WHEELS27: SOUTH KOREA

other uses, see Korea and ROK (disambiguation).

Republic of Korea[show]


Flag	Emblem

Motto: "홍익인간" (Korean) (de facto)
"Benefit broadly in the human world/Devotion to the Welfare of Humanity"^[1]

Anthem: Aegukga "애국가" (Korean) (de facto)
"Patriotic Song"

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Government Emblem

대한민국정부 상징문양 (Korean)
Government Emblem of South Korea

Area controlled by the Republic of Korea shown in green

Capital
and largest city Seoul
37°33′N 126°58′E

Official languages Korean

Official scripts

Hangul

Ethnic groups no official statistics^[2]^[3]

Demonym

Government

Unitary presidential
constitutional republic

• President Park Geun-hye

• Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn

• Speaker of the National Assembly Chung Sye-kyun

• Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae

Legislature National Assembly

Formation

• First Kingdom c. 7th century BC

• Three Kingdoms 18 BC

• North-South Kingdoms 698

• Unitary dynasties 918

• Japan-Korea Treaty August 29, 1910

• Gwangbokjeol August 15, 1945

• First Republic August 15, 1948

• Current constitution October 1987

Area

• Total 100,210 km²
38,691 sq mi

• Water (%) 0.3 (301 km² / 116 mi²)

Population

• 2016 estimate 50,801,405^[4]^[5] (27th)

• Density 507/km² (23rd)
1,313.1/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2016 estimate

• Total $1.929 trillion^[6] (13th)

• Per capita $37,948^[6] (28th)

GDP (nominal) 2016 estimate

• Total $1.404 trillion^[6] (11th)

• Per capita $27,633^[6] (27th)

Gini (2013) 30.2^[7]
medium

HDI (2014) 0.898^[8]
very high · 17th

Currency South Korean won (₩)
(KRW)

Time zone Korea Standard Time(UTC+9)

Date format

yyyy년 m월 d일
yyyy. m. d. (CE)

Drives on the right

.kr
.한국

South Korea
Hangul	대 한 민 국
Hanja	大韓民國
Revised Romanization	Daehan Min-guk
McCune–Reischauer	Taehan Min’guk

You may need rendering support to display the Korean text in this article correctly.

South Korea (

listen), officially the Republic of Korea (ROK;

listen), is asovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula.^[9]

Highly urbanized at 92%,^[10] South Koreans lead a distinctive urban lifestyle; half of them live in high-rises^[11] concentrated in the Seoul Capital Area with 25 million residents^[12] and the world's sixth leading global city^[13] with the fourth largest economy^[14] and seventh most sustainable city in the world.^[15]

The earliest Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC,^[16] with three kingdomsflourishing in the 1st century BC. The name Korea is derived from one of them,Goguryeo, also known as Koryŏ, which was a powerful empire and one of the great powers in East Asia,^[17]^[18]^[19] ruling Northeast China, parts of Russia^[20]and Inner Mongolia,^[21] and more than two-thirds of the Korean Peninsula under Gwanggaeto the Great.^[22] Since their unification into Later Silla andBalhae in the 7th century, Korea enjoyed over a millennium of relative tranquility under long lasting dynasties,^[23] with innovations like Hangul, the unique alphabet created by Sejong the Great in 1446, enabling anyone to easily learn to read and write.^[24] Its rich and vibrant culture left 17 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity, the third largest in the world, along with 12 World Heritage Sites. Annexed by Imperial Japan in 1910 due to its strategic and central location, Korea was divided into North and South after its surrender in 1945. A North Korean invasion led to the Korean War (1950–53). Peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the world's 10th largest defence budget.

South Korea's tiger economy soared at an annual average of 10% for over 30 years^[25] in a period called the Miracle on the Han River, rapidly transforming it into the world's 9th largest high-income economy by 1995. A long legacy of openness and focus in innovation made it successful.^[26] Today, it is the world'sfifth largest exporter and seventh largest importer with the G20's largest budget surplus^[27] and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia.^[28] It has free trade agreements with 75% of the world economy and is the only G20nation trading freely with China, the US and EU simultaneously.^[29] In 1987, it became a multi-party democracy with universal suffrage and is today Asia'smost advanced democracy with high government transparency, universal healthcare and freedom of religion. High civil liberties led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture^[30] such as K-pop and K-drama, a phenomenon called the Korean Wave, known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style.^[31] Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI, South Korea is a leader in low carbon green growth,^[32] committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC and Paris Club contributor. It is the OECD's most welcoming country by visa-free entry to foreigners^[33] and rated highly in peaceful tolerance and inclusion of minorities.^[34]

South Korea is East Asia's most developed country in the Human Development Index. It has the world's eighth highest median household income, the highest in Asia, and its singles in particular earn more than all G7 nations. Globally, it ranks highly in personal safety,^[35] education, job security, ease of doing business and healthcare quality, with the world's third highest health adjusted life expectancy and fourth most efficient healthcare system.^[36] It leads theOECD in graduates in science and engineering^[37] and is ranked third in theYouth Wellbeing Index.^[38] Home of Samsung, the world's leading smartphoneand TV maker,^[39]^[40] LG and Hyundai-Kia, South Korea was named the world's most innovative country in the Bloomberg Innovation Index,^[41] ranking first inbusiness R&D intensity and patents filed per GDP. It has the world's fastest Internet speed and highest smartphone ownership, ranking first in ICT Development, e-Government^[42] and 4G LTE coverage. In 2005, it became the world's first country to fully transition to high-speed Internet and start the world's first mobile TV broadcast with 97% of cellphones already having Internet access.^[43]

Etymology[edit]

History[edit]

Part of a series on the

History of Korea

Prehistory

Ancient

Proto–Three Kingdoms

Four Commanderies of Han

Three Kingdoms

Goguryeo	37 BC–668 AD
Baekje	18 BC–660 AD
Silla	57 BC–935 AD
Gaya confederacy	42–562

North–South States

Silla	668–935
Balhae	698–926

Later Three Kingdoms

Later Baekje	892–936
Later Goguryeo (Taebong)	901–918
Later Silla (Unified Silla)	57 BC–935 AD

Unitary dynastic period

Goryeo	918–1392
Joseon	1392–1897
Korean Empire	1897–1910

Colonial period

Japanese rule	1910–45
Provisional Government	1919–48

Division of Korea

Military Governments	1945–48
North Korea	1948–present
South Korea	1948–present

By topic

Timeline

Korea portal

Before the division[edit]

Main article: History of Korea

7th century Tang dynasty painting of envoys from the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla

Seokguram Grotto from theSilla era, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Balhae and Silla, 830 CE

The oldest surviving metal movable type book, the Jikji, was printed in 1377, andGoryeo created the world's first metal-based movable type in 1234.^[52]^[53]^[54]^[55]^[56]

The Tripitaka Koreana — the Buddhist canon (Tripiṭaka) carved onto roughly 80,000 woodblocks and stored (and still remaining) at Haeinsa, aWorld Heritage Site

Changdeok Palace, one of the Five Grand Palaces built during the Joseon Dynastyand a World Heritage Site

The history of Korea begins with the founding of Joseon (often known as "Gojoseon" to prevent confusion with another dynasty founded in the 14th century; the prefix Go- means 'older,' 'before,' or 'earlier') in 2333 BC byDangun, according to Korean foundation mythology.^[57]^[58]

Gojoseon expanded until it controlled northern Korean Peninsula and some parts of Manchuria. Gija Joseon was purportedly founded in the 12th century BC, and its existence and role have been controversial in the modern era.^[58]^[59]

In the 2nd century BC, Wiman Joseon fell to Han China near the end of the century. Later the Han Dynasty set up Four Commanderies of Han in 108 BC. There was a significant Chinese presence in northern parts of the Korean peninsula during the next century, and the Lelang Commandery persisted for about 400 years until it was conquered byGoguryeo.^[60] After many conflicts with the Chinese Han Dynasty, Gojoseon disintegrated, leading to the Proto–Three Kingdoms of Koreaperiod.

In the early centuries AD, Buyeo, Okjeo,Dongye, and the Samhan confederacy occupied the peninsula and southern Manchuria. Of the various states, Goguryeo,Baekje, and Silla grew to control the peninsula as the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Goguryeo was the largest and most powerful among them, and competed with various Chinese dynasties during its 700 years of history. Goguryeo experienced a golden age underGwanggaeto the Great and his sonJangsu,^[61]^[62]^[63]^[64] who both subdued Baekje and Silla during their times, achieving a brief unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea and becoming the most dominant power on the Korean Peninsula.^[65] In addition to contesting for control of the Korean Peninsula, Goguryeo had many military conflicts with various Chinese dynasties,^[66] most notably the Goguryeo–Sui War, in which Goguryeo defeated a huge force said to number over a million men.^[67]^[68]^[69]^[70]^[71] Baekje was a great maritime power;^[72] its nautical skill, which made it the Phoenicia of East Asia, was instrumental in the dissemination of Buddhism throughout East Asia and continental culture to Japan.^[73]^[74]Baekje was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, especially during the time of Geunchogo, but was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto the Great and declined. Silla was the smallest and weakest of the three, but it used cunning diplomatic means to make opportunistic pacts and alliances with the more powerful Korean kingdoms, and eventually Tang China, to its great advantage.^[75]^[76] The unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla in 676 led to the North South States Period, in which much of the Korean Peninsula was controlled by Later Silla, while Balhae controlled the northern parts of Goguryeo. Balhae was founded by a Goguryeo general and formed as a successor state to Goguryeo. During its height, Balhae controlled most of Manchuria and parts of the Russian Far East.

