South Korea, Asia: A Beginners Guide To Seoul And South Korea
The Republic of Korea is commonly called Korea Republic or South Korea. South Korea is an East Asian country at the southern end of the Korean peninsula. South Korea lies between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan. It is bordered by North Korea to the north, and Japan lies across the Korea Strait to the southeast.
Korea was controlled by Japan (1910-1945), but it was divided into a northern Soviet zone and a southern American zone after World War II. The division resulted in formation of two separate countries, South Korea and North Korea in 1948.
South Korea and North Korea jumped in the Korean War (1950-1953) when the North Korean soldiery invaded South Korea in 1950. The war ended in armistice in 1953 with the intervention of UN forces on the side of South Korea and the Chinese forces on the North Korean side. The war torn country South Korea was reconstructed with U.S. aid.
South Korea became a major industrial power of Asia during the 1980s. It developed a strong export-oriented economy. The modern South Korea is one of the most technologically advanced and digitally-connected countries on the globe. It has 3rd largest number of broadband Internet users among OECD countries. South Korea is a global leader in electronics, digital displays, and mobile phones. In terms of tonnage, South Korea is the largest shipbuilder on the globe.
Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Daejeon, Jeju, Jeonju, Suwon, Gwangju, and Gyeongju are the major cities of South Korea. These cities are major attractions that make South Korea a nice country to visit. South Korea enjoys temperate climate with rainfall heavier in summer than winter.
Seoul is the largest city and the capital of South Korea. Seoul is the 600 year old city offering nice mix of ancient and modern culture. Seoul is a fine city and one of the major tourist attractions of South Korea.
South Koreans have a great culture. They are of proud of their rich culture. In the South Korean culture, education and hard work are valued above all else. Korean is the official language and English is widely taught in schools. South Korea is called "Daehan Min-guk" (Great Han People's Nation) or "Namhan" (South Han) in Korean language. The 100,000 km² area of South Korea has an estimated population of 50 million (February 2007), with the population almost entirely ethnically Korean.
Christianity, Buddhism, and Confucianism are main religions. The latest statistics show that the population is comprised of 26% Christians, 26% Buddhists, 1% Confucianist, and 1% others; however the 46% of people have no religious affiliation. The South Korean won (KRW) is the currency of South Korea.
Go back to Articles page
