application. Robotics is related to electronics, mechanics, and software. The word robot was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. , published in 1920...
industry. There are also plans to develop other sectors, including
financial services Financial services refer to services provided by the finance industry. The finance industry encompasses a broad range of organizations that deal with the management of money. Among these organizations are banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, consumer finance companies, stock...
,
biotechnologyBiotechnology is technology based on biology, agriculture, food science, and medicine. Modern use of the term usually refers to genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies...
and
aerospaceAerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
industries.
South Korea was the first country to start
Digital Multimedia BroadcastingDigital Multimedia Broadcasting is a digital radio transmission technology developed by South Korea as part of the national IT project for sending multimedia such as TV, radio and datacasting to mobile devices such as mobile phones...
in 2005 and
wireless broadband InternetWiBro is a wireless broadband Internet technology developed by the South Korean telecoms industry. WiBro is the South Korean service name for IEEE 802.16e international standard....
in 2006 and
nation-wideA nation is a body of people who share a real or imagined common history, culture, language or ethnic origin. The development and conceptualization of the nation is closely related to the development of modern industrial states and nationalist movements in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries,...
100 Mbit/s fibre-optic broadband network, which is being upgraded to 1 Gbit/s by 2013.
Transportation and energy
South Korea has a technologically advanced transportation network consisting of high-speed railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services, and air routes that criss-cross the country. Korea Expressway Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route.
KorailKorea National Railroad , promoted as Korail , is the national railroad operator in South Korea.Korail operates passenger and freight trains throughout South Korea. The railroad's headquarters are located in Daejeon....
provides frequent train service to all major South Korean cities. Two rail lines,
GyeonguiThe Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. When opened in 1906 it linked Seoul in what is now South Korea to P'yŏngyang and Sinŭiju in what is now North Korea...
and
Donghae Bukbu LineThe Donghae Bukbu Line is a former railway line that connected the present-day city of Anbyon in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, with Yangyang, Gangwon Province, South Korea. It has not carried trains since the division of Korea. The line originally connected to the Gyeongwon Line running...
, to
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
are now being reconnected. The Korean
high-speed railHigh-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions include 200 km/h and faster — depending on whether the track is upgraded or new — by the European Union, and above 90 mph by the United...
system,
KTXThe Korea Train eXpress is South Korea's high-speed rail system, which connects the capital Seoul to Busan and Mokpo. Operated by Korail, the train's technology is largely based on the French TGV system, and has a top speed of 350 km/h, limited to 300 km/h during regular service for...
, provides high-speed service along
GyeongbuThe Gyeongbu Line is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest, constructed by Japan in 1905, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan...
and
Honam LineThe Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region in South Korea. The line is served by frequent passenger trains from Seoul to Gwangju and Mokpo...
. Major cities—including Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju—have subway systems. Metropolitan Cities (gwangyeoksi, self-governing cities that are not incorporated into any province) have express bus terminals.
Construction of South Korea's largest airport,
Incheon International AirportIncheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, and one of the largest and busiest in the world. Since 2005, it has been consecutively rated as the best airport in the world by the Airports Council International and received the full 5-star ranking by Skytrax, the...
, was completed in 2001. By 2007, the airport was serving 30 million passengers a year. The airport has been selected as the "Best Airport Worldwide" for four consecutive years since 2005 by
Airports Council InternationalAirports Council International , based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a non profit organisation, whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations...
. Other international airports include
GimpoGimpo International Airport , commonly known as Gimpo Airport , is located in the far western end of Seoul and was the main international airport for Seoul and South Korea before it was replaced by Incheon International Airport in 2001...
,
BusanGimhae International Airport is located on the western end of Busan,South Korea. It opened in 1976. A new international terminal opened on October 31, 2007. Gimhae International Airport is the main hub for Air Busan...
and
JejuJeju International Airport Revised Romanization of Korean; Jeju Gukje Gonghang, McCune-Reischauer; Cheju Kukche Konghang) is the 3rd largest in South Korea, just behind Gimpo Airport in Seoul and Incheon Airport in Incheon. It is located in the city of Jeju...
. There are also seven domestic airports, and a large number of heliports.
Korean AirKorean Air Lines Co., Ltd. , operating as Korean Air, is the largest airline of South Korea; its global headquarters are located in Seoul in Korea. Its international passenger division and related subsidiary cargo division together serve 130 cities in 45 countries, while its domestic division...
