n the southern half of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Peninsula. It is neighbored by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China to the west,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan to the east, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_Korea to the north. Its capital is
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul. South Korea lies in a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/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 50 million.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-chosun1-4 Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Lower_Paleolithic.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-5http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-6 http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_history begins with the founding of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gojoseon in 2333
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Before_Christ by the legendary
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Dan-gun. Following the unification of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea under
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Silla 668 AD,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea went through the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goryeo_Dynasty and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Joseon_Dynasty as one nation until the end of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Empire in 1910, when Korea was annexed by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan. After
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Division_of_Korea by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Democracy. A
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_War between the two Koreas ended in an uneasy cease-fire, and the border between the two nations is currently the most heavily-fortified in the world.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-border-7 After the war, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Economy_of_South_Korea grew significantly and the country was transformed into a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/G-20_major_economieshttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-8 and a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Democracy_Index.
South Korea is a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Presidential_system http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic consisting of sixteen
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_South_Korea and is a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Developed_country with a very high
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index. It has the fourth largest economy in Asia and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal) in the world nominally and the 13th largest by purchasing power parity.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-9 The economy is export-driven, with production focusing on
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Electronics,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Automotive_industry,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shipbuilding,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Machinery,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Petrochemical and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Robotics. South Korea is a member of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/WTO,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/OECD and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/G-20_major_economies. It is also a founding member of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/APEC and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/East_Asia_Summit.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Government_of_South_Korea Like many democracies,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-10 South Korea's government is divided into three branches:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Executive_(government),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Judiciary, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Legislature. 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Constitution_of_the_Republic_of_Korea. This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 at independence. However, it has retained many broad characteristics and with the exception of the short-lived
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Second_Republic_of_South_Korea, the country has always had a presidential system with an independent chief executive.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-11 The first direct
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Elections_in_South_Korea was also held in 1948. Although South Korea experienced a series of military dictatorships since the 1960s up until the 1980s, it has since developed into a successful
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Liberal_democracy. Today, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/The_World_Factbook describes South Korea's democracy as a "fully functioning modern democracy".
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-ciawfb-12
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/History_of_Korea Korean history begins with the legendary founding of Joseon (often known as "
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gojoseon" to prevent confusion with another dynasty founded in the 14th century; the prefix Go- means 'old' or 'earlier') in 2333
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Before_the_Common_Era by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Dangun.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-koreashistory-13 Gojoseon expanded until it controlled much of the northern Korean Peninsula and parts of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Manchuria, a total territory nearly the size of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Western_Europe. After numerous wars with the Chinese
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Han_Dynasty, Gojoseon disintegrated, leading to the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Proto-Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea period.
In the early centuries of the Common Era,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Buyeo_Kingdom,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Okjeo,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Dongye, and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samhan confederacy occupied the peninsula and southern Manchuria. Of the various small states,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goguryeo,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Baekje, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Silla grew to control the peninsula as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea. The unification of the Three Kingdoms by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Unified_Silla in 676 led to the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_South_States_Period, in which much of the Korean Peninsula was controlled by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Unified_Silla, while
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Balhae succeeded the northern parts of Goguryeo. In
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Unified_Silla, 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goryeo in 935.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/History_of_the_Khitans in 926.
After the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_South_States_Period,
[http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed] successor states fought for control during the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Later_Three_Kingdoms period. The peninsula was soon united by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Taejo_of_Goryeo of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goryeo. Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jikji in 1377, using the world's oldest movable metal
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Printing_press.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-14 The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mongol_invasions_of_Korea in the 13th century greatly weakened Goryeo. After nearly 30 years of war, Goryeo continued to rule Korea, though as a tributary ally to the Mongols. After the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mongolian_Empire collapsed, severe political strife followed and the Goryeo Dynasty was replaced by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Joseon_Dynasty in 1388 following a rebellion by General
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Taejo_of_Joseon.
King Taejo declared the new name of Korea as "Joseon" in reference to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gojoseon, and moved the capital to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul. The first 200 years of the Joseon Dynasty were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hangul by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sejong_the_Great_of_Joseon in the 14th century and the rise in influence of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Confucianism in the country.
Between 1592 and 1598, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japanese_invasions_of_Korea.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi led the forces and tried to invade
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Asia through Korea, but was eventually repelled by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Righteous_army and assistance from
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ming_Dynasty http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/China. This war also saw the rise of Admiral
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yi_Sun-sin and his renowned "
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Turtle_ship". In the 1620s and 1630s, Joseon suffered from
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Manchu_invasion_of_Korea who eventually conquered all of China.
After another series of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Second_Manchu_invasion_of_Korea, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yeongjo_of_Joseon and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeongjo_of_Joseon especially led a new renaissance of the Joseon Dynasty.
However, the latter years of the Joseon Dynasty were marked by excessive dependence on China for external affairs and isolation from the outside world. During the 19th century, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hermit_Kingdom". The Joseon Dynasty tried to protect itself against Western
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Imperialism, but was eventually forced to open trade. After the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sino-Japanese_War and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War, Korea came under
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_under_Japanese_rule (1910-1945). At the end of World War II, the Japanese surrendered to Soviet and U.S. forces who occupied the northern and southern halves of Korea, respectively.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/History_of_South_Korea Despite the initial plan of a unified Korea in the 1943
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cairo_Declaration, escalating
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cold_War antagonism between the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Soviet_Union and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States eventually led to the establishment of separate governments, each with its own ideology, leading to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Division_of_Korea into two political entities in 1948:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_Korea and South Korea. In the North, a former anti-Japanese guerrilla and communist activist,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kim_Il-sung gained power through Soviet support, and in the South, an exiled and right-wing Korean political leader,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Syngman_Rhee, was installed as president.
On 25 June 1950,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_Korea invaded South Korea with military force which led to the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_War. At the time, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Soviet_Union had boycotted the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations (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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China backed North Korea, with the later participation of millions of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Liberation_Army. 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-15 In 1960,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/April_Revolution led to the resignation of the autocratic President
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Syngman_Rhee. A period of political instability followed, broken by General
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Park_Chung-hee's http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Supreme_Council_for_National_Reconstruction (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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Export-oriented_industrialization 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Coup_d'état by General
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chun_Doo-hwan against the transitional government of
http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Choi_Gyu_Ha&action=edit&redlink=1, the interim president and a former prime minister under Park. Chun assumed the presidency. His
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Coup_d'état_of_December_Twelfth triggered nationwide protests demanding
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Democracy, in particular in the city of Gwangju, in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeollanam-do, where Chun sent special forces to violently suppress the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwangju_Democratization_Movement.
Chun and his government held Korea under a despotic rule until 1987, when
http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Park_Jong_Chul&action=edit&redlink=1-a student attending
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul_National_University-was tortured to death. On 10 June, the
http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Catholic_Priests'_Association_for_Justice&action=edit&redlink=1 revealed Park's torture, igniting huge demonstrations around the country. Eventually, Chun's party, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Democratic_Justice_Party, and its leader,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/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,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kim_Dae-Jung and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kim_Young-Sam.
