South Korea

대한 민국
Daehan Minguk
Republic of Korea

Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Broadly bring benefit to humanity (Korean: 널리 인간 세계를 이롭게 하라)
Anthem: Aegukga
Capital	Seoul 37°35′ N 127°0′ E
Largest city	Seoul
Official language(s)	Korean
Government President Prime Minister	Presidential democracy Roh Moo-hyun Lee Hae-chan
Independence Declared	From Japan August 15, 1945
Area • Total • Water (%)	98,480 km² ( 109th) {{{areami²}}} mi² 0.3%%
Population • 2005 est. • [[As of |]] census • Density	48,422,644 ( 24th) 491/km² ( 12th) {{{population_densitymi²}}}/mi²
GDP ( PPP) • Total • Per capita	2004 estimate $1.029 trillion ( 12th) $21,419 ( 33rd)
HDI ( 2003)	0.901 ( 28th) – high
Currency	South Korean won ( KRW)
Time zone • Summer ( DST)	( UTC+9) ( UTC+10)
Internet TLD	.kr
Calling code	+82

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a country located in East Asia, in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. To the north, it is bordered by North Korea, with which it formed a single nation until 1948. The nation is often referred to simply as "Korea".

In Korean, it is called Daehan Minguk ( 대한민국 listen ( help· info), 大韓民國). Its short name is Hanguk (한국, Han nation, usually referring to Korea) or Namhan (남한, South Han, referring to South Korea.) There have been several other names of Korea through its history.

History

At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel into the Soviet Union-occupied northern half and the United States-occupied southern half, each forming its own government in 1948.

In June 1950, the Korean War broke out. The United Nations-backed South and the Communist-backed North eventually reached a stalemate and an armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along the demilitarised zone at about the original demarcation line.

After the war, the autocratic government of Syngman Rhee was thrown out of power by student uprising and a brief period of civil rule was established in 1960. However, a military coup led by general Park Chung-hee, in the next year the nation turned into a dictatorship that lasted 18 years, during which period it achieved rapid economic growth. Park was assassinated in 1979, and general Chun Doo-hwan seized power with another coup. Massive student demonstrations in the spring of 1980 resulted in a military crackdown and the Gwangju Massacre. Civil unrest forced the end of military rule, and progressively democratic reforms continued under the presidencies of Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, and Kim Dae-jung.

In the 1990s, South Korea became one of the world's largest economies. In 1996 South Korea joined the OECD. Although the nation suffered severe economic hardship during the Asian financial crisis, South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy and one of Asia’s most affluent and technologically advanced nations.

A potential Korean reunification has remained a prominent topic; no peace treaty has yet been signed with the North. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place, part of the South's continuing Sunshine Policy of engagement. Since then, regular contacts have led to a cautious thaw.

Government and politics

The Republic of Korea is a developed, stable, democratic republic with powers shared between the president, legislature and judiciary.

The head of state of the Republic of Korea is the president, who is elected by direct popular vote for a single five-year term. In addition to being the highest representative of the republic and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the president also has considerable executive powers and appoints the prime minister with approval of the National Assembly, as well as appointing and presiding over the State Council or cabinet.

The unicameral Korean legislature is the National Assembly or Gukhoe (국회/國會), whose members serve a four-year term of office. The legislature currently has 299 seats, of which 243 are elected by regional vote and the remainder are distributed by the proportional representation ballot. The highest judiciary body is the Supreme Court, whose justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly. Since 1948, South Korea has been governed under six major revisions of its Constitution, each signifying a new South Korean republic. The current government is known as the Sixth Republic under the 1988 constitution.

The main political parties in South Korea are the Uri Party, the Grand National Party (GNP), the Democratic Labor Party (DLP), and the Democratic Party (DP). In late 2003 a faction of the Millennium Democratic Party (later DP) split from the party and formed the liberal Uri Party, which gained a slim majority in the National Assembly in the April 2004 legislative elections but failed to secure it after subsequent reelections. The conservative GNP and centrist DP form the political opposition. The progressive DLP, which is aligned with labour unions, represents the interests of the working class, including peasants.

