AGENCY 027 - WEBCAM CHAT SOUTH KOREA
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South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea (ROK; Korean: ????, IPA: [t??.han.min.guk?]), listen (help·info)) is an East Asian country occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. To the north, it is bordered by North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), with which it was united until 1945. To the west, across the Yellow Sea, lies China and to the southeast, across the Korea Strait, lies Japan. The Korean people trace their nation's founding back to 2333 BCE by the legendary Dangun Wanggeom. Archaeological research shows that the first Korean settlers have occupied the peninsula since the Lower Paleolithic period with territories expanding as far as mainland China and eastern Russia during the Gojoseon period, the first nation established by Koreans. Korea's history has been turbulent at times with the last emperor of Korea dating back to the age of the Korean Empire. Since the establishment of the modern republic in 1948, South Korea has struggled with the aftermath of the Japanese control (1910-1945), the Korean War (1950-1953), and decades of authoritarian governments, undergoing five major constitutional changes. While the government officially embraced Western-style democracy from its founding, it was not until the December of 1987 that direct and fair elections were held and true democracy began to solidify. South Korea had one of the fastest growing economies in the world since the 1960s and is now one of the four largest economy[2][3][4] in Asia and the 12-14th largest economy in the world.[5][6][7] Inferring from the somewhat larger-sized underground economy in South Korea than other OECD countries,[8] the actual size of South Korean Economy is possibly bigger than its known economic size shown in several indexes. In the late 20th century, many people referred to South Korea as a newly industrialized country and an Asian tiger due to its exponential economic growth. Today, South Korea is among the world's fastest growing developed countries[9] and South Korea will be the world's 3rd richest country by 2025 with a GNP per capita of $52,000 according to Goldman Sachs, one of the world's largest investment banks.[10] South Korea forms the G20 industrial nations and is a Next Eleven nation with many developing countries referring to its economic success as the "Miracle on the Han River," using South Korea's success story as a role model.[11] However, the South Korea economy was awarded severely wounding for an 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. As a result, IMF managed the national economy. In the last decade, South Korea have steadied themselves but it has said that never regained the dazzling growth of the mid-1990s[12]. However, despite of the certain views, South Korea has nearly miraculously recovered from the IMF crisis within a record-high short period, and has been showing a solid economic growth rate since the IMF crisis. [13], [14] South Korea has a "High" HDI of 0.921 and is part of both the CIA and IMF lists of advanced economies, being defined as a High Income Nation by the World Bank. International recognition of the country and its goods & services was enhanced by the hosting of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and further boosted by the co-hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup. South Korea is one of the world's most technologically and scientifically advanced countries such as nationwide 100Mbit/s broadband internet access, full HDTV broadcasting, DMB, WiBro and 3G HSDPA. It is currently the most wired nation in the world, with more than 90% of all homes connected to high speed broadband internet.[15] South Korea is a global leader in electronics, computers, digital displays, semiconductor devices, mobile phones and hightech gadgets, headed by the two chaebols, Samsung and LG. South Korea also boasts the world's 3rd largest steel producer, POSCO and is the world's 5th largest automobile manufacturing nation, headed by Hyundai Kia Automotive Group. South Korea is the world's largest shipbuilder, lead by several multinational corporations such as Hyundai Heavy Industries and Samsung Heavy Industries. Other important industries of South Korea include robotics and biotechnology, with the world's second Android EveR-1 and claim to have cloned the world's first dog, Snuppy. Contents [hide]
The South Korean government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 (see History of South Korea). However, it has retained many broad characteristics; with the exception of the short-lived Second Republic of South Korea, the country has always had a presidential system with a relatively independent chief executive.
