South Korea (Republic of Korea)
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CultureGramsTM World Edition 2016 South Korea (Republic of Korea) Early Kingdoms and the Yi Dynasty BACKGROUND Powerful kingdoms flourished on the Korean Peninsula more than two thousand years ago. Of particular importance were Land and Climate the Silla (established in 57 BC), Goguryeo (37 BC), and South Korea is slightly larger than Hungary or the U.S. state Baekje (18 BC) dynasties. Silla kings united the three warring of Indiana. Its only land border is shared with North Korea, kingdoms in AD 668 and developed a rich Buddhist culture. roughly along the 38th parallel, where the Korean Peninsula By 935, the strong new Goryeo kingdom had established was divided at the end of World War II. At its closest point, itself on the peninsula. The name Korea comes from South Korea is 123 miles (196 kilometers) from Japan. "Goryeo." During the Goryeo era, the world's first movable Around 65 percent of South Korea's territory is forested, and metal-type printer was invented. A coup in 1392 ended the approximately 16 percent is suitable for cultivation. Hills and Goryeo kingdom and began the Joseon (or Yi) Dynasty. The mountains dominate the east, while plains are found in the Yi ruled for more than five hundred years. During this time, west and south. South Korea also has a number of islands, Korean culture was heavily influenced by Chinese culture, mostly along the southern and western coasts. The largest is and much of this influence can still be felt today. Jeju, a popular tourist destination off the mainland's Occupation and Liberation southwest coast. In the latter part of the Yi Dynasty, China and Japan sought South Korea's climate is temperate, but high humidity control of Korea, a struggle the Japanese eventually won. makes summers seem hotter and winters colder. The nation They annexed Korea in 1910. Japanese rule became experiences all four seasons; spring and fall are the most increasingly heavy-handed and violent, and the social and pleasant times of the year. The monsoon season is from political effects of this period are still a significant part of mid-July to mid-August. During this time, South Korea Korean society. receives half of its annual rainfall. Korea is traditionally At the end of World War II (1945), the Soviet Union known as Joseon ("Land of the Morning Calm"). South Korea entered Korea from the north and the United States entered is prone to typhoons in the monsoon season, and heavy the south to accept the surrender of Japanese troops. The flooding is common in parts of the country, sometimes peninsula was accordingly divided (at the 38th parallel) into resulting in fatalities. The country's rapid industrialization and two administrative zones. After attempts to hold nationwide continued high levels of manufacturing have resulted in elections failed, an independent government was established significant pollution. Deforestation and the resulting soil in the south with U.S. support; Syngman Rhee became erosion is another environmental concern. president. The Korean War History In June 1950, North Korean troops invaded South Korea, 1 TM CultureGrams South Korea triggering a three-year war. The United States and United include reviving the economy and a variety of social issues. Nations (UN) sent troops to help South Korea. Concerned that One major challenge President Park faced was the April 2014 the war might spill into Chinese territory, China sent troops to ferry incident that killed more than three hundred passengers, aid North Korea. The war ravaged the peninsula and ended in including many high school students. Many of the victims’ a stalemate and a cease-fire agreement (a peace treaty still has families accused the government of negligence and failing to not been signed), with the original border virtually protect its citizens; Prime Minister Chung Hong-won resigned unchanged. Violent border incidents have occurred over the soon after. years, and South Korea and North Korea continue to have Recent Events and Trends large military presences at the border. •Prime minister resignation: In April 2015, Prime Minister Road to Democracy Lee Wan-koo resigned after he was accused of accepting Rhee resigned in 1960 after students protested against his bribes along with several other top government officials. Lee authoritarian rule. General Park Chung-hee took advantage of is one of the shortest-serving prime ministers in the country’s the weakened government and seized power in a 1961 history, having only spent two months in office. military coup. Under Park's leadership, South Korea's •Virus outbreak: During May and June 2015, nearly one economy began to grow rapidly, leading to an increasingly hundred people contracted MERS (Middle East Respiratory higher quality of life for South Koreans. However, Park also Syndrome) after a South Korean businessman returned from a took away many civil