In 1988, Seoul successfully hosted the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/1988_Summer_Olympics, and continuing economic development led to membership in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Organization_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Development (OECD) in 1996. As with many of its Asian neighbors, South Korea was adversely affected by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/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 "
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sunshine_Policy" of engagement, a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Inter-Korean_Summit took place in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Later that year, Kim received the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize "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."
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-16 In 2002, South Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan jointly co-hosted the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2002_FIFA_World_Cup, however
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/JapanâKorea_relations later
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/JapanâKorea_disputes due to conflicting claims of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sovereignty over the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Liancourt_Rocks (Dokdo in Korean), in what became known as the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Liancourt_Rocks_dispute.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_South_Korea South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with more than 188 countries. The country has also been a member of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. On January 1, 2007, South Korean Foreign Minister
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ban_Ki-moon assumed the post of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations_Secretary-General. It has also developed links with the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations as both a member of
ASEAN Plus three, a body of observers, and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/East_Asia_Summit (EAS).
Beginning in May 2007, South Korea and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/European_Union have been negotiating a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/European_Union-Korea_Free_Trade_Agreement to reduce trade barriers.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-17 South Korea is also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Canada,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-18 and another with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/New_Zealand.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-19 In November 2009, South Korea made its accession to the OECD
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Development_Assistance_Committee marking the first time a former aid recipient country has joined the group as a donor member. South Korea has also agreed to host the G-20 Summit in Seoul in 2010.
Historically, Korea has had relatively close relations with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/China. Before the formation of South Korea, Korean independence fighters worked with Chinese soldiers during the Japanese occupation. However, after
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/World_War_II, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China embraced
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Maoism while South Korea sought close relations with the United States. The PRC assisted North Korea with manpower and supplies during the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_War, 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
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-autogenerated2-20 South Korean-Chinese relations have improved steadily since 1992.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-autogenerated2-20 The Republic of Korea broke off official relations with the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_China upon gaining official relations with the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-21
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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Treaty_on_Basic_Relations_between_Japan_and_the_Republic_of_Korea in 1965 to establish diplomatic ties. There is heavy
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Anti-Japanese_sentiment_in_Korea due to a number of unsettled
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japanese-Korean_disputes, many of which stem from the period of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_under_Japanese_rule. During
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/World_War_II, more than 100,000 Koreans were forced to serve in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Imperial_Japanese_Army.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-22http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-23 Korean women were lured to the war front to serve the Imperial Japanese Army as sexual slaves, called
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Comfort_women.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-24http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-25 Longstanding issues such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japanese_war_crimes against Korean civilians, the visits by Japanese politicians to the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yasukuni_Shrine honoring Japanese soldiers killed at war (including some class A war criminals), the re-writing of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japanese_history_textbook_controversies related to Japanese acts during World War II, and the territorial disputes over
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Liancourt_Rocks (Dokdo in Korean)
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-26 continue to trouble Korean-Japanese relations. Although Liancourt Rocks are claimed by both Korea and Japan, the islets are currently administered by South Korea, which has its
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Coast_Guard stationed there.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-globalsecurity-27 In response to then-http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Japan
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Junichiro_Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, former
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/President_of_South_Korea Roh Moo-hyun suspended all summit talks between South Korea and Japan.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-28
Both
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_Korea and South Korea continue to officially claim sovereignty over the entire peninsula and any outlying islands. With longstanding animosity following the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_War from 1950 to 1953, North Korea and South Korea signed an agreement to pursue peace.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-autogenerated4-29 On October 4, 2007, Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kim_Jong-il 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-autogenerated4-29 Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_Korean_missile_tests in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/1993_North_Korean_missile_test,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/1998_North_Korean_missile_test,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2006_North_Korean_nuclear_test and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2009_North_Korean_nuclear_test. As of early 2009
[update], relationships between North and South Korea were very tense; North Korea had been reported to have deployed missiles,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-30 ended its former agreements with South Korea,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-31 and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-32 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-border-7 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Proliferation_Security_Initiative. To further complicate and intensify strains between the two nations, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/ROKS_Cheonan_sinking in March 2010, killing 46 seamen, is as of May 20, 2010 claimed by a team of researchers around the world
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-33 to have been caused by a North Korean torpedo, which the North denies. South Korea agreed with the findings from the research group and President Lee Myung-bak declared in May 2010 that Seoul would cut all trade with North Korea as part of measures primarily aimed at striking back at North Korea diplomatically and financially.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-34 As a result of this, North Korea severed all ties, completely abrogated the previous pact of non aggression and expelled all South Koreans from
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kaesong_Industrial_Region.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-35
The United States engaged in the decolonization of Korea (mainly in the South, with the Soviet Union engaged in 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, U.S. forces were sent to defend South Korea against invasion by North Korea and later China. Following the ceasefire, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to a "Mutual Defense Treaty", under which an attack on either party would summon a response from both. Currently, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/US_Eighth_Army,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seventh_Air_Force and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Commander_Naval_Forces_Korea are stationed in South Korea. The two nations have strong economic, diplomatic and military ties, although they have at times disagreed with regards to policies towards North Korea. In 2007, a free trade agreement known as the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Korea_â_United_States_Free_Trade_Agreement (KORUS FTA) was signed between South Korea and the United States, but has not yet been approved by the legislative bodies of the two countries.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Armed_Forces A long history of invasions by neighbors and the unresolved tension with North Korea have prompted South Korea to allocate 2.6% of its GDP and 15% of all government spending to its military, while maintaining compulsory conscription for men.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-36 Consequently, South Korea has the world's sixth largest number of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_total_troops,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-South_Korea-37 the world's second-largest number of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_size_of_armed_forceshttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-South_Korea-37 and the twelfth largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_military_expenditures. The Republic of Korea, with a regular military force numbering 3.7 million regular personnel among a total national population of 50 million people, has the second highest number of soldiers per capita in the world,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-South_Korea-37 after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-38 The South Korean military consists of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Army (ROKA), the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Navy (ROKN), the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Air_Force (ROKAF), and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Marine_Corps (ROKMC), and reserve forces.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-39 Many of these forces are concentrated near the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone. 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".