Before division Korea began with the legendary founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BCE by Dangun.[16] Gojoseon expanded until it controlled much of the northern Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria. After numerous wars with the Chinese Han Dynasty, Gojoseon disintegrated, leading to the Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea period. In the early centuries of the Common Era, Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye, and the Samhan confederacy occupied the peninsula and southern Manchuria. Of the various small states, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla grew to control the peninsula as rival kingdoms. The Buddhism and other influences from China had profound effects on Korea, which later passed on these, as well as their own advances, to Japan.[17][18][19][20] After the North-South Period, successor states fought for control during the Later Three Kingdoms period. The peninsula was soon united by Wang Geon of Goryeo. Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state and it created the Jikji in 1377, using the world's oldest movable metal printing press.[21] The Mongol invasions in the 13th century greatly weakened Goryeo. However, Goryeo continued to rule the Korean peninsula as a tributary ally to the Mongols. After the fall of the Mognolian Empire (by this time the Yuan Dynasty), Goryeo continued its rule. After severe political strife and continued invasions, Goryeo was soon replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388 CE following a rebellion by General Yi Seong-gye. In the latter of the 16th century CE, Joseon was invaded by a newly unfied Japan. During the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), centuries of peace had left the dynasty unprepared, and the lack of technology and poor leadership from the government and generals led to the destruction of much of the Korean peninsula. However, continued Korean dominance at sea led by Admiral Yi, the rise of local militias, and intervention of Ming China put Japan under great pressure, which soon retreated in 1598 CE. Today, Admiral Yi is celebrated as one of Korea's foremost heroes and his turtle ships, used with great success against the Japanese, are considered the world's first ironclad warships, although lack of hard evidence of iron plating sparks much debate. During the last years of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "Hermit Kingdom," primarily for protection against Western imperialism. In 1910 CE, Korea was annexed by Japan and despite widespread resistance, remained under occupation until the end of World War II in 1945 CE.
Despite the initial plan of a unified Korea in the 1943 Cairo Declaration, escalating Cold War antagonism eventually led to the establishment of two separate governments: the communist North and the capitalist South. In the North, a former anti-Japanese guerilla and communist activist, Kim Il Sung[22] and in the South, freshly shipped from America, Syngman Rhee were installed as presidents.[23] On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded the South leading to the Korean War. The Soviet boycott of the United Nations at the time, and therefore, no veto, allowed the UN to intervene when it became apparent that the superior communist forces would easily take over the entire country. The Soviet Union and China backed North Korea, with the participation of millions of Chinese troops. After huge advances on both sides, the war eventually reached a stalemate. The 1953 armistice, never signed by South Korea, split the peninsula along the demilitarized zone near the original demarcation line. No peace treaty was ever signed and the two countries are still technically at war.[24] In 1960, a student uprising led to the resignation of the autocratic and corrupt President Syngman Rhee. A period of profound civil unrest and general political instability followed, broken by General Park Chung-hee's military coup (the "5.16 coup d'etat") against the weak and ineffectual government the next year. Park took over as president until his assassination in 1979, overseeing rapid export-led economic growth as well as severe political repression. Park is heavily criticized as a ruthless military dictator, although the Korean economy developed significantly during his tenure. The years after Park's assassination were marked by, again, considerable political turmoil as the previously repressed opposition leaders all campaigned to run for president in the sudden political void. In 1980, there was a coup d'etat, by General Chun Doo-hwan against the transitional government of Choi Gyu Ha, the interim president and a former prime minister under Park. Chun assumed the presidency. His seizure of power triggered nationwide protest demanding democracy, in particular the city of Gwangju, in South Cholla province where Chun sent in special forces to violently suppress the city, in what is now known as the Gwangju Massacre. Until 1987, he and his government held Korea under despotic rule when Park Jong Chul - a student attending Seoul National University - was tortured to death. The Catholic Priests' Association for Justice revealed that Park was tortured, igniting huge demonstrations around the country. The demonstrations snowballed when another student from Yonsei University, Lee Han Yeol, was killed by a police-fired tear gas bomb while he was demonstrating against the military government. The period of resistance is called the Resistance of June when all joined the national movment. Eventually, Chun's party, the Democratic Justice Party, and its leader, Roh Tae Woo announced the 6.29 Declaration, which included the direct election of the president. In June 2000, as part of South Korean president Kim Dae Jung's Sunshine Policy of engagement, a North-South summit took place in North Korea's capital Pyongyang. That year, Kim received the 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"[26] In 2004, South Korea joined the "trillion dollar club" of world economies.[27]
On October 4th, 2007, Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il signed an 8-point peace agreement on issues of permanent peace, high-level talks, economic cooperation, renewal of train, highway and air travel, and a joint Olympic cheering squad.[37] Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests in 1993, 1998, and another in 2006.
