대한민국 大韓民國 Daehanminguk Republic of Korea
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: 널리 인간을 이롭게 하라 (홍익인간) Benefit all mankind
Anthem: Aegukga (애국가) Patriotic Hymn
Capital (and largest city)		Seoul 37°35′N, 127°0′E
Official languages		Korean
Demonym		South Korean, Korean
Government		Presidential republic
-	President	Lee Myung-bak
-	Prime Minister	Han Seung-soo
Establishment
-	National Foundation Day	October 3, 2333 BC
-	Korean Empire	October 12, 1897
-	Liberation declared	March 1, 1919 (de jure)
-	Liberation	August 15, 1945
-	First Republic	August 15, 1948
-	United Nations Recognition	December 12, 1948
Area
-	Total	99,646 km² (108th) 38,492 sq mi
-	Water (%)	0.3
Population
-	estimate	49,044,790 (24th)
-	Density	493/km² (12th) 1,274/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$1.276 trillion[1] (14th)
-	Per capita	$26,277 (2008) (28th)
GDP (nominal)		2008 estimate
-	Total	$999,369 billion (13th)
-	Per capita	$20,582 (2008) (30th)
Gini (2005)		31.6 (low)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0.921 (high) (26th)
Currency		International symbol ₩ Pronounced Won (KRW)
Time zone		Korea Standard Time (UTC+9)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+9)
Internet TLD		.kr
Calling code		+82
1	Mobile phone system CDMA, WCDMA, HSDPA and WiBro
2	Domestic power supply 220V/60 Hz, CEE 7/7 sockets

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (or ROK) and often referred to as Korea (Korean: 대한민국, IPA: [tɛː.han.min.ɡuk̚], Hanja: 大韓民國), listen (help· info)) is a presidential republic in East Asia, occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. Also known as the "Land of the Morning Calm", it is neighboured by China to the west, Japan to the east and North Korea to the north. South Korea's capital and largest city is Seoul, the world's second largest metropolitan city. Korea often refers to: Korea, a civilization in East Asia (specifically Northeast Asia) now politically divided into North Korea and South Korea Korean Peninsula, a region in East Asia (specifically Northeast Asia) Republic of Korea (ROK), a state governing South Korea, often simply called Korea Peoples Democratic Republic of... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Taegukgi and Taegeukgi redirects here. ... The Coat of arms of South Korea consists in the Yin Yang symbol present on the national flag surrounded by five stylized petals and a ribbon bearing the inscription The Republic of Korea (Daehan Minguk), the official name of the country, in Hangul characters. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Aegukga is also the name of the national anthem of North Korea. ... Location map for South Korea File links The following pages link to this file: South Korea User:DanielZm/test Template:South Korea infobox Template talk:Korea infobox Categories: GFDL images ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... // noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean Population: 48,846,823 (July 2006 est. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The President is head of state of South Korea. ... Lee Myung-bak (pronounced ) (born December 19, 1941) is the tenth and current President of South Korea (He is the currently serving the seventeenth presidential term since the establishment of the role). ... The Prime Minister of South Korea is appointed by the President with the National Assemblys approval. ... Dr. Han Seung-soo, the President of the 56th General Assembly of the United Nations is a Korean politician and diplomat. ... The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ... Gaecheonjeol (개천절) is a public holiday in South Korea on October 3rd. ... is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... (Redirected from 2333 BC) (25th century BC - 24th century BC - 23rd century BC - other centuries) (4th millennium BC - 3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC) Events 2900 - 2334 BC -- Mesopotamian wars of the Early Dynastic period 2350 BC - End of the Early Dynastic IIIb Period in Mesopotamia 2334 - 2279 BC -- Sargon... This does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The March First Movement, or the Samil Movement, was one of the earliest displays of Korean nationalism during the Japanese rule. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Look up De jure in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Korean peninsula, first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japans 35-year occupation of Korea. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar). ... The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ... This article is about the day of the year. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... UN redirects here. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... PPP of GDP for the countries of the world (2003). ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article includes two lists of countries of the world[1] sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average population for the same year. ... World map of GDP (Nominal and PPP). ... Look up Per capita in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Map of countries by 2006 GDP (nominal) per capita (IMF, October 2007). ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... ISO 4217 Code KRW User(s) Republic of Korea Inflation 2. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... The Korea Standard Time (KST) is the standard timezone in North and South Korea and is 9 hours ahead of UTC (UTC+9): ie. ... UTC redirects here. ... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .kr is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for South Korea. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Country Code: 82 // international call : 00N (country code) (telephone number) domestic long distance call : 0NN(area code) XXXX YYYY call to cellular : 0NN XXXX YYYY special service call : 0N0 XXX YYYY 001 - KT international call 002 - LG Dacom international call 003XX - international call 005 - Hanaro Telecom international call 006 - SK... Korean writing systems Hangul Hanja Hyangchal Gugyeol Idu Mixed script Korean romanization Revised Romanization of Korean McCune-Reischauer Yale Romanization Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... Image File history File links KO-Daehanminguk. ... A presidential system, also called a congressional system, is a system of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term) separately from the legislature, to which it is not accountable and which cannot in normal circumstances dismiss it. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the geographical region. ... This article is about the Korean Peninsula. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... 27 metropolitan areas of at least 10 million people. ...

Korea is one of the oldest civilizations in the world, with its foundation dating back to 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun. Archaeological research shows that the peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic. Following the unification of the Three Korean Kingdoms under Silla in 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910. After division, South Korea was established in 1948 and has since rapidly recovered from the Japanese invasion (1910–1945) and Korean war (1950–1953), operating a successful and stable democracy since the first direct election in 1987. Central New York City. ... Dangun is the mythical founder of Korea. ... The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. ... The Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (hangul: 삼국시대) featured the three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. Historians claim that the Three Kingdoms period ran from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until... For other uses, see Silla (disambiguation). ... Taegeuk is a traditional symbol of Korea Capital Gaegyeong Language(s) Korean Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy Wang  - 918 - 946 Taejo  - 949 - 975 Gwangjong  - 1259 - 1274 Wonjong  - 1351 - 1374 Gongmin Historical era 918 - 1392  - Later Three Kingdoms rise 892  - Coronation of Taejo June 15, 918  - Korea-Khitan Wars 993 - 1019  - Mongolian... Joseon redirects here. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Flag Anthem Kimigayo¹ Korea under Japanese rule - 일제 강점기 Capital Seoul Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintō¹ Government Occupied state Emperor of Japan ¹  - 1910–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925–1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General  - 1910–1916 (first) Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1944–1945 (last) Nobuyuki Abe Legislature Assembly of Councilors... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... Elections in South Korea provides an overview of the history of South Korean elections and their results. ...

South Korea is a major economic power and one of the wealthiest countries in Asia. It had one of the world's fastest growing economies since the 1960s, now highly developed and one of the three largest^[2] in Asia and 13th largest^[3] in the world. Forming the G20 industrial nations and the world's top ten exporters, it is an APEC and OECD member, defined as a High Income Nation by the World Bank and an Advanced Economy by the IMF and CIA. A major non-NATO ally, it has the world's sixth largest armed forces and one of the ten largest defence budgets in the world. A leading Next Eleven country and an Asian Tiger, it is still among the world's fastest growing developed countries.^[4] Today, its success story is known as the "Miracle on the Han River", a role model for many developing countries.^[5] This article is about the G-20 of industrial nations. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... World map indicating Human Development Index (as of 2004). ... This is a list of the Asia-Pacific countries sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP) at market or government official exchange rates. ... World map of GDP (Nominal and PPP). ... This article is about the G-20 of industrial nations. ... Map of amount of exports per country This is a list of countries by exports, mostly based on The World Factbook [1] accessed in February 2006. ... APEC may refer to: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Action Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour Advanced Placement European Civilization Atlantic Provinces Economic Council This article consisting of a 4-letter acronym or initialism is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... World Bank Group logo The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations responsible for providing finance and advice to countries for the purposes of economic development and eliminating poverty. ... The flag of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international organization entrusted with overseeing the global financial system by monitoring foreign exchange rates and balance of payments, as well as offering technical and financial assistance when asked. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Map of countries designated by the United States as major non-NATO allies Major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the United States government to exceptionally close allies who have close strategic working relationships with American forces but are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. ... This list of countries by size of armed forces displays national troop levels by active troop strength, number of Naval combatants and aircraft. ... Military spending in 2006, in billions of euros, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and the European Defence Agency. ... N-11 nations in red The Next Eleven (or N-11) is a list of eleven countries named by Goldman Sachs investment bank on December 12, 2005 as having a high potential of becoming the worlds largest economies along with the BRICs, with promising outlooks for investment and future... Korean name Hangul: Skyline of Central, Hong Kongs financial centre (viewed from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong) Seoul, the capital of South Korea The skyline of Singapores town area at dusk. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (as of 2004). ... Miracle on the Han River (한강의 기적) is a catchphrase often used in South Korea and by scholars to describe the period of rapid economic growth that took place in South Korea following the Korean War up until the Asian Financial Crisis. ...  Newly industrialized countries  Other emerging markets  Other developing economies  High income  Upper-middle income  Lower-middle income  Low income A developing country is that country which has a relatively low standard of living, an undeveloped industrial base, and a moderate to low Human Development Index (HDI) score and per capita...