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-40 Along with ROK soldiers, some Korean males are selected to serve two years in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/KATUSA Program.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-41 The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Korean_army has 2,300
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tank in operation,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-42 including the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/K1A1 and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/K2_Black_Panther. The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Navy has the world's sixth largest fleet of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Destroyer, including the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/King_Sejong_the_Great_class_destroyer, which has an
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Aegis_combat_system system.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-43 The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Republic_of_Korea_Airforce operates the ninth largest air force in the world,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-44 including
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States fighters such as the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/F-15K,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/KF-16, and the indigenous
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/T-50_Golden_Eagle.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-45 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,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Australia,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Philippines,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/New_Zealand and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Vietnam soldiers in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Vietnam_War, with a peak strength of 50,000. Most recently, South Korea sent 3,300 troops of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Zaytun_Division to help re-building in northern
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Iraq, and was the 3rd largest contributor in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Multinational_force_in_Iraq after only the US and Britain.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-46 The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Troop in South Korea since the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_War to defend South Korea in case of a North Korean attack. There are also approximately 29,000
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States_Forces_Korea,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-47 most of them serving one year of unaccompanied tours. The American troops, which primarily are assigned to the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Eighth_United_States_Army are stationed in installations at
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Osan, Yongsan,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Dongducheon, Sungbuk, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daegu. A still functioning
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations_Command_(Korea) is technically the top of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chain_of_command 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 joint-warfighting command, provisionally described as Korea Command (KORCOM).
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-48
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_South_Korea- See also http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Special_cities_of_Korea and http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Provinces_of_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 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hangul | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hanja | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Population |
|---|
| Special city (Teukbyeolsi)a |
|---|
| 1 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul | 서울특별시 | 서울特別市 | 10,421,782 |
| Metropolitan cities (Gwangyeoksi)a |
|---|
| 2 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan | 부산광역시 | 釜山廣域市 | 3,635,389 |
| 3 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daegu | 대구광역시 | 大邱廣域市 | 2,512,604 |
| 4 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon | 인천광역시 | 仁川廣域市 | 2,628,000 |
| 5 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwangju | 광주광역시 | 光州廣域市 | 1,415,953 |
| 6 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daejeon | 대전광역시 | 大田廣域市 | 1,442,857 |
| 7 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ulsan | 울산광역시 | 蔚山廣域市 | 1,087,958 |
| Provinces (Do)a |
|---|
| 8 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 경기도 | 京畿道 | 10,415,399 |
| 9 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gangwon-do_(South_Korea) | 강원도 | 江原道 | 1,592,000 |
| 10 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chungcheongbuk-do (Northern Chungcheong) | 충청북도 | 忠淸北道 | 1,462,621 |
| 11 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chungcheongnam-do (Southern Chungcheong) | 충청남도 | 忠淸南道 | 1,840,410 |
| 12 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeollabuk-do (Northern Jeolla) | 전라북도 | 全羅北道 | 1,890,669 |
| 13 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeollanam-do (Southern Jeolla) | 전라남도 | 全羅南道 | 1,994,287 |
| 14 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongsangbuk-do (Northern Gyeongsang) | 경상북도 | 慶尙北道 | 2,775,890 |
| 15 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongsangnam-do (Southern Gyeongsang) | 경상남도 | 慶尙南道 | 2,970,929 |
| Special self-governing province (Teukbyeoljachi-do)a |
|---|
| 16 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeju-do (Jeju-do) | 제주특별자치도 | 濟州特別自治道 | 560,000 |
a http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Revised_Romanisation_of_Korean.
Main articles:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Geography_of_South_Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_parks_of_South_Korea South Korea occupies the southern portion of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Peninsula, which extends some 680 miles (1,100 km) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yellow_Sea to the west, and the East Sea(
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sea_of_Japan) to the east. Its southern tip lies on the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Strait and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/East_China_Sea.
The country's total area is 38,622.57 square miles (100,032.00 km
2).
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-49 South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Coastal_plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Drainage_basin, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nakdong_River.
South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Arable_land.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Lowland, 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeju-do 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:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hallasan, an extinct
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Volcano, reaches 1,950 meters (6,398 ft) above sea level. The most eastern islands of South Korea include
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ulleungdo and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Liancourt_Rocks (Dokdo), while
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Marado and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Socotra_Rock are the southernmost islands of South Korea.
South Korea has 20 national parks and some popular nature places like
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Boseong Tea Field,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Suncheon_Ecological_Park in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Jeolla province.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Climate_of_South_Korea South Korea tends to have a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Humid_continental_climate and a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate, and is affected by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/East_Asian_monsoon, with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology) heavier in summer during a short rainy season called
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/East_Asian_rainy_season (장마), which begins end of June through the end of July. Winters can be extremely cold with the minimum temperature dropping to -20 °C in the northernmost part of the country: in Seoul, the average January temperature range is −7 °
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Celsius to 1 °C (19 °
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Fahrenheit 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tropical_cyclone that bring strong winds and heavy rains. The average annual
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology) varies from 1,370 millimeters (54
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Inch) in Seoul to 1,470 millimeters (58 inches) in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan. There are occasional typhoons that bring high winds and floods.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Environment_of_South_Korea During the first 20 years of South Korea's growth surge, little effort was made to preserve the environment.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-74.125.155.132-51 Unchecked industrialization and urban development have resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-52 However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including a government run $84 billion five-year
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Green_growth project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-UK.news.yahoo.com-53http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-54 The green-based economic strategy is a comprehensive overhaul of South Korea's economy, utilizing nearly two percent of the national GDP.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-UK.news.yahoo.com-53 The greening initiative includes such efforts as a nation wide bike network, solar and wind energy, lowering oil dependent vehicles, backing daylight savings and extensive usage of environmentally friendly technologies such as LEDs in electronics and lighting.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-South_Korea.E2.80.99s_green_new_deal-55 The country - already the world's most wired - plans to build a nationwide next-generation network which will be 10 times faster than current broadband facilities in order to reduce energy usage.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-South_Korea.E2.80.99s_green_new_deal-55 Seoul's
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tap_water recently became safe to drink, with city officials branding it "Arisu" in a bid to convince the public.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-56 Efforts have also been made with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Afforestation projects. Another multi-billion dollar project was the restoration of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cheonggyecheon, a stream running through downtown Seoul that had earlier been paved over by a motorway.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-57 One major challenge is air quality, with acid rain, sulphur oxides, and annual yellow dust storms being particular problems.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-74.125.155.132-51 It is acknowledged that many of these difficulties are a result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-74.125.155.132-51 South Korea is a member of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Protocol_on_Environmental_Protection_to_the_Antarctic_Treaty,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Antarctic_Treaty_System,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Convention_on_Biological_Diversity,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol (forming the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), regarding
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/UNFCCC,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-58 with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mexico and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Switzerland),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_to_Combat_Desertification,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/CITES,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Environmental_Modification_Convention,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Basel_Convention,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_Nations_Convention_on_the_Law_of_the_Sea,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Convention_for_the_Prevention_of_Marine_Pollution_by_Dumping_from_Ships_and_Aircraft,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Comprehensive_Nuclear-Test-Ban_Treaty,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Montreal_Protocol,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/MARPOL_73/78,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/International_Tropical_Timber_Agreement,_1983,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/International_Tropical_Timber_Agreement,_1994,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ramsar_Convention, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/International_Convention_for_the_Regulation_of_Whaling.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-59
| Economy of South Korea |
|---|
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:South_Korea's_GDP_(PPP)_growth_from_1911_to_2008.png
South Korea's real GDP growth from 1911 to 2008, in millions of 1990 http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/International_dollar. This rapid growth is termed the http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Miracle_on_the_Han_River. |
| Currency | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Korean_Won (W) |
|---|
| http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Fiscal_year | Calendar yearfif ranke |
|---|
| Trade organisations | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Asia-Pacific_Economic_Cooperation, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/WTO and http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/OECD |
|---|
| Statistics |
|---|
| http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gross_domestic_product | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Purchasing_power_parity: $1.356 trillion (2009 est.)