South Korea started negotiations with the European Union about Free Trade Agreement, which is the second largest importer of Korean goods.[38] The negotiations are ongoing.
From time to time, South Korea has sent its troops overseas to assist American forces. It has participated in every major conflict the United States has been involved in the past 50 years. South Korea dispatched 320,000 troops to fight alongside American and South Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War, with a peak strength of 50,000. Most recently, South Korea sent 3,300 troops in the form of the Zaytun Division to help re-building in northern Iraq, and is the largest contributor after the U.S. and Britain.[40] The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of troops in the ROK since the Korean War to defend South Korea in case of an attack from North Korea. There are also approximately 29,000 US soldiers stationed in Korea,[41] most of them serving one year unaccompanied tours. The American Troops are stationed in bases, of which most are camps. They are considered camps not for their lack of buildings or support structure but in order to represent a lack of permanence for the ROK Government. A still functioning UN Command controls all forces in South Korea, including the US forces and the entire Korean military. (See List of United States Army installations in South Korea and USFK for more information on these military bases.) Currently, its navy is working towards a blue-water navy. It has recently equipped its King Sejong the Great class destroyer with the Aegis Combat System. South Korea is the fifth country to begin operating the Aegis Combat System.[42]
a Revised Romanization.
South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins, and rolling hills; a southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the Nakdong River. South Korea's land is mountainous, and most of it is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30% of the total land area.
South Korean joined numerous environmental organizations: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, and Whaling.[45]
In the 1950s, South Korea was one of the poorest countries in Asia.[53] This was partly due to the destruction of much of the country's infrastructure during the Korean War. This growth is often called the "Miracle on the Han River", the Han River being the main river that runs through the nation's capital and largest city, Seoul. In the 1980s and 1990s, growth continued as South Korea transformed itself from an exporter of mostly textiles and shoes into a major global producer of automobiles, electronics, shipbuilding, steel and, later, high-technology products such as digital monitors, mobile phones, and semiconductors. The South Korean model of encouraging the growth of large, internationally competitive companies through easy financing and tax incentives led to the dominance of the family-controlled conglomerates. These companies, known as chaebol, flourished under the support of the Park regime.[56] Some such as Hyundai, Samsung, LG and SK Company became global corporations. In 2004, South Korea joined in the trillion dollar club of world economies.[57] Between 2003 and 2005, economic growth had slowed to about 4% per year.[61] A downturn in consumer spending, attributed to massive personal credit card debt, was offset by rapid export growth, primarily to China. In 2005, the government proposed labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help make the labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to cool property speculation.[62] In 2006, South Korean economy has recovered its growth rate to 5.1%. The South Korean economy is characterized by moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income.[63][64][65] South Korea's shipbuilding industry is also the largest in the world. It became the largest after overtaking Japan in 2004.[68] South Korean shipbuilding is efficient enough that a new $80 million vessel is produced every four working days. In 2006, approximately one in every three new vessels was constructed in Korea. Hyundai Heavy Industries built ships totaling 10.6 million compensated gross tons (CGTs), or 34.6 percent, becoming the first nation to breach the 10 million CGT mark.[69] Other Korean shipbuilding companies are Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Marine Engineering & Construction. Although South Korean shipmakers are leading in terms of ship orders and production, they are wary of Chinese shipmakers. China is planning to become the world's leader in shipbuilding by 2015. However, South Korean shipbuilders have advantage over Chinese counterparts in terms of advanced value-added shipbuilding technology.[citation needed]
Highways in South Korea are classified into highways (expressways/motorways), national highways, and various classifications below the national level. Korea Highway Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route. South Korea has about 3,000 kilometers of national highways.[citation needed] The main international airport is Incheon International Airport. South Korea has eight international airports and seven domestic airports. South Korea's major international air carriers are Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. About 71 international passenger and cargo airlines operate frequent flight services between Korea and all over the world. Modern Industries
The school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in the beginning of March and ends in mid-July; the second begins in late August and ends in mid-February. The schedules are not rigidly standardized, however, and can vary from school to school.