, founded in 1962, served 21,640,000 passengers, including 12,490,000 international passengers in 2008. A second carrier,
Asiana AirlinesAsiana Airlines is an airline based in Seoul, South Korea and is one of South Korea's two major airlines, along with Korean Air. Asiana is one of six airlines to receive a five-star rating from Skytrax...
, established in 1988, also serves domestic and international traffic. Combined, South Korean airlines currently serve 297 international routes. Smaller airliners, such as
Hansung AirlinesHansung Airlines was a low-cost airline based in Cheongju, South Korea. It operated domestic passenger services to Jeju-do. It has its main base at Cheongju Airport, South Korea.- History :...
and
Jeju AirJeju Air is an airline based in Jeju, South Korea. It operates scheduled domestic services between Jeju and the South Korea mainland. Its main base is Jeju International Airport, with a hub at Gimpo International Airport, Seoul....
, provide domestic service with lower fares.
South Korea is the world's sixth largest
nuclear powerNuclear power is power produced from controlled nuclear reactions. Commercial plants in use to date use nuclear fission reactions....
producer and the second-largest in Asia.
Nuclear power in South KoreaThe total electrical generation capacity of the nuclear generators of South Korea is over 17.5 GWe. This is 28.5% of the generation capacity but supplies 45% of total electrical consumption, maintaining high capacity factors of over 95%....
supplies 45% of electricity production and research is very active with investigation into a variety of advanced reactors, including a small modular reactor, a liquid-metal fast/transmutation reactor and a high-temperature
hydrogenHydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. At standard temperature and pressure, hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, nonmetallic, tasteless, highly flammable diatomic gas with the molecular formula H
2...
generation design. Fuel production and waste handling technologies have also been developed locally. It is also a member of the
ITERITER is an international tokamak research/engineering project that could help to make the transition from today's studies of plasma physics to future electricity-producing fusion power plants...
project.
Aerospace research
South Korea has launched two satellites,
Arirang-1Arirang-1 or Arirang I is an unmanned artificial satellite created by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and launched by a US rocket on December 21 1999. This was the first satellite built primarily by South Korean engineers, although previous foreign-built satellites had been launched by...
in 1999 and
Arirang-2Arirang-2, also known as KOMPSAT-2, is a South Korean multipurpose satellite. It was launched from Plesetsk, Russia at 4:05 PM KST on July 28 2006. It began to transmit signals at 11 PM the same day. Like the earlier Arirang-1 satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang...
in 2006, as part of its space partnership with
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Naro Space Center, the first
spaceportA spaceport, astrodrome or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary...
of South Korea, was completed in 2008 at Goheung,
Jeollanam-doJeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
. The
Korea Space Launch VehicleThe Naro-1, previously designated Korea Space Launch Vehicle or KSLV, is Russian-South Korean and South Korea's first carrier rocket, which made its maiden flight on 25 August 2009. It is built by Khrunichev and KARI, the national space agency of South Korea along with Korean Air and was launched...
was launched from Naro in the 2009 but failed.
In April 2008,
Yi So-yeonYi So-yeon is a South Korean scientist and Ph.D. graduate of KAIST...
became the first Korean to fly in space, aboard the Russian
Soyuz TMA-12Soyuz TMA-12 was a Soyuz mission to the International Space Station which was launched by a Soyuz FG rocket at 11:16 UTC on 8 April 2008. It docked to the Pirs module of the station on 10 April 2008. Landing occurred at 03:37 on 24 October...
.
Robotics
RoboticsRobotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, and application. Robotics is related to electronics, mechanics, and software. The word robot was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. , published in 1920...
has been included in the list of main national R&D projects in Korea since 2003. In 2009, the government announced plans to build robot-themed parks in
IncheonThe Incheon Free Economic Zone , located in Incheon, South Korea consists of the three regions of Songdo, Cheongna, and the island of Yeongjong and have a total area of . The goal of the IFEZ is to transform these three areas into hubs for logistics, international business, leisure, and tourism...
and
MasanMasan is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The city is situated on Masan Bay , approximately 35 km west of Busan. It is known for its textile industry, and it is the site of Hite Brewery's production facilities....
with a mix of public and private funding.
In 2005, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology developed the world's second walking
humanoid robotA humanoid robot is a robot with its overall appearance based on that of the human body, allowing interaction with made-for-human tools or environments. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots may model only part of the...
,
HUBOHUBO is a walking humanoid robot, head mounted on a life-size walking bipedal frame, developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and released on January 6, 2005...
. A team in the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology developed the first Korean
androidAn android is a robot or synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human. The word derives from ανδρός, the genitive of the Greek ανήρ anēr, meaning "man", and the suffix -eides, used to mean "of the species; alike" . Though the word derives from a gender-specific root, its usage in...