Nominal: $809.7 billion (2009 est.)
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP) rank: 13th (2008[update])
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal) rank: 15th (2008[update]) |
|---|
| GDP growth | 0.2% (2009)http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-60 |
|---|
| GDP per capita | PPP: $28,000 (2009) |
|---|
| GDP by sector | agriculture (3.0%), industry (39.5%), services (57.6%) (2008 est.) |
|---|
| http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Inflation (http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Consumer_price_index) | 2.8% (2009 est.) |
|---|
| http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gini_index | 31.3 (2007) |
|---|
| Labour force | 24.37 million (2009 est.) |
|---|
Labour force
by occupation | agriculture (7.2%), industry (25.1%), services (67.7%) (2008 est.) |
|---|
| http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Unemployment | 4.1% (2009 est.) |
|---|
| Main industries | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Electronics, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Automobile production, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chemical_industry, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shipbuilding, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Steel, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Textile, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Clothing, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Footwear, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Food_processing, treatment |
|---|
| External |
|---|
| Exports | $355.1 billion (2009[update])http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-cia1-61 |
|---|
| Export goods | semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals |
|---|
| Main export partners | the http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China 25.5%, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States 10.9%, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan 6.4% (2008[update]) |
|---|
| Imports | $313.4 billion (2009[update])http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-cia1-61 |
|---|
| Import goods | machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics |
|---|
| Main import partners | The http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/People's_Republic_of_China 19.2%, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan 15.1%, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States 8.8%, http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Saudi_Arabia 6.1% (2008[update]) |
|---|
| Gross external debt | $333.6 billion (2009[update])http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-cia1-61 |
|---|
| Public finances |
|---|
| Public debt | 28% of GDP (2009[update])http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-cia1-61 |
|---|
| Revenues | $191.5 billion (2009 est.) |
|---|
| Expenses | $227.2 billion (2009 est.) |
|---|
| Economic aid | ODA, $699 million (http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Development_Assistance_Committee) (2007[update])http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-62 |
|---|
| Credit rating | A1http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-63 |
|---|
| Foreign reserves | $270.9 billion (November 2009[update]) |
|---|
Main data source: CIA World Fact Book
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States_dollar |
See also:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_South_Korean_regions_by_GDP South Korea is a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Developed_country and had one of the world's fastest growing economies from the early 1960s to the late 1990s.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-68 Koreans call this rapid transformation the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Miracle_on_the_Han_River. The growth surge was achieved by concentrating on labor-intensive manufactured exports.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-69 As of 2009, South Korea is the world's
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_exports.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-koreatimes1-70 A member of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/OECD, South Korea is classified as a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/High_income_economy by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/World_Bank_Group, an
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Developed_country by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/IMF and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/CIAhttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-qq-71http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-cia-72 and a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Developed_market by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/FTSE_Group. It has a very high
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Human_Development_Index, measuring particularly high in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Education_Index, where it is ranked first in Asia and seventh worldwide. South Korea is currently ranked as the most
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Global_Innovation_Index country in the world among major economies in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Global_Innovation_Index.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-73 South Korea is the current chair of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/G-20_major_economies and will be the first country in Asia to host the G-20 summit when it does so in Seoul in November 2010. It is one of the 24 selected (including the European Commission) OECD members in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Development_Assistance_Committee, a group of the world's major donor countries contributing to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Development_aid and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Poverty_reduction in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Developing_countries. It is also a founding member of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/APEC,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/ASEAN_Plus_Three and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/East_Asia_Summit.
The South Korean economy is led by large conglomerates known as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chaebol. These include global multinational brands such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samsung,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LG and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hyundai_Kia_Automotive_Group. The 10 largest companies by market value in 2009 were
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samsung_Electronics,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/POSCO,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hyundai_Motor,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/KB_Kookmin_Bank,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Electric_Power,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samsung_Life_Insurance,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shinhan_Financial_Group,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LG_Electronics,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hyundai_Mobis,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LG_Chem, and 6 of them are
chaebol subsidiaries.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-74http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-75 As the largest of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Four_Asian_Tigers, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Korean_economy is the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP) in Asia and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP) in the world. In 2009, South Korea was the world's eighth largest exporter.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-koreatimes1-70 It is the third largest trading partner of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/China and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-76http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-77 the seventh largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_the_largest_trading_partners_of_the_United_Stateshttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-78 and the eighth largest trading partner of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/European_Union.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-79 It ranks 31st in the world for economic freedom, and its economy is considered "moderately free".
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-80 South Korea is the world's largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shipbuilding,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-shipbuilding1-81http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-shipbuilding2-82 and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_countries_by_motor_vehicle_production in the world.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-83 It is Asia's largest exporter of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Oil_products.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-84 South Korea's
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samsung_C&T built
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Burj_Khalifa, the world's tallest building.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-85 The GDPs of the country's provinces range from $17,858 in Daegu to $63,817 in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ulsan, as measured in US dollars.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-86 It is home to the world's largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Automobile assembly plant operated by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hyundai_Motor,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-87 the world's largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shipyard operated by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hyundai_Heavy_Industrieshttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-88 and the world's largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Oil_refinery owned by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/SK_Energy.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-89 Its capital,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul, is consistently placed among the world's top ten
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Financial and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Commercial_district cities
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-forbes1-90http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-91 and was named the world's sixth most economically powerful city by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Forbeshttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-forbes1-90 with a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/GDP_per_capita of $32,171 in 2008.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-imf2-1http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-92http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-93http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-imf-94 South Korea is pursuing a large number of multi-billion dollar developments, most notably the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Media_City in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Centum_City in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Songdo_International_City in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon. The 133-
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Floor http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Supertall http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Media_City_Landmark_Building is slated to become the world's second tallest building in 2015, housing the world's tallest observatory and hotels, while the 151-
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Floor http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Supertall http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/151_Incheon_Tower will become the world's tallest twin towers in 2014. Centum City is home to the world's largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Department_store, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shinsegae http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Centum_City, which set a new
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Guinness_World_Record in 2009.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-95
South Korea is ranked first in the world in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Opportunity_Index, and first among major economies in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Global_Innovation_Index. The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Media_City in Seoul is the first
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/High-tech complex in the world for digital technologies and a test-bed for new futuristic concepts such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ubiquitous_computing.