Later Silla was a golden age of art and culture,^[77]^[78]^[79]^[80] as evidenced by the Hwangnyongsa, Seokguram, and Emille Bell. Relationships between Korea and China remained relatively peaceful during this time. Later Silla carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje, which acted like the Phoenicia of medieval East Asia,^[81] and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea and Japan, most notably during the time of Jang Bogo; in addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on the Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River.^[82]^[83]^[84]^[85] Later Silla was a prosperous and wealthy country,^[86] and its metropolitan capital of Gyeongju^[87] was the fourth largest city in the world.^[88]^[89]^[90]^[91] Buddhism flourished during this time, and many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists^[92] and contributed to Chinese Buddhism,^[93] including: Woncheuk, Wonhyo, Uisang,Musang,^[94]^[95]^[96]^[97] and Kim Gyo-gak, a Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountainsof Chinese Buddhism.^[98]^[99]^[100]^[101]^[102] However, Later Silla weakened under internal strife and the revival of Baekje andGoguryeo, which led to the Later Three Kingdoms period in the late 9th century.

In 936, the Later Three Kingdoms were united by Wang Geon, a descendant of Goguryeo nobility,^[103]^[104] who establishedGoryeo as the successor state of Goguryeo.^[44]^[45]^[46]^[47] Balhae had fallen to the Khitan Empire in 926, and a decade later the last crown prince of Balhae fled south to Goryeo, where he was warmly welcomed and included into the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor nations of Goguryeo.^[105] Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in 1377, using the world's oldest metal movable type printing press.^[52]^[53]^[54]^[55]^[56]^[106]^[107] After defeating the Khitan Empire, which was the most powerful empire of its time,^[108]^[109] in the Goryeo–Khitan War, Goryeo experienced a golden age that lasted a century, during which the Tripitaka Koreana was completed and there were great developments in printing and publishing, promoting learning and dispersing knowledge on philosophy, literature, religion, and science; by 1100, there were 12 universities that produced famous scholars and scientists.^[110]^[111] However, the Mongol invasions in the 13th century greatly weakened the kingdom. Goryeo was never conquered by the Mongols, but exhausted after three decades of fighting, the Korean court sent its crown prince to the Yuan capital to swear allegiance to Kublai Khan, who accepted, and married one of his daughters to the Korean crown prince.^[112] Henceforth, Goryeo continued to rule Korea, though as a tributary ally to the Mongols for the next 86 years. During this period, the two nations became intertwined as all subsequent Korean kings married Mongol princesses,^[112] and the last empress of the Yuan dynasty was a Korean princess.^[113] After the Mongolian Empire collapsed, severe political strife followed and the Goryeo Dynasty was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1392, following a rebellion by General Yi Seong-gye.

King Taejo declared the new name of Korea as "Joseon" in reference to Gojoseon, and moved the capital to Hanseong (one of the old names of Seoul). The first 200 years of the Joseon dynasty were marked by peace, and saw great advancements in science^[114]^[115] and education,^[116] as well as the creation of Hangul by Sejong the Great to promote literacy among the common people.^[24] The prevailing ideology of the time was Neo-Confucianism, which was epitomized by the seonbi class: nobles who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity.

Between 1592 and 1598, Japan invaded Korea. Toyotomi Hideyoshi led the Japanese forces, but his advance was halted by Korean forces (most notably the Joseon Navy led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his renowned "turtle ship")^[117]^[118]^[119]^[120]^[121]with assistance from Righteous Army militias formed by Korean civilians, and Ming Dynasty Chinese troops. Through a series of successful battles of attrition, the Japanese forces were eventually forced to withdraw, and relations between all parties became normalized. In 1627 and 1637, Joseon suffered two separate invasions by the Manchu, which also extended to China and led to the conquest of the Ming Dynasty. After the second Manchu invasion in 1637, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. Kings Yeongjo and Jeongjo particularly led a new renaissance of the Joseon Dynasty during the 18th century.^[122]^[123]

However, the latter years of the Joseon Dynasty were marked by isolation from the outside world. During the 19th century, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "Hermit Kingdom". The Joseon Dynasty tried to protect itself against Western imperialism, but was eventually forced to open trade. After the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, Korea was occupied by Japan (1910–45). At the end of World War II, the Japanese surrendered to Soviet and U.S. forces who occupied the northern and southern halves of Korea, respectively.

After the division[edit]

Main article: History of South Korea

War Memorial of Korea, built in memory and remembrance of theKorean War (1950–1953)

Despite the initial plan of a unified Korea in the 1943 Cairo Declaration, escalatingCold War antagonism between the Soviet Union and the United States eventually led to the establishment of separate governments, each with its own ideology, leading to the division of Korea into two political entities in 1948: North Korea and South Korea.

In the South, Syngman Rhee, an opponent of communism, who had been backed and appointed by the United States as head of the provisional government, won the first presidential elections of the newly declared Republic of Korea in May. In the North, a former anti-Japanese guerrilla and communist activist, Kim Il-sung was appointed premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in September. In October the Soviet Union declared Kim Il-sung's government as sovereign over both parts. The UN declared Rhee's government as "a lawful government having effective control and jurisdiction over that part of Korea where the UN Temporary Commission on Korea was able to observe and consult" and the Government "based on elections which was observed by the Temporary Commission" in addition to a statement that "this is the only such government in Korea."^[124] Both leaders began an authoritarian repression of their political opponents inside their region, seeking for a unification of Korea under their control. While South Korea's request for military support was denied by the United States, North Korea's military was heavily reinforced by the Soviet Union.

On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, sparking the Korean War, the Cold War's first major conflict, which continued until 1953. At the time, the Soviet Union had boycotted the United Nations (UN), thus forfeiting their veto rights. This allowed the UN to intervene in a civil war when it became apparent that the superior North Korean forces would unify the entire country. The Soviet Union and China backed North Korea, with the later participation of millions of Chinese troops. After an ebb and flow that saw both sides almost pushed to the brink of extinction, and massive losses among Korean civilians in both the north and the south, 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, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. Over 1.2 million people died during the Korean War.^[125]

Between 1962 and 1994, the South Korean economy grew at an average of 10% annually, fueled by annual export growth of 20%,^[25] in a period called theMiracle on the Han River

President Park Chung-heeplayed a pivotal but controversial role in rapidly developing the Korean economy through export-oriented industrialization

In 1960, a student uprising (the "April 19 Revolution") led to the resignation of the autocratic, corrupt President Syngman Rhee. A period of political instability followed, broken by General Park Chung-hee's May 16 coup 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 implementing political repression. Park was heavily criticised as a ruthless military dictator, who in 1972 extended his rule by creating a new constitution, which gave the president sweeping (almost dictatorial) powers and permitted him to run for an unlimited number of six-year terms. However, the Korean economy developed significantly during Park's tenure and the government developed the nationwide expressway system, the Seoul subway system, and laid the foundation for economic development during his 17-year tenure.

President Kim Dae-jung, the 2000 Nobel Peace Prizerecipient for advancing democracy and human rights in South Korea and East Asia and for reconciliation with North Korea, was sometimes called the "Nelson Mandela of Asia"^[126]

The years after Park's assassination were marked again by political turmoil, as the previously suppressed opposition leaders all campaigned to run for president in the sudden political void. In 1979 there came the Coup d'état of December Twelfth led by General Chun Doo-hwan. Following the Coup d'état, Chun Doo-hwan planned to rise to power through several measures. On May 17, Chun Doo-hwan forced the Cabinet to expand martial law to the whole nation, which had previously not applied to the island of Jejudo. The expanded martial law closed universities, banned political activities and further curtailed the press. Chun's assumption of the presidency in the events of May 17, triggered nationwide protests demanding democracy, in particular in the city of Gwangju, to which Chun sent special forces to violently suppress the Gwangju Democratization Movement.^[127]

Chun subsequently created the National Defense Emergency Policy Committee and took the presidency according to his political plan. Chun and his government held South Korea under a despotic rule until 1987, when a Seoul National University student, Park Jong-chul, was tortured to death.^[128] On June 10, the Catholic Priests Association for Justice revealed the incident, igniting the June Democracy Movement around the country. 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. Roh went on to win the election by a narrow margin against the two main opposition leaders, Kim Dae-Jung and Kim Young-Sam.

In 1988, Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics. It became a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996.^[129] It was adversely affected by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. However, the country recovered and continued its economic growth, albeit at a slower pace.