South Korea is leading several key industries in the world, particularly in the fields of science and technology.^[6] It has a very advanced and modern infrastructure^[7] and is a world leader in information technology such as electronics, semiconductors, LCD displays, computers and mobile phones, led by Samsung and LG. Home of the world's second largest oil refinery and the world's third largest steel producer, POSCO, it is the world's largest shipbuilder and one of the world's top five automobile producers, headed by Hyundai and Kia. It is also a leading country in engineering, construction, machinery, textiles, petrochemicals, biotechnology and robotics. An industry is generally any grouping of businesses that share a common method of generating profits, such as the movie industry, the automobile industry, or the cattle industry. It is also used specifically to refer to an area of economic production focused on manufacturing which involves large amounts of upfront... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information Technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ... Surface mount electronic components Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures and vacuum tubes. ... A semiconductor is a solid material that has electrical conductivity in between that of a conductor and that of an insulator; it can vary over that wide range either permanently or dynamically. ... LCD redirects here. ... This article is about the machine. ... The Samsung Group (Korean: 삼성그룹, Samseong Geurup) is South Koreas largest conglomerate (chaebol) and one of the largest super-multinationals in the world leading several major global industries. ... A leader in making and manufacturing Electronics LG redirects here. ... View of Shell Oil Refinery in Martinez, California. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... The Pohang Iron and Steel Company, or POSCO (KSE: 005490) (NYSE: PKX) (TYO: 5412 ) (LSE: PIDD), based in Pohang, South Korea, is the third largest steel producer in the world. ... Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... Car redirects here. ... The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Koreas largest and the worlds Sixth Largest Automaker. ... Kia redirects here. ... Engineering is the discipline and profession of applying scientific knowledge and utilizing natural laws and physical resources in order to design and implement materials, structures, machines, devices, systems, and processes that realize a desired objective and meet specified criteria. ... For other uses, see Construction (disambiguation). ... A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... For other uses, see Textile (disambiguation). ... Petrochemicals are chemical products made from raw materials of petroleum (hydrocarbon) origin. ... Insulin crystals Biotechnology is technology based on biology, especially when used in agriculture, food science, and medicine. ... The Shadow robot hand system holding a lightbulb. ...

Government

Main article: Government of South Korea

The National Assembly of South Korea in Seoul.

The government of South Korea is 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. The government of South Korea is divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 851 pixel, file size: 210 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): South Korea National Assembly Building Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 532 pixelsFull resolution (1280 × 851 pixel, file size: 210 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): South Korea National Assembly Building Metadata... The National Assembly of South Korea is a 299-member[1] unicameral legislature. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... A Legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to create, amend and ratify laws. ...

The South Korean government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea. This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 (see History of South Korea). However, it has retained many broad characteristics; with the exception of the short-lived Second Republic of South Korea, the country has always had a presidential system with an independent chief executive.^[8] The Constitution of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) is its basic law. ... The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ... The Second Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea for eight months in 1960 and 1961. ...

History

Before division

Main article: History of Korea

Tomb mural of Goguryeo, one of the three kingdoms of Korea.

Archeological findings indicate that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by humans as early in the Lower Paleolithic period. This article is about the history of Korea, up to the division of Korea in the 1940s. ... Image File history File links Goguryeo_tomb_mural. ... Image File history File links Goguryeo_tomb_mural. ... Chinese name Russian name Goguryeo or Koguryo was an ancient kingdom located in southern Manchuria, southern Russian Maritime province, and the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. ... This article is about the Korean Peninsula. ... The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. ...

Korea began with the founding of Joseon(The name Gojoseon is almost always used to prevent confusion with another Joseon dynasty founded in 14th century; the prefix Go- means 'old' or 'earlier') in 2333 BC by Dangun.^[9] Gojoseon expanded until it controlled much of the northern Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria. After numerous wars with the Chinese Han Dynasty, Gojoseon disintegrated, leading to the Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea period. Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. ... Dangun is the mythical founder of Korea. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Han Dynasty in 87 BC Capital Changan (206 BC–9 AD) Luoyang (25 AD–220 AD) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Chinese folk religion Government Monarchy History  - Establishment 206 BC  - Battle of Gaixia; Han rule of China begins 202 BC  - Interruption of Han rule 9 - 24  - Abdication... Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea (원삼국시대, 原三國時代) refers to the period after the fall of Gojoseon and before the maturation of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla into full-fledged kingdoms. ...

In the early centuries of the Common Era, Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye, and the Samhan confederacy occupied the peninsula and southern Manchuria. Of the various small states, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla grew to control the peninsula as the Three Kingdoms. Chinese name Buyeo, Puyo, or Fuyu was an ancient kingdom located in todays North Korea and southern Manchuria, from around the 2nd century BC to 494. ... Okjeo was a small tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BC to 5th century AD. Dong-okjeo (East Okjeo) occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo (North Okjeo) occupied the Duman River region. ... Dongye was a state which occupied portions of the northeastern Korean peninsula from roughly 150 BCE to around 400 CE. It bordered Goguryeo and Okjeo to the north, Jinhan to the south, and Chinas Lelang Commandery to the west. ... During the Samhan period, the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan dominated the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Chinese name Russian name Goguryeo or Koguryo was an ancient kingdom located in southern Manchuria, southern Russian Maritime province, and the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. ... Baekje (October 18 BCE–August 660 BCE), originally Sipje, was a kingdom in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. ... For other uses, see Silla (disambiguation). ... The Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (hangul: 삼국시대) featured the three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. Historians claim that the Three Kingdoms period ran from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until...

Introduction of Buddhism and other influences from China had profound effects on Korea, which later passed on, combined with Korean advances, to Japan.^{[10][11][12][13]} Buddhism, a Dharmic faith, is usually considered one of the worlds major religions, with between 230 to 500 million followers. ...

Bulguksa Temple, built during the Silla period, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Map of the Three Kingdoms of Korea at the end of the 5th century.

The unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla in 676 led to the North-South States period, in which the much of the Korean peninsula was controlled by Unified Silla, while Balhae succeeded the northern parts of Goguryeo. In Unified Silla, poetry and art was encouraged, and Buddhist culture flourished. Relationships between Korea and China remained relatively peaceful during this time. However, Unified Silla weakened under internal strife, and surrendered to Goryeo in 935. Balhae, Silla's neighbor to the north, was formed as a successor state to Goguryeo. During its height, Balhae controlled most of Manchuria and parts of Russia. It fell to the Khitan in 926. http://www. ... http://www. ... Bulguksa is a Buddhist temple in the North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. ... For other uses, see Silla (disambiguation). ... Org type Specialized Agency Acronyms UNESCO Head Director General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura Japan Status Active Established 1945 Website www. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain, lake, desert, monument, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated and confirmed for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 State... Download high resolution version (658x827, 14 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Three Kingdoms of Korea User:Chris 73/Gallery 003 Talk:Tsushima Islands/Archive 1 ... Download high resolution version (658x827, 14 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Three Kingdoms of Korea User:Chris 73/Gallery 003 Talk:Tsushima Islands/Archive 1 ... The Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (hangul: 삼국시대) featured the three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. Historians claim that the Three Kingdoms period ran from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until... Unified Silla (668CE–935CE) is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668, when it conquered Baekje to unify the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Unified Silla (668CE–935CE) is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668, when it conquered Baekje to unify the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Alternate meaning: Bohai Sea Balhae (698 - 926) (Bohai in Chinese) was an ancient multiethnic kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. ... Unified Silla (668CE–935CE) is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668, when it conquered Baekje to unify the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Taegeuk is a traditional symbol of Korea Capital Gaegyeong Language(s) Korean Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy Wang  - 918 - 946 Taejo  - 949 - 975 Gwangjong  - 1259 - 1274 Wonjong  - 1351 - 1374 Gongmin Historical era 918 - 1392  - Later Three Kingdoms rise 892  - Coronation of Taejo June 15, 918  - Korea-Khitan Wars 993 - 1019  - Mongolian... Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Alternate meaning: Bohai Sea Balhae (698 - 926) (Bohai in Chinese) was an ancient multiethnic kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. ... Chinese name Russian name Goguryeo or Koguryo was an ancient kingdom located in southern Manchuria, southern Russian Maritime province, and the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. ...