Geography

Korea forms a peninsula that extends some 1,100 km from the Asian mainland, flanked by the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and terminated by the Korea Strait and the East China Sea to the south. The southern landscape consists of partially forested mountain ranges to the east, separated by deep, narrow valleys. Densely populated and cultivated coastal plains are found in the west and south. About 3,000 islands, most of which are small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts. The total area of South Korea is 99,617.38 km² (According to the statistics of 2004 ( http://kosis.nso.go.kr/).

South Korea is a mountainous country. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30 % of the total land area. South Korea can be divided into three general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; and a southern region, where a maze of mountains and valleys in the west contrasts with the broad basin of the Nakdong River in the southeast.

Halla-san, an extinct volcano that forms Jeju Island, is the country's highest point at 1,950 m (6,398 ft). Jeju Island is located about 100 km (about 60 mi) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 km² (712 sq mi).

Climate

The local climate is relatively temperate, with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called jangma, and winters that can be bitterly cold on occasion.

In Seoul the average January temperature range is -7 °C to 1 °C (19 °F to 33 °F), and the average July temperature range is 22 °C to 29 °C (71 °F to 83 °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 typhoons that bring strong winds and heavy rains.

The average annual precipitation in Seoul is 1370 millimeters (54 inches). In Busan, it is 1470 mm (58 inches).

Wildlife

Most of South Korea's forests were cleared over many centuries for use as firewood and building materials. However, they have rebounded since the 1970s as a result of intensive reforestation efforts. The country's few remaining old-growth forests are protected in nature reserves. South Korea also has more than a dozen national parks. One of the world's most interesting wildlife sanctuaries has developed in the DMZ, having been virtually untouched since 1953. The uninhabited zone has become a haven for many kinds of wildlife, particularly migrating birds.

The national flower of South Korea is the Rose of Sharon, a species of hibiscus that blooms continually from July through October. In South Korea, it is known as mugunghwa (무궁화), meaning "eternal flower".

Large mammals such as tigers, bears, and lynx were once abundant throughout the Korean peninsula. However, they have virtually disappeared due to human settlement, loss of forest habitat, and overhunting. The Siberian tiger has not been sighted in South Korea since the 1920s. However, bears and wildcats can still be found in the more remote areas, such as Jiri-san and Seorak-san. South Korea has several indigenous species of deer, including the roe deer and the Siberian musk deer.

Provinces and cities

South Korea consists of 1 Special City (Teukbyeolsi; 특별시; 特別市), 6 Metropolitan Cities (Gwangyeoksi, singular and plural; 광역시; 廣域市), and 9 Provinces (do, singular and plural; 도; 道). The names below are given in English, Revised Romanization, Hangul, and Hanja.

Special City

• Seoul Special City (Seoul Teukbyeolsi; 서울 특별시)

Metropolitan Cities

• Gwangju Metropolitan City (Gwangju Gwangyeoksi; 광주 광역시; 光州廣域市)
• Incheon Metropolitan City (Incheon Gwangyeoksi; 인천 광역시; 仁川廣域市)
• Daejeon Metropolitan City (Daejeon Gwangyeoksi; 대전 광역시; 大田廣域市)
• Ulsan Metropolitan City (Ulsan Gwangyeoksi; 울산 광역시; 蔚山廣域市)
• Daegu Metropolitan City (Daegu Gwangyeoksi; 대구 광역시; 大邱廣域市)
• Busan Metropolitan City (Busan Gwangyeoksi; 부산 광역시; 釜山廣域市)

Provinces

• Gyeonggi-do (경기도, 京畿道)
• Gangwon-do (강원도, 江原道 or 남-강원도, 南江原道)
• Chungcheongbuk-do (충청북도, 忠清北道)
• Chungcheongnam-do (충청남도, 忠清南道)
• Jeollabuk-do (전라북도, 全羅北道)
• Jeollanam-do (전라남도, 全羅南道)
• Gyeongsangbuk-do (경상북도, 慶尚北道)
• Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도, 慶尚南道)
• Jeju-do (제주도, 濟州道)

Economy

As one of the East Asian Tigers, South Korea has achieved an impressive record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern global economy, making South Korea the 11th largest economy in the world. In the aftermath of World War II, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. Then the Korean War made conditions in Korea even worse. By early 2006, its GDP per capita is roughly 20 times North Korea's and equal to the medium economies of the European Union. Calculating the GDP with Purchasing power parity in 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies.