Korea was the first chair of the G-20during the 2010 Seoul summit

In June 2000, as part of president Kim Dae-jung's "Sunshine Policy" of engagement, a North–South summit took place in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. Later 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."^[130] However, because of discontent among the population for fruitless approaches to the North under the previous administrations and, amid North Korean provocations, a conservative government was elected in 2007 led by President Lee Myung-bak, former mayor of Seoul. More recently, Park Geun-hye won the South Korean presidential election, 2012.

In 2002, South Korea and Japan jointly co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup. However, South Korean and Japanese relations later soured because of conflicting claims of sovereignty over the Liancourt Rocks, in what became known as the Liancourt Rocks dispute.

Geography, climate and environment[edit]

Geography[edit]

Main article: Geography of South Korea

Topography of South Korea

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which extends some 1,100 km (680 mi) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the East Sea to the east. Its southern tip lies on the Korea Strait and the East China Sea.

The country, including all its islands, lies between latitudes 33° and 39°N, and longitudes 124° and 130°E. Its total area is 100,032 square kilometres (38,622.57 sq mi).^[131]

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.^[132]

South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, make up only 30% of the total land area.

About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. Jeju-dois about 100 kilometres (62 miles) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 square kilometres (712 square miles). Jeju is also the site of South Korea's highest point: Hallasan, an extinct volcano, reaches 1,950 metres (6,400 feet) above sea level. The easternmost islands of South Korea include Ulleungdo andLiancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima), while Marado and Socotra Rock are the southernmost islands of South Korea.^[132]

South Korea has 20 national parks and popular nature places like the Boseong Tea Fields, Suncheon Bay Ecological Park, and the first national park of Jirisan.^[133]

Climate[edit]

Main article: Climate of South Korea

Seoul

Climate chart (explanation)

J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
22 2 −6	24 4 −4	46 10 1	77 18 7	102 23 13	133 27 18	328 29 22	348 30 22	138 26 17	49 20 10	53 12 3	25 4 −3
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: ^[134]

[show]Imperial conversion

South Korea tends to have a humid continental climate and a humid subtropical climate, and is affected by the East Asian monsoon, withprecipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called jangma (장마), which begins end of June through the end of July. Winters can be extremely cold with the minimum temperature dropping below −20 °C (−4 °F) in the inland region of the country: in Seoul, the average January temperature range is −7 to 1 °C (19 to 34 °F), and the average August temperature range is 22 to 30 °C (72 to 86 °F). Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior.^[135]Summer can be uncomfortably hot and humid, with temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) in most parts of the country. South Korea has four distinct seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring usually lasts from late-March to early-May, summer from mid-May to early-September, autumn from mid-September to early-November, and winter from mid-November to mid-March.

Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months of June through September. The southern coast is subject to late summer typhoons that bring strong winds, heavy rains and sometime floods. The average annual precipitation varies from 1,370 millimetres (54 in) in Seoul to 1,470 millimetres (58 in) in Busan.

Environment[edit]

Main article: Environment of South Korea

Jeju Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of theNew7Wonders of Nature

Cheonggyecheon river is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea

During the first 20 years of South Korea's growth surge, little effort was made to preserve the environment.^[136] Unchecked industrialization and urban development have resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat.^[137] However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including a government run $84 billion five-year green growth project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology.^[138]

The green-based economic strategy is a comprehensive overhaul of South Korea's economy, utilizing nearly two percent of the national GDP. The greening initiative includes such efforts as a nationwide bike network, solar and wind energy, lowering oil dependent vehicles, backing daylight savings and extensive usage of environmentally friendly technologies such as LEDs in electronics and lighting.^[139]The country – already the world's most wired – plans to build a nationwide next-generation network which will be 10 times faster than broadband facilities in order to reduce energy usage.^[139]

The renewable portfolio standard program with renewable energy certificates runs from 2012 to 2022.^[140] Quota systems favor large, vertically integrated generators and multinational electric utilities, if only because certificates are generally denominated in units of one megawatt-hour. They are also more difficult to design and implement than a Feed-in tariff.^[141] Around 350 residential micro combined heat and power units were installed in 2012.^[142]

Seoul's tap water recently became safe to drink, with city officials branding it "Arisu" in a bid to convince the public.^[143]Efforts have also been made with afforestation projects. Another multibillion-dollar project was the restoration ofCheonggyecheon, a stream running through downtown Seoul that had earlier been paved over by a motorway.^[144] One major challenge is air quality, with acid rain, sulfur oxides, and annual yellow dust storms being particular problems.^[136] It is acknowledged that many of these difficulties are a result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter.^[136]

South Korea is a member of the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity Treaty, Kyoto Protocol(forming the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), regarding UNFCCC,^[145] with Mexico and Switzerland), Desertification,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (not into force), Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,Wetlands, and Whaling.^[9]

Government[edit]

Main article: Government of South Korea

The National Assembly of South Korea

Under its current constitution the state is sometimes referred to as the Sixth Republic of South Korea. Like many democratic states,^[146] South Korea has a government divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. The executive and legislative branches operate primarily at the national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. Local governments are semi-autonomous, and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. The judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels. South Korea is a constitutional democracy.

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 at independence. However, it has retained many broad characteristics and with the exception of the short-lived Second Republic of South Korea, the country has always had a presidential system with an independent chief executive.^[147] The first direct election was also held in 1948. Although South Korea experienced a series of military dictatorships from the 1960s up until the 1980s, it has since developed into a successful liberal democracy. Today, the CIA World Factbook describes South Korea's democracy as a "fully functioning modern democracy".^[148] South Korea is ranked 37th on the Corruption Perceptions Index, with moderate control on corruption.^[149]

Administrative divisions[edit]

Main article: Administrative divisions of South Korea

The major administrative divisions in South Korea are eight provinces, one special self-governing province, sixmetropolitan cities (self-governing cities that are not part of any province), one special city and one metropolitan autonomous city.

Map	Name^a	Hangul	Hanja	Population^c
Gangwon Seoul Incheon Gyeonggi S. Chungcheong N. Chungcheong Sejong Daejeon N. Gyeongsang N. Jeolla Daegu Ulsan Busan S. Gyeongsang Gwangju S. Jeolla Jeju North Korea Japan Yellow Sea Strait Korea Sea of Japan (East Sea)	Special city (Teukbyeolsi)^a
	Seoul	서울특별시	서울特別市^b	9,989,795
	Metropolitan city (Gwangyeoksi)^a
	Busan	부산광역시	釜山廣域市	3,509,462
	Daegu	대구광역시	大邱廣域市	2,484,864
	Incheon	인천광역시	仁川廣域市	2,935,314
	Gwangju	광주광역시	光州廣域市	1,472,285
	Daejeon	대전광역시	大田廣域市	1,516,208
	Ulsan	울산광역시	蔚山廣域市	1,173,143
	Metropolitan autonomous city (Teukbyeol-jachisi)^a
	Sejong	세종특별자치시	世宗特別自治市	230,327
	Province (Do)^a
	Gyeonggi	경기도	京畿道	12,610,877
	Gangwon	강원도	江原道	1,548,603
	North Chungcheong	충청북도	忠淸北道	1,586,943
	South Chungcheong	충청남도	忠淸南道	2,085,844
	North Jeolla	전라북도	全羅北道	1,865,900
	South Jeolla	전라남도	全羅南道	1,904,314
	North Gyeongsang	경상북도	慶尙北道	2,702,385
	South Gyeongsang	경상남도	慶尙南道	3,368,792
	Special self-governing province (Teukbyeoljachi-do)^a
	Jeju	제주특별자치도	濟州特別自治道	634,274

^a Revised Romanisation; ^b See Names of Seoul; ^c June As of 2016.^[150]

Demographics[edit]

Main article: Demographics of South Korea

Education[edit]

Main article: Education in South Korea

Main Gate of Seoul National University

A centralized administration in South Korea oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to the third and final year of high school. The school year is divided into two semesters, the first of which begins in the beginning of March and ends in mid-July, the second of which begins in late August and ends in mid-February. The schedules are not uniformly standardized and vary from school to school. Most South Korean middle schools and high schools have school uniforms, modeled on western-style uniforms. Boys' uniforms usually consists of trousers and white shirts, and girls wear skirts and white shirts (this only applies in middle schools and high schools). The country adopted a new educational program to increase the number of their foreign students through 2010. According to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the number of scholarships for foreign students in South Korea would have (under the program) doubled by that time, and the number of foreign students would have reached 100,000.^[171]

South Korea is the top-performing OECD country in reading literacy, maths and sciences with the average student scoring 542 and has one of the worlds highest-educated labour forces among OECD countries.^[172] Higher education is an overwhelmingly serious issue in South Korea society, where it is viewed as one of the fundamental cornerstones of South Korean life. Education remains a high priority for South Korean families as success in education holds a cultural status as well as a necessity to improve one's socioeconomic position in South Korean society. Academic success is often a source of pride for families and within South Korean society at large. South Koreans view education as the main propeller of social mobility for themselves and their family as a gateway to the South Korean middle class. Graduating from a top university is the ultimate marker of prestige, high socioeconomic status, promising marriage prospects, and a respectable career path. An average South Korean child's life revolves around education as pressure to succeed academically is deeply ingrained in South Korean children from an early age. Not having a university degree carries a major cultural stigma as those without university degrees face social prejudice and are looked down often by others.^[173] Further criticism has been stemmed for causing labor shortages in vocational occupations where many vacant vocational jobs remain unfilled.^[174]