After the North-South Period, successor states fought for control during the Later Three Kingdoms period. The peninsula was soon united by Wang Geon of Goryeo. Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in 1377, using the world's oldest movable metal printing press.^{[14][dead link]} The Later Three Kingdoms of Korea (892-936) consisted of Silla, Hubaekje (later Baekje), and Taebong (also known as Hugoguryeo, or Later Goguryeo). ... Birth name Posthumous name Taejo of Goryeo (January 31, 877-July 4, 943, r. ... Taegeuk is a traditional symbol of Korea Capital Gaegyeong Language(s) Korean Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy Wang  - 918 - 946 Taejo  - 949 - 975 Gwangjong  - 1259 - 1274 Wonjong  - 1351 - 1374 Gongmin Historical era 918 - 1392  - Later Three Kingdoms rise 892  - Coronation of Taejo June 15, 918  - Korea-Khitan Wars 993 - 1019  - Mongolian... Jikji is the abbreviated title of a Buddhist document, whose full title can be translated Baegun Hwasangs Anthology of the Great Priests Teachings on Identification of the Buddha’s Spirit by the Practice of Seon. ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ...

The Mongol invasions in the 13th century greatly weakened Goryeo. However, Goryeo continued to rule Korea as a tributary ally to the Mongols. After the fall of the Mongolian Empire (Yuan Dynasty), Goryeo continued its rule. After severe political strife and continued invasions, Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388 following a rebellion by General Yi Seong-gye. The Mongol invasions of Korea consisted of a series of campaigns by the Mongol Empire against Korea, then known as Koryo, from 1231 to 1259. ... Capital Dadu Language(s) Mongolian Chinese Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1260-1294 Kublai Khan  - 1333-1370 (Cont. ... Joseon redirects here. ... Taejo of Joseon (1335-1408; r. ...

Royal march of the Joseon Dynasty at Gyeongbokgung

General Yi declared the new name of Korea as Joseon in reference to Gojoseon, and moved the capital to Seoul. The first 200 years of the Joseon Dynasty was marked by relative peace and saw the creation of hangul by King Sejong the Great in the 14 century and the rise and influence of Confucianism. Image File history File linksMetadata Gyeonbokgung-March-01. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Gyeonbokgung-March-01. ... Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Birth name Sejong the Great (May 6, 1397 – May 18, 1450, r. ... A Confucian temple in Wuwei, Peoples Republic of China. ...

In the latter of the 16th century, Joseon was invaded by a newly unified Japan. During the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598), centuries of peace had left the dynasty unprepared, and the lack of technology and poor leadership from the Joseon government and generals led to the destruction of much of the Korean peninsula. However, continued Korean dominance at sea led by Admiral Yi, the rise of local militias, and the intervention of Ming China put Japan under great pressure to retreat in 1598. Belligerents Korea under the Joseon Dynasty, China under the Ming Dynasty, Jianzhou Jurchens Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea King Seonjo Crown Prince Gwanghae Yi Sun-sin†, Gwon Yul, Yu Seong-ryong, Yi Eok-gi†, Won Gyun†, Kim Myeong-won, Yi Il, Sin Rip†, Gwak Jae-u, Kim Si-min... King Seonjo ruled in Korea between 1567 and 1608. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Yi Pen name Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598), also commonly transliterated Yi Soon-shin, was a Korean naval leader noted for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598) during the... For other uses, see Ming. ...

Today, Admiral Yi is celebrated as one of Korea's foremost heroes and his turtle ships, used with great success against the Japanese, are considered the world's first ironclad warships, although lack of hard evidence of iron plating sparks much debate. The turtle ship (also known as Geobukseon or Kobukson by its Korean name) was a large warship belonging to the Panokseon class in Korea that was used under the Joseon Dynasty between the 15th century and 18th century. ... Ironclad (and broadside ironclad) redirects here. ...

Map of Korea during 18th century.

During the last years of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "Hermit Kingdom", primarily for protection against Western imperialism. Download high resolution version (700x1267, 393 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Gando Categories: Public domain images ... Download high resolution version (700x1267, 393 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Gando Categories: Public domain images ... Hermit kingdom is a term applied to any country or society which walls itself off (metaphorically or physically) from the rest of the world. ... For the computer game, see Imperialism (computer game). ...

After division

Main article: History of South Korea

In the aftermath of World War II, Soviet Union and United States troops controlled the northern and southern halves of the country respectively. The two Cold War rivals established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea. The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ...

A sculpture at the Incheon Landing Operation Memorial Hall.

Despite the initial plan of a unified Korea in the 1943 Cairo Declaration, escalating Cold War antagonism eventually led to the establishment of two separate governments: the communist North and the capitalist South. In the North, a former anti-Japanese guerilla and communist activist, Kim Il-sung^[15] and in the South, freshly shipped from America, Syngman Rhee were installed as presidents.^[16] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1536 × 2048 pixel, file size: 1. ... The Cairo Declaration was an statement released at Cairo, Egypt on December 1, 1943 by President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the United Kingdom, and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek of the Republic of China. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... Kim Il-sung (15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the leader of North Korea from its founding in early 1948 until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Kim Jong-il. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Rhee Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman or Yee Sung-man (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ...

On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded the South leading to the Korean War. The Soviet boycott of the United Nations at the time, and therefore, no veto, allowed the UN to intervene when it became apparent that the superior communist forces would easily take over the entire country. The Soviet Union and China backed North Korea, with the later participation of millions of Chinese troops. After huge advances on both sides, the war eventually reached a stalemate. The 1953 armistice, never signed by South Korea, split the peninsula along the demilitarized zone near the original demarcation line. No peace treaty was ever signed, and the two countries are still technically at war.^[17] is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... UN redirects here. ... For Panmunjom or Joint Security Area, see Joint Security Area. ...

In 1960, a student uprising led to the resignation of the autocratic and corrupt President Syngman Rhee. A period of profound civil unrest and general political instability followed, broken by General Park Chung-hee's military coup (the "5.16 coup d'état") against the weak and ineffectual government the next year. Park took over as president until his assassination in 1979, overseeing rapid export-led economic growth as well as severe political repression. Park is heavily criticized as a ruthless military dictator, although the Korean economy developed significantly during his tenure. The April Revolution, sometimes called the April 19th Revolution was a popular uprising in April 1950, led by labor and student groups, which overthrew the autocratic First Republic of South Korea under Syngman Rhee. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Rhee Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman or Yee Sung-man (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Park Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was a former ROK Army general and the leader of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ... The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, initially named the Revolutionary Committee, was a group of Korean officials. ... Export-oriented Industrialization is a trade and economic policy aiming to speed-up the industrialization process of a country through exporting goods for which the nation has a comparative advantage. ...

The years after Park's assassination were marked by, again, considerable political turmoil as the previously repressed opposition leaders all campaigned to run for president in the sudden political void. In 1980, there was a coup d'état, by General Chun Doo-hwan against the transitional government of Choi Gyu Ha, the interim president and a former prime minister under Park. Chun assumed the presidency. His seizure of power triggered nationwide protest demanding democracy, in particular the city of Gwangju, in Jeollanam-do where Chun sent in special forces to violently suppress the city, in what is now known as the Gwangju Massacre. Coup redirects here. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Chun Chun Doo Hwan (born 18 January 1931) was former ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. ... The Coup détat of December Twelfth or the 12/12 Incident was a military coup détat taken place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea. ... Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... The Gwangju Democratization Movement (Korean: ) refers to the violent suppression of a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. ...

