Korea is situated on the
Korean Peninsula, which spans 1,100
kilometers north to south. The Korean Peninsula lies on the northeastern
section of the Asian continent, where the western-most parts of the
Pacific join Korean waters. The peninsula shares its northern border with
China and Russia. To its east is the East Sea, beyond which neighboring
Japan lies. In addition to the mainland peninsula, Korea includes some
3,000 islands.The total area of the peninsula is 222,154 sq. km. South
Korea possesses 99,392 sq. km. or 45% of total land mass, while North
Korea 122,762 sq. km , similar in size to that of the U.K, New Zealand, or
Romania.
After World War II, a republic was set up
in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a communist-style
government was installed in the north. The Korean
War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend
South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. An
armistice was signed in 1953 splitting the peninsula at the 38th parallel
known as the
 DMZ.
Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth, with per capita
income rising to 13 times the level of North Korea. In 1997, the nation
suffered a severe financial crisis from which it continues to make a solid
recovery. South Korea has also maintained its commitment to democratize
its political processes.
The recent changes
to the power structure in North Korea and the easing tension in
the peninsula have resulted in increased interests in the settlement of
permanent peace in the Korean peninsula and investment opportunities and
trade, and the accelerated efforts to resume bilateral dialogue between
South and North korea with the eventual goal of reunification. In June
2000, a historic first south-north summit took place between the south's
President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il. In December
2000, President KIM Dae-jung won the Noble Peace Prize for his lifeling
committment to democracy and human rights in Asia. He is the first Korean
to win a Nobel Prize.
The capital city
is Seoul, which is the political, cultural, commercial,
financial, and educational center of Korea. Seoul also offers many tourist
attractions.(Population : 10.3 million as of 1998). Korea consists of 7
metropolitan cities and 9 provinces.
Koreans descended from the Mongolian race
in prehistoric times. Periods of occupation have also added Chinese
and Japanese blood to the gene pool. Although they have borrowed from
other cultures, especially Chinese and Japanese, Koreans have maintained
their own distinctive language, culture, and customs. It is a family
orientated society, heavily based on Confucianism, which even in modern
times retains the basic patterns and manners of family-centered life. The
Korean people have struggled successfully for millennia to
maintain their cultural and political
identity despite the influence of neighboring China and the more recent
aggressive inclinations of Japan. They are a proud people with one of the
longest national histories in the world. Rapid population growth was once
a serious social problem in Korea, as in most other developing nations.
Owing to successful family planning campaigns and changing attitudes,
however, population growth has been curbed remarkably in recent years. The
annual growth rate was 0.98 percent in 1997.
A notable trend in the population structure is that it is getting
increasingly older. 1997 statistics show that 6.3 percent of the total
population is 65 years old and over. The number of people of productive
age, 15 and above, rose from 24,751,000 in 1980 to 34,736,000 in 1997.
Korean culture
has blossomed over a long history. Though influenced by other Asian
cultures, its roots lie deep in the creative Korean psyche, and it has
tended to spread rather than be encroached upon. Japan especially has
adopted many Korean ideas and customs. The delicate styling and fine
craftsmanship of celadon pottery well illustrates the refinement of the
culture, even from as far back as the Three Kingdoms period. Korea has
also spawned some great inventions; its early printing systems were highly
refined and Korea's moveable metal type predated that of Gutenberg, the
famous 'Turtle Ship' was the world's first ever ironclad battleship, and
the Korean alphabet, devised by a
group of scholars in the 15th century, was so effective that it remains
largely unchanged today and is lauded by linguists for its simple clarity
and ease of learning. Reasons behind Korea's rapid economic development
can be found in this innate creativity |
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