In 2015, the country spent 4.7% of its GDP on all levels of education – roughly equal to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average of 4.7% also.^[175] A strong investment in education, a militant drive for success as well as the passion for excellence has helped the country rapidly grow its economy over the past 60 years from a war torn wasteland.^[176] South Korea’s zeal for education and its students’ desires to get into a prestigious university is one of the highest in the world, as the entrance into a top tier higher educational institution leads to a prestigious, secure and well-paid job with the government, banks, a major South Korean conglomerate such as Samsung, Hyundai or LG Electronics.^[177] With incredible pressure on high school students to secure places at the nation’s best universities, its institutional reputation and alumni networks are strong predictors of future career prospects. The top three universities in South Korea, often referred to as "SKY", are Seoul National University, Korea University and Yonsei University.^[174]^[178]^[179]Intense competition for top grades and academic pressure to be the top student is deeply ingrained in the psyche of South Korean students at a young age.^[179] Yet with only so many places at universities and even fewer places at top-tier companies, many young people remain disappointed and are often unwilling to lower their sights. Those who do not choose to go to university can feel as underachievers as not having a university degree carries a major taboo in South Korean society creating consequences such as being mired in huge financial debt, damaging potential marriage prospects, and being unable land to a respectable career path causing their chances of moving up South Korean socioeconomic ladder to stagnate.^[180]

International reception on the South Korean education system has been divided. It has been praised for various reasons, including its comparatively high test results and its major role in ushering South Korea's economic development.^[181] South Korea's highly enviable academic performance has gotten British education ministers actively remodeling their own curriculum's and exams to try to emulate Korea's militant drive and passion for excellence and high educational achievements.^[181] U.S. President Barack Obama has also praised the country's rigorous school system, from which over 80 percent of South Korean high school graduates go on to college. The nation's high university entrance rate has created a highly skilled workforce making South Korea among the most educated countries in the world with the one of the highest percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree.^[182] Bachelor's degrees are held by 68 percent of South Koreans aged 25–34, the most in the OECD.^[182]

The system's rigid and hierarchical structure has been criticized for stifling creativity and innovation;^[183] described as intensely and "brutally" competitive,^[184] The system is often blamed for the high suicide rate in the country, particularly the growing rates among those aged 10–19. Various media outlets attribute the nations high suicide rate on the nationwide anxiety around the country's college entrance exams, which determine the trajectory of students entire lives and careers.^[185]Former South Korean hagwon teacher Se-Woong Koo wrote that the South Korean education system amounts to child abuse and that it should be "reformed and restructured without delay."^[186] The country has also produced an oversupply of overqualified university graduates in South Korea; in the first quarter of 2013 alone, nearly 3.3 million South Korean university graduates were jobless, leading many graduates overqualified for jobs requiring less education.^[187] Further criticism has been stemmed for causing labor shortages in various skilled labor and vocational occupations, where many of which go unfilled. The social stigma associated with vocational careers and not having a university degree still remains deep-rooted in South Korean society.^[173]^[188]^[189]^[190]^[191]^[192]^[193]^[194]

Religion[edit]

Main article: Religion in South Korea

One of the tallest dolmens at Gochang Dolmens in Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites,UNESCO World Heritage Site

South Korea religiosity (Pew Research)^[195]
religion			percent
None			46%
Buddhist			23%
Protestant			18%
Catholic			11%
Folk			1%
Other			1%

As of 2005, just under half of the South Korean population expressed no religiouspreference.^[196] Of the rest, most are Buddhist or Christian. According to the 2007 census, 29.2% of the population at that time was Christian (18.3% identified themselves as Protestants, 10.9% as Roman Catholics), and 22.8% were Buddhist.^[197]^[198] Other religions include Islam and various new religious movementssuch as Jeungsanism, Cheondoism and Wonbuddhism. The earliest religion practiced was Korean shamanism.^[199] Today, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and there is no state religion.^[200] There is a conflict however with the long established requirement of mandatory military service which leads to the imprisonment of conscientious objectors, thereby causing many Jehovah's Witnesses to be imprisoned in South Korea for refusing on the same grounds of conscientious objection.^[201]^[202] The UN Human Rights Committee has determined that the government of South Korea uses arbitrary detention for conscientious objectors and should take steps to resolve the issue.^{[citation needed]}

Christianity is South Korea's largest religion, accounting for more than half of all South Korean religious adherents. There are approximately 13.7 million Christians in South Korea today; about 63% of Korean Christians belong to Protestant churches, while 37% belong to the Roman Catholic Church.^[203] The number of Protestant Christians has slightly decreased since the 1990s, while the number of Roman Catholics has rapidly increased since the 1980s.^[203]^[204] Presbyterian denominations are the biggest Christian denominations in South Korea. About nine million people belong to one of the 100 different Presbyterian churches; among the biggest denominations are the HapDong Presbyterian Church, TongHap Presbyterian Church, the Koshin Presbyterian Church. For more information see Presbyterianism in South Korea.^[205] South Korea is also the second-largest missionary-sending nation, after the United States.^[206]

Buddhism was introduced to Korea in the year 372.^[207] According to the national census as of 2005, South Korea has over10.7 million Buddhists.^[208]^[209] Today, about 90% of Korean Buddhists belong to Jogye Order. Most of the National Treasures of South Korea are Buddhist artifacts. Buddhism became the state religion in some of Korean kingdoms since theThree Kingdoms Period, when Goguryeo adopted it as the state religion in 372, followed by Baekje (528). Buddhism had been the state religion of Unified Silla from the North South States Period (not to be confused with the modern division of Korea) to Goryeo before suppression under the Joseon dynasty in favor of Neo-Confucianism.^[210]

Fewer than 30,000 South Koreans are thought to be Muslims, but the country has some 100,000 resident foreign workers from Islamic countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Pakistan.^[211]

Korean shamanism, today known as Muism (religion of the mu [shamans]) or Sinism (religion of the gods) encompasses a variety of indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the Korean people and the Korean sphere.^[212] In contemporary South Korea, the most used term is Muism and a shaman is known as a mudang (무당, 巫堂) or Tangol (당골). Since the early 2000s, this religion has regained popularity among Koreans.^[213]^[214]^[215]^[216]

Health[edit]

Main article: Health in South Korea

Lee Jong-wook, formerdirector-general of the World Health Organization, who dedicated to combatingtuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, along with eradicating polio

South Korea has a universal healthcare system.^[217]

Korean hospitals have advanced medical equipment and facilities readily available, ranking 4th for MRI units per capita and 6th for CT scanners per capita in the OECD.^[218] It also had the OECD's second largest number of hospital beds per 1000 people at 9.56 beds, which was over triple that of Sweden's 2.71, Canada's 2.75, the UK's 2.95 or the United States' 3.05 beds.

Life expectancy has been rising rapidly and Korea ranked 9th in the world for life expectancy at 82 years in 2013, ranking 4th in the world at 85 years.

Foreign relations[edit]

Main article: Foreign relations of South Korea

The current Secretary-General of the United Nationssince 2007, Ban Ki-moon

South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with more than 188 countries. The country has also been a member of the United Nations since 1991, when it became a member state at the same time as North Korea. On January 1, 2007, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon assumed the post of UN Secretary-General. It has also developed links with theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations as both a member of ASEAN Plus three, a body of observers, and the East Asia Summit (EAS).

In 2010, South Korea and the European Union concluded a free trade agreement (FTA) to reduce trade barriers. South Korea is also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Canada,^[219] and another with New Zealand.^[220] In November 2009 South Korea joined the OECD Development Assistance Committee, marking the first time a former aid recipient country joined the group as a donor member. South Korea hosted the G-20 Summit in Seoul in November 2010.