The population has also been shaped by international migration. Following the division of the Korean peninsula 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 United States and Canada. However, South Korea's burgeoning economy and democracy in the early and mid-1990s slowed the high emigration rates typical of the previous decades. The current population of South Korea is roughly 48,850,000. Korean farmers have a hard time finding a wife because of their location and occupation, few young women want this life style. Farmers are forced to look abroad to find their wife, most from the much poorer Southeast Asia. For the year 2006, 41% of the marriages amongst the farmers were to foreign nationals.[82] There are 31,000 U.S. military personnel.[83] As of 2005, approximately 22 million or 46.5% of the South Korean population express no religious preference.[84] Of the remainder, 13.7 million are Christian (of which 8.6 million profess to be Protestants and 5.1 million to be Catholics), 10.7 million are Buddhist, and less than half a million belong to various minor religions including Jeungsando and Wonbuddhism. The largest Christian church in South Korea, Yoido Full Gospel Church, is located in Seoul and has approximately 780,000 members (2003 estimate). Including Yoido Full Gospel, 11 of the world's 12 largest churches are located in Seoul (see Korean Christianity). South Korea is also the second largest missionary sending nation on earth, after the U.S.[85] Islam in Korea is estimated to be at 45,000 in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries.[86] Islam is also the fastest growing religion in the country.[87]
Korean forms of metalwork, sculpture, painting, and ceramics flourished throughout the Korean peninsula. In modern times, Western and particularly the US influences have been strongest. In the aftermath of Japanese occupation all Japanese cultural exports were banned from Korea until 1999. However, trading between the two countries has grown, although there is still strong anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea. Recently, Korean pop culture has become popular in Asia and beyond, earning the name Hallyu or "Korean Wave." In Japan and other Asian countries, Korean singers like BoA and television drama like Winter Sonata have found success.[89] Recent Korean films such as Oldboy and Oasis have also received international acclaim.[90] Starcraft is also a popular online game in South Korea. Its fanbase exceeds five million, and has two Korean-based channels dedicated to its broadcast. Professional Starcraft player Lim Yo-Hwan (SlayerS `BoxeR`) earned over USD $300,000 during the peak of his career.
Baseball was first introduced to Korea in 1905 and has since become the most popular spectator sport in South Korea.[92] The first South Korean professional sports league was the Korea Baseball Association, established in 1982. During the 2006 World Baseball Classic, South Korea reached the semi-finals. Other known sports in South Korea include basketball, football, golf, tennis and ice hockey. Women's golf is especially strong, with 45 South Koreans playing in the U.S. LPGA Tour, including Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak. In 1988, South Korea hosted the Summer Olympics in Seoul for the first time. South Korea's Olympic teams have performed strongly in archery, shooting, table tennis, short track speed skating, handball, freestyle wrestling, judo, taekwondo, and football. South Korea has also hosted the Asian Games in 1986 and 2002. Recently, Pyeongchang County was a finalist for the 2014 Winter Olympics, but lost to Sochi, Russia. The 2002 FIFA World Cup was jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, and South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals. The Korea Republic national football team, also known as the "Taeguk Warriors", played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany for their sixth consecutive World Cup. In 2007, South Korea hosted a cycling competition called Tour de Korea. It was the first international cycling competition in South Korea in 10 years. In 2010 South Korea will host their first Formula 1 race to be staged at Korean International Circuit in Yeongam County about 240 miles (390 km) south of Seoul. Haidong Gumdo, a traditional martial art. Students spar with swords or perform numbered solo forms to advance through various belt levels. At one time only found in Korea, the sport has become very popular in Australia as well as having a small presence in the United States.
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