,
EveR-1EveR-1 is a female android, developed by a team of South Korean scientists from the in Korea University of Science and Technology. The project is headed by Baeg Moon-hong and was unveiled to the public at in Seoul on May 4, 2006...
in May 2006. EveR-1 has been succeeded by more complex models with improved movement and vision. Next models are scheduled to be completed by 2010.
Biotechnology
Since the 1980s, the Korean government has actively invested in the development of a domestic
biotechnologyBiotechnology is technology based on biology, agriculture, food science, and medicine. Modern use of the term usually refers to genetic engineering as well as cell- and tissue culture technologies...
industry, and the sector is projected to grow to $6.5 billion by 2010. Medical sector accounts for a large part of the production, including production of
hepatitis vaccinesHepatitis A Vaccine, , is a vaccine against the Hepatitis A virus. The vaccine protects against the virus in more than 95% of cases and provides protection from the virus for at least ten years...
and
antibioticIn common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria...
s.
Recently, research and development in
geneticGenetic may refer to:*Genetics, in biology, the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms**Genetic, used as an adjective, refers to heredity of traits...
s and
cloningCloning in biology is the process of producing populations of genetically-identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or organisms...
has received increasing attention, with the first successful cloning of a dog,
SnuppySnuppy is an Afghan hound, credited with being the world's first cloned dog. The puppy was created using the cell of an ear from an adult Afghan hound and involved 123 surrogate mothers, of which only three produced pups...
, and the cloning of two females of an endangered species of wolves by the
Seoul National UniversitySeoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university located in Seoul, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index and 47th in the world and 7th in Asia by THES-QS World University Rankings...
in 2007.
The rapid growth of the industry has resulted in significant voids in regulation of ethics, as was highlighted by the scientific misconduct case involving
Hwang Woo-SukHwang Woo-suk is a South Korean veterinarian researcher. He was a professor of theriogenology and biotechnology at Seoul National University who became infamous for fabricating a series of experiments, which appeared in high profile journals, in the field of stem cell research...
.
Education
Education in South Korea is regarded as being crucial to one's success and competition is consequently very heated and fierce. In the 2006 results of the OECD
Programme for International Student AssessmentThe Programme for International Student Assessment is a triennial world-wide test of 15-year-old school children's scholastic performance, the implementation of which is coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ....
, South Korea came first in
problem solvingProblem solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Consideredthe most complex of all intellectual functions, problem solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of...
, third in
mathematicsMathematics is the science and study of quantity, structure, space, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns, formulate new conjectures, and establish truth by rigorous deduction from appropriately chosen axioms and definitions....
and eleventh in
scienceScience is in its broadest sense to any systematic knowledge-base or prescriptive practice that is capable of resulting in a prediction or predictable type of outcome...
.
A centralised administration in South Korea oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to the third and final year of high school. South Korea has adopted a new educational program to increase the number of their foreign students through the year 2010. According to Ministry of Education, Science and Technology estimate, by that time, the number of scholarships for foreign students in South Korea will be doubled, and the number of foreign students will reach 100,000.
The school year is divided into two semesters, the first of which begins in the beginning of March and ends in mid-July, the second of which begins in late August and ends in mid-February.The schedules are not uniformly standardized and vary from school to school.
Demographics
South Korea is noted for its population density, which at 487 per square kilometer is more than 10 times the global average. Most South Koreans live in urban areas, due to rapid migration from the countryside during the country's quick economic expansion in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. The capital city of
SeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest city of South Korea. With a population of over 10 million, it is one of the world's largest cities. The Seoul National Capital Area, which includes the major port city of Incheon and most of Gyeonggi-do, has 24.5 million...
is also the country's largest city and chief industrial center. According to 2005 census, Seoul had a population of 9.8 million inhabitants. The
Seoul National Capital AreaThe Seoul National Capital Area is a region located in the north-west of South Korea. It is generally referred to as Sudogwon in Korean, and contains three different administrative districts; Seoul, Incheon and a large part of Gyeonggi-do....
has 24.5 million inhabitants making it the world's second largest metropolitan area. Other major cities include
BusanBusan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world. Busan has a population of about 3.6 million. It is South Korea's second largest metropolis, after Seoul. The city is located on the Southeasternmost tip of the Korean...
(3.5 million),
IncheonIncheon, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City, is South Korea's third largest metropolis, after Seoul and Busan. As the largest seaport on the west coast and home to the country's largest airport, Incheon International Airport, Incheon is South Korea's most important transport hub...