Until 1987, he and his government held Korea under despotic rule when Park Jong Chul — a student attending Seoul National University — was tortured to death.^[18] The Catholic Priests' Association for Justice revealed that Park was tortured, igniting huge demonstrations around the country. The demonstrations snowballed when another student from Yonsei University, Lee Han Yeol, was killed by a police-fired tear gas bomb while he was demonstrating against the military government. The period of resistance is called the Resistance of June when all joined the national movement. Eventually, Chun's party, the Democratic Justice Party, and its leader, Roh Tae-woo announced the June 29th Declaration, which included the direct election of the president.^[19] Not to be confused with the University of Seoul. ... Yonsei University is a private university located in Seoul, South Korea. ... Noh Tae-woo (born December 4, 1932 in Daegu, South Korea), is a former Korean general and politician. ...

A partial view of Southern Seoul.

Today, South Korea is a liberal democracy, with universal suffrage at age 19. The CIA World Factbook calls it a, "fully functioning modern democracy".^[20] However, The Economist described the country as a "Flawed Democracy".^[21] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 521 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 667 pixel, file size: 903 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A partial scenery aside Han River I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 521 pixelsFull resolution (1024 × 667 pixel, file size: 903 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)A partial scenery aside Han River I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document... Liberal democracy is a form of government. ... The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ...

In 1988, Seoul hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics, a cause of both national and international celebration in contrast to great turmoil of the past. In 1996, South Korea became a member of the OECD, a testament to further economic growth. As with many of its Asian neighbors, South Korea suffered the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, but the country was able to re-emerge and continue its growth towards a major economic power after a swift recovery.^[22] Johnson winning the 100 m final The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques; OCDE) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... The East Asian Financial Crisis was a period of economic unrest (or financial contagion) that started in July 1997 in Thailand with the financial collapse of the Thai Baht, and affected currencies, stock markets, and other asset prices in a number of Asian countries. ...

In June 2000, as part of South Korean president Kim Dae-jung's Sunshine Policy of engagement, a North-South summit took place in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. That year, Former President 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."^[23] Kim Dae-jung (born December 3, 1925) is a South Korean politician. ... The Sunshine Policy was the South Korean doctrine towards North Korea until Lee Myung-baks election to presidency. ... Inter-Korean Summits are meetings between the leaders of North Korea and South Korea. ... Not to be confused with PyeongChang. ... The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish, Danish and Norwegian: Nobels fredspris) is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ...

In 2004, South Korea joined the "trillion dollar club" of world economies.^[24]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of South Korea

US President George W. Bush and former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun in 2005 at the 17th APEC meeting.

The foreign relations of South Korea are dominated by its relationships with its neighbors North Korea, China, Japan, and with the United States. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Roh_Moo-hyun_&_GW_Bush,_APEC_2005-Nov-17. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Roh_Moo-hyun_&_GW_Bush,_APEC_2005-Nov-17. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Roh Roh Moo-hyun (IPA: ) (born September 1, 1946 in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, South Korea) is the President of South Korea. ... APEC redirects here. ...

United States

The United States of America engaged in decolonization of Korea (Mainly South, Soviet Union engaged North Korea) from Japan after World War II. After 3 years of Military administration by U.S. , South Korean government was established. During Korean War U.S. sent Troops to S. Korea to protect them from invasion of N. Korea and later China. Since then, the two nations have strong economic, diplomatic and military ties, though they at times disagreed with regards to policies towards North Korea. Currently, 2nd Infantry Division of U.S Army resides in South Korea. In April 2007, Korea concluded a Free Trade Agreement with the United States, but that agreement still awaits ratification by the legislatures of both countries. Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

China

Historically, Korea had relatively close relations with China. Before the formation of South Korea, Korean independence fighters also worked with Chinese soldiers during the period of Japanese occupation. However, after World War II, the Chinese embraced Maoism while South Korea became a representative democracy under the influence of the United States. The People's Republic of China assisted North Korea with manpower and supplies during the Korean War, and in its aftermath the diplomatic relationship between South Korea and China almost completely ceased. Relations thawed gradually however, and South Korea and China 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, and^[25] Korea-China relations have improved steadily since 1992.^[26] Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Ideologies Communist internationals Prominent communists Related subjects Communism Portal Maoism or Mao Zedong Thought (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: ), is a variant of Communism derived from the teachings of the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong (Wade-Giles Romanization: Mao Tse-tung). Marxism consists of thousands of truths, but they all... Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of popular sovereignty by the peoples representatives. ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... is the 236th day of the year (237th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

Japan

Although there were no formal diplomatic ties between South Korea and Japan after the Korean War, 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 still heavy anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea due to a number of unsettled Japanese-Korean disputes, many of which stem from the period of Japanese occupation. During World War II, more than 100,000 Koreans were forced to serve in the Imperial Japanese Army.^[27] Longstanding issues such as Japanese war crimes against Korean civilians, the visits by Japanese politicians to the Yasukuni Shrine honoring Japanese soldiers killed at war, including class A war criminals like Hideki Tojo, the re-writing of Japanese textbooks to overlook Japanese aggression during World War II, and the territorial disputes over Liancourt Rocks continue to trouble Korean-Japanese relations. In response to then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's repeated visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, President Roh Moo-hyun suspended all summit talks between South Korea and Japan.^[28] Presently, South Korea and Japan's political relations are unstable. Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (Japanese: 日韓基本条約, Nikkan Kihon Jōyaku; Korean: 한일기본조약, 韓日基本條約, Hanil Gibon Joyak) was signed on June 22, 1965 to establish basic relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea. ... Anti-Japanese sentiment refers to the view of the Japanese people or of the Japanese nation with suspicion or hostility. ... There have been disputes between Japan and Korea (both North and South) on many issues over the years. ... Flag Anthem Kimigayo¹ Korea under Japanese rule - 일제 강점기 Capital Seoul Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintō¹ Government Occupied state Emperor of Japan ¹  - 1910–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925–1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General  - 1910–1916 (first) Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1944–1945 (last) Nobuyuki Abe Legislature Assembly of Councilors... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) (KyÅ«jitai: 大日本帝國陸軍, Shinjitai: , Romaji: Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun), or more officially Army of the Greater Japanese Empire was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945. ... Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Japanese imperialism. ... Torii Gate at Yasukuni Shrine The main building of Yasukuni Shrine Yasukuni Shrine 75th anniversary Stamp (1944) Yasukuni Shrine ) is a Shinto shrine located in Tokyo, Japan, dedicated to the spirits of soldiers and others who died fighting on behalf of the Emperor of Japan. ... Hideki Tojo (KyÅ«jitai: 東條 英機; Shinjitai: 東条 英機;  ) (December 30, 1884 – December 23, 1948) was a General in the Imperial Japanese Army and the 40th Prime Minister of Japan during much of World War II, from October 18, 1941 to July 22, 1944. ... The Japanese history textbook controversies are about government-approved history textbooks used in the secondary education (junior high schools and high schools) of Japan. ... Dokdo redirects here. ... Emblem of the Office of Prime Minister of Japan Kantei, Official residence of PM The Prime Minister of Japan ) is the usual English-language term used for the head of government of Japan, although the literal translation of the Japanese name for the office is Prime Minister of the Cabinet. ... Junichiro Koizumi , born January 8, 1942) is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006. ... The President is head of state of South Korea. ...

North Korea

Both North and South Korea continue to officially claim sovereignty over the entire peninsula and any outlying islands. With longstanding animosity following the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, North Korea and South Korea signed an agreement to pursue peace.^[29] On October 4, 2007, Roh Moo-Hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il signed an eight-point peace 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.^[30] North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia, covering the northern half of the peninsula of Korea. ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Kim Jong-il (also written as Kim Jong Il) (born February 16, 1942) is the leader of North Korea. ...

Despite the Sunshine Policy and efforts at reconciliation, the progress was complicated by North Korean missile tests in 1993, 1998, and again in 2006. Recently, North Korea agreed to temporarily suspend its pursuit of a nuclear weapons program for economic and diplomatic support, although some Korean and American officials criticized the North for not being fully cooperative in its temporary suspension of a nuclear weapons program.^[31] There have been a number of North Korean missile tests. ... A North Korean missile test occurred on May 29 and 30 of 1993. ... A Taepodong-1 missile fired in 1998. ... The 2006 North Korean nuclear test was the detonation of a nuclear device conducted on October 9, 2006 by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. ...