China[edit]

Main articles: China–South Korea relations and South Korea–Taiwan relations

Historically, Korea has had close relations with China. Before the formation of South Korea, Korean independence fighters worked with Chinese soldiers during the Japanese occupation. However, after World War II, the People's Republic of China embraced Maoismwhile South Korea sought close relations with the United States. The PRC assisted North Korea with manpower and supplies during the Korean War, and in its aftermath the diplomatic relationship between South Korea and the PRC almost completely ceased. Relations thawed gradually and South Korea and the PRC re-established formal diplomatic relations on August 24, 1992. The two countries sought to improve bilateral relations and lifted the forty-year-old trade embargo,^[221] and South Korean–Chinese relations have improved steadily since 1992.^[221] The Republic of Korea broke off official relations with theRepublic of China (Taiwan) upon gaining official relations with the People's Republic of China, which doesn't recogniseTaiwan's sovereignty.^[222]

European Union[edit]

Main article: South Korea–European Union relations

The European Union (EU) and South Korea are important trading partners, having negotiated a free trade agreement for many years since South Korea was designated as a priority FTA partner in 2006. The free trade agreement was approved in September 2010, and took effect on July 1, 2011.^[223] South Korea is the EU's eighth largest trade partner, and the EU has become South Korea's second largest export destination. EU trade with South Korea exceeded €65 billion in 2008 and has enjoyed an annual average growth rate of 7.5% between 2004 and 2008.^[224]

The EU has been the single largest foreign investor in South Korea since 1962, and accounted for almost 45% of all FDI inflows into Korea in 2006. Nevertheless, EU companies have significant problems accessing and operating in the South Korean market because of stringent standards and testing requirements for products and services often creating barriers to trade. Both in its regular bilateral contacts with South Korea and through its FTA with Korea, the EU is seeking to improve this situation.^[224]

Japan[edit]

Main article: Japan–South Korea relations

Liancourt Rocks has become an issue known as the Liancourt Rocks dispute

Although there were no formal diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan after the end of World War II, South Korea and Japan signed the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea in 1965 to establish diplomatic ties. There is heavy anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea because of a number of unsettled Japanese-Korean disputes, many of which stem from the period ofJapanese occupation after the Japanese annexation of Korea. During World War II, more than 100,000 Koreans served in the Imperial Japanese Army.^[225]^[226] Korean women were forced to the war front to serve the Imperial Japanese Army as sexual slaves, called comfort women.^[227]^[228]^[229]^[230]

Longstanding issues such as Japanese war crimes against Korean civilians, visits by Japanese politicians to Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japanese soldiers killed at war (including some class A war criminals), the negationist re-writing of Japanese textbooks relating Japanese atrocities during World War II, and the territorial disputes over Liancourt Rocks, known in South Korea as "Dokdo",^[231] continue to trouble Korean-Japanese relations. Although Dokdo is claimed by both South Korea and Japan, the islets are administered by South Korea, which had its coast guard stationed there.^[232]^[233]

In response to then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine, former President Roh Moo-hyun suspended all summit talks between South Korea and Japan in 2009.^[234]

North Korea[edit]

Main article: North Korea–South Korea relations

Both North and South Korea continue to officially claim sovereignty over the entire peninsula and any outlying islands. Despite the animosity, reconciliation efforts have been present from the very beginning of the separation between North and South Korea. Political figures such as Kim Koo worked to reconcile the two governments even after the Korean War.^[235]With longstanding animosity following the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, North Korea and South Korea signed an agreement to pursue peace.^[236] On October 4, 2007, Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il signed an eight-point agreement on issues of permanent peace, high-level talks, economic cooperation, renewal of train services, highway and air travel, and a joint Olympic cheering squad.^[236]

Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests in1993, 1998, 2006, 2009, and 2013. As of early 2009, relationships between North and South Korea were very tense; North Korea had been reported to have deployed missiles,^[237] ended its former agreements with South Korea,^[238] and threatened South Korea and the United States not to interfere with a satellite launch it had planned.^[239] North and South Korea are still technically at war (having never signed a peace treaty after the Korean War) and share the world's most heavily fortified border.^[240] On May 27, 2009, North Korean media declared that the Armistice is no longer valid because of the South Korean government's pledge to "definitely join" the Proliferation Security Initiative.^[241] To further complicate and intensify strains between the two nations, the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan in March 2010, is affirmed by the South Korean government^[242] to have been caused by a North Korean torpedo, which the North denies. President Lee Myung-bak declared in May 2010 that Seoul would cut all trade with North Korea as part of measures primarily aimed at striking back at North Korea diplomatically and financially, except for the joint Kaesong Industrial Project, and humanitarian aid.^[243] North Korea initially threatened to sever all ties, to completely abrogate the previous pact of non-aggression, and to expel all South Koreans from a joint industrial zone in Kaesong, but backtracked on its threats and decided to continue its ties with South Korea. Despite the continuing ties, Kaesong industrial zone has seen a large decrease in investment and manpower as a result of this military conflict. In February 2016, the Kaesong complex was closed by Seoul in reaction to North Korea's launch of a rocket earlier in the month^[244] unanimously condemned by the United Nations security council.^[245]

United States[edit]

Main article: South Korea–United States relations

President Park Geun-hye at a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama on May 7, 2013

The United States engaged in the decolonization of Korea (mainly in the South, with the Soviet Union engaged in North Korea) from Japan after World War II. After three years of military administration by the United States, the South Korean government was established. Upon the onset of the Korean War, U.S. forces were sent to defend against an invasion from North Korea of the South. Following the Armistice, South Korea and the U.S. agreed to a "Mutual Defense Treaty", under which an attack on either party in the Pacific area would summon a response from both.^[246] In 1967, South Korea obliged the mutual defense treaty, by sending a large combat troop contingent to support the United States in the Vietnam War. The U.S. Eighth Army,Seventh Air Force, and U.S. Naval Forces Korea are stationed in South Korea. The two nations have strong economic, diplomatic, and military ties, although they have at times disagreed with regard to policies towards North Korea, and with regard to some of South Korea's industrial activities that involve usage of rocket or nuclear technology. There had also been strong anti-American sentiment during certain periods, which has largely moderated in the modern day.^[247] In 2007, a free trade agreement known as the Republic of Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement(KORUS FTA) was signed between South Korea and the United States, but its formal implementation was repeatedly delayed, pending approval by the legislative bodies of the two countries. On October 12, 2011, the U.S. Congress passed the long-stalled trade agreement with South Korea.^[248] It went into effect on March 15, 2012.^[249]

Military[edit]

Main article: Republic of Korea Armed Forces

This section's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2012)

A long history of invasions by neighbors and the unresolved tension with North Korea have prompted South Korea to allocate 2.6% of its GDP and 15% of all government spending to its military (Government share of GDP: 14.967%), while maintaining compulsory conscription for men.^[250] Consequently, South Korea has the world's sixth largest number of active troops (650,000 in 2011),^[251] the world's second-largest number of reserve troops (3,200,000 in 2011)^[251] and the eleventh largest defense budget. The Republic of Korea, with both regular and reserve military force numbering 3.7 million regular personnel among a total national population of 50 million people, has the second highest number of soldiers per capita in the world,^[251] after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.^[252]

The South Korean military consists of the Army (ROKA), the Navy (ROKN), the Air Force (ROKAF), and the Marine Corps(ROKMC), and reserve forces.^[253] Many of these forces are concentrated near the Korean Demilitarized Zone. All South Korean males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically 21 months. Previously, Koreans of mixed race were exempt from military duty but no exception from 2011.^[254]

ROKN Sejong the Great, a King Sejong the Great -class guided-missile destroyer built by Hyundai Heavy Industries

In addition to male conscription in South Korea's sovereign military, 1,800 Korean males are selected every year to serve 21 months in the KATUSA Program to further augment the United States Forces Korea (USFK).^[255] In 2010, South Korea was spending ₩1.68 trillion in a cost-sharing agreement with the US to provide budgetary support to the US forces in Korea, on top of the ₩29.6 trillion budget for its own military.

The South Korean-developed K2 Black Panther built by Hyundai Rotem

The South Korean army has 2,500 tanks in operation, including the K1A1 and K2 Black Panther, which form the backbone of the South Korean army's mechanized armor and infantry forces. A sizable arsenal of many artillery systems, including 1,700 self-propelled K55 and K9 Thunder howitzers and 680 helicopters and UAVs of numerous types, are assembled to provide additional fire, reconnaissance, and logistics support. South Korea's smaller but more advanced artillery force and wide range of airborne reconnaissance platforms are pivotal in the counter-battery suppression of North Korea's large artillery force, which operates more than 13,000 artillery systems deployed in various state of fortification and mobility.^[251]^[256]

The South Korean navy has made its first major transformation into a blue-water navy through the formation of the Strategic Mobile Fleet, which includes a battle group of Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin class destroyers, Dokdo class amphibious assault ship, AIP-driven Type 214 submarines, and King Sejong the Great class destroyers, which is equipped with the latest baseline of Aegis fleet-defense system that allows the ships to track and destroy multiple cruise missiles and ballistic missiles simultaneously, forming an integral part of South Korea's indigenous missile defense umbrella against the North Korean military's missile threat.^[257]

The South Korean air force operates 840 aircraft, making it world's ninth largest air force, including several types of advanced fighters like F-15K, heavily modified KF-16C/D,^[258] and the indigenous F/A-50,^[259]^[260] supported by well-maintained fleets of older fighters such as F-4E and KF-5E/F that still effectively serve the air force alongside the more modern aircraft. In an attempt to gain strength in terms of not just numbers but also modernity, the commissioning of fourBoeing 737 AEW&C aircraft, under Project Peace Eye for centralized intelligence gathering and analysis on a modern battlefield, will enhance the fighters' and other support aircraft's ability to perform their missions with awareness and precision.

