South Korea
For more information on Korean history, see Korea.
South Korea, officially known as the
Republic of Korea, is an
East Asian
state on the southern half of the
Korean Peninsula. To the north, it is bordered by
North Korea, with which it was a single country called
Korea until 1945. To the west, across the
Yellow Sea, lies
China, and to the southeast, across the
Korea Strait, lies
Japan. Approximately one-half of South Korea's population lives in or near the capital and largest city,
Seoul, the third largest
metropolitan area in the world.
Since its founding in 1948, the country has struggled with the aftermath of 35 years of
Japanese occupation, the
Korean War, and decades of military rule, seeing five major
constitutional changes. Pro-democracy demonstrations during the 1980s led to free elections in 1987. South Korea is now a
multi-party democracy.
The
South Korean economy has advanced rapidly since the 1950s and is now the
10th largest economy in the world. South Korea is also one of the world's most technologically advanced and digitally-connected countries. It has the second highest number of
broadband Internet connections per capita in the world
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4903776.stm BBC News Stat] and is a global leader in
computer games,
digital displays, and
mobile phones.
South Korea's entertainment industry has grown explosively since the 1990s, producing Asia-wide successes in
music,
television, and
film in a phenomenon known as
Hallyu, or the "Korean wave". However, the country still retains centuries-old customs and traditions, such as its unique
cuisine and
ancestor worship.
In the
Korean language, South Korea is called
Daehan Minguk (
대한민국,
大"民國, literally "Great Han People's Nation"). Its short name is
Hanguk (한국, "Han Nation," usually referring to
Korea) or
Namhan (남한, "South Han", referring to South Korea).
Han refers to the ancient
Samhan confederacies of southern Korean peninsula.
Hanguk is the most commonly used term by Koreans.
In English, the nation is often referred to simply as "Korea", deriving from the
Goryeo dynasty, which in turn referred to the
Goguryeo kingdom.
Arabic traders' rendering of Goryeo, "Cu'ree", may have made its way to
Italy during the
Middle Ages, and "Corea" became a common European rendering. In the late 19th century, "Korea" became more widely used.
At the end of
World War II,
American and
Soviet troops had occupied the southern and northern halves of Korea, respectively, dividing the peninsula at the
38th parallel. Despite promises of an independent and unified Korea in the 1943
Cairo Declaration, the United States and Soviet Union helped establish two separate governments in 1948; the communist North and the capitalist South.
On
June 25,
1950, the North invaded the South, beginning a
civil war that caused the deaths of more than 3 million civilians and soldiers alike, now referred to as the
Korean War. The
United Nations backed South Korea and the
Soviet Union and
China backed North Korea, eventually reaching a stalemate. The 1953 armistice split the peninsula along the
demilitarised zone at about the original demarcation line. No peace treaty was ever signed, however, and therefore the two countries are technically still at war.
In 1960,
a student uprising overthrew the autocratic government of
Syngman Rhee and South Korea saw a brief period of democratic reforms. However, much to the disappointment of the people, the new government was disoriented, and political chaos ensued. Then, a
military coup (5.16 Revolution) led by General
Park Chung-hee, who thought that the communist reunification of the peninsula would be inevitable if the Korean government was kept at this state, toppled the weak government the following year. Park took over as president from 1962 until his assassination in 1979, overseeing rapid
export-led economic growth as well as severe political repression.
Park's successor general
Chun Doo-hwan launched a
coup d'etat in 1980 to assume the presidency. Chun's
seizure of power was greeted by widespread protests culminating in the 1980
Gwangju Massacre. In the aftermath of that incident, the movement for democracy gained strength and was ultimately successful in forcing Chun to allow free elections and a change to
civilian democratic rule in 1988. That year, Seoul hosted the
1988 Summer Olympics.
In 1996, South Korea became a member of the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Despite a severe setback caused by the
Asian financial crisis in 1997, the country soon emerged as a major economic power. In 2004, South Korea joined the "
trillion dollar club" of world economies and, today, its
standard of living is equal to that of many countries in
Western Europe.
In June 2000, as a part of South Korean president
Kim Dae Jung's
Sunshine Policy of engagement, a historic first North-South summit took place in North Korea's capital
Pyongyang, however, that was only after a massive and illegal payment by Kim Dae Jung to the North. That year, Kim won the
Nobel Peace Prize for his work for democracy and human rights and efforts at reconciliation between the two Koreas. Since then, regular contacts have led to a slow thaw in relations and economic ties through trade and investment have increased dramatically. Kim, who is now retired, has made plans to visit Pyongyang again in June 2006.
South Korea is a
democratic republic with powers shared between the
president,
legislature, and
judiciary. Since 1948, the
constitution has undergone five major revisions, each signifying a new republic. The current
Sixth Republic began with the last major constitutional revision in 1988.
The
head of state is the president, who is elected by direct popular vote for a single five-year term. In addition to being the commander-in-chief of the
armed forces, the president also has considerable
executive powers. The president appoints the
prime minister with approval of the
National Assembly, as well as appointing and presiding over the State Council of chief ministers.
The South Korean
legislature is the
National Assembly, a
unicameral body in which members serve a four-year term of office. This legislature currently has 299 seats, of which 243 are elected by regional vote. The remainder are distributed by
proportional representation.
The South Korean
judiciary is largely independent of the other two branches. The highest
judiciary body is the Supreme Court, whose justices are appointed by the president with the consent of the National Assembly. In addition, the
Constitutional Court oversees questions of constitutionality.
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). The Uri Party was formed in late 2003 from a liberal faction of the DP (then the Millennium Democratic Party). It gained a slim majority in the National Assembly after the April 2004 legislative elections, but lost it in subsequent
by-elections. The conservative GNP and centrist DP form the dominant political opposition. The progressive DLP is aligned with
labour unions and
farmers' groups, and constitutes the left-wing opposition.
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Satellite image of South Korea. |
South Korea occupies the southern portion of the
Korean Peninsula, which extends some 680
miles (1,100 km) from the
Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the
Yellow Sea to the west, and the
Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east. Its southern tip lies on the
Korea Strait and the
East China Sea. The country's total area is 38,462.49
square miles or 99,617.38
square kilometres.
[The estimated area rises steadily from year to year, possibly due to land reclamation. ]South Korea's land is
mountainous, and most of it is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30% of the total land area. 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 basins, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the
Nakdong River.
About 3,000
islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts.
Jeju Island is located about 100 kilometres (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:
Halla-san, an extinct
volcano on Jeju, reaches 1,950 metres (6,398
ft) above sea level.
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. 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 varies from 1,370 millimetres (54
in) in Seoul to 1,470 millimetres (58
in) in Busan.
|
Principal divisions of South Korea |
South Korea is divided into 8
provinces, one special
autonomous province, six metropolitan cities, and one special city. The names below are given in English,
Revised Romanization,
Hangul, and
Hanja.
Provinces
* 8.
Gyeonggi-do (경기도, 京畿")
* 9.
Gangwon-do (강원도, 江原")
* 10.
Gyeongsangbuk-do (경상북도, 慶尙北")
* 11.
Gyeongsangnam-do (경상남도, 慶尙南")
* 12.
Jeollanam-do (전라남도, 全羅南")
* 13.
Jeollabuk-do (전라북도, 全羅北")
* 14.
Chungcheongnam-do (충청남도, 忠淸南")
* 15.
Chungcheongbuk-do (충청북도, 忠淸北")
Special Autonomous Province
* 16.
Jeju Special Autonomous Province (제주특별자치도, 濟州特別自治")
Metropolitan Cities
* 2.
Incheon Metropolitan City (Incheon Gwangyeoksi; 인천광역시; 仁川廣域市)
* 3.
Daegu Metropolitan City (Daegu Gwangyeoksi; 대구광역시; 大邱廣域市)
* 4.
Ulsan Metropolitan City (Ulsan Gwangyeoksi; 울산광역시; "山廣域市)
* 5.
Busan Metropolitan City (Busan Gwangyeoksi; 부산광역시; 釜山廣域市)
* 6.
Gwangju Metropolitan City (Gwangju Gwangyeoksi; 광주광역시; 光州廣域市)
* 7.
Daejeon Metropolitan City (Daejeon Gwangyeoksi; 대전광역시; 大"廣域市)
Special City
* 1.
Seoul Special City (Seoul Teukbyeolsi; 서울특별시; 서울特別市)
See also:
Special cities of Korea and
Provinces of Korea.
South Korea has the
tenth largest economy in the world, and the third largest in Asia, behind only Japan and China. As one of the
East Asian Tigers, it achieved rapid economic growth through exports of manufactured goods. This is in sharp contrast to the stagnation of North Korea's economy, which has turned for the worse since the disintegration of the Soviet Union. South Korea's per capita GDP is now roughly 12 times that of North Korea.
[According to 2005 US government estimates (North: $1800; South: $20,400). ]In the 1950s, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in Asia.
[http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_series_xrxx.asp?series_code=21600 U.N. Stats] At the end of World War II, the country inherited a colonial economic system designed solely for Japan's expansion policy.
[http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2129.html Japan-guide] Much of the country's infrastructure was destroyed during the Korean War that followed in 1950-1953.
[http://www.cptours.com/the_korean_war.htm cptour Korean War] After the war, South Korea became heavily dependent on U.S. aid.
[Cumings (1997), 305-307; Nahm (1996), p. 448.] Following the military coup led by general
Park Chung-hee in 1962, South Korea embarked on a series of ambitious
five-year plans for economic development. Emphasis shifted to foreign trade with the
normalization of relations with Japan in 1965 and a subsequent boom in trade and investment. Rapid expansion, first into light and then heavy industries, in the 1960s and 1970s followed. During this period, the South Korean economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.6%.
[Yang (1999), p. 594.]This phenomenal growth is often called the "
Miracle on the Han River", the
Han River being the main river that runs through the nation's capital and largest city,
Seoul. In the 1980s and 1990s, growth continued as South Korea transformed itself from an exporter of mostly textiles and shoes into a major global producer of
automobiles,
electronics,
shipbuilding, and
steel and later, high-technology fields such as
digital monitors,
mobile phones, and
semiconductors.
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Administrative district centered around Nam-daemun in Seoul metropolitan area |
The South Korean model of encouraging the growth of large, internationally competitive companies through easy financing and tax incentives led to the dominance of the family-controlled
conglomerates. These companies, known as
chaebol, flourished under the support of the Park regime.
[See ch. 6 in Cumings (1997).] Some such as
Hyundai,
Samsung,
Daewoo, and
LG became global corporations. Today, through all of this combined, South Korea is in the trillion dollar class, with a GDP of US$1.665 trillion.
Since the
Asian financial crisis of 1997, however, the corporate landscape has changed considerably as a result of massive bankruptcies and government reforms. The crisis exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's economy, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. This led to two rounds of financial and industrial restructuring, in 1997 and again following the collapse of Daewoo in 1999.
[KOIS (2003), pp. 238-239.] Daewoo's collapse has been recorded as one of the world's largest bankruptcies in history. By 2003, just over one-half of the 30 largest chaebol from 1995 remained.
[18 out of 30, according to ]Between 2003 and 2005, economic growth has moderated to about 4% per year. A downturn in consumer spending, attributed to massive personal credit card debt, was offset by rapid export growth especially to China. In 2005, the government proposed labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help make the labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to cool property speculation. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterize this economy.
Transportation
 |
A KTX train stationed at East Daegu station. |
Transportation in South Korea is provided by extensive networks of railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services, and air routes that criss-cross the country.
The
Korean National Railroad provides frequent service to all major South Korean cities. Two rail lines to
North Korea are now being reconnected. The Korean
high-speed railway system is known as
Korea Train Express (KTX).
Major cities have subway systems, including the popular
Seoul Metropolitan Subway. Virtually all towns in South Korea are served by regional bus service.
Highways in South Korea are classified into freeways (expressways/motorways), national highways, and various classifications below the national level. Korea Highway Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route.
The main international
airport is
Incheon International Airport. South Korea's national air carriers are
Korean Air and
Asiana Airlines.
|
The population of South Korea rose rapidly in the late 20th century. |
Most South Koreans live in urban areas, due to rapid migration from the countryside during the country's rapid economic expansion in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.
The capital city of
Seoul is also the country's largest city and chief industrial center. It had 10.3 million inhabitants in 2006, making Seoul one of the most populated single cities in the world.
Other major cities include
Busan (3.65 million),
Incheon (2.63 million),
Daegu (2.53 million),
Daejeon (1.46 million),
Gwangju (1.41 million) and
Ulsan (1.10 million).
[Populations for all cities as of 2005, given by ]The population has also been shaped by international migration. Following the
division of the Korean peninsula after
WWII, about 4 million people from North Korea crossed the border to South Korea. This trend of net entry reversed over the next 40 years due to emigration, 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 previous decade. Many of those who left the country chose to return.
Although small, the percentage of non-Koreans in South Korea has risen rapidly in the early 21st century. Officially, as of April 2005, the total number of known foreign labourers in South Korea stood at 378,000, 52% of whom were in the country without authorization.
This foreign workforce mainly comes from South Asian and
Southeast Asian nations. There are also many workers from the former
Soviet Union countries and
Nigeria. In addition to these workers, there are about 11,000
ex-pat English teachers and around 36,000
US military personnel.
[US military figures as of 2003, from [1] Tim Kane Global U.S. Troop Deployment, 1950-2003]About 46% of South Korean citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Of the remainder,
Christians account for 27.3% of the population and
Buddhists 25.3%.
There is also a percentage of the Islamic faith. Buddhism is stronger in the east of the country, namely the
Yeongnam and
Gangwon regions, where it accounts for more than half of the religious population. Christianity, which first gained a foothold in Korea in the late 18th century, grew rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s; in large part by being at the forefront of the social justice movement against the ruling military regimes. South Korea is now the second largest missionary sending nation in the world (after the United States). The largest church in the world,
Yoido Full Gospel Church, is located in Seoul and has approximately 780,000 members (2003 estimate). Including Yoido Full Gospel, 11 of the world's 12 largest churches are located in Seoul (see
Korean Christianity). In addition to these formal religions, many Koreans follow
Confucian customs, and many Buddhists combine that religion with
Korean Shamanism. Islam arrived in Korea in the beginning of the 11th century under the Koryo Dynasty. See
Islam in Korea.
|
South Korean Marines in Iraq. |
In its foreign relations, South Korea is primarily concerned with North Korea and the neighboring countries of China, Japan, and Russia, as well as its main ally, the
United States. The US was the primary driver in the establishment and initial sustenance of the South Korea government in the 1950s; however, since the 1990s the two nations have often been at odds with regard to their policy towards
North Korea.
South Korea and China established formal diplomatic relations on August 24, 1992, despite previous hostility dating back to the Korean War. South Korea's relations with Japan continue to be turbulent, primarily due to a number of
Korean-Japanese disputes stemming from
Japanese occupation in addition to other Japanese
war atrocities against other Asians.
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 enter the opening ceremonies together but still compete as separate teams, show a new and more optimistic side to the North-South relationship.
In addition, South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 170 countries. The country has also been a member of the
United Nations since 1991, when it joined at the same time as North Korea. It has also developed links with
ASEAN as both a member of "ASEAN Plus three" and the
East Asia Summit (EAS).
The South Korean military is composed of the
Republic of Korea Army (ROKA),
Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN),
Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), and
Republic of Korea Marine Corps (ROKMC), together with reserve forces. Many of these forces are concentrated near the border with North Korea. All South Korean males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically for a period of 24 months.
From time to time, South Korea has sent its troops overseas to assist American forces. South Korea dispatched 320,000 troops to fight alongside American soldiers in the
Vietnam War. Most recently, South Korea sent 3,200 troops in the form of the
Zaytun Division to assist with reconstruction efforts in northern
Iraq.
|
Taekwondo sparring match. |
Taekwondo, a popular
martial art, originated in Korea. Taekwondo means
the way of the foot, the way of the fist, and the way of life, although the emphasis lies on the kicks. It became standard military training in South Korea, and in 1961 the rules were standardized and taekwondo became an official
Olympic sport in 2000. Other Korean martial arts include
hapkido and
taekkyeon.
Baseball was first introduced in Korea by an American missionary named
Phillip Gillette in 1905 and has since become the most popular spectator sport in South Korea.
[KOIS (2003), p. 632.] The first South Korean professional sports league was the
Korea Baseball Association, established in 1982. During the
2006 World Baseball Classic, South Korea reached the final four before losing to Japan. Prior to that final match, the South Korean team was the only undefeated team, and had beaten Japan twice and the United States once.
Other popular sports in South Korea include
baseball,
basketball,
football,
golf,
tennis, and
ice hockey. Women's golf is especially strong, with over 30 South Koreans playing on the world's leading women's tour, the
U.S. LPGA Tour, including stars such as future
Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak. Rising star
Michelle Wie is also of Korean heritage, with both parents from South Korea. South Korea's Olympic teams have also traditionally performed strongly in
archery,
boxing,
judo,
short track speed skating,
taekwondo, and
wrestling.
In 1988, South Korea hosted the
Summer Olympics in Seoul. There is an ongoing campaign to have a future
Winter Olympics held in
Pyeongchang County. South Korea has hosted the
Asian Games on numerous occasions.
The
2002 FIFA World Cup was jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, and
South Korea became the first
Asian team to reach the semi-finals. During the
2006 Winter Olympics in
Turin the South Korean short track team dominated their event, taking home six of the eight gold medals available as well as three silvers and one bronze. Skaters
Ahn Hyun Soo and
Jin Sun-Yu were the second and third persons in the Games to win three gold medals.
The
Korea Republic national football team, also known as the "
Taeguk Warriors", qualified for the
2006 FIFA World Cup in
Germany for their sixth consecutive World Cup.
*
*
Discover Korea and its cuisine*
Information about Working and Living in South Korea *
BBC News - Country Profile: South Korea*
Encyclopaedia Britannica, South Korea - Country Page*[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ks.html CIA World Factbook -
South Korea]
*
Guardian Unlimited - Special Report: North and South Korea*
Korea.net: Gateway to Korea portal from the KOIS government agency
*
Korea National Statistical Office*
Korea Peace Network summary of past/current American policy towards Korea
*
Library of Congress - Country Study: South Korea data as of June 1990
*
National Assembly official site
*
Open Directory Project - South Korea directory category
*
South Korea Stock Market summary of the South Korea stock market
*
The Blue House official presidential site
*
Tour2Korea operated by Korea National Tourism Organization
*
Yahoo! - South Korea directory category
*
Yahoo! News - Full Coverage: South Korea*
Galbijim Wiki for expats in Koreazh-yue:大"民國