Other nations

South Korea maintains diplomatic relations with approximately 170 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 Association of Southeast Asian Nations as both a member of ASEAN Plus three, a body of observers, and the East Asia Summit (EAS). UN redirects here. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... IPA pronunciation: This is a Korean name; the family name is Ban Ban Ki-moon (born June 13, 1944)[1] is a South Korean diplomat and the current Secretary-General of the United Nations. ... The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. ... Hymn The ASEAN Hymn Jakarta, Indonesia Membership 10 Southeast Asian states Leaders  -  Secretary General Ong Keng Yong Area  -  Total 4,497,4931 km²  Expression error: Unrecognised punctuation character , sq mi  Population  -   estimate 566. ... The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a pan-Asia forum held annually by the leaders of 16 countries in East Asia and the region, with ASEAN in a leadership position. ...

There is an ongoing effort at negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, the second largest importer of Korean goods.^[32] South Korea is also negotiating a Free Trade Agreement with Canada.^[33]

Military

Main article: Military of South Korea

ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH 976) sails in formation at the end of RIMPAC 2006.

The South Korean military is composed of the Army (ROKA), the Navy (ROKN), the Air Force (ROKAF), and the Marine Corps (ROKMC), together with reserve forces.^[34] Many of these forces are concentrated near the border with North Korea, near the demilitarized zone. All South Korean males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically for a period of two years. However, there have been debates about shortening the length of the military services, and even dismissing the mandatory service itself. The government recently allowed some male students who were in the process of earning a university bachelor's degree and master's degree to dismiss the military requirements to allow them to further study and research their fields. The Republic of Korea Armed Forces (Hangul: 대한민국 국군; Hanja: 大韓民國 國軍; Revised Romanization: Dae-han-min-guk Guk-gun) or ROK Armed Forces, is the armed forces of South Korea. ... The Republic of Korea Army (ROK Army, ROKA, hangul: 대한민국 육군; hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍) is by far the largest of the military branches, with over 560,000 members as of 2004. ... The Republic of Korea Navy (Hangul: 대한민국 해군; Hanja: 大韓民國 海軍; Revised Romanization: Daehanminguk Haegun) or ROK Navy (ROKN) is a branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. ... The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROK Air Force, ROKAF, Hangul: 대한민국 공군, Hanja: 大韓民國 空軍) is the air force of South Korea. ... ROKMC crest The Republic of Korea Marine Corps (aka ROK Marine Corps, ROKMC, Korean Hangul: , Hanja: , Revised Romanization: Dae-Han-min-guk Haebyeongdae) is the Marine Corps of the Republic of Korea. ...

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 320,000 troops to fight alongside American, Australian and South Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War, with a peak strength of 50,000. Most recently, South Korea sent 3,300 troops of the Zaytun Division to help re-building in northern Iraq, and was the 3rd largest contributor in the coalition forces after only the US and Britain.^[35] Anthem Thanh niên Hành Khúc (Call to the Citizens) Capital Saigon Language(s) Vietnamese Government Republic Last President¹ Duong Van Minh Last Prime minister Vu Van Mau Historical era Cold War  - Regime change June 14, 1955  - Dissolution April 30, 1975 Area  - 1973 173,809 km² 67,108... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The Zaytun Division is a contingent of Republic of Korea Army troops currently operating in Northern Iraq, carrying out peace-keeping and reconstruction tasks. ... The Multi-National Force - Iraq (MNF-I), is a military command, led by the United States, that is fighting the Iraq War against the multitude of Iraqi insurgents. ...

The United States has stationed a substantial contingent of troops in South Korea since the Korean War to defend South Korea in case of a North Korean attack. There are also approximately 29,000 US military stationed in Korea,^[36] most of them serving one year of unaccompanied tours. The American Troops, which primarily are assigned to the Eighth United States Army are stationed in installations at Osan, Youngsan, Dongducheon, Sungbok,and Daegu, of which most are camps, which are considered camps not for their lack of buildings or support structure but to make a political and military statement representing a lack of permanence. For the TV show, see F Troop. ... United States Forces Korea (USFK, Korean: 주한미군, Hanja: 駐韓美軍) refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States Armed Forces stationed in South Korea. ... The Eighth United States Army—often abbreviated EUSA—(the acronym EUSA was deemed unauthorized by LTG Charles Campbell in 2002) is the commanding formation of all US Army troops in South Korea. ... Osan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, approximately 35 km south of Seoul. ... Dongducheon is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ...

A still functioning UN Command controls all forces in South Korea, including the US forces and the entire Korean military. The United Nations Command (Korea) is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea (South Korea or ROK) during and after the Korean War. ...

Currently, the South Korean navy is working towards being a blue-water navy. It has recently acquired its first Aegis combat system-enabled destroyer, the King Sejong the Great class destroyer. South Korea is the fifth country to begin operating an Aegis Combat System-enabled surface ship.^[37] Ships from seven countries sailing together during the RIMPAC exercise in 2006. ... USS Lake Champlain, a Ticonderoga-class Aegis guided missile cruiser, launched in 1987 The Aegis combat system is an integrated missile guidance system used by the United States Navy. ... The Sejong the Great class destroyers (Hangul: 세종대왕급 구축함), also known as KDX-III, are guided missile destroyers for the Republic of Korea Navy by Hyundai Heavy Industries. ...

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of South Korea

See also Special cities of Korea and Provinces of Korea

Principal divisions of South Korea.

General map of South Korea.

^a Revised Romanization. South Korea is divided into 8 provinces (do), 1 special autonomous province (teukbyeol jachido), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi), and 1 special city (teukbyeolsi). ... In North and South Korea, Special cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). ... This article describes the historical evolution of Koreas provinces (Do ; Hangul: 도; Hanja: 道). For detailed information on current administrative divisions, please see Administrative divisions of North Korea and Administrative divisions of South Korea. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (650x750, 81 KB) Copied from ja:画像:韓国行政区域地図.png, originally uploaded by ja:利用者:Kahusi (also registered here: User:Kahusi) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): South Korea Maps of... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (650x750, 81 KB) Copied from ja:画像:韓国行政区域地図.png, originally uploaded by ja:利用者:Kahusi (also registered here: User:Kahusi) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): South Korea Maps of... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (782x896, 408 KB) A map of South Korea, made by the uploader. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (782x896, 408 KB) A map of South Korea, made by the uploader. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ... This article is about the city. ... This article is about Gwangju Metropolitan City. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ... Ulsan, a metropolitan city in the south-east of South Korea, facing the Sea of Japan (East Sea). ... Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong) is a province in the centre of South Korea. ... Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong) is a province in the west of South Korea. ... Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang) is a province in eastern South Korea. ... Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting Jeju-do. ... Korean writing systems Hangul Hanja Hyangchal Gugyeol Idu Mixed script Korean romanization Revised Romanization of Korean McCune-Reischauer Yale Romanization The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ...

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of South Korea

Topography of South Korea

South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which extends some 680 miles (1,100 km) from the Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the East Sea or Sea of Japan to the east (There are dispute about naming of 'East Sea' or 'Sea of Japan'. However, this dispute is political, not a historical or international standard. Therefore, those two name should be mentioned with equal weight). Its southern tip lies on the Korea Strait and the East China Sea. Map of South Korea South Korea is located in Eastern Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula jutting out from the far east of the Asian land mass. ... This article is about the Korean Peninsula. ... ... The Korea Strait is a sea passage between South Korea and Japan, connecting the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) in the northwest Pacific Ocean. ... For other uses, see East Sea (Chinese mythology). ...

The country's total area is 38,462.49 square miles (99,617.39 km²).^{[38][dead link]}

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. In geography, a coastal plain is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast and separated from the interior by other features. ... Drainage basin. ... The Nakdong River (Rakdong in North Korean) is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan. ...

South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable. Lowlands, located primarily in the west and southeast, constitute only 30% of the total land area. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In physical geography, a lowland is any broad expanse of land with a general low level. ...

Seoraksan mountain in Gangwondo.

About three thousand islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. Jeju-do is located about 100 kilometers (about 60 mi) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 square kilometres (712 sq mi). Jeju is also the site of South Korea's highest point: Hallasan, an extinct volcano, reaches 1,950 metres (6,398 ft) above sea level. The most eastern islands of South Korea include Ulleungdo and Dokdo, while Marado and Ieodo are the southernmost islands of South Korea. Seorak-san is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the Gangwon province in eastern South Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting Jeju-do. ... Hallasan (한라산) is a dormant volcano on Jeju Island of South Korea. ... Cleveland Volcano in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska photographed from the International Space Station For other uses, see Volcano (disambiguation). ... Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo) is a South Korean island in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). ... Dokdo redirects here. ... Mara-do is a tiny treeless island 11 km off the south coast of Jeju, in southernmost South Korea, having an area of 0. ... You may be looking for Socotra in the Indian Ocean Socotra Rock and East China Sea continental shelf map. ...