In May 2011, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., South Korea's largest plane maker, signed a $400 million deal to sell 16 T-50 Golden Eagle trainer jets to Indonesia, making South Korea the first country in Asia to export supersonic jets.^[261]

ROKAF FA-50, a supersonic combat aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries

From time to time, South Korea has sent its troops overseas to assist American forces. It has participated in most major conflicts that the United States has been involved in the past 50 years. South Korea dispatched 325,517 troops to fight alongside American, Australian, Filipino, New Zealand and South Vietnamesesoldiers in the Vietnam War, with a peak strength of 50,000.^[262] In 2004, South Korea sent 3,300 troops of the Zaytun Division to help re-building in northern Iraq, and was the third largest contributor in the coalition forces after only the US and Britain.^[263] Beginning in 2001, South Korea had so far deployed 24,000 troops in the Middle East region to support the War on Terrorism. A further 1,800 were deployed since 2007 to reinforce UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon.

ROKS Dokdo, the lead ship of the Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships built by Hanjin Heavy Industries

The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of troops in South Korea since the Korean War to defend South Korea in case of East Asian military crises. There are approximately 28,500 U.S. Military personnel stationed in Korea,^[264] most of them serving one year unaccompanied tours. The American troops, which are primarily ground and air units, are assigned to USFKand mainly assigned to the Eighth United States Army of the US Army and Seventh Air Force of the US Air Force. They are stationed in installations at Osan, Kunsan, Yongsan, Dongducheon, Sungbuk, Camp Humphreys, and Daegu, as well as at Camp Bonifas in the DMZ Joint Security Area. A still functioning UN Command is technically the top of the chain of command of all forces in South Korea, including the US forces and the entire South Korean military – if a sudden escalation of war between North and South Korea were to occur the United States would assume control of the South Korean armed forces in all military and paramilitary moves. However, in September 2006, the Presidents of the United States and the Republic of Korea agreed that South Korea should assume the lead for its own defense. In early 2007, the U.S. Secretary of Defense and ROK Minister of National Defense determined that South Korea will assume wartime operational control of its forces on December 1, 2015. USFK will transform into a new joint-warfighting command, provisionally described as Korea Command (KORCOM).^[265]

Economy[edit]

Main article: Economy of South Korea

Graphical depiction of Korea's product exports in 28 color-coded categories

South Korea's mixed economy^[266]^[267]^[268] ranks 11th nominal and 13th purchasing power parity GDP in the world, identifying it as one of the G-20 major economies. It is a developed countrywith a high-income economy and is the most industrialized member country of the OECD. South Korean brands such as LG Electronics and Samsung are internationally famous.

With its massive investment in education has taken the country from mass illiteracy to a major international technological powerhouse. South Korea's economy was one of the world's fastest-growing from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, and South Korea is still one of the fastest-growing developed countries in the 2000s, along with Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, the other three Asian Tigers.^[269] South Koreans refer to this growth as the Miracle on the Han River.^[270] The South Korean economy is heavily dependent on international trade, and in 2014, South Korea was the 5th largest exporter and 7th largest importer in the world.

South Korea hosted the fifth G20 summit in its capital city, Seoul, in November 2010. The two-day summit was expected to boost South Korea's economy by 31 trillion won, or 4% of South Korea's 2010 GDP, in economic effects, and create over 160,000 jobs in South Korea. It may also help improve the country's sovereign credit rating.^[271]

Despite the South Korean economy's high growth potential and apparent structural stability, the country suffers damage to its credit rating in the stock market because of the belligerence of North Korea in times of deep military crises, which has an adverse effect on South Korean financial markets.^[272]^[273] The International Monetary Fund compliments the resilience of the South Korean economy against various economic crises, citing low state debt and high fiscal reserves that can quickly be mobilized to address financial emergencies.^[274] Although it was severely harmed by the Asian economic crisis of the late 1990s, the South Korean economy managed a rapid recovery and subsequently tripled its GDP.^[275]

Furthermore, South Korea was one of the few developed countries that were able to avoid a recession during the global financial crisis.^[276] Its economic growth rate reached 6.2 percent in 2010 (the fastest growth for eight years after significant growth by 7.2 percent in 2002),^[277] a sharp recovery from economic growth rates of 2.3% in 2008 and 0.2% in 2009, when the global financial crisis hit. The unemployment rate in South Korea also remained low in 2009, at 3.6%.^[278]

The following list includes the largest South Korean companies by revenue in 2013 who are all listed as part of the Fortune Global 500:

Rank^[279]	Name	Headquarters	Revenue (Mil. $)	Profit (Mil. $)	Assets (Mil. $)
1.	Samsung Electronics	Suwon	208,938	27,245	202,876
2.	SK Holdings	Seoul	102,122	258.2	87,716
3.	Hyundai Motor	Seoul	79,766	7,804	126,441
4.	POSCO	Pohang	56,520	1,257	80,037
5.	LG Electronics	Seoul	53,118	161.5	33,669
6.	Hyundai Heavy Industries	Ulsan	49,507	254.6	50,421
7.	Korea Electric Power	Naju	49,072	54.8	147,391
8.	Kia Motors	Seoul	43,486	3,487	34,289
9.	GS Caltex	Seoul	41,715	341.4	21,119
10.	Hanwha	Seoul	35,379	118.8	107,394
11.	Korea Gas	Daegu	34,774	−183.4	41,382
12.	Hyundai Mobis	Seoul	31,244	3,126	32,629
13.	S-Oil	Seoul	28,467	264.6	11,297
14.	Samsung Life Insurance	Seoul	26,167	832.6	182,855
15.	Samsung C&T	Seoul	25,977	221.5	24,133
16.	Lotte Shopping	Seoul	25,774	720.3	36,933
17.	LG Display	Seoul	24,697	389.3	20,579

Transportation, energy and infrastructure[edit]

Main articles: Transport in South Korea and Energy in South Korea

The Korean developed KTX Sancheon high-speed train can travel at over 350 km/h (220 mph)

Daegu Metro Line 3

South Korea has a technologically advanced transport network consisting of high-speed railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services, and air routes that criss-cross the country. Korea Expressway Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route.

Korail provides frequent train services to all major South Korean cities. Two rail lines, Gyeongui and Donghae Bukbu Line, to North Korea are now being reconnected. The Korean high-speed rail system, KTX, provides high-speed service along Gyeongbu and Honam Line. Major cities including Seoul, Busan, Incheon,Daegu, Daejeon and Gwangju have urban rapid transit systems.^[280] Express bus terminals are available in most cities.^[281]

South Korea's largest airport, Incheon International Airport, was completed in 2001. By 2007, it was serving 30 million passengers a year.^[282] Other international airports include Gimpo, Busan and Jeju. There are also seven domestic airports, and a large number of heliports.^[283]

Incheon International Airport Station's Maglev station

The Korean developed Incheon Airport Maglev is the world's second commercially operating maglev^[284]

Korean Air, founded in 1962, served 21,640,000 passengers, including 12,490,000 international passengers in 2008.^[285] A second carrier, Asiana Airlines, established in 1988, also serves domestic and international traffic. Combined, South Korean airlines serve 297 international routes.^[286] Smaller airlines, such as Jeju Air, provide domestic service with lower fares.^[287]

South Korea is the world's fifth-largest nuclear power producer and the second-largest in Asia as of 2010.^[288] Nuclear power in South Korea supplies 45% of electricity production, and research is very active with investigation into a variety of advanced reactors, including a small modular reactor, a liquid-metal fast/transmutation reactor and a high-temperature hydrogen generation design. Fuel production and waste handling technologies have also been developed locally. It is also a member of the ITER project.^[289]

South Korea is an emerging exporter of nuclear reactors, having concluded agreements with the UAE to build and maintain four advanced nuclear reactors,^[290]with Jordan for a research nuclear reactor,^[291]^[292] and with Argentina for construction and repair of heavy-water nuclear reactors.^[293]^[294] As of 2010, South Korea and Turkey are in negotiations regarding construction of two nuclear reactors.^[295] South Korea is also preparing to bid on construction of a light-water nuclear reactor for Argentina.^[294]

South Korea is not allowed to enrich uranium or develop traditional uranium enrichment technology on its own, because of US political pressure,^[296] unlike most major nuclear powers such as Japan, Germany, and France, competitors of South Korea in the international nuclear market. This impediment to South Korea's indigenous nuclear industrial undertaking has sparked occasional diplomatic rows between the two allies. While South Korea is successful in exporting its electricity-generating nuclear technology and nuclear reactors, it cannot capitalize on the market for nuclear enrichment facilities and refineries, preventing it from further expanding its export niche. South Korea has sought unique technologies such aspyroprocessing to circumvent these obstacles and seek a more advantageous competition.^[297] The US has recently been wary of South Korea's burgeoning nuclear program, which South Korea insists will be for civilian use only.^[288]

South Korea is the third highest ranked Asian country in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) after Singapore and Hong Kong respectively – an indicator for determining the development level of a country’s information and communication technologies. South Korea ranked number 10 overall in the 2014 NRI ranking, up from 11 in 2013.^[298]

Tourism[edit]