(2.5 million),
DaeguDaegu , also spelled Taegu, and officially called the Daegu Metropolitan City, with over 2.5 million people, is the fourth largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon...
(2.5 million),
DaejeonDaejeon is located in the center of South Korea. It is the fifth largest city in South Korea, with a population of 1,442,856 at the end of 2005. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway...
(1.4 million),
GwangjuGwangju Metropolitan City is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
(1.4 million) and
UlsanUlsan, officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the industrial powerhouse of South...
(1 million).
The population has also been shaped by international migration. Following the
division of the Korean peninsulaThe division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
after World War II, about four million people from North Korea crossed the border to South Korea. This trend of net entry reversed over the next forty years due to emigration, especially to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. South Korea’s total population in 1960 was 25 million. The current population of South Korea is roughly 49,540,000.
South Korea is a homogeneous society with an absolute majority of the population of Korean ethnicity. Although small, the percentage of non-Koreans has been increasing. , South Korea had 1,106,884 foreign residents, more than double the 2006 total. Migrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) make up 56.5% of the total; however, many of them are Joseonjok, PRC citizens of Korean ethnicity. The roughly 33,000
Mongolian immigrantsMongolians in South Korea form the world's largest population of Mongolian citizens abroad.-Population:By 2003, there were already 20,000 Mongolians working in South Korea, making their population larger than the combined total of Mongolian Americans, Mongolians in Japan, and Mongolians in Europe...
are believed to be the largest community of Mongolian citizens residing abroad. Another notable group is women from
Southeast AsiaManila
Bangkok
Ho Chi Minh City
Kuala Lumpur
Singapore
Yangon
Bandung
Hanoi
Surabaya
Taichung
Kaohsiung
Medan|-|}...
who comprised 41% of new marriages with Korean farmers in 2006. There are also 31,000
US militaryUnited States Forces Korea refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States armed forces stationed in South Korea.Major components of the force include the Eighth United States Army, the Seventh Air Force and U.S...
personnel.
South Korea's birthrate is the world's lowest. If this continues, its population is expected to decrease by 13 percent to 42.3 million in 2050, South Korea's annual birthrate is approximately 9 births per 1000 people. The average
Life expectancyLife expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by e
x, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
in 2008 was 79.10 years, which is 40th in the world.
Cities of South Korea
The figure below lists the twenty largest cities within administrative city limits; the figures below only include long-term residents.
Religion
Just under half of South Koreans profess no religious beliefs. Those who do are mostly
ChristianChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
or
BuddhistKorean Buddhism is distinguished from other forms of Buddhism by its attempt to resolve what it sees as inconsistencies in Mahayana Buddhism. Early Korean monks believed that the traditions they received from foreign countries were internally inconsistent. To address this, they developed a new...
, along with minor traditional religions practiced in small regions.
Other religions include
IslamIn South Korea, the Muslim population has been steadily increasing since the introduction of the Islamic faith shortly after the Korean War. The Muslim community is centered around Seoul, where the first large 20th-century mosque was built in 1976 using the funds of the Malaysian Islamic Mission...
and various
new religious movementA new religious movement is a faith-based community, or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of recent origin. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, in which case they will be distinct from pre-existing denominations...
s such as Jeungism, Daesunism, Cheondoism and Wonbuddhism.
ChristianityChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
is South Korea's largest religion, accounting for more than half of all South Korea adherents.
There are approximately 15 million Christians in South Korea today, with more than two-thirds of Christians belonging to the Protestant group, while about 15% belong to the
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
group. The largest Christian church in South Korea,
Yoido Full Gospel ChurchYoido Full Gospel Church is a protestant church on Yeouido Island in Seoul, South Korea. With about 830,000 members , it is the largest Christian congregation in South Korea, and in the whole world...
, is located in Seoul. Roman Catholicism has been the fastest growing denomination in South Korea since the late 1980s. South Korea is also the second-largest missionary-sending nation.
Buddhism was introduced to Korea from
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
in the year 372. According to the national census as of 2005, South Korea has over 10.7 million Buddhists. Today, about 90% of Korean Buddhists belong to
Jogye OrderThe Jogye Order is the representative order of traditional Korean Buddhism with roots that go all the way back 1,200 years to Unified Silla National Master Doui, who brought Seon and the practice taught by the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, from China about 820 C.E.-History:In 826, the "Nine Mountains...