This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government-business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labour effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. From the late 1950s to the mid- 1980s, South Korean exports grew at a rate of 25 % per year. The Asian financial crisis of 1997 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector.

Growth plunged by 6.6% in 1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms have stalled. Led by industry and construction, growth in 2002 was an impressive 5.8%, despite anemic global growth. From a per capita GDP of half that of Taiwan in 1998, South Korea has risen to match Taiwan's in 2005, with a GDP of 720 trillion won, or 740 billion US dollars, third in Asia on a currency basis.

As of 2005, in addition to its global leadership in high-speed Internet service, memory semiconductors, flat-panel screens and mobile phones, South Korea ranks first in shipbuilding, third in tire production, fourth in synthetic fiber output, fifth in automotive production and sixth in steel output. The nation also ranked 12th globally in terms of nominal gross domestic product, trade and exports. South Korea's solid economy is characterised by moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income.

Chaebol

A distinctive feature of the South Korean economy is the long-dominant position of the chaebol (government-assisted, family-controlled conglomerates), most of which were established after the Korean War. In 1995, the top four chaebols were Hyundai, Samsung, Daewoo, and LG. Since the economic crisis of late 1990s, the corporate landscape has changed considerably, partly as a result of government reforms. In 2003, only 4 of the 18 largest chaebol remained. However, they continue to dominate economic activity.

South Korea's chaebol are often compared with Japan's keiretsu business groupings, the successors to the pre-war zaibatsu ("chaebol" and "zaibatsu" are Korean and Japanese pronunciations of the same Chinese characters). However, the chaebol are still largely controlled by their founding families, unlike the keiretsu, which are run by professional corporate managers. Additionally, the government prevented the chaebol from owning private banks, partly in order to increase its own leverage over the banks in areas such as credit allocation. The keiretsu, in contrast, usually work with an affiliated bank, giving the affiliated companies almost unlimited access to credit.

Demographics

The Korean people

Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous in the world, with the only significant minority being a small Chinese community. Ancient Korean kingdoms sometimes included parts of Manchuria, and many Koreans moved to Manchuria since the 1800s. Ethnic Koreans are now a recognized minority in China. Koreans are the largest minority population in Japan, and significant in parts of Central Asia.

Following the division of the Korean peninsula after WWII, about 4 million people from North Korea crossed the border to South Korea. This sudden population increase was partly offset over the next 40 years by emigration from South Korea, especially to the United States and Canada. However, South Korea’s burgeoning economy and improved political climate in the early and mid-1990s slowed the high emigration rates typical of the late 1980s. Many of those who emigrated chose to return to South Korea. Currently, the migration rate for South Koreans is close to zero.

The annual rate of population increase in South Korea has dropped steadily from more than 3 % in the late 1950s to 0.38 % in 2005 as a result of people choosing to have fewer children than in the past. South Korea now has the lowest birthrate in the world.

Officially, as of the April 2005, the total size of the foreign laborers in South Korea stood at 378,000, 52 % of which, or 199,000, are in the country illegally. This figure is considered by many to be low and only represents the number of known foreign workers, illegal or not. This large workforce and foreign population mainly comes from South Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and the Philippines. There are also many workers from the former Soviet Union countries and Nigeria.

Along with these workers from South Asia and elsewhere, there are also about 11,000 foreign ex-pat English teachers from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. Many Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who work in Korea are perceived as Indians. Indians also live and work in Korea, usually legally employed by major companies.