Main article: Tourism in South Korea

In 2012, 11.1 million foreign tourists visited South Korea, making it the 20th most visited country in the world,^[299] up from 8.5 million in 2010.^[300] Due to Hallyu, South Korea welcomed more than 12 million visitors in 2013 with 6 million tourists coming from China alone.^[301]^[302] With rising tourist prospects, especially from foreign countries outside of Asia, the South Korean government has set a target of attracting 20 million foreign tourists a year by 2017.^[303] Hallyu's positive effects of the nation's entertainment industry are not limited to within its culture industry, according to a study by the Hyundai Research Institute. The Hyundai Research Institute reported that the Korean Wave has a direct impact in encouraging direct foreign investment back into the country through demand for products, and the tourism industry.^[304] Among Asian countries, China was the most receptive, investing 1.4 billion in South Korea, with much of the investment within its service sector, a sevenfold increase from 2001. According to economist, Han Sang-Wan, shown an analysis that a 1 percent increase of exports of Korean cultural content pushes consumer goods exports up 0.083 percent while a 1 percent increase in Korean pop content exports to a country produces a 0.019 percent bump in tourism.^[304]

Science and technology[edit]

Main article: History of science and technology in Korea

A 3D OLED TV made by Korean LG Display, the world's largest LCD andOLED maker

Scientific and technological development in the South Korea at first did not occur largely because of more pressing matters such as the division of Korea and theKorean War that occurred right after its independence. It wasn't until the 1960s under the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee where South Korea's economy rapidly grew from industrialisation and the Chaebol corporations such as Samsung and LG. Ever since the industrialization of South Korea's economy, South Korea has placed its focus on technology-based corporations, which has been supported by infrastructure developments by the government. South Korean corporationsSamsung and LG were ranked first and third largest mobile phone companies in the world in the first quarter of 2012, respectively.^[305] An estimated 90% of South Koreans own a mobile phone.^[306] Aside from placing/receiving calls and text messaging, mobile phones in the country are widely used for watching Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) or viewing websites.^[307] Over one million DMB phones have been sold and the three major wireless communications providers SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+ provide coverage in all major cities and other areas. South Korea has the fastest Internet download speeds in the world, with an average download speed of 25.3 Mbit/s.^[308]

South Korea leads the OECD in graduates in science and engineering.^[37] The country ranks first among the most innovative countries in the Bloomberg Innovation Index.^[41]^[309] Additionally, South Korea today is known as a Launchpad of a mature mobile market, where developers can reap benefits of a market where very few technology constraints exist. There is a growing trend of inventions of new types of media or apps, utilizing the 4G and 5G internet infrastructure in South Korea. South Korea has today the infrastructures to meet a density of population and culture that has the capability to create strong local particularity.^[310]

Cyber security[edit]

Following cyberattacks in the first half of 2013, whereby government, news-media, television station, and bank websites were compromised, the national government committed to the training of 5,000 new cybersecurity experts by 2017. The South Korean government blamed its northern counterpart for these attacks, as well as incidents that occurred in 2009, 2011 and 2012, but Pyongyang denies the accusations.^[311]

In late September 2013, a computer-security competition jointly sponsored by the defense ministry and the National Intelligence Service was announced. The winners were announced on September 29, 2013 and shared a total prize pool of 80 million won (US$74,000).^[311]

Aerospace research[edit]

Main article: Korea Aerospace Research Institute

A replica of the Naro-1

South Korea has sent up 10 satellites from 1992, all using foreign rockets and overseas launch pads, notably Arirang-1 in 1999, and Arirang-2 in 2006 as part of its space partnership with Russia.^[312] Arirang-1 was lost in space in 2008, after nine years in service.^[313]

In April 2008, Yi So-yeon became the first Korean to fly in space, aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-12.^[314]^[315]

In June 2009, the first spaceport of South Korea, Naro Space Center, was completed atGoheung, Jeollanam-do.^[316] The launch of Naro-1 in August 2009 resulted in a failure.^[317]The second attempt in June 2010 was also unsuccessful.^[318] However the third launch of the Naro 1 in January 2013 was successful.^[319] The government plans to develop Naro-2 by the year 2018.^[320]

South Korea's efforts to build an indigenous space launch vehicle is marred because of persistent political pressure of the United States, who had for many decades hindered South Korea's indigenous rocket and missile development programs^[321] in fear of their possible connection to clandestine military ballistic missile programs, which Korea many times insisted did not violate the research and development guidelines stipulated by US-Korea agreements on restriction of South Korean rocket technology research and development.^[322] South Korea has sought the assistance of foreign countries such as Russia through MTCRcommitments to supplement its restricted domestic rocket technology. The two failed KSLV-I launch vehicles were based on the Universal Rocket Module, the first stage of the Russian Angara rocket, combined with a solid-fueled second stage built by South Korea.

Robotics[edit]

Albert HUBO, developed byKAIST, can make expressive gestures with its five separate fingers

Robotics has been included in the list of main national R&D projects in Korea since 2003.^[323] In 2009, the government announced plans to build robot-themed parks in Incheonand Masan with a mix of public and private funding.^[324]

In 2005, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) developed the world's second walking humanoid robot, HUBO. A team in the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology developed the first Korean android, EveR-1 in May 2006.^[325] EveR-1 has been succeeded by more complex models with improved movement and vision.^[326]^[327]

Plans of creating English-teaching robot assistants to compensate for the shortage of teachers were announced in February 2010, with the robots being deployed to most preschools and kindergartens by 2013.^[328] Robotics are also incorporated in the entertainment sector as well; the Korean Robot Game Festival has been held every year since 2004 to promote science and robot technology.^[329]

Biotechnology[edit]

Since the 1980s, the Korean government has invested in the development of a domesticbiotechnology industry, and the sector is projected to grow to $6.5 billion by 2010.^[330] The medical sector accounts for a large part of the production, including production of hepatitis vaccines and antibiotics.

Recently, research and development in genetics and cloning has received increasing attention, with the first successful cloning of a dog, Snuppy (in 2005), and the cloning of two females of an endangered species of wolves^[which?] by the Seoul National University in 2007.^[331]

The rapid growth of the industry has resulted in significant voids in regulation of ethics, as was highlighted by the scientific misconduct case involving Hwang Woo-Suk.^[332]

Culture[edit]

Main article: Culture of South Korea

Art[edit]

Main article: Korean art

Blue and white porcelain peach-shaped water dropper from Joseon Dynasty in 18th century

Korean art has been highly influenced by Buddhism and Confucianism, which can be seen in the many traditional paintings, sculptures, ceramics and the performing arts.^[336] Korean pottery and porcelain, such as Joseon's baekja and buncheong, and Goryeo's celadon are well known throughout the world.^[337] The Korean tea ceremony, pansori, talchum and buchaechum are also notable Korean performing arts.

Post-war modern Korean art started to flourish in the 1960s and 1970s, when South Korean artists took interest in geometrical shapes and intangible subjects. Establishing a harmony between man and nature was also a favorite of this time. Because of social instability, social issues appeared as main subjects in the 1980s. Art was influenced by various international events and exhibits in Korea, and with it brought more diversity.^[338] The Olympic Sculpture Garden in 1988, the transposition of the 1993 edition of the Whitney Biennial to Seoul,^[339] the creation of the Gwangju Biennale^[340] and the Korean Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1995^[341] were notable events.

Architecture[edit]

Main article: Architecture of South Korea

Cuisine[edit]

Main article: Korean cuisine

Bibimbap

Korean cuisine, hanguk yori (한국요리; 韓國料理), or hansik (한식; 韓食), has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Ingredients and dishes vary by province. There are many significant regional dishes that have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day. The Korean royal court cuisine once brought all of the unique regional specialties together for the royal family. Meals consumed both by the royal family and ordinary Korean citizens have been regulated by a unique culture of etiquette.

Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, fish and meats. Traditional Korean meals are noted for the number of side dishes, banchan (반찬), which accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan. Kimchi (김치), a fermented, usually spicy vegetable dish is commonly served at every meal and is one of the best known Korean dishes. Korean cuisine usually involves heavy seasoning with sesame oil, doenjang (된장), a type offermented soybean paste, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger, and gochujang (고추장), a hot pepper paste. Other well-known dishes are Bulgogi (불고기), grilled marinated beef, Gimbap (김밥), and Tteokbokki (떡볶이), a spicy snack consisting of rice cake seasoned with gochujang or a spicy chili paste.

Soups are also a common part of a Korean meal and are served as part of the main course rather than at the beginning or the end of the meal. Soups known as guk (국) are often made with meats, shellfish and vegetables. Similar to guk, tang (탕; 湯) has less water, and is more often served in restaurants. Another type is jjigae (찌개), a stew that is typically heavily seasoned with chili pepper and served boiling hot.

South Korean snack companies, such as Lotte, are famous for making a wide range of Korean or other Asian-inspired snacks. One example is Pepero, a snack similar to Pocky, which originates from Japan. Pepero is manufactured by Lotte Confectionery.

Popular Korean alcoholic beverages include Soju, Makgeolli and Bokbunja ju.