Climate

The local climate is relatively temperate, with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called jangma (장마), and winters that can be bitterly cold. In Seoul, the average January temperature range is -7 °C to 1 °C (19 °F to 33 °F), and the average July temperature range is 22 °C to 29 °C (71 °F to 83 °F). Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in the mountainous interior. Rainfall is concentrated in the summer months of June through September. The southern coast is subject to late summer typhoons that bring strong winds and heavy rains. The average annual precipitation varies from 1,370 millimeters (54 inches) in Seoul to 1,470 millimeters (58 inches) in Busan. There are occasional typhoons that bring high winds and floods. The government is concerned of the impact of global warming on the natural disasters. For the usage in virology, see temperate (virology). ... The East Asian monsoon is a monsoonal flow that carries moist air from South Asia to East Asia. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... For other uses, see Celsius (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... Cyclone Catarina, a rare South Atlantic tropical cyclone viewed from the International Space Station on March 26, 2004 Hurricane and Typhoon redirect here. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ...

Environment

In urban areas there are problems associated with air pollution as well as water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents. Cheonggyecheon is one of the recent attempts at restoring the flow of the clean water in South Korea.^[39] Air pollution is the modification of the natural characteristics of the atmosphere by a chemical, particulate matter, or biological agent. ... Raw sewage and industrial waste flows into the U.S. from Mexico as the New River passes from Mexicali, Baja California to Calexico, California Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities, which can be harmful to organisms and... Sewage is the mainly liquid waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water, faeces, urine, laundry waste and other material which goes down drains and toilets from households and industry. ... Cheong Gye Cheon, also spelled in one word Cheonggyecheon is a small river flowing through downtown Seoul and then meeting the Han River. ...

South Korea is a member of numerous international environmental organizations with specific regards to Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution (MARPOL 73/78), Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, and Whaling.^[40] Ship Pollution is an abbreviated form of the Protocol of 1978 Relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of South Korea

Yeouido, an important financial center located in Seoul.

South Korea is a major global economic power, having the 12th largest economy^[41] in the world and the third largest^[42] in Asia, forming the "Big Three" economies in Asia along with China and Japan. Its largest trading partner and export market today is China.^{[43][dead link]} South Korea has achieved rapid economic growth through exports of manufactured goods, and was one of the Four Asian Tigers. Major industries in South Korea today are automobiles, semiconductors, electronics, shipbuilding, and steel. Currency 1 South Korean Won (W) = 100 Jeon(Chŏn) (theoretical) Fiscal year Calendar year Trade organizations APEC, WTO and OECD GDP ranking 10th by volume (at nominal) (2006); 11th by volume (at PPP) (2006); GDP (Nominal) $981. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Yeouido is a large island within Seoul, and one of Seouls business districts. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... World map of GDP (Nominal and PPP). ... Korean name Hangul: Skyline of Central, Hong Kongs financial centre (viewed from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong) Seoul, the capital of South Korea The skyline of Singapores town area at dusk. ... Car redirects here. ... A semiconductor is a solid material that has electrical conductivity in between that of a conductor and that of an insulator; it can vary over that wide range either permanently or dynamically. ... Surface mount electronic components Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures and vacuum tubes. ... Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ...

Hyundai and Kia are two major automobile companies in South Korea.

In the 1950s South Korea was one of the poorest countries in Asia, its infrastructure and resources having been severely exploited during the Japanese occupation and completely destroyed by the Korean War. However, following the military coup led by General Park Chung-hee in 1962, South Korea experienced one of the fastest-growing economies in the world's history for four straight decades, completely transforming from a farming and fishing based economy into one of the world's most high-tech and leading industrial powers of today. The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Koreas largest and the worlds Sixth Largest Automaker. ... Kia redirects here. ... Flag Anthem Kimigayo¹ Korea under Japanese rule - 일제 강점기 Capital Seoul Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintō¹ Government Occupied state Emperor of Japan ¹  - 1910–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925–1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General  - 1910–1916 (first) Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1944–1945 (last) Nobuyuki Abe Legislature Assembly of Councilors... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... This is a Korean name; the family name is Park Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was a former ROK Army general and the leader of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ...

Park Chung-hee embarked a series of ambitious five-year plans for economic development similar to the macro-economic schemes of the Soviet Union.^[44] Emphasis shifted to foreign trade with the normalization of relations with Japan in 1965, which resulted in a boom in trade and investment. Rapid expansion, first into light and then heavy industries, so in 1973 Korea became the 34th wealthiest country in the world.^[45] Park's government plans for economic development greatly boosted the Korean economy. This is a Korean name; the family name is Park Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was a former ROK Army general and the leader of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. ... Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (Japanese: 日韓基本条約, Nikkan Kihon Jōyaku; Korean: 한일기본조약, 韓日基本條約, Hanil Gibon Joyak) was signed on June 22, 1965 to establish basic relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea. ...

This growth is often called the "Miracle on the Han River", the Han River being the main river that runs through the nation's capital and largest city, Seoul. In the 1980s and 1990s, growth continued as South Korea transformed itself from an exporter of mostly textiles and shoes into a major global producer of automobiles, electronics, shipbuilding, steel and, later, high-technology products such as digital monitors, mobile phones, and semiconductors. Miracle on the Han River (한강의 기적) is a catchphrase often used in South Korea and by scholars to describe the period of rapid economic growth that took place in South Korea following the Korean War up until the Asian Financial Crisis. ... The Han River located in South Korea, is the confluence of the South Han River, which originates in Mount Daedeok-san, and the North Han, which originates in Mount Geumgang-san. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Car redirects here. ... Surface mount electronic components Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures and vacuum tubes. ... Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... A computer display monitor, usually called simply a monitor, is a piece of electrical equipment which displays viewable images generated by a computer without producing a permanent record. ... A semiconductor is a solid material that has electrical conductivity in between that of a conductor and that of an insulator; it can vary over that wide range either permanently or dynamically. ...

South Korea is a world leader in the mobile phone industry.

The South Korean model of encouraging the growth of large, internationally competitive companies through easy financing and tax incentives led to the dominance of the family-controlled conglomerates. These companies, known as chaebol, flourished under the support of the Park regime.^[46] Some such as Hyundai, Samsung, LG and SK Company became global corporations. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 454 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2293 × 3029 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 454 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2293 × 3029 pixel, file size: 3. ... Conglomerate is the term used to describe a large company which consists of divisions of often seemingly unrelated businesses. ... Chaebol (alternatively Jaebol) refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate. ... The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Koreas largest and the worlds Sixth Largest Automaker. ... The Samsung Group (Korean: 삼성그룹, Samseong Geurup) is South Koreas largest conglomerate (chaebol) and one of the largest super-multinationals in the world leading several major global industries. ... A leader in making and manufacturing Electronics LG redirects here. ... SK Group (Hangul: SK그룹, 에스케이그룹) is the 3rd largest conglomerate (chaebol) in South Korea. ...

Samsung Group Headquarters

Since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis the corporate landscape has changed considerably as a result of massive bankruptcies and government reforms. The crisis exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's economy, including high debt-to-equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. This led to two rounds of financial and industrial restructuring; once in 1997 and again following the collapse of Daewoo in 1999.^[47] Daewoo's collapse has been recorded as one of the largest bankruptcies in world history.^[48] By 2003, just over one-half of the 30 largest chaebol from 1995 remained.^[49] The East Asian Financial Crisis was a period of economic unrest (or financial contagion) that started in July 1997 in Thailand with the financial collapse of the Thai Baht, and affected currencies, stock markets, and other asset prices in a number of Asian countries. ... This article is about the chaebol Daewoo Group. ...

Between 2003 and 2005, economic growth had slowed to about 4% per year.^[50] A downturn in consumer spending, attributed to massive personal credit card debt, was offset by rapid export growth, primarily to China. In 2005, the government proposed labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help make the labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to cool property speculation.^[51] In 2006, South Korean economy has recovered its growth rate to 5.1%. Credit card debt is an example of unsecured consumer debt, accessed through ISO 7810 plastic credit cards. ...