South Korea has a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/High-tech http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Infrastructure and is the most
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Wire country in the world,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-99 with the world's highest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Broadband_internet_access per capita,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-100http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-101 and the fastest average
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Internet connections with a nationwide 100Mbps
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Fibre-optic network that is currently being upgraded to 1Gbps by 2012.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-102 In
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Consumer_electronics, South Korea is the world's largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LCD,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/OLED,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Plasma_display maker.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-103 The South Korean companies
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samsung and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LG_Group are among the top three manufacturers of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Televisionshttp://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-104 and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mobile_phones.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-105 Samsung is currently the world's most valued consumer electronics brand.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-106 South Korea is one of the world's leading technology innovators, having the third largest number of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Patent in force worldwide, after
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Japan and the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-107 It has the world's highest patent filings per
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/GDP and the highest patent filings per
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/R&D expenditure, as well as the second highest patent filings per million
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Population. Among
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Developed_countries, it has the fastest patent filing growth at over 14.8% in 2007.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-108 The government is also investing in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Robotics industry.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-autogenerated5-109http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-autogenerated3-110 There are also plans to develop other sectors, including
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Financial_services,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Biotechnology and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Aerospace industries.
South Korea was the first country to start
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Multimedia_Broadcasting in 2005,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-111 which has now rolled out nation-wide. South Korea's telecom industry developed
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/WiBro, a high-speed mobile broadband internet service, which was launched for the first time in the world in 2006. South Korea also possesses an advanced
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/3G http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/HSDPA coverage extending to even mountains and underground subway lines.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-112
Main articles:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Transport_in_South_Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_South_Korea 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Expressway_Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korail provides frequent train service to all major South Korean cities. Two rail lines,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongui_Line and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Donghae_Bukbu_Line, to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_Korea are now being reconnected. The Korean
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/High-speed_rail system,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Train_Express, provides high-speed service along
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongbu_Line and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Honam_Line. Major cities-including Seoul,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-115 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,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon_International_Airport, was completed in 2001. By 2007, the airport was serving 30 million passengers a year.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-116 The airport has been selected as the "Best Airport Worldwide" for four consecutive years since 2005 by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Airports_Council_International.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-airport.kr-113 Other international airports include
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gimpo_International_Airport,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gimhae_International_Airport and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeju_International_Airport. There are also seven domestic airports, and a large number of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Heliports.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-117http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Air, founded in 1962, served 21,640,000 passengers, including 12,490,000 international passengers in 2008.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-118 A second carrier,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Asiana_Airlines, established in 1988, also serves domestic and international traffic. Combined, South Korean airlines currently serve 297 international routes.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-119 Smaller airliners, such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeju_Air, provide domestic service with lower fares.
South Korea is the world's sixth largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nuclear_power producer and the second-largest in Asia.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-120 http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_South_Korea 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/
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nuclear_transmutation#Transmutation_of_nuclear_wastes reactor and a high-temperature
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hydrogen generation design. Fuel production and waste handling technologies have also been developed locally. It is also a member of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/ITER project.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Science_and_technology_in_Korea
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Aerospace_Research_Institute South Korea has launched two satellites,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Arirang-1 in 1999 and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Arirang-2 in 2006, as part of its space partnership with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Russia.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-121http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Naro_Space_Center, the first
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Spaceport of South Korea, was completed in 2008 at
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goheung,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeollanam-do. The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Space_Launch_Vehicle was launched from Naro in 2009 but failed.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-122 In April 2008,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yi_So-yeon became the first Korean to fly in space, aboard the Russian
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Soyuz_TMA-12.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Robotics has been included in the list of main national R&D projects in Korea since 2003.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-123 In 2009, the government announced plans to build robot-themed parks in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon_Free_Economic_Zone and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Masan with a mix of public and private funding.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-124 In 2005,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Advanced_Institute_of_Science_and_Technology developed the world's second walking
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Humanoid_robot,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/HUBO. A team in the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology developed the first Korean
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Android,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/EveR-1 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.
Since the 1980s, the Korean government has actively invested in the development of a domestic
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Biotechnology industry, and the sector is projected to grow to $6.5 billion by 2010.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-125 The medical sector accounts for a large part of the production, including production of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hepatitis_A_vaccine and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Antibiotic.
Recently, research and development in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Genetics and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cloning has received increasing attention, with the first successful cloning of a dog,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Snuppy, and the cloning of two females of an endangered species of wolves by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul_National_University in 2007.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-126 The rapid growth of the industry has resulted in significant voids in regulation of ethics, as was highlighted by the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hwang_Woo-Suk#Controversies case involving
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hwang_Woo-Suk.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-127
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Education_in_South_Korea 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/OECD http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment, South Korea came first in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Problem_solving, third in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mathematics and eleventh in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Science.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-128 South Korea's education system is technologically advanced and it is the world's first country to bring high-speed
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Fibre-optic http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Broadband internet access to every primary and secondary school nation-wide. Using this infrastructure, the country has developed the first
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Textbook in the world, which will be distributed for free to every primary and secondary schools nation-wide by 2013.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-129 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-130 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.
Main articles:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Demographics_of_South_Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Koreans 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.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-131 The capital city of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul_National_Capital_Area has 24.5 million inhabitants making it the world's second largest metropolitan area. Other major cities include
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan (3.5 million),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon (2.5 million),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daegu (2.5 million),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daejeon (1.4 million),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwangju (1.4 million) and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ulsan (1 million).
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-132 The population has also been shaped by international migration. Following the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Division_of_Korea 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Canada. South Korea's total population in 1960 was 25 million.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-133 The current population of South Korea is roughly 50,062,000.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-chosun1-4 South Korea is one of the most ethnically homogeneous society in the world with more than 99 per cent of inhabitants having
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Koreans ethnicity.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-134 The Koreans call their ethnic homogeneousity of their society using the word, 단일민족국가 (
Dan-il minjok gook ga, literally means the single race society.) The ethnic homogeneousity of the Korean society is often considered as a power of economic development of South Korea and a strong tool to achieve the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_reunification among the Korean people.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-135 In terms of the foreign nationals, although small, the percentage has been increasing.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-136 As of 2009
[update], South Korea had 1,106,884 foreign residents. This number covers approximately 2 percent of the entire population of South Korea; however, more than half of the foreign nationals have Korean ethnicity with a foreign citizenship. For example,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chinese_people_in_South_Korea make up 56.5% of the total, but approximately 70 percent of the Chinese citizens in Korea are
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Koreans_in_China, PRC citizens of Korean ethnicity.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-ChosunIlbo20090806-137 Regardless of the ethnicity, the Korea National Statistical Office
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-138 counts that there are 28,500
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/United_States_Forces_Korea personnel currently serving in South Korea for 1 year of unaccompanied tour.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-139 In addition, about 43,000 English teachers from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa temporarily reside in Korea.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-140 South Korea's birthrate is the world's lowest.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-141 If this continues, its population is expected to decrease by 13 percent to 42.3 million in 2050,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-142 South Korea's annual birthrate is approximately 9 births per 1000 people.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-143 The average
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Life_expectancy in 2008 was 79.10 years,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-144 which is 40th in the world.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-145
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_cities_in_South_KoreaSee also:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Eight_Provinces_of_Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_regions_of_Korea The figure below lists the twenty largest cities within administrative city limits; the figures below only include long-term residents.