Cities

About 85 % of South Koreans live in urban areas. The capital city of Seoul had 10.3 million inhabitants in 2003, making it one of the most populated single cities (excluding greater metropolitan areas) in the world. Seoul is also the country's largest city and chief industrial centre. Its density has allowed it to become one of the most "digitally-wired" cities in today's globally connected economy.

Other major cities include Busan (3.9 million), Incheon (2.9 million), Daegu (2.65 million), Daejeon (1.48 million), Gwangju (1.38 million) and Ulsan (1.15 million). Busan is the country's principal seaport.

Language

South Korea's national language is Korean. As with Japanese, with which it shares some grammatical features, Korean is sometimes called an isolate, and sometimes an Altaic language. Like Japanese and some other East Asian languages, Korean has historically borrowed many words from neighboring China.

For thousands of years, a system based on borrowed Chinese characters ( hanja) was used in Korea to read and write Korean. However, hanja fit poorly with the Korean language's grammar and phonetics, and was difficult to learn. A new writing system, hangul, was invented in 1446 by King Sejong the Great, with the intention to foster wider literacy among the Korean people. Hangul was promulgated in the Hunmin Jeongeum (훈민정음/訓民正音). Unlike Chinese characters, hangul is a phonetically based alphabet and can be learned very quickly. Hangul's adoption was long resisted by the Korean elite, but it is now used exclusively in North Korea. In South Korea, Chinese loan words are sometimes still written in hanja, but their use has been steadily decreasing. Famous South Korean diplomat Peter Yu (Yu Keun-woo in Korean), once said, "The change of the peninsula to simplified characterisation played a central role in converting the power structure and development of future generations."

In 2000 the government adopted the Revised Romanisation of Korean.

Religion

According to 2003 statistics compiled by the South Korean government, about 46 % of citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Christians account for 27.3% of the population and Buddhists 25.3%.

Buddhism is stronger in the more conservative east of the country, namely the Yeongnam and Gangwon regions, where it accounts for more than half of the religious population. There are a number of different "schools" in Korean Buddhism, including the Seon (imported from Chan Buddhism in China). Many adherents of Buddhism combine Buddhist practice and shamanism.

Christianity, which initially got a foothold in Korea in the late 18th century, grew exponentially in the 1970s and 1980s, and despite slower growth in the 1990s, caught up to and then surpassed Buddhism in the number of adherents. Protestant churches including Presbyterians, Pentecostals, and Methodists make up about 19.8% of the total population, while Roman Catholics occupy about 7.4%. Christians are especially strong in the west of the country including Seoul, Gyeonggi and Honam regions. Seoul is home to Yoido Full Gospel Church, the largest single church in the world.

Various other religions account for about 2.5 % of the religious population. These include the Wonbulgyo movement, which emphasises the unity of all things. Another notable minor religion is Cheondogyo, an indigenous faith combining elements of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity. Confucianism is also small in terms of self-declared adherents, but the great majority of South Koreans, irrespective of their formal religious affiliation, are strongly influenced by Confucian values, which continue to permeate Korean culture. A significant minority also profess to Islam and are mainly Korean.

Culture

Korean cultural development is generally divided into periods coinciding with political development: the Three Kingdoms period ( 57 BC - 668 AD), the Unified Silla dynasty ( 668- 935), the Koryo dynasty ( 918- 1392), the Joseon dynasty ( 1392- 1910), and the modern period ( 1910-present). South Korea shares its traditional culture with that of North Korea, but the two Koreas have developed distinct contemporary forms of culture since its division into two separate states.

Historically, Korea was strongly influenced by Chinese culture and acted as a conduit of culture from China to Japan during Japan's formative years, with the flow of both Chinese and Korean culture influencing Japan. Buddhism, Chinese writing all flowed to Japan. However, once Silla became dominant, Japan made direct links with China, slowing the flow of culture but still utilizing Korea as a vital link to the mainland [ [2]]. Koreans adapted many Chinese art forms with innovation and skill, creating distinctively Korean forms. For many centuries, metalwork, sculpture, painting, and ceramics flourished throughout the Korean peninsula. Buddhism provided one of the most significant sources for artistic expression. Confucianism, also prominent, emphasised the importance of literature and calligraphy, as well as portrait and landscape painting.