liberties and political rights, usually trip to Saudi Arabia. Many South Koreans have begun under the pretense of national security. He was assassinated in wearing surgical masks in hopes of avoiding the virus. By the 1979. end of July, the virus threat had passed, but 36 people died Another coup in 1980 brought General Chun Doo-hwan to and the fears over infection hampered tourism and closed power. Chun's brutal suppression of student demonstrations in schools for weeks. Gwangju increased public and international opposition to his •Tensions with North Korea: In August 2015, two South government. In the face of growing protests, which had Korean soldiers were injured by a landmine as they patrolled spread to include much of the middle class as well, and with the DMZ. South Korea blamed the incident on North Korea, international pressure for reform leading up to Seoul's hosting and tensions heightened between the two countries as the of the 1988 Summer Olympics, Chun stepped down in 1987. South blared propaganda across the border and each country General Roh Tae-woo was freely elected that year, and he fired artillery toward the other. However, talks between the began instituting reforms that paved the way for civilian rule. countries calmed tensions and they agreed to continued Kim Young Sam won elections in 1992 to become the first diplomacy. civilian to hold the presidency in more than 30 years. Relations with North Korea Since the end of the Korean War until the late 1990s, South THE PEOPLE Korea's relationship with North Korea was very tense and mistrust was high. In 1998, Kim Dae-jung took office as Population president and implemented a "sunshine policy" of Most of South Korea's population lives in urban areas. Seoul constructive engagement with the North in hopes of is the largest city, followed by Busan, Incheon, and Daegu. eventually achieving reunification. The two countries started Except for small Chinese and Southeast Asian minorities, a joint industrial park at Kaesong, in North Korea, as a sign of South Korea is an ethnically homogeneous country. However, their cooperation. Kim's successor, Roh Moo-hyun, continued regionalism divides the population and creates biases and diplomacy with North Korea, organizing a historic leaders' tensions that have impacted politics and social interaction summit in Pyongyang in 2007. throughout the nation's history. A person's dialect or accent North Korea began openly testing nuclear weapons in can be used to identify his or her home region. 2006, and with President Lee Myung-bak, who took office in 2008, promising to take a tougher stance on North Korea, Language relations quickly deteriorated. 2010 was an especially violent The Korean language plays an important role in national year: a South Korean warship was allegedly sunk by a North identity. It is written in Hangeul, a phonetic alphabet created Korean torpedo, and North Korea fired on Yeonpyeong, a in 1446 because classical Chinese (the only written language small island in contested waters of the Yellow Sea, killing available) was difficult to master. Hangeul made it possible four. Tensions rise frequently, and North Korea regularly for the commoner to read and write. Hangeul also instilled a threatens to destroy South Korea, Japan, and the United national pride in Koreans that helped them preserve their States. While the goal of reunification has long been espoused culture during periods of foreign occupation. Hangeul has 24 on both sides of the border, different visions and deep letters, 10 of which are vowels. While Korean is related to suspicions, especially regarding the nuclear issue, keep the Chinese—many words share a common origin—the two Koreas far apart. pronunciation can be very different. Korean used in South First Female President Korea sometimes mixes numerous Chinese characters with Park Geun-hye, daughter of former president Park Hangeul script in newspapers and government documents; Chung-hee, was elected president in December 2012, however, media and government are making efforts to reduce becoming South Korea's first female president. In addition to the number of Chinese characters used. the continued threat of North Korea, challenges facing Park An "honorific," or respectful form of address signaled by 2 TM CultureGrams South Korea the addition of a suffix to a noun, is used by younger people occasions or holidays, however, some people wear hanbok, when addressing older people, or when one wishes to speak simple traditional outfits characterized by bright colors. For humbly. There are also seven levels of speech, indicated by women, hanbok is a two-piece dress with a long skirt. For different forms of verbs that change based on the formality of men, it includes trousers and a loose-fitting jacket or robe. the situation and the level of respect a speaker wishes to convey. Modern Korean has adopted many English and other foreign terms associated with Western culture.