| Largest cities of South Korea |
|---|
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:Gangnampicturefromtheoffice.jpg
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:Haeundae_2008.png
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:Incheon_Skyline_03-08-2009.jpg
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon
| | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_cities_in_South_Korea | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_South_Korea | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_cities_in_South_Korea_by_population | | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_cities_in_South_Korea | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Administrative_divisions_of_South_Korea | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/List_of_cities_in_South_Korea_by_population |
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:Daegu_from_Migliore.jpg
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daegu
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:Daejeon_Skyline.jpg
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daejeon
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/File:Gwangju_Skyline.jpg
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwangju
|
|---|
| 1 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul | 10,464,051 | | 11 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Bucheon | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 884,976 |
| 2 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Busan | 3,574,340 | | 12 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yongin | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 854,054 |
| 3 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Incheon | 2,758,431 | | 13 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ansan | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 739,493 |
| 4 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daegu | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daegu | 2,509,187 | | 14 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cheongju | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chungcheongbuk-do | 648,598 |
| 5 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daejeon | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Daejeon | 1,498,665 | | 15 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeonju | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeollabuk-do | 639,922 |
| 6 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwangju | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwangju | 1,445,828 | | 16 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Anyang,_Gyeonggi | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 623,511 |
| 7 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ulsan | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ulsan | 1,129,827 | | 17 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cheonan | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Chungcheongnam-do | 551,423 |
| 8 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Suwon | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 1,098,449 | | 18 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Namyangju | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 530,699 |
| 9 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seongnam | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 979,035 | | 19 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hwaseong,_Gyeonggi | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 515,162 |
| 10 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goyang | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do | 951,001 | | 20 | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Pohang | http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongsangbuk-do | 513,343 |
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Religion_in_South_Korea| South Korea religiosity |
|---|
| religion | | | percent | |
| No religion(incl. Atheism) | | 46.5% |
| Buddhism | | 22.8% |
| Protestantism | | 18.3% |
| Roman Catholic Church | | 10.9% |
| Other religions | | 0.7% |
| Won Buddhism | | 0.3% |
| Confucianism | | 0.2% |
| Cheondoism | | 0.1% |
| Islam | | 0.1% |
As of 2005, just under half of the South Korean population expressed
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Irreligion preference.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-koreastats-146 Of the rest, most are
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Christianity or
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Buddhism; according to the 2005 census, 29.2% of the population at that time was Christian (18.3% professed to being http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Protestantism and 10.9%
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Church), and 22.8% were Buddhist.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-Korea.net-147http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-148 Other religions include
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Islam_in_Korea and various
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/New_religious_movement such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeungism,
http://wiki.answers.com/w/index.php?title=Daesunism&action=edit&redlink=1,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Cheondoism and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Wonbuddhism. The earliest religion practiced was
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_shamanism.
[http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed] Today,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Freedom_of_religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and there is no
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/State_religion.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-149http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Christianity is South Korea's largest religion, accounting for more than half of all South Korean religious adherents. There are approximately 15 million Christians
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-AFP_religion-150 in South Korea today, with almost two-thirds of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Christians belonging to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Protestant churches, while about 35% belong to the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Catholic Church. Roman Catholicism has been the fastest growing denomination in South Korea since the late 1980s.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-151 The major Christian denominations include
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Presbyterians,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Pentecostals and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Methodists. Seoul contains eleven of the world's twelve largest Christian congregations. The largest Christian church in South Korea,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yoido_Full_Gospel_Church, is located in Seoul.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Pyungkang_Cheil_Presbyterian_Church in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Guro-gu district is one of the largest
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Christian churches in South Korea. South Korea is also the second-largest missionary-sending nation, after the United States.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-152 Buddhism was introduced to Korea in the year 372.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-153 According to the national census as of 2005, South Korea has over 10.7 million Buddhists.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-AFP_religion-150http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-154 Today, about 90% of Korean Buddhists belong to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jogye_Order. Most of the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Treasures_of_South_Korea are Buddhist artifacts. Along with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Neo-Confucianism, Buddhism was also a state religion during the periods from
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goryeo before suppression under the Joseon Dynasty.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-155http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Islam_in_South_Korea has an estimated less than 30,000 native followers, in addition to some 100,000 resident foreign workers from Muslim countries,
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-156 particularly
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Bangladesh and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Pakistan.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-157
The suicide rate in the nation was 26 per 100,000 in 2008, the highest in the industrialized world.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-158
South Korea shares its traditional culture with
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/North_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.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-Fairbank_et_al.-159 The South Korean
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ministry_of_Culture_and_Tourism_(South_Korea) actively encourages the traditional arts, as well as modern forms, through funding and education programs.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-160 The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea have brought many changes to the way
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_people 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Nuclear_family living arrangements.
There are nine
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Sites in South Korea.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_art Korean art has been highly influenced by
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Buddhism_in_Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Confucianism.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_pottery_and_porcelain like
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Joseon_white_porcelain and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Buncheong are well known throughout the world. Also
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_tea_ceremony,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Pansori,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Talchum and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Buchaechum are popular Korean performing arts.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hanbok is the traditional Korean dress. Nowadays, people wear it during traditional festivals and celebrations. It has many germants like
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Dopo_(clothing),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Durumagi and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jeogori, so it is worn as semi-formal or formal wear.
Main articles:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Architecture_of_South_Korea and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_architecture Pre-modern Korean architecture may be divided into two main styles: those used in palace and temple structures, and those used in the houses of common people, which consists 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hahoe_Folk_Village,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yangdong_Village_of_Gyeongju and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_Folk_Village where the traditional Korean architecture is preserved.
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_royal_court_cuisine 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Rice,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Noodle,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tofu, vegetables, fish and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Banchan (반찬), which accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kimchi, 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sesame_oil,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Doenjang (된장), a type of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Fermented_bean_paste,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_soy_sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gochujang (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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Guk (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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jjigae (찌개), a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Stew that is typically heavily seasoned with chili pepper and served boiling hot.
The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Museum_of_Korea is the flagship museum of Korean history and art in South Korea and is the cultural organization that represents
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea. Since its establishment in 1945, the museum has been committed to various studies and research activities in the fields of archaeology, history, and art, continuously developing a variety of exhibitions and education programs.
In October 2005, the museum opened in a new building in Yongsan Family Park in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul,
South Korea. The museum contains over 220,000 pieces in its collection with about 13,000 pieces on display at one time. It displays relics and artifacts throughout six permanent exhibition galleries such as Archaeological Gallery, Historical Gallery, Fine Arts Gallery I, Donation Gallery, Fine Arts Gallery II, and Asian Art Gallery. It is the 6th largest museum in the world in terms of floor space, now covering a total of 137,201 square metres (1,480,000 sq ft).
Opened in 1994, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/War_Memorial_of_Korea in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yongsan-dong,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yongsan-gu,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul,
South Korea offers visitors an educational, yet emotional experience of the many wars in which Korea was involved. Many documents and war memorabilia have been collected and are displayed. The War Memorial has several display rooms and an outdoor exhibition center displaying military equipment.
13,000 items are displayed in its six halls under different themes: Memorial Hall, War History, Korean War, Expeditionary Forces Room, ROK Armed Forces Room, and Large Equipment Room, plus the outside exhibition area. Displayed are various weapons and equipment from prehistoric times to the modern period as well as paintings of battlefields and sculptures of notable warriors and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/An_Jung-geun, who assassinated a former Resident-General in Manchuria in 1909. About 100 large weapons are displayed in the outside exhibition area on the lawns around the building.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Palace_Museum_of_Korea is a national museum of
South Korea located in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongbokgung_Palace,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul. The museum first began as the "Korean Imperial Museum", which was established on September, 1908 and was originally located in Changgyeonggung Palace. On November of the following year, the museum was opened to the public. However, on April, 1938, during the Japanese occupation, the Japanese government downgraded the museum's title to the "Museum of Yi dynasty".
In March, 1946, after the liberation of Korea, it was renamed "Deoksugung Museum". In 1991, Cultural Heritage Administration instituted the museum in Seokjojeon (석조전, Stone Hall) of Deoksugung Palace, and in 2005, the museum was relocated to a modern building inside Gyeongbokgung Palace.
The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Palace_Museum_of_Korea houses over 40,000 artifacts from the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. It holds the 14
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Treasures_of_South_Korea.
The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Folk_Museum_of_Korea is a national museum of South Korea. It is situated on the grounds of the Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Jongno-gu,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul, and uses replicas of historical objects to illustrate the folk history of the Korean people.
The museum was originally sited on
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mt_Namsan, and moved to
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeongbokgung in 1975. The current building was built in 1972 and housed the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Museum_of_Korea until 1986. It was remodelled, and reopened as the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/National_Folk_Museum_of_Korea in 1993.
Another unique museum in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Guro-gu district,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul, is
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/The_Abraham_Park_Kenneth_Vine_Collection museum. This is a Biblical archaeology museum. It is a private museum which has been open for public viewing since 1998.
This museum displays artefacts donated by Dr. Kenneth Vine, a Biblical archaeologist. There are about 2,000 items in the collection and it includes pottery, weapons, lamps, coins, cosmetic bottles and jars from the different eras found in the Bible. There is also a mummy on display from the collection.
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 "
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hallyu" or the "Korean Wave", has swept many countries in Asia and other parts of the world.
Until the 1990s,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Trot_(music) and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ballad dominated Korean popular music. The emergence of the rap group
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seo_Taiji_and_Boys in 1992 marked a turning point for Korean popular music, also known as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/K-Pop, as the group incorporated elements of popular musical genres of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Rap_music,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Rock_music, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Techno 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shiri_(film) in 1999,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_film has begun to gain recognition internationally. Domestic film has a dominant share of the market, partly due to the existence of
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Screen_quotas requiring cinemas to show Korean films at least 73 days a year.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_drama, 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 and elsewhere. The trend has generated internationally known Korean stars and has boosted the image of Korean popular culture. The dramas are popular mostly in Asia. The stories have a wide range, but the most prominent among the export dramas have been romance dramas, such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Winter_Sonata,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Autumn_Fairy_Tale,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Full_House_(2004_TV_series),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/All_About_Eve_(TV_series), and historical/fantasy dramas, such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Dae_Jang_Geum,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/The_Legend_(TV_series),
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Goong and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Boys_Over_Flowers.
South Korean corporations
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Samsung and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LG are the second- and third-largest mobile phone companies in the world, respectively. An estimated 90% of South Koreans own a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mobile_phone. Aside from placing/receiving calls and text messaging, mobile phones in the country are widely used for watching
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Digital_Multimedia_Broadcasting (DMB) or viewing websites. Over one million DMB phones have been sold and the three major wireless communications providers
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/SK_Telecom,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/KT_(telecommunication_company), and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/LG_Telecom provide coverage in all major cities and other areas.
In recent years
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Video_game_culture have become a significant part of Korean culture.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/StarCraft, a
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Real-time_strategy, is by far the most popular televised game in South Korea. Game tournaments, recorded in places like the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/COEX_Mall are often broadcast live on TV stations such as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/MBCGame and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Ongamenet. 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
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/PC_bang which are basically internet cafes, dedicated to LAN games of popular titles like
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kart_Rider,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Maple_Story,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/World_of_Warcraft,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Mabinogi_(video_game) and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Lineage_(video_game).
Main article:
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Sport_in_South_Korea The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Martial_arts http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Taekwondo originated in Korea. In the 1950s and 60s, modern rules were standardised and taekwondo became an official
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Olympic_Games in 2000. Other Korean martial arts include
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Taekkyeon,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hapkido,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Tang_soo_do,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kuk_sool_won,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Kumdo and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Subak.
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Baseball was first introduced to Korea in 1905 and has since become the most popular spectator sport in South Korea.
http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_note-161 The first South Korean professional sports league was the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korea_Baseball_Organization, established in 1982. South Korea finished third during the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2006_World_Baseball_Classic and second during the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2009_World_Baseball_Classic. In the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2008_Summer_Olympics, South Korea won the gold medal in baseball. The
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul_Olympic_Museum is a museum in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul,
South Korea, dedicated to the 1988 Summer Olympics.
In 1988, South Korea hosted the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/1988_Summer_Olympics, coming fourth with 12 gold medals, 10 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. South Korea regularly performs well in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Archery,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Shooting,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Table_tennis,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Badminton,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Short_track_speed_skating,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Team_handball,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Hockey,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Freestyle_wrestling,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Greco-Roman_wrestling,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Baseball,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Judo,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Taekwondo,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Speed_skating,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Figure_Skating, and
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Olympic_weightlifting. South Korea hosted the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Asian_Games in 1986 (Seoul) and 2002 (Busan), and will host again in 2014 (Incheon). It also hosted the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Asian_Winter_Games in 1999, the Winter
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Universiade in 1997 and the Summer Universiade in 2003.
In the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2002_FIFA_World_Cup, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/South_Korean_national_football_team became the first team in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Asian_Football_Confederation to reach the semi-finals.
South Korean athletes have won more medals in the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Winter_Olympics than those of any other Asian country. After the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2010_Winter_Olympics, South Korea has won a total of 45 medals (23 gold, 14 silver, and 8 bronze). South Korea is especially strong in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Short_track_speed_skating, however, ice hockey is coming out hard as
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Anyang_Halla won their first ever
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/ALIH title in March, 2010.