Western influence began to dominate Korean society in the late 1800s, at a time when China was being economically colonized, when Korea opened itself to the Western world. During the Japanese colonial rule, indigenous traditions were sometimes violently suppressed. Like it or not, Japan's colonial occupation and subsequent economic strength have also had a large influence on Korean culture, especially in food and business, generally eroding Chinese influence, many cultural aspects of modern Korea have given rise to undeniable similarities between the two nations. However, specific cultural items (as well as electronic items) from Japan were banned until the late 1990's, such as anime and Japanese-made automobiles.

Koreans have always made a concerted effort to keep their cultural traditions alive, being historically dominated by both China and Japan, and have been quite successful at keeping a separate identity and culture. The South Korean government actively encourages the traditional arts, as well as modern forms, through funding and education programs as well as sponsorship of an annual national competitive exhibition.

Many great scholars and philosophers lived in Korea, but are not well known to outsiders due to the country's early isolationism. One example is King Sejong the Great, who invented the world's first rain gauge and water clock.

Despite China's historical influence on Korean culture, the roles are reversed today, with an increased Korean influence in China in terms of popular music, fashion and television drama. In recent years, Korean pop culture has gained massive popularity in many parts of Asia (and in more recent years, Western Cultures as well), earning the name Hanryu (sometimes romanized as Hallyu) or " Korean Wave", while it has also produced some backlash. Korean pop culture has also made its way into Japan, with Korean singers like BoA, and television dramas like Winter Sonata gaining popularity.

South Korea today, with government facilitation, has the highest penetration of high-speed internet access to households in the world. Its infatuation with technology, including feature-rich cell phones and online gaming, has become a part of its modern culture.

Foreign relations

North and South Korea continue to dispute which country should be deemed the "rightful successor" to the previous Korean states. Despite longstanding animosity following the Korean War in 1950 (which has still not officially ended), the South and North have in recent times sought to establish a more conciliatory relationship. This road has however been punctuated by a number of difficulties, including the North-South presidential summit corruption allegations in June 2000. Nevertheless, events such as the Olympic Games, where the two Koreas currently participate as one team, show a new and more optimistic side to the North-South relationship.

The United States has been the primary driver in the establishment and initial sustenance of the South Korea government. The relation between the two States has been further strengthened through a strong and enduring military alliance, formed in 1953. South Korea allied itself with the United States, taking an active part in the Vietnam war and the Iraq war. However, the United States and South Korea have often been at odds in recent times with regard to their policy towards North Korea.

Despite previous hostility during the Korean War, South Korea and China established formal diplomatic relations on August 24, 1992. Ties have subsequently burgeoned, and China is now the South's primary trading partner and perhaps its key international relationship.

South Korea's relations with Japan continue to be turbulent, primarily due to a number of disputes stemming from Japanese colonial rule. Examples include the Sea of Japan naming dispute, visits by successive Japanese Prime Ministers to the Yasukuni Shrine, and the disputed ownership of the Liancourt Rocks (known as Dokdo in Korean, Takeshima in Japanese).

South Korea's first president Rhee Syngman, on assuming the presidency in 1948, promoted an anti-Japan policy. Rhee had previosly headed the South Korea independence movement. This policy included a prohibition on Japanese culture and banishment of all individuals suspected of being Japanese sympathizers. However, South Korea reestablished diplomatic ties with Japan under the headship of President Park Chunghee (previously a serviceman in the Japanese army). The South Korea-Japan relationship reached a high point during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but has subsequently soured as longstanding disputes have again flared up.

Tourism

Domestic tourism is quite popular, and expanding, among Koreans, but is still catching on with non-Koreans. Seoul is the principal tourist destination for non-Koreans. Popular tourist destinations for Koreans include Seorak-san national park, the historic city of Gyeongju, and semi-tropical Jeju Island. Travel to North Korea is not normally possible except with special permission, but in recent years organised group tours have taken South Koreans to Kŭmgang-san mountain in the North.