The South Korean economy is characterized by moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income.^[52][53][54]

South Korea is a world leader in the semiconductor industry.

Today, there are several strong South Korean industries. South Korea's largest automaker, Hyundai Motor Company and its subsidiary Kia Motors are the fifth largest car group in the world.^[55] Korean carmakers are planning to increase their exports even more when Korea finishes its FTA with the European Union.^[56] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1067, 614 KB) DDR2 Ram in socket File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Computer storage ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x1067, 614 KB) DDR2 Ram in socket File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Computer storage ... A semiconductor is a solid material that has electrical conductivity in between that of a conductor and that of an insulator; it can vary over that wide range either permanently or dynamically. ... The Hyundai Motor Company, a division of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, is South Koreas largest and the worlds Sixth Largest Automaker. ... Kia redirects here. ...

South Korea's shipbuilding industry is the largest in the world. It became the largest after overtaking Japan in 2004.^[57] South Korean shipbuilding is efficient enough that a new $80 million vessel is produced every four working days. In 2006, approximately one in every three new vessels was constructed in Korea. Hyundai Heavy Industries built ships totaling 10.6 million compensated gross tons (CGTs), or 34.6 percent, becoming the first nation to breach the 10 million CGT mark.^{[58][dead link]} Other Korean shipbuilding companies are Samsung Heavy Industries and Daewoo Marine Engineering & Construction. Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ...

Although South Korean shipmakers are leading in terms of ship orders and production, they are wary of Chinese shipmakers. China is planning to become the world's leader in shipbuilding by 2015. However, South Korean shipbuilders have advantage over Chinese counterparts in terms of advanced value-added shipbuilding technology.^[59]

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in South Korea

Incheon International Airport

Transportation in South Korea is provided by an extensive network of railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services, and air routes. Buses, taxis, subways, and trains provide comfortable and cheap methods of travel around South Korea. Major cities have subway systems, including the popular Seoul Subway. It has eight different systems which are separated by different colors and Busan, Gyoung Ju, Daegu,and Daejun also have new subway system. Korail commuter lines are already linked with Seoul's subway system and several commuter lines connected with Busan and Daegu subway systems are under construction. They have intercity and intracity bus systems. Metropolitan Cities have express bus terminals. Transportation in South Korea is provided by extensive networks of railways, highways, bus routes, ferry services, and air routes that criss-cross the country. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ... Incheon Airport - Entrance Incheon Airport - Departures Incheon International Airport (IIA) (IATA: ICN, ICAO: RKSI) (Korean: ) is the largest airport in South Korea, and one of the largest and busiest in Asia. ... The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world, with well over 8 million trips daily on the systems ten lines (total figures for Seoul Metro, Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation & Korean Railroad commuter lines). ...

Highways in South Korea are classified into highways (expressways/motorways), national highways, and various classifications below the national level. Korea Highway Corporation operates the toll highways and service amenities en route. South Korea has about 3,000 kilometers of national highways.^{[citation needed]} Korea Highway Corporation is one of South Korean highway corporation. ...

A KTX train stationed at Songjeong-ri station.

Korail provides frequent train service 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. KTX had been built with France and Japan's technological cooperation, but government intentionally had made it non-public. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Korail is the national railroad operator in South Korea. ... The Gyeongui Line is one of the oldest railway lines in Korea. ... The Donghae Bukbu Line is a former railway line that connected the present-day city of Anbyon in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, with Yangyang, Gangwon Province, South Korea. ... High speed train redirects here. ... Korea Train Express (KTX) is South Koreas high speed train system. ... The Gyeongbu Line (Gyeongbuseon) is the most important railway line in South Korea and one of the oldest, connecting Seoul to Suwon, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan. ... The Honam Line is a major railway line serving the Honam region (North and South Jeolla Provinces) in South Korea. ... Korea Train Express (KTX) is South Koreas high speed train system. ...

The main international airport is Incheon International Airport. South Korea has eight international airports and seven domestic airports. South Korea's major international air carriers are Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. About 71 international passenger and cargo airlines operate frequent flight services between Korea and all over the world. Incheon Airport - Entrance Incheon Airport - Departures Incheon International Airport (IIA) (IATA: ICN, ICAO: RKSI) (Korean: ) is the largest airport in South Korea, and one of the largest and busiest in Asia. ... Korean Air (formerly Korean Air Lines) (KRXS: 003490) (Korean Air Daehan Hanggong) is the flag carrier airline of Korea, its global headquarters are located in Seoul, Korea. ... // Asiana Airlines (아시아나 í•­ê³µ Asiana Hanggong KOSDAQ: 020560) (Formerly Seoul Airlines) is an airline based in Seoul, South Korea and is one of South Koreas two major airlines, along with Korean Air. ...

Modern Industries

KSLV-1

The South Korean shipbuilding industry is one the most highly-developed in the world, headed by chaebols such as the Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industry and POSCO. South Korea also exports radioactive isotope production equipment for medical and industrial use to countries such as Russia, Japan, Turkey and others.^[60] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Chaebol (alternatively Jaebol) refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate. ... Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. ... The Samsung Group (Korean: 삼성그룹, Samseong Geurup) is South Koreas largest conglomerate (chaebol) and one of the largest super-multinationals in the world leading several major global industries. ... The Pohang Iron and Steel Company, or POSCO (KSE: 005490) (NYSE: PKX) (TYO: 5412 ) (LSE: PIDD), based in Pohang, South Korea, is the third largest steel producer in the world. ...

Science and technology

Main article: Ministry of Science and Technology (South Korea)

The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) is a ministry of the government of South Korea which coordinates science and technology activities in the country. ...

Space programs

Main article: Korea Aerospace Research Institute

Korea has a space partnership with Russia^[61] and has launched the Arirang-1 and Arirang-2 which both have surveillance cameras equipped. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. ... Arirang-1 or Arirang I is an unmanned artificial satellite created by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and launched by a US rocket on December 21, 1999. ... Arirang-2 is a South Korean multipurpose satellite. ...

Naro Space Center, the first spaceport of South Korea, is scheduled to be completed by 2008 at Goheung, Jeollanam-do. Korea Space Center is expected to send a Korea Space Launch Vehicle into space in 2008.^[62] The spaceport will be controlled by the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute and will contain features necessary for spaceflight operation having a launch tower, a control tower, rocket assembly, test facilities and space simulators.^[63] The South Korean government has named Yi So-yeon as its first person to go to space after replacing its initial choice Ko San, at the request of the Russian Federal Space Agency, on March 10, 2008.^[64] A 2005 model of KSLV-1 rocket to be launched at 2007/2008. ... A spaceport is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with airport for aircraft. ... Goheung County (Goheung-gun) is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. ... Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... The Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV) will be the first space launcher of South Korea. ... The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea. ... This is a Korean name; the family name is Yi Yi So-yeon (Hangul: 이소연) is also romanized as Lee So-yeon. ... Ko San (b. ... The Russian Federal Space Agency (Russian: Федеральное космическое агентство России, commonly known as Roskosmos) or RKA, formerly the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Russian: Российское авиационно-космическое агентство, commonly known as Rosaviakosmos), is the government agency responsible for Russias space science programme and general aerospace research. ... is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 8 April 2008, Yi So-yeon became the first South Korean in space, aboard Soyuz TMA-12. is the 98th day of the year (99th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... // Sergei Volkov (1) Commander -  Russia Oleg Kononenko (1) Flight Engineer -  Russia Yi So-yeon or Ko San (1) Research Cosmonaut -  Republic of Korea ??? Gennady Padalka Commander -  Russia Maksim Surayev Flight Engineer -  Russia Ko San or Yi So-yeon Research Cosmonaut -  Republic of Korea On December 25, 2006, two candidates, one...

Robotics

Exhibition of the HUBO robot in KAIST.

In robotics, KAIST developed humanoid robot, HUBO. Honda's ASIMO and KAIST's HUBO lines are the two of very few humanoid robots that can walk.^[65] The first HUBO was developed within a span of 3 years and cost 1 million USD.^[66] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (550x720, 66 KB)KAISTs Hubo humanoid robot. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (550x720, 66 KB)KAISTs Hubo humanoid robot. ... The Shadow robot hand system holding a lightbulb. ... // KAIST (/kaist/) is the elite leading research university located in Daedeok Science Town, Daejeon, South Korea. ... Hondas ASIMO, an example of a humanoid robot A humanoid robot is a robot with its overall appearance based on that of the human body. ... HUBO (휴보 KHR-3) is a bi-pedal humanoid robot developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and released on January 6, 2005 following a year of work. ... Press release photo of the most recent ASIMO model ASIMO ) is a humanoid robot created by Honda Motor Company. ...

