Portal:South Korea

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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone; though it also claims the land border with China and Russia. The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan. South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. It has a population of 51.96 million, of which roughly half live in the Seoul Capital Area, the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world. Other major cities include Incheon, Busan, and Daegu.

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. Japanese rule ended following Japan's surrender in World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones: a northern zone occupied by the Soviet Union, and a southern zone occupied by the United States. After negotiations on reunification failed, the southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948, while the northern zone became the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea the following month.

In 1950, a North Korean invasion began the Korean War, which ended in 1953 after extensive fighting involving the American-led United Nations Command and the People's Volunteer Army from China with Soviet assistance. The war left 3 million Koreans dead and the economy in ruins. The authoritarian First Republic of Korea led by Syngman Rhee was overthrown in the April Revolution of 1960. However, the Second Republic was incompetent as it could not control the revolutionary fervor. The May 16 coup of 1961 led by Park Chung Hee put an end to the Second Republic, signaling the start of the Third Republic in 1963. South Korea's devastated economy began to soar under Park's leadership, recording the one of fastest rises in average GDP per capita. Despite lacking natural resources, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers based on international trade and economic globalization, integrating itself within the world economy with export-oriented industrialization. The Fourth Republic was established after the October Restoration of 1972, in which Park wielded absolute power. The Yushin Constitution declared that the president could suspend basic human rights and appoint a third of the parliament. Suppression of the opposition and human rights abuse by the government became more severe in this period. Even after Park's assassination in 1979, the authoritarian rule continued in the Fifth Republic led by Chun Doo-hwan, which violently seized power by two coups and brutally suppressing the Gwangju Uprising. The June Democratic Struggle of 1987 ended authoritarian rule, forming the current Sixth Republic. The country is now considered among the most advanced democracies in Continental and East Asia. (Full article...)

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Incheon (Korean인천; Hanja仁川; Korean pronunciation: [intɕʰʌ̹n]; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. Today, about 3 million people live in the city, making it South Korea's third-most-populous city after Seoul and Busan.

The city's growth has been assured in modern times with the development of its port due to its natural advantages as a coastal city and its proximity to the South Korean capital. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, along with Seoul itself and Gyeonggi Province, forming the world's fourth-largest metropolitan area by population.

Incheon has since led the economic development of South Korea by opening its port to the outside world, ushering in the modernization of South Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was designated as South Korea's first free economic zone. Since then, large local companies and global enterprises have increasingly invested in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, including Samsung which chose Songdo International City as its new investment destination for its bio industry. (Full article...)
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2010 G-20 Seoul summit
2010 G-20 Seoul summit
Credit: Presidencia de la Nacion Argentina

The 2010 G-20 Seoul summit was the fifth meeting of the G-20 heads of government to discuss the global financial system and the world economy. It was held in Seoul, South Korea.

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In the news

21 March 2024 –
The death toll of the capsized South Korean-flagged tanker Keoyoung Sun increases to nine with one person still missing. (Reuters)
20 March 2024 –
Eight people are killed, one is injured, and two are missing after the South Korean-flagged tanker Keoyoung Sun loaded with 980 tons of acrylic acid capsizes near Mutsure Island, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. (Al Jazeera)
5 March 2024 –
An appeals court in Montenegro overturns a decision to extradite South Korean cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to the United States on fraud charges. Kwon was arrested in March 2023 in Montenegro. (AP)
14 February 2024 – Foreign relations of Cuba, Foreign relations of South Korea
Cuba and South Korea establish diplomatic relations after exchanging letters via their United Nations representatives. (Reuters)

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

Ganggang sullae, women's dance from South Jeolla Province, Intangible Cultural Heritage #8

The heritage preservation system of South Korea is a multi-level program aiming to preserve and cultivate Korean cultural heritage. The program is administered by the Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA), and the legal framework is provided by the Cultural Heritage Protection Act of 1962, last updated in 2012. The program started in 1962 and has gradually been extended and upgraded since then.

The CHA classifies cultural heritage into five major categories (state-designated heritage, city and province-designated heritage, cultural heritage material, registered cultural heritage, undesignated cultural heritage) and these are divided further into subcategories. Besides tangible cultural heritage, South Korea aims to preserve its intangible cultural heritage as well, including folk customs, music, dance and handicraft. The program also includes Living National Treasures, persons who possess the knowledge and skills important to pass down intangible cultural heritage to new generations. South Korea has founded several educational centers throughout the country and established a university, specifically dedicated to heritage preservation.

