Post-war modern Korean art started to flourish in the 1960s and 1970s, when South Korean artists took interest in geometrical shapes and intangible subjects. Since the government only controlled the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, the informal term "South Korea" was coined, becoming increasingly common in the Western world. [194][198], The system's rigid and hierarchical structure has been criticized for stifling creativity and innovation;[199][200] described as intensely and "brutally" competitive,[201] the system is often blamed for the high suicide rate in the country, particularly the growing rates among those aged 1019. [198] In addition, 69.8 percent of South Koreans aged 2534 have completed some form of tertiary education qualification, and bachelor's degrees are held by 34.2 percent of South Koreans aged 2564, the most in the OECD. The major administrative divisions in South Korea are eight provinces, one special self-governing province, six metropolitan cities (self-governing cities that are not part of any province), one special city and one special self-governing city. military juntas) No constitutionally defined basis to current regime (e.g. [citation needed] In 2010, South Korea was spending 1.68 trillion in a cost-sharing agreement with the US to provide budgetary support to the US forces in Korea, on top of the 29.6 trillion budget for its own military. [131] It is acknowledged that many of these difficulties are a result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter. [122], In March 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of conservative opposition People Power Party, won a close election over Democratic Party candidate by the narrowest margin ever. Department Press Briefing January 13, 2023, Department Press Briefing January 12, 2023, 2023 Indo-Pacific Business Forum Promotes Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in the Indo-Pacific, Department Press Briefing January 9, 2023, Department Press Briefing Index Monday, January 9, 2023. [322] South Korea's pension system structure is primarily based on taxation and is income-related. [176] South Korea has the steepest decline in working age population of the OECD nations. The country adopted a new educational program to increase the number of their foreign students through 2010. The president Moon Jae-in pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change to zero in 2050. Chun's assumption of the presidency through the events of 17 May triggered nationwide protests demanding democracy; these protests were particularly focused in the city of Gwangju, to which Chun sent special forces to violently suppress the Gwangju Democratization Movement. Since the 1980s, the Korean government has invested in the development of a domestic biotechnology industry, and the sector is projected to grow to $6.5 billion by 2010. South Korea's border with North Korea is a disputed border as both countries claim the entirety of the Korean Peninsula. [385] Western-style pop, hip hop, rhythm and blues, rock, folk, electronic dance oriented acts have become dominant in the modern South Korean popular music scene, though trot is still enjoyed among older South Koreans. South Korea's efforts to build an indigenous space launch vehicle have been marred due to persistent political pressure from the United States, who had for many decades hindered South Korea's indigenous rocket and missile development programs[352] in fear of their possible connection to clandestine military ballistic missile programs, which Korea many times insisted did not violate the research and development guidelines stipulated by US-Korea agreements on restriction of South Korean rocket technology research and development. [65][66][67][68] Buddhism flourished during this time, and many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists[69] and contributed to Chinese Buddhism,[70] including: Woncheuk, Wonhyo, Uisang, Musang,[71][72][73][74] and Kim Gyo-gak, a Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism. The president is elected for a five-year term by the people. Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months of June through September. Following China's entry into the war on behalf of North Korea later that year, a stalemate ensued for the . Relations thawed gradually and South Korea and the PRC re-established formal diplomatic relations on 24 August 1992. It has participated in most major conflicts that the United States has been involved in the past 50 years. . This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the Sea of Japan to the east. Male citizens 18-35 years old are required to complete at least 21 months of military service. [328] Basic old-age pension schemes covered individuals 65 years of age who earned below an amount set by presidential order. Metal chopsticks have been discovered in Goguryeo archaeological sites. [278] However, in a court ruling of 2018, conscientious objectors were permitted to reject military service. [209] In a 2012 survey, 52% declared themselves "religious", 31% said they were "not religious" and 15% identified themselves as "convinced atheists". [362], The rapid growth of the industry has resulted in significant voids in regulation of ethics, as was highlighted by the scientific misconduct case involving Hwang