. Most of the
National Treasures of South KoreaThe National Treasures of Korea are a numbered set of tangible treasures, artifacts, sites, and buildings which are recognized by South Korea as having exceptional artistic, cultural and historical value...
are Buddhist artifacts. Along with
Neo-ConfucianismNeo-Confucianism / is a form of Confucianism that was primarily developed during the Song Dynasty, but which can be traced back to Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty. It formed the basis of Confucian orthodoxy in the Qing Dynasty of China. It was a philosophy that attempted to merge certain...
, Buddhism was also a state religion during the periods from
Three Kingdoms of KoreaThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE...
to
GoryeoThe Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a sovereign state established in 918 by King Taejo. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
before suppression under the Joseon Dynasty.
There are an estimated 45,000 Muslim Koreans, in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries, particularly
Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
.
Culture
South Korea shares its traditional culture with
North KoreaNorth Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , is a state in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer area between North Korea and South Korea...
, but the two Koreas have developed distinct contemporary forms of culture since the peninsula was divided in 1945. Historically, while the culture of Korea has been heavily influenced by that of neighbouring China, it has nevertheless managed to develop a unique and distinct cultural identity from its larger neighbour. The South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism actively encourages the traditional arts, as well as modern forms, through funding and education programs. The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea have brought many changes to the way
Korean peopleThe Korean people are an ethnic group originating in East Asia. Most Koreans speak the Korean language.-Names:South Koreans call Koreans Han-guk-in —or simply 한인/Han-in for South Koreans living abroad—or informally Hanguk saram , while North Koreans call Koreans Chosŏn-in or Chosŏn saram...
live. Changing economics and lifestyles have led to a concentration of population in major cities, especially the capital Seoul, with multi-generational households separating into
nuclear familyA nuclear family is a family group consisting of only a father and mother and their children, who share living quarters. This can be contrasted with an extended family. Nuclear families can be of any size, as long as the family can support itself and there are only children and two parents...
living arrangements.
There were 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Korea and recently
Royal Tombs of the Joseon DynastyThe Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty are a group of tombs of members of the Korean Joseon Dynasty . The tombs have been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2009.-The tombs:...
was added, with a total of 9.
Entertainment
In addition to domestic consumption, South Korean mainstream culture, including televised drama, films, and popular music, also generates significant exports to various parts of the world. This phenomenon, often called "Hallyu" or the "Korean Wave", has swept many countries in Asia and other parts of the world.
Until the 1990s,
trotTrot may mean:*Trot , a genre of Korean pop music*Trot *A trotline*A literal translation of a foreign text*A mildly negative epithet for Trotskyist*Trot , a character from the Oz books of L. Frank Baum...
and
balladA ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative and set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later North America, Australia and North Africa. Many...
s dominated Korean popular music. The emergence of the rap group Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 marked a turning point for Korean popular music, also known as
K-PopK-pop is an abbreviation for Korean Pop, specifically from South Korea. Many of these artists and musical groups have branched out of South Korea and have become popular in many countries around the world...
, as the group incorporated elements of American popular musical genres of rap,
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
, and
technoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
into its music. Hip hop, dance and ballad oriented acts have become dominant in the Korean popular music scene, though trot is still popular among older Koreans. Many K-Pop stars and groups are also well known abroad, especially in Asia.
Since the success of the film
ShiriShiri is a 1999 Korean film written and directed by Kang Je-gyu.Shiri was the first Hollywood-style big-budget action film to be produced in the "new" Korean film industry...
in 1999, Korean film has begun to gain recognition internationally. Domestic film has a dominant share of the market, partly due to the existence of
screen quotasScreen quotas is a legislated policy that enforces a minimum number of screening days of domestic films in the theater each year to protect the nation’s films. The screen quota system is enforced to prevent foreign markets from making inroads into the domestic film market. The screen quota system...
requiring cinemas to show Korean films at least 73 days a year.
Korean television showsKorean drama refers to televised dramas, similar to Western miniseries, produced in the Korean language for Korean audiences. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia and have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave or Drama Fever. Most popular Korean dramas have...
, especially the short form dramatic mini-series called "dramas", have also become popular outside of Korea, becoming another driving trend for the Korean Wave in Asia. The trend has generated internationally known Korean stars and has boosted the image of Korean popular culture. The dramas are popular mostly in Asia, but also within Asian-American communities in North America, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere. The stories have a wide range, but the most prominent among the export dramas have been romance dramas, such as
Autumn Fairy TaleAutumn in My Heart is the first installment of the four part Endless Love drama series produced by South Korean TV Network KBS. It was produced in South Korea in 2000.-Synopsis:...