Korea is unique among Asian countries in its use of metal chopsticks. Metal chopsticks have been discovered in Goguryeo archaeological sites.^[349]

Entertainment[edit]

Main articles: Korean Wave, Music of South Korea, Cinema of South Korea, and Korean drama

Rain, one of the most popular music artists in South Korea found international fame for reaching a global audience through his music and films

In addition to domestic consumption, South Korean entertainment including televised dramas, films, and popular music has generated significant financial revenues for the South Korean economy. The cultural phenomenon known as Hallyu or the "Korean Wave", has swept many countries across Asia making South Korea a major soft power as an exporter of popular culture and entertainment, rivaling many Western nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom.^[350]

Until the 1990s, trot and ballads dominated South Korean popular music. The emergence of the rap group Seo Taiji and Boys in 1992 marked a turning point for South Korean popular music, also known as K-pop, as the group incorporated elements of popular musical genres from the West such as hip hop, rhythm and blues, electronic dance, jazz, reggae, funk, and rock into its music.^[351] Hip hop, rhythm and blues, rock, electronic dance and ballad oriented acts have become dominant in the South Korean popular music scene, though trot is still enjoyed among older South Koreans. K-pop stars and groups are well known across Asia and have found international fame making millions of dollars in export revenue. Many K-pop acts have been able secure a strong overseas following using online social media platforms such as YouTube. South Korean music artist PSY became an international sensation when his song "Gangnam Style" topped global music charts in 2012. More recently a group called BTS has gained huge popularity reaching number 26 on The Billboard 200, with their album Wings.

Since the success of the film Shiri in 1999, the Korean film industry has begun to gain recognition internationally. Domestic film has a dominant share of the market, partly because of the existence of screen quotas requiring cinemas to show Korean films at least 73 days a year.^[352]

South Korean television shows have become popular outside of Korea. Many dramas tend to have a romantic focus, such as Princess Hours, You're Beautiful, Playful Kiss, My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Boys Over Flowers, Winter Sonata, Autumn in My Heart, Full House, City Hunter, All About Eve, Secret Garden, I Can Hear Your Voice, Master's Sun, My Love from the Star and Descendants of the Sun. Historical dramas have included Faith, Dae Jang Geum, The Legend, Dong Yi, Moon Embracing the Sun, and Sungkyunkwan Scandal.^[353]

Holidays[edit]

Main article: Public holidays in South Korea

There are many official public holidays in South Korea. Korean New Year's Day, or "Seollal", is celebrated on the first day of the Korean lunar calendar. Korean Independence Day falls on March 1, and commemorates the March 1 Movement of 1919. Memorial Day is celebrated on June 6, and its purpose is to honor the men and women who died in South Korea's independence movement. Constitution Day is on July 17, and it celebrates the promulgation of Constitution of the Republic of Korea. Liberation Day, on August 15, celebrates Korea's liberation from the Empire of Japan in 1945. Every 15th day of the 8th lunar month, Koreans celebrate the Midautumn Festival, in which Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and eat a variety of traditional Korean foods. On October 1, Armed Forces day is celebrated, honoring the military forces of South Korea. October 3 is National Foundation Day. Hangul Day, on October 9 commemorates the invention of hangul, the native alphabet of the Korean language. There are also unofficial holidays celebrated in Korea, such as Pepero Day, a day to celebrate the Korean snack of Pepero.

Sports[edit]

Main article: Sport in South Korea

Hapkido fight

The martial art taekwondo originated in Korea. In the 1950s and 1960s, modern rules were standardized, with taekwondo becoming an official Olympic sport in 2000.^[354] Other Korean martial arts include taekkyeon, hapkido, Tang Soo Do, Kuk Sool Won, kumdo and subak.^[355]

Football and baseball have traditionally been regarded as the most popular sports in Korea.^[356] Recent polling indicates that a majority, 41% of South Korean sports fans continue to self-identify as football fans, with baseball ranked 2nd at 25% of respondents. However, the polling did not indicate the extent to which respondents follow both sports.^[357] The national football team became the first team in the Asian Football Confederation to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan. The Korea Republic national team (as it is known) has qualified for every World Cup since Mexico 1986, and has broken out of the group stage twice: first in 2002, and again in 2010, when it was defeated by eventual semi-finalist Uruguay in the Round of 16. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, South Korea won the Bronze Medal for football.

Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan

Baseball was first introduced to Korea in 1905 and has since become increasingly popular, with some sources claiming it has surpassed football as the most popular sport in the country.^[358]^[359]^[360] Recent years have been characterized by increasing attendance and ticket prices for professional baseball games.^[361]^[362]The Korea Professional Baseball league, a 10-team circuit, was established in 1982. The South Korea national team finished third in the 2006 World Baseball Classicand second in the 2009 tournament. The team's 2009 final game against Japan was widely watched in Korea, with a large screen at Gwanghwamun crossing in Seoul broadcasting the game live.^[363] In the 2008 Summer Olympics, South Korea won the gold medal in baseball.^[364] Also in 1982, at the Baseball Worldcup, Korea won the gold medal. At the 2010 Asian Games, the Korean National Baseball team won the gold medal. Several Korean players have gone on to play in Major League Baseball.

Basketball is a popular sport in the country as well. South Korea has traditionally had one of the top basketball teams in Asia and one of the continent's strongest basketball divisions. Seoul hosted the 1967 and 1995 Asian Basketball Championship. The Korea national basketball team has won a record number of 23 medals at the event to date.^[365]

South Korea hosted the Asian Games in 1986 (Seoul), 2002 (Busan) and 2014 (Incheon). It also hosted the WinterUniversiade in 1997, the Asian Winter Games in 1999 and the Summer Universiade in 2003, 2015. In 1988, South Korea hosted the Summer Olympics in Seoul, coming fourth with 12 gold medals, 10 silver medals and 11 bronze medals. South Korea regularly performs well in archery, shooting, table tennis, badminton, short track speed skating, handball, hockey,freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, baseball, judo, taekwondo, speed skating, figure Skating, and weightlifting. TheSeoul Olympic Museum is a museum in Seoul, South Korea, dedicated to the 1988 Summer Olympics. On July 6, 2011Pyeongchang was chosen by the IOC to host the 2018 Winter Olympics.

South Korea has won more medals in the Winter Olympics than any other Asian country with a total of 45 medals (23 gold, 14 silver, and 8 bronze). At the 2010 Winter Olympics, South Korea ranked fifth in the overall medal rankings. South Korea is especially strong in short track speed skating. However, speed skating and figure skating are very popular, too, and ice hockey is an emerging sport with Anyang Halla winning their first ever Asia League Ice Hockey title in March 2010.^[366]

Seoul hosted a professional triathlon race, which is part of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championship Series in May 2010.^[367] In 2011, the South Korean city of Daegu hosted the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics.^[368]

In October 2010, South Korea hosted its first Formula One race at the Korea International Circuit in Yeongam, about 400 kilometres (250 mi) south of Seoul.^[369] The Korean Grand Prix was held from 2010 to 2013, but was not placed on the 2014 F1 calendar.^[370]

Domestic horse racing events are also followed by South Koreans and Seoul Race Park in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do is located closest to Seoul out of the country's three tracks.^[371]

Competitive video gaming, also called eSports (sometimes written e-Sports), has become more popular South Korea in recent years, particularly among young people.^[372] The two most popular games are League of Legends and StarCraft. The gaming scene of South Korea is managed by the Korean e-Sports Association (KeSPA for short) and has become something of a career for many players. They can make a living out of their activity and top players can even make a significant amount of money with some high end Starcraft II players ending up making six figure salaries.

Korean e-Sports Association

Korea Professional Sports League

Baseball

Basketball

Football

Volleyball

V-League

International Championship Host

Olympic Games Seoul Summer 1988 Pyeongchang Winter 2018	FIFA World Cup Korea & Japan 2002 Korea 2007 (U-17) Korea 2017 (U-20)	IAAF World Championships in Athletics Daegu 2011	FINA World Aquatics Championships Gwangju 2019
Asian Games Seoul Summer 1986 Gangwon Winter 1999 Busan Summer 2002 Incheon Summer 2014

v t e Largest cities or towns in South Korea 2015 Population and Housing Census^[170]
	Rank	Name	Province	Pop.	Rank	Name	Province	Pop.
Seoul Busan	1	Seoul	Seoul	9,904,312	11	Yongin	Gyeonggi	971,327	Incheon Daegu
	2	Busan	Busan	3,448,737	12	Seongnam	Gyeonggi	948,757
	3	Incheon	Incheon	2,890,451	13	Bucheon	Gyeonggi	843,794
	4	Daegu	Daegu	2,446,052	14	Cheongju	North Chungcheong	833,276
	5	Daejeon	Daejeon	1,538,394	15	Ansan	Gyeonggi	747,035
	6	Gwangju	Gwangju	1,502,881	16	Jeonju	North Jeolla	658,172
	7	Suwon	Gyeonggi	1,194,313	17	Cheonan	South Chungcheong	629,062
	8	Ulsan	Ulsan	1,166,615	18	Namyangju	Gyeonggi	629,061
	9	Changwon	South Gyeongsang	1,059,241	19	Hwaseong	Gyeonggi	608,725
	10	Goyang	Gyeonggi	990,073	20	Anyang	Gyeonggi	585,177

Tuesday, 15 November 2016

SOUTH KOREA

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