Woo-Suk. [citation needed] Consequently, South Korea has the world's seventh largest number of active troops (599,000 in 2018), the world's highest number of reserve troops (3,100,000 in 2018). [242], The 2017 deployment of THAAD defense missiles by the United States military in South Korea in response to North Korean missile tests has been protested strongly by the Chinese government, concerned that the technologically advanced missile defense could be used more broadly against China. a Revised Romanisation; b See Names of Seoul; c May As of 2018[update]. [195], International opinion regarding the South Korean education system has been divided. The Korean language in South Korea has a standard dialect known as the Seoul dialect (after the capital city), with an additional four dialects (Chungcheong, Gangwon, Gyeongsang, and Jeolla) and one language (Jeju) in use around the country. [382], In addition to domestic consumption, South Korea has a thriving entertainment industry where various facets of South Korean entertainment, including television dramas, films, and popular music, has generated significant financial revenues for the nation's economy. Because of social instability, social issues appeared as main subjects in the 1980s. South Korea would be a compact state because the distance from the center to any boundary is similar throughout the state and the state somewhat resembles a square. Korea Expressway Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route. 'Great Korean People's State'; listen) was adopted as the legal English name for the new country. South Korea's smaller but more advanced artillery force and wide range of airborne reconnaissance platforms are pivotal in the counter-battery suppression of North Korea's large artillery force, which operates more than 13,000 artillery systems deployed in various state of fortification and mobility. In the North, however, a former anti-Japanese guerrilla and communist activist, Kim Il-sung, was appointed premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in September. A unitary state is the opposite of a federation where powers are dispersed. "Republic of Korea" and "Daehanminguk" redirect here. South Korea has traditionally had one of the top basketball teams in Asia and one of the continent's strongest basketball divisions. South Korea elects on national level a head of state - the president - and a legislature. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}36N 128E / 36N 128E / 36; 128. The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of troops to defend South Korea. South Korea is a transit point for Southeast Asian fishermen subjected to forced labor on fishing ships bound for Fiji and other ports in the Pacific. Initial hopes for a unified, independent Korea were not realized, and in 1948 two separate nations were established the Republic of Korea in the South, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the North. South Korea, Officially Known As Federal Republic Of Korea (Hangul: [Romaja: Daehan Yeonbang Gonghwaguk]) (Spanish: Repblica Federal de Corea) Is A Sovereign State In East Asia, constituing the Southern Part Of Korean Peninsula. [246] In June 2018, president Moon Jae-in became the first South Korean leader to speak in the Russian Parliament. Usually decentralization is a response to the problem of "centralized unitary government," that is to the abuse of power and undemocratic behavior of the ruling body, to the weakening of the private sectors, to the undermining civil liberties, and to blocking the demands of minorities for a greater says in local governance. [123], On 29 October 2022, at least 153 people were crushed to death when a crowd surged in an alleyway during Halloween festivities in Seoul's Itaewon district. The emergence of the South Korean pop group Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 marked a turning point for South Korean popular music, also known as K-pop, as the genre modernized itself from incorporating elements of popular musical genres from across the world such as Western popular music, experimental, jazz, gospel, Latin, classical, hip hop, rhythm and blues, electronic dance, reggae, country, folk, and rock on top of its uniquely traditional Korean music roots. [353] South Korea has sought the assistance of foreign countries such as Russia through MTCR commitments to supplement its restricted domestic rocket technology. In October, the Soviet Union declared Kim Il-sung's government as sovereign over both parts. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. [119] His tenure saw an improving political relationship with North Korea, some increasing divergence in the military alliance with the United States, and the successful hosting of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. The name Daehan (Great Han) derives from Samhan (Three Han), referring to the Three Kingdoms of Korea, not the ancient confederacies in the southern Korean Peninsula. The succeeding Korean Empire (18971910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. [318][319] With rising tourist prospects, especially from foreign countries outside of Asia, the South Korean government has set a target of attracting 20 million foreign tourists a year by 2017. [299] Express bus terminals are available in most cities. The country, including all its islands, lies between latitudes 33 and 39N, and longitudes 124 and 130E. [379], Korean architecture entered a new phase of development during the post-Korean War reconstruction, incorporating modern architectural trends and styles. Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior. According to a 2015 census conducted by the Korea Statistical Information Service, of the 44 percent of the population espousing a religion, 45 percent are Protestant, 35 percent Buddhist, 18 percent Roman Catholic, and 2 percent . candidates are elected, while an additional 46 parliamentary seats are The team's 2009 final game against Japan was widely watched in Korea, with a large screen at Gwanghwamun crossing in Seoul broadcasting the game live. South Korea still uses some Chinese Hanja characters in limited areas, such as print media and legal documentation. [192][193], In 2015, the country spent 5.1% of its GDP on all levels of education roughly 0.8 percentage points above the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 4.3%. [59][60][61][62] Later Silla was a prosperous and wealthy country,[63] and its metropolitan capital of Gyeongju[64] was the fourth largest city in the world. [112] However, South Korean and Japanese relations later soured because of conflicting claims of sovereignty over the Liancourt Rocks. [326] Individuals with a minimum of 10 years covered under the national pension scheme and who are 60 years of age are able to be covered under a 'reduced old-age pension' scheme. South Korea,[b] officially the Republic of Korea (ROK),[c] is a country in East Asia. [161], South Korea is considered one of the most ethnically homogeneous societies in the world with ethnic Koreans representing approximately 96% of total population. [131] Unchecked industrialization and urban development have resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat. Korean is the official language of South Korea, and is classified by most linguists as a language isolate. "While less than 100 Koreans in America enlisted in the US military during World WarII, more than 100,000 Koreans served in the Japanese army as officers and soldiers. With the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910 the colonial regime intervened in Korea's architectural heritage, and Japanese-style modern architecture was imposed. However, in 1392, General Yi Seong-gye, who had been ordered to attack China, turned his army around and staged a coup. [89] The prevailing ideology of the time was Neo-Confucianism, which was epitomized by the seonbi class: nobles who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity. [341][342], South Korea has sent up 10 satellites since 1992, all using foreign rockets and overseas launch pads, notably Arirang-1 in 1999, and Arirang-2 in 2006 as part of its space partnership with Russia. [115], South Korea saw another milestone in 2012 with the first ever female president Park Geun-hye elected and assuming office. [325], South Korea's old-age pension scheme covers individuals age 60 or older for the rest of their life as long as they have satisfied the minimum of 20 years of national pension coverage beforehand. Gija Joseon was purportedly founded in the 12th century BCE, but its existence and role have been controversial in the modern era. South Korea is especially strong in short track speed skating. Chun and his government held South Korea under a despotic rule until 1987, when a Seoul National University student, Park Jong-chul, was tortured to death. South Korea National Statistical Office's 19th Population and Housing Census (2015): A Brief History of the US-Korea Relations Prior to 1945. [134], The renewable portfolio standard program with renewable energy certificates runs from 2012 to 2022. [120] In April 2018, former president Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in jail, because of abuse of power and corruption. [132] However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including a government run $84 billion five-year green growth project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology. [194] A strong investment in education, a militant drive for success, as well as the passion for excellence has helped the resource-poor country rapidly grow its economy over the past 60 years from a war-torn wasteland to a prosperous first-world country. In 1910, Japan began a 35-year period of colonial rule over Korea. [222] It also had the OECD's second largest number of hospital beds per 1000 people at 9.56 beds. There had also been strong anti-American sentiment during certain periods, which has largely moderated in the modern day. [286] South Korea's economy was one of the world's fastest-growing from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, and was still one of the fastest-growing developed countries in the 2000s, along with Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, the other three Asian Tigers. [336][337][338] Additionally, South Korea today is known as a Launchpad of a mature mobile market, where developers can reap benefits of a market where very few technology constraints exist. [241] In 2007, a free trade agreement known as the Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) was signed between South Korea and the United States, but its formal implementation was repeatedly delayed, pending approval by the legislative bodies of the two countries. Following the Armistice, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to a "Mutual Defense Treaty", under which an attack on either party in the Pacific area would summon a response from both. South Korea has a presidential system governed by a directly-elected president and a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, in which various political parties Cabinet members are accountable only to the president. Over the past several decades, the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) South Korea,[b]officially the Republic of Korea(ROK),[c]is a country in East Asia. [301] Other international airports include Gimpo, Busan and Jeju. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan. This impediment to South Korea's indigenous nuclear industrial undertaking has sparked occasional diplomatic rows between the two allies. [28][27] Conversely, the official name of North Korea in English, the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea", is a direct translation of the Korean name. [321] Among East Asian countries, China was the most receptive, investing $1.4 billion in South Korea, with much of the investment within its service sector, a sevenfold increase from 2001. It was not until the 1960s under the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee where South Korea's economy rapidly grew from industrialization and the Chaebol corporations such as Samsung and LG. [121] The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the nation since 2020. It ranks nineteenth globally by Human Development Index, and has the third-highest life expectancy in the world. [48][49] Baekje was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, especially during the time of Geunchogo,[50] but was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto the Great and declined. [93], Towards the end of World War II, the U.S. proposed dividing the Korean peninsula into two occupation zones (a U.S. and Soviet one). The close relationship began directly after World War II, when the United States temporarily administrated Korea for three years (mainly in the South, with the Soviet Union engaged in North Korea) after Japan. [348] The second attempt in June 2010 was also unsuccessful. [179], South Korea is one of the top-performing OECD countries in reading literacy, mathematics and sciences with the average student scoring 519, compared with the OECD average of 492, placing it ninth in the world. The weakness of Korean Sindo, which unlike Japanese Shinto and China's religious system never developed into a national religion of high status,[213] combined with the impoverished state of Korean Buddhism, (after 500 years of suppression at the hands of the Joseon state, by the 20th century it was virtually extinct) left a free hand to Christian churches. [340], In late September 2013, a computer-security competition jointly sponsored by the defense ministry and the National Intelligence Service was announced. Number of Entries: The number of times you may seek entry into the United States with that visa. Boys' uniforms usually consist of trousers and white shirts, and girls wear skirts and white shirts (this only applies in middle schools and high schools). Daughter of another former president, Park Chung-hee, she carried on a conservative brand of politics. [316] The US has recently been wary of South Korea's burgeoning nuclear program, which South Korea insists will be for civilian use only. EveR-1 has been succeeded by more complex models with improved movement and vision. [369] Korean pottery and porcelain, such as Joseon's baekja and buncheong, and Goryeo's celadon are well known throughout the world. Photos and Videos National anthem of South Korea See All Videos, Images and Audio Traditional architecture can be seen in the palaces and temples, preserved old houses called hanok,[377] and special sites like Hahoe Folk Village, Yangdong Village of Gyeongju and Korean Folk Village. To the surprise of Rusk and Bonesteel, the Soviets accepted their proposal and agreed to divide Korea.[94]. [214] The Japanese colonization of the first half of the 20th century further strengthened the identification of Christianity with Korean nationalism, as the Japanese coopted native Korean Sindo into the Nipponic Imperial Shinto that they tried to establish in the peninsula. [17][18][77][78] Balhae had fallen to the Khitan Empire in 926, and a decade later the last crown prince of Balhae fled south to Goryeo, where he was warmly welcomed and included into the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor nations of Goguryeo. Goguryeo, the largest and most powerful among them, was a highly militaristic state,[39] and competed with various Chinese dynasties during its 700 years of history. Goryeo was never conquered by the Mongols, but exhausted after three decades of fighting, the Korean court sent its crown prince to the Yuan capital to swear allegiance to Kublai Khan, who accepted, and married one of his daughters to the Korean crown prince. [116] President Park Geun-hye's administration was formally accused of corruption, bribery, and influence-peddling for the involvement of close friend Choi Soon-sil in state affairs.
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