,
Winter SonataWinter Sonata was the second part of the KBS TV drama series Endless Love. This installment was produced in March 2002 in South Korea. It was broadcast on Japan's NHK and has been a major part of the Korean wave both there and throughout Asia...
, Full House (2004 TV series), All About Eve, and historical/fantasy dramas, such as
Dae Jang GeumDae Jang Geum is a 2003 TV series produced by South Korean TV channel MBC....
,
The LegendLegend is a South Korean TV series created by Kimjonghak Production that aired on MBC.The story is loosely based on the legend of Dangun and Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo. The story also adds mythical elements of the Four Symbols depicted in fantasy form as the four guardians who serve the...
and Goong.
Cuisine
Korean cuisine, hanguk yori
(한국요리, 韓國料理), or hansik (한식, 韓食), has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Ingredients and dishes vary by province. There are many significant regional dishes that have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. The
Korean royal court cuisineKorean royal court cuisine was the style of cookery within Korean cuisine traditionally consumed at the court of the Joseon Dynasty, which ruled Korea from 1392 to 1910. There has been a revival of this cookery style in the 21st century...
once brought all of the unique regional specialties together for the royal family. Meals consumed both by the royal family and ordinary Korean citizens have been regulated by a unique culture of etiquette.
Korean cuisine is largely based on
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
,
noodleA noodle is food made from unleavened dough that is cooked in a boiling liquid. Depending upon the type, noodles may be dried or refrigerated before cooking. The word noodle derives from the German Nudel and may be related to the Latin word nodus...
s,
tofuor called toufu, bean curd is a soft white food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and others. There are many different varieties...
, vegetables, fish and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes,
banchanBanchan refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural. The most famous banchan is kimchi....
(반찬), which accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan. KimchiKimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is any one of numerous traditional Korean pickled dishes made of vegetables with varied seasonings. Its most common manifestation is the spicy baechu variety. Kimchi is the most common banchan, or side dish...
, a fermented, usually spicy vegetable dish is commonly served at every meal and is one of the best known Korean dishes. Korean cuisine usually involves heavy seasoning with sesame oilSesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.-Composition:Sesame oil is composed of the following fatty acids:Sesame oil...
, doenjangDoenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste. Its name literally means "thick paste" in Korean.-Production:...
(된장), a type of (fermented soybean pasteFermented bean paste is a category of fermented foods typically made from ground soybeans, which are indigenous to the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia...
), soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and gochujangGochujang is a savory and pungent fermented Korean condiment. Traditionally, it has been naturally fermented over years in large earthen pots outdoors, more often on an elevated stone platform, called jangdokdae in the backyard.-History:...
(고추장), a hot pepper paste.
Soups are also a common part of a Korean meal and are served as part of the main course rather than at the beginning or the end of the meal. Soups known as gukGuk refers to soup-like dishes in Korean cuisine and is also called tang . Guk and tang are commonly grouped together and regarded as the same type of dish, although guk is more watery and a basic dish for the Korean table setting and usually eaten at home...
(국) are often made with meats, shellfish and vegetables. Similar to guk, tang
(탕) has less water, and is more often served in restaurants. Another type is jjigaeJjigae is a Korean stew. A typical jjigae is heavily seasoned with chili pepper and served boiling hot. A Korean meal almost always includes either a jjigae or a guk ....
(찌개), a stewA stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy.Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, poultry, sausages and seafood. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, wine, stock, and beer are...
that is typically heavily seasoned with chili pepper and served boiling hot.
Technology culture
In recent years online games have become a significant part of Korean culture. StarCraftStarCraft is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first game of the StarCraft series was released for Microsoft Windows on 31 March 1998. With more than 11 million copies sold worldwide as of February 2009, it is one of the best-selling...
, the real-time strategy gameReal-time strategy games are a genre of computer wargames which do not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
is by far the most popular televised game in South Korea. Game tournaments, recorded in places like the COEX MallCOEX Mall is an underground shopping mall located in Gangnam-gu Seoul, South Korea It is the largest shopping centre in Seoul. It is the largest underground mall in Asia with an area of about 85,000 square metres...
are often broadcast live on TV stations such as MBCGameMBC Game is the South Korean non-'free-to-air' television station, which is well-known for its E-sports broadcasting.-Contents:...
and OngamenetOngamenet is one of two South Korean cable television companies , that specializes in broadcasting video game-related information and matches, which include StarCraft, Warcraft III and others...