Energy

In renewable energy, South Korean scientists at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in cooperation with the University of California, Santa Barbara successfully developed an organic solar cell with energy efficiency of 6.3 percent.^[67] Renewable energy effectively utilizes natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. ... The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is a research-oriented[2] public university located on the Pacific Ocean in Santa Barbara County, California, USA. It is one of ten campuses of the University of California. ... A solar cell, made from a monocrystalline silicon wafer A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts solar energy into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. ...

Education

Main article: Education in South Korea

Main building and gate of Korea University.

Education in South Korea is regarded essential to success and competition is consequently very tense. A centralized administration in South Korea oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to third grade high school. Mathematics, science, Korean, social studies, and English are generally considered to be the most important subjects and are considered compulsory. South Korea was the first country in the world to provide high-speed internet access to every primary, junior, and high school. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks South Korea's education as the 11th best in the world, being significantly higher than the OECD average.^[68] The Education in South Korea is seen as the most important key to success and competition is consequently very heated and fierce. ... Korea University is located in central Seoul, with a secondary campus in Jochiwon, South Korea, and is generally regarded as one of the most prestigious universities in Korea. ... The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial world-wide test of 15-year-old schoolchildrens scholastic performance, the implementation of which is coordinated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques; OCDE) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ...

The school year is divided into two semesters. The first begins in the beginning of March and ends in mid-July; the second begins in late August and ends in mid-February. The schedules are not uniformly standardized and vary from school to school.

There is a strong emphasis of English as a second language education in South Korea, and English is taught in most of Korean K–12 schools. Despite enormous sums of both public and private money being spent on English education, South Korea lags behind in English competency. The educational regime, which focuses more on test results and grammar rather than comprehension and fluency, may be part of the problem. The government is presently considering reforms, such as teaching English classes at public schools in English only. The aim is to reduce dependence on private English schools, which eat into household incomes. ESL redirects here. ...

Demographics

Population growth trend in South Korea

Main article: Demographics of South Korea

Most South Koreans live in urban areas, due to rapid migration from the countryside during the country's rapid economic expansion in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.^[69] The capital city of Seoul is also the country's largest city and chief industrial center. It had 10.3 million inhabitants in 2006, making Seoul one of the most populated single cities in the world.^[70] Other major cities include Busan (3.65 million), Incheon (2.63 million), Daegu (2.53 million), Daejeon (1.46 million), Gwangju (1.41 million) and Ulsan (1.10 million).^{[71][dead link]} Image File history File links Korea-South-demography. ... Image File history File links Korea-South-demography. ... // noun: Korean(s) adjective: Korean Population: 48,846,823 (July 2006 est. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ... This article is about the city. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ... This article is about Gwangju Metropolitan City. ... Ulsan, a metropolitan city in the south-east of South Korea, facing the Sea of Japan (East Sea). ...

The population has also been shaped by international migration. Following the division of the Korean peninsula after World War II, about four million people from North Korea crossed the border to South Korea. This trend of net entry reversed over the next forty years due to emigration, especially to the United States and Canada. However, South Korea's burgeoning economy and democracy in the early and mid-1990s slowed the high emigration rates typical of the previous decades. The current population of South Korea is roughly 48,850,000. The Korean peninsula, first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japans 35-year occupation of Korea. ...

Although small, the percentage of non-Koreans has been increasing. Officially, as of the summer of 2007, there are just over 1 million foreigners living in Korea. That number includes foreign residents, students, tourists and illegal aliens. Among them, 104,749 people were married to Koreans, 404,051 were working in Korea and 225,273 were illegal aliens.^[72]

Korean farmers have a hard time finding a wife, as few women want to live in the countryside. Farmers are forced to look abroad to find their wife, most from the much poorer Southeast Asia, and increasingly Eastern Europe. For the year 2006, 41% of the marriages amongst the farmers were to foreign nationals.^[73] Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Eastern Europe is a concept that lacks one precise definition. ...

There are 31,000 US military personnel.^[74] United States Forces Korea (USFK, Korean: 주한미군, Hanja: 駐韓美軍) refers to the ground, air and naval divisions of the United States Armed Forces stationed in South Korea. ...

Religion

Main article: Religion in South Korea

Yoido Full Gospel Church

As of 2005, approximately 46.5% of the South Korean population express no religious preference.^[75] Religion in South Korea is dominated by the traditional Buddhist faith, with a growing minority of Christians. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1034, 220 KB) 짧은설명 Taken by Puzzlet Chung Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Yoido Full Gospel Church ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1600x1034, 220 KB) 짧은설명 Taken by Puzzlet Chung Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Yoido Full Gospel Church ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Of the religious people, 29.3% are Christian (of which 18.3% (on total) profess to be Protestants and 10.9% to be Catholics), 22.8% are Buddhist, and the rest adheres to various new religious movements including Jeungism, Daesunism, Cheondoism and Wonbuddhism. Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Protestantism encompasses the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated with the doctrines of the Reformation. ... Buddhism, a Dharmic faith, is usually considered one of the worlds major religions, with between 230 to 500 million followers. ... A new religious movement or NRM appears as a religious, ethical or spiritual grouping that has not (yet) become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or body, especially when it has a novel belief system and when it is not a sect. ... Won Buddhism, often written Wonbuddhism, is a modern religious movement based in South Korea. ...

The largest Christian church in South Korea, Yoido Full Gospel Church, is located in Seoul and has approximately 780,000 members (2003 estimate). Including Yoido Full Gospel, 11 of the world's 12 largest churches are located in Seoul (see Christianity in Korea). South Korea is also the second largest missionary sending nation on earth, after the US.^[76] Islam in Korea is estimated to be at 45,000 in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries.^[77] This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... It has been suggested that Christianization of Korea be merged into this article or section. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

A growing number of South Koreans adhere to new religious movements. Among these are Cheondoism (0.1%), Jeungism (0.07%) and Daesunjinrihoe.^[75] These religions have developed as a reaction to the influence of Christianity and Western culture in Korean society. The exact figures of the amount of followers of these new religions remain controversial. A new religious movement or NRM appears as a religious, ethical or spiritual grouping that has not (yet) become recognised as a standard denomination, church, or body, especially when it has a novel belief system and when it is not a sect. ... Topics in Christianity Preaching Prayer Ecumenism Relation to other religions Movements Music Liturgy Calendar Symbols Art Criticism Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

Culture & Entertainment

Main articles: Culture of Korea and South Korean culture

A parade at the Hi Seoul Festival

South Korea shares its traditional culture with North Korea, but the two Koreas have developed distinct contemporary forms of culture since the peninsula was divided in 1945. The South Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism actively encourages the traditional arts, as well as modern forms, through funding and education programs.^[78] This article is about the traditional culture of Korea. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of South Korea is a central government agency responsible in areas of tourism, culture, art, religion, and sports. ...

Korean forms of metalwork, sculpture, painting, and ceramics flourished throughout the Korean Peninsula. In modern times, Western and particularly the US influences have been strongest. In the aftermath of Japanese occupation all Japanese cultural exports were banned from Korea until 1999. However, trading between the two countries has grown, although there is still strong anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea. This article is about the Korean Peninsula. ...

Recently, Korean pop culture has become popular in Asia and beyond, earning the name Hallyu or "Korean wave". In Japan and other Asian countries, Korean boyband TVXQ and television drama like Winter Sonata have found success.^[79], while Rain is widely acknowledged in Asia and begins to set his foot on American market. Recent Korean films such as Oldboy and Oasis have also received international acclaim.^[80] This article needs to be wikified. ... TVXQ, an acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi (東方神起), is a quintet South Korean boy band formed under SM Entertainment, and later debuted under Avex Trax in Japan. ... The opening sequence to Winter Sonata Winter Sonata (a. ... Rain (Real name: Jeong Ji-hoon 정지훈, born on 25 June 1982 in Seoul) is a male Korean pop singer, dancer, model, and actor. ... Korean cinema encompasses the motion picture industries of North Korea and South Korea. ... This article is about the Korean film. ... Oasis (Hangul: 오아시스) (2002) is South Korean director Lee Chang-dongs third feature film