Some of the heritage properties of South Korea has been inscribed into various UNESCO lists. As of 2014, the country has nine cultural and one natural World Heritage Sites, with 15 added to the provisional list; and there are 17 items registered as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. (Full article...)

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WikiProjects

See WikiProject Korea for collaborating on South Korea topics, and more broadly, on all things Korea-related.

South Korea topics
History By period Timeline of Korean history | Prehistoric Korea | Gojoseon (Dangun Joseon / Gija Joseon / Wiman Joseon / Jin) | Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea (Buyeo / Okjeo / Dongye / Samhan / Four Commanderies of Han) | Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo / Baekje / Silla / Gaya confederacy) | North–South States Period (Later Silla / Balhae) | Later Three Kingdoms (Taebong / Later Baekje / Silla) | Goryeo | Joseon | Korean Empire | Korea under Japanese rule (Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea | Division of Korea (United States Army Military Government in Korea / Soviet Civil Administration) | History of South Korea | History of North Korea
By event Battle of Fengwudong | Korean War | United States expedition to Korea | French expedition to Korea | Jungjong coup  | Imjin War | Goryeo–Khitan War
By tophic Military history | History of cuisine | History of Korean language
Government President | Prime Minister | Ministry of Economy and Finance | Ministry of Education | Ministry of Science and ICT | Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Ministry of Unification | Ministry of Justice | Supreme Prosecutors' Office | Ministry of National Defense | Ministry of the Interior and Safety | Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs | Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs | Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy | Ministry of Health and Welfare | Ministry of Environment | Ministry of Employment and Labor | Ministry of Gender Equality and Family | Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport | Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries | Ministry of SMEs and Startups
Politics Constitution | Foreign relations | Human rights | Armed Forces | Elections | Preaidential elections | Legislative elections | Political parties | National Assembly | Judicial system | Law | LGBT rights
Culture Cinema | Food | Globalization | Martial arts | Mythology | Philosophy | Sword | Tea ceremony | Education | Religion | Smoking | Korean Wave | K-pop | Marriage | Media | Sexuality | Chuseok | Seollal | Festivals | Holidays | Language | Media | National symbols | Aegukga
Art Architecture | Calligraphy | Drama | Literacture | Music | Painting | Pottery and porcelain | Theatre (Pansori) | Manhwa | Webtoon | K-Beauty | Korean poetry | Woodblock printing (Tripitaka Koreana / The Great Dharani Sutra)
Sports Ssireum wrestling | Taekwondo | Football (K League / Football champions / WK League / AFC Champions League) | Baseball (KBO League / National baseball team)
Economy Energy | Telecommunications | Tourism | Chaebol | Financial services | Fishing industry | Miracle on the Han River | Squatting | Trade unions | 1997 Asian financial crisis | Currency | Korea Stock Exchange | Companies | Housing in South Korea
Transport Subways (Seoul Metro / Incheon Metro / Busan MetroDaegu Metro / Gwangju Metro / Daejeon Metro) | Rail transport (KTX / SRT / Mugunghwa-ho / Nuriro) / Railway companies | Expressways | Airport
Science and technology Electronics | Automative industry | Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) | Nuclear power | Robotics
Geography Korean Peninsula | Island | Lake | Mountain | River | Province | Region | Administrative divisions | Enviornment | City | Special city | World Heritage Site
Demographics Koreatown | Name | Demographics | Aging | Low birth rate | International adoption | Korean language (Hangul / Hanja)
Other Seoul | Jeonju | Namsan Tower | Lotte World | Fashion | Coffee in South Korea | Etiquette

Categories

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Administrative divisions of South Korea
Seoul Busan Daegu Incheon Gwangju
Daejeon Ulsan Sejong Gyeonggi Province Gangwon State
North Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province Jeonbuk State South Jeolla Province North Gyeongsang Province
South Gyeongsang Province Jeju Province

Related portals


East Asia

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Web resources

  • The official website of the Republic of Korea (Korea.net)
  • The Official Korea Tourism Guide Site
  • Korea National Statistical Office
  • Video on South Korea-US Relations from the Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives
  • "South Korea". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
  • A Country Study: South Korea in the Library of Congress
  • South Korea at Curlie
  • South Korea from UCB Libraries GovPubs
  • Korea OECD
  • South Korea profile from the BBC News
  • South Korea Encyclopædia Britannica entry
  • The War Memorial of Korea
  • Key Development Forecasts for South Korea from International Futures

Sources

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