. Professional StarCraft
players can command considerable salaries in South Korea as members of pro-gaming teams that are sponsored primarily by cell phone providers. PC games are usually played in PC bangPC bang is a variation of a LAN gaming center, where one can play multiplayer computer games with others. PC bangs are extremely popular among all ages of South Koreans and foreigners visiting South Korea alike. It became extremely popular when Starcraft came out in 1998...
s which are basically internet cafes, dedicated to LAN games of popular titles like Kart Rider
, Maple Story
, World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, Mabinogi
and Lineage.
South Korean corporations Samsung and
LGLG may refer to:* LG Group, a South Korean electronics and petrochemicals conglomerate** LG Electronics, an affiliate of the South Korean LG Group which produces electronic products* Lateral giant interneuron, an interneuron in crayfish...
are the second- and third-largest cell phone companies in the world, and South Korean consumers change their phones on average every 11 months. An estimated 90% of South Koreans own mobile phones and use them not only for calling and messaging but also for watching
Digital Multimedia BroadcastingDigital Multimedia Broadcasting is a digital radio transmission technology developed by South Korea as part of the national IT project for sending multimedia such as TV, radio and datacasting to mobile devices such as mobile phones...
(DMB) or viewing websites. Over one million DMB phones have been sold and the three major wireless communications providers
SK TelecomSK Telecom is a South Korean mobile telecommunications operator, controlled by the SK Group, one of the country's largest chaebol. As a part of SK Group, SK stands for Sun Kyung.- Introduction :...
,
KTFKTF is a South Korean telecommunications firm, now merged with Korea Telecom, specializing in cellular, or mobile, phones. Since 1999, it has also developed extensive overseas operations. The company is credited with developing customised ring back tones...
, and
LG TelecomLG Telecom is a South Korean telecommunications and mobile phone operator controlled by the LG Group, one of the country's largest chaebol.LG Telecom became one of the first companies to launch a commercial 3G service using PCS technology...
provide coverage in all major cities and other areas.
Art
Korean art has been highly influenced by Buddhism and
ConfucianismKorean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism developed in Korea. One of the most substantial influences in Korean intellectual history was the introduction of Confucian thought as part of the cultural exchange from China...
.
There are well-known Korean pottery and porcelain like
BaekjaJoseon white porcelain or Joseon baekja refers to the white porcelains produced during the Joseon dynasty . White porcelains were preferred and praised than any other porcelains during the time to represent Confucian ethics such as frugality and pragmatism...
and
BuncheongBuncheong, or Buncheong ware is a form of traditional Korean stoneware, with a bluish-green tone. Pots are coated with a white slip, and decorative designs are painted on using an iron pigment. The style emerged in the early Joseon Dynasty, largely replacing celadon in common use. It largely...
. Also
Korean tea ceremonyThe Korean tea ceremony or darye is a traditional form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea. Darye literally refers to "etiquette for tea" or "day tea rite" and has been kept among Korean people for a few thousand years...
,
PansoriPansori is a genre of Korean traditional music. It is a vocal and percussional music performed by one sorikkun and one gosu...
,
TalchumTalchum is a Korean dance performed while wearing a mask and singing. It is not just a dance performed by masked dancers but also a drama with masked characters portraying persons, animals or supernatural beings...
and Buchaechum are popular Korean performing arts.
HanbokHanbok or Chosŏn-ot is the traditional Korean dress. It is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines without pockets. Although the term literally means "Korean clothing", hanbok today often refers specifically to hanbok of Joseon Dynasty and is worn as semi-formal or formal wear...
is the traditional Korean dress. Nowadays, people wear it during traditional festivals and celebrations.
It has many germants like
Dopo (clothing)The dopo is a variety of po, or overcoat in hanbok, Korean traditional garment which was mostly worn by male Confucian scholars called seonbi after the mid Joseon period. Seonbi wore it as their daily garment as well as government officers did when they out for their private business. There are...
,
DurumagiDurumagi is a variety of po, or overcoat in hanbok, Korean traditional garment to protect the cold. Durumagi means to tighten, and some believe it's a cognate of the Mongolian word xurumakoi. It had been widely worn as an outer robe over jeogori and baji...
and
JeogoriThe jeogori is a basic upper garment of hanbok, Korean traditional garment, which has been worn by both men and women. It covers the arms and upper part of the wearer's body.-Etymology:...
, so it is worn as semi-formal or formal wear.
Architecture
Pre-modern Korean architecture may be divided into two main styles: these used in palace and temple structures, and these used in the houses of common people, which consisted of local variations.
Korean's ancient architects adopted the bracket system and is characterized by thatched roofs and heated floors called ondol. People of the upper classes built bigger houses with tiled roofs. The roofs were elegantly curved and accentuated with slightly uplifting eaves. There still are many sites like Hahoe Folk Village, Yangdong Village of Gyeongju and
Korean Folk VillageKorean Folk Village is a living museum type of tourist attraction in the city of Yongin, a satellite city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in the province of Gyeonggi in South Korea....
where the traditional Korean architecture is preserved.
Sports
The
martial artMartial arts or fighting arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat...
taekwondoTaekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way," "method," or "art." Thus, "taekwondo" may be loosely translated as "the way of the foot and fist" or "the...
originated in Korea. In the 1950s and 60s, modern rules were standardised, and Taekwondo became an official
Olympic sportThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
in 2000. Other Korean martial arts include taekkyeon,
hapkidoHapkido is a dynamic and eclectic Korean martial art. It is a form of self-defense that employs joint locks, techniques of other martial arts, as well as common unskilled attacks...
,
tang soo doTang Soo Do is a Korean martial art promoted by Hwang Kee that has roots in various styles of martial arts, including Shotokan karate, taekkyeon, and in some schools Shaolin kung fu....
,
kuk sool wonKuk Sool Won is a Korean martial arts system founded by In Hyuk Suh in 1958. The name Kuk Sool Won translates to "National Martial Art Association" and it is currently taught worldwide. Founded as a martial arts system and not merely a martial arts style, Kuk Sool is not limited to any single...
,
kumdoKumdo is a modern martial art of fencing, the Korean equivalent of Japanese kendo. It is also romanized as kǒmdo, gumdo, or geomdo. The name means "the way of the sword," and is a cognate with the Japanese term...
and subak.
BaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
was first introduced to Korea in 1905 and has since become the most popular spectator sport in South Korea. The first South Korean professional sports league was the Korea Baseball Organization, established in 1982. South Korea finished third during the
2006 World Baseball ClassicThe 2006 World Baseball Classic was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. It was held from March 3 - March 20 in stadiums that are in and around , , , , , and ). Japan, led by Sadaharu Oh, became the first champions.-Format:The...
and second during the
2009 World Baseball ClassicThe 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
. In the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing, South Korea won the gold medal in baseball.
In 1988, South Korea hosted the
Summer Olympics in SeoulThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan...
, coming fourth with 12 gold medals, 10 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. South Korea regularly performs well in
archeryArchery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
,
shootingShooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
,
table tennisTable tennis is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth with rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net. Except for the initial serve, players must allow a ball played toward them only one bounce on their side of the table and must...
,
badmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
,
short track speed skatingShort track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
,
handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass and bounce a ball to throw it into the goal of the opposing team...
,
hockeyHockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round, rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck, into the opponent's net or goal, using a hockey stick.-Field hockey:...
,
freestyle wrestlingFreestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practiced throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
,
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
,
judo, meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century...
, taekwondo, and weightlifting. South Korea also hosted the
Asian GamesThe Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee...
in 1986 (Seoul) and 2002 (Busan), and will host again in 2014 (Incheon). It also hosted the
Asian Winter GamesThe Asian Winter Games is a multi-sport event for members of the Olympic Council of Asia which features winter events. The Japanese Olympic Committee first suggested the idea of holding a winter version of the Asian Games in 1982...
in 1999, the Winter
UniversiadeThe Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "Olympiad"...
in 1997 and the Summer Universiade in 2003.
In the
2002 FIFA World CupThe 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia...
, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, the national football team became the first team in the
Asian Football ConfederationThe 46 member Asian Football Confederation is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel, and including Australia....
to reach the semi-finals.
In 2010, South Korea will host their first
Formula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1, and currently officially referred to as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants...
race to be staged at the
Korean International CircuitThe Korean International Circuit will be a 5.45 km race circuit located in Yeongam County , South Jeolla province at a $264 million deal between Bernie Ecclestone and the Korean F1 promoter Korea Auto Valley Operation .German designer...
in Yeongam, about south of Seoul. In 2011, the South Korean city of Daegu will host the
2011 IAAF World Championships in AthleticsThe 13th World Championships in Athletics will be held in 2011 in Daegu, South Korea.Council of IAAF approved in Osaka the dates of 27 August until 4 September 2011.-Bidding process:...
.
See also
- Index of South Korea-related articles
- Invest KOREA
Invest KOREA is the national investment promotion agency of South Korea and a member of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies was established within the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency or KOTRA with the sole purpose of supporting the entry and successful establishment of...
Korea's national investment promotion agency
External links