In 2010, South Korea will host their first
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Formula_One race to be staged at the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Korean_International_Circuit in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Yeongam, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) south of Seoul. In 2011, the South Korean city of Daegu will host the
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/2011_World_Championships_in_Athletics.
South Korea has three
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Horse_racing tracks of which
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Seoul_Race_Park in
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gwacheon,
http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Gyeonggi-do is the biggest.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-0 According to Oral Tradition
Savada, Andrea Matles. South Korea: A Country Study. Area handbook series. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.:1992. p109 - ^ http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-imf2_1-0 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-imf2_1-1 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-imf2_1-2 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-imf2_1-3 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-imf2_1-4 "South Korea". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=542&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=93&pr1.y=9. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-ciagini_2-0 Gini index CIA World Fact Book
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-3 Human Development Report 2009 (p. 171, 204)
- ^ http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-chosun1_4-0 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-chosun1_4-1 "Korea's Population Tops 50 Million". English.chosun.com. 2010-02-01. http://English.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/02/01/2010020100263.HTML. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-5 "Ancient civilizations". Rom.on.ca. http://www.ROM.on.ca/news/releases/public.php?mediakey=sg1yebpnv8. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-6 OPM.go.kr
- ^ http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-border_7-0 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-border_7-1 "CNN.com - Koreas agree to military hotline - Jun 4, 2004". Edition.cnn.com. 2004-06-04. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/06/03/koreas.agree/index.HTML. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-8 "South Korea :: Economic and social developments". http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Encyclopædia_Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/322280/South-Korea/34997/Economic-and-social-developments. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-9 "Inside JoongAng Daily". Joongangdaily.joins.com. 2010-02-08. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2916336. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-10 "The Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Democracy 2008" (PDF). http://a330.g.akamai.net/7/330/25828/20081021185552/graphics.eiu.com/PDF/Democracy%20Index%202008.pdf. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-11 "South Korea - Constitution". International Constitutional Law. http://www.servat.unibe.ch/icl/ks00000_.HTML. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-ciawfb_12-0 "Korea, South". http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/The_World_Factbook. http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency. 10 February 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.HTML. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-koreashistory_13-0 "Korea's History". AsianInfo. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/Korea/history.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-14 "Digital Jikji". Digital Jikji. http://www.digitaljikji.net/digital_jikji/main.asp. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-15 Korean War (1950-53). Britannica Online Encyclopedia.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-16 "The Nobel Peace Prize 2000". The Nobel Foundation. 2000. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2000/index.HTML. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-17 "External Trade - Trade Issues - South Korea". European Commission. December 2008. http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/countries/Korea/index_en.htm. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-18 "Canada-Korea - Free Trade Agreement Negotiations". Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. 5 January 2009. http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/agr-acc/Korea-coree/index.aspx?lang=en. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-19 "South Korea, New Zealand launch FTA negotiations _English_Xinhua". News.xinhuanet.com. 2009-03-03. http://news.xinhuanet.com/English/2009-03/03/content_10933684.htm. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- ^ http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-autogenerated2_20-0 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-autogenerated2_20-1 "Asia Times - News and analysis from Korea; North and South". Atimes.com. 2004-09-11. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FI11Dg03.HTML. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-21 South Korea CIA World Factbook
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-22 A Brief History of the US-Korea Relations Prior to 1945. "While less than 100 Koreans in America enlisted in the US military during World War II, more than 100,000 Koreans served in the Japanese army as officers and soldiers. There were two Korean Lt. Generals in the Japanese Army: a Chosun prince, whose rank was honorary and who commanded no troops; and Lt. Gen. Hong Sa-Ik, who was a professional military man from the old Chosun army."
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-23 "Truth Commission on Forced Mobilization under the Japanese Imperialism Republic of Korea.". http://www.gangje.go.kr/admin_view0305.asp?idx=711&page=1. Retrieved 18/03/9.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-24 "Japan's Responsibility Toward Comfort Women Survivors.". http://www.jpri.org/publications/workingpapers/wp77.HTML. Retrieved 27/09/9.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-25 "Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues Inc". Comfort-women.org. http://www.comfort-women.org/index.php. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-26 Dynamic-Korea.com
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-globalsecurity_27-0 "Liancourt Rocks / Takeshima / Dokdo / Tokto", http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Globalsecurity
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-28 "President Roh Moo-hyun will not hold a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi until Koizumi stops visits to Japan's Yasukuni shrine". http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/Voice_of_America. 17 March 2006. http://www.voanews.com/Korean/archive/2006-03/2006-03-17-voa12.cfm. Retrieved 2009-02-15.
- ^ http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-autogenerated4_29-0 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-autogenerated4_29-1 "FACTBOX - North, South Korea pledge peace, prosperity". Reuters. Thomson Reuters. 4 October 2007. http://UK.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKSEO16392220071004. Retrieved 2009-02-17.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-30 "N Korea 'deploying more missiles'". BBC News. 23 February 2009. http://news.bbc.co.UK/2/hi/Asia-pacific/7905361.stm.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-31 "North Korea tears up agreements". BBC News. 30 January 2009. http://news.bbc.co.UK/2/hi/Asia-pacific/7859671.stm. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-32 "N Korea warning over 'satellite'". BBC News. 3 March 2009. http://news.bbc.co.UK/2/hi/Asia-pacific/7931670.stm. Retrieved 2009-03-08.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-33 "Anger at North Korea over sinking". BBC News. 2010-05-20. http://news.bbc.co.UK/2/hi/world/asia_pacific/10131683.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-34 Clinton: Koreas security situation 'precarious', by Matthew Lee, Associated Press, 24-05-2010
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-35 Text from North Korea statement, by Jonathan Thatcher, Reuters, 25-05-2010
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-36 Globalsecurity.org
- ^ http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-South_Korea_37-0 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-South_Korea_37-1 http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-South_Korea_37-2 "South Korea's Armed Forces, CSIS (Page 24)". 2006-07-25. http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/060626_asia_balance_powers.pdf.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-38 Bermudez (2001), pg 1.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-39 GlobalSecurity on Military of Republic of Korea, Globalsecurity.org
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-40 "Military Duty Exemption for Biracial Koreans Will Be Scrapped". Koreatimes.co.kr. 2009-09-30. http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/116_52759.HTML. Retrieved 2010-02-18.
- http://wiki.answers.com/#cite_ref-41 "Eighth United States Army (EUSA)". http://wiki.answers.com/wiki/GlobalSecurity.org. 27 December 2005. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/8army.htm. Retrieved February 6, 2010. "The KATUSA Program is significant not only because of the military manpower and monetary savings that it provides to the U.S. Army, but also because it represents ROK/U.S. cooperation and commitment to deter war. The KATUSA Program is also symbolic of ROK/U.S. friendship and mutual support."
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