South Korea

South Korea, formally the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a nation in East Asia that occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula and has a land border with North Korea. The Seoul Capital Area is home to about 25 million people, or almost half of the country's total population of 51 million people.^[1]

The Korean Peninsula has been populated since the Lower Paleolithic era, according to archaeology. In the early 7th century BCE, Chinese records mention a kingdom that existed at the time of their writing. During the period 918–1392, the Goryeo dynasty (Korea's first dynasty) and the Joseon dynasty (Korea's second dynasty) controlled the country. The following Korean Empire was absorbed by the Imperial Japanese Empire in 1910. As a result of Japan's surrender in World War II, Korea was split into two zones, with the northern zone controlled by the Soviet Union and the southern zone being held by the United States. Following the failure of reunification talks, the former became the Republic of Korea in August 1948 while the latter became North Korea.^[2]

The Korean War started in 1950 with a North Korean invasion, which resulted in significant United Nations involvement in favour of the South, while the North gained assistance from China and the Soviet Union. Following the conclusion of World War II in 1953, the country's economy soared, registering the fastest increase in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990. Corruption and political scandals, on the other hand, have become increasingly prevalent in recent years; all four living former South Korean presidents have been sentenced to prison for a variety of crimes ranging from abuse of authority to bribery and embezzlement, with two still serving their sentences.

South Korea is a developed nation that is rated eighth in the Asia and Oceania area on the Human Development Index (HDI). By nominal GDP, it has the tenth-largest economy in the world. One of the world's fastest Internet connection speeds, as well as one of the world's most dense high-speed train networks, are available to its people. The nation is the world's fifth-largest exporter and the eighth-largest importer, according to the World Trade Organization. South Korea was the world's seventh-largest producer of carbon dioxide emissions in 2017, and the fifth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide emissions per capita. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, South Korea has been known for its internationally significant pop culture, especially in the fields of music (K-pop), television dramas, and film, a movement known as the Korean Wave. It is a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Development Assistance Committee, the G20, and the Paris Club.

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Official website
• Korea Tourism Guide website
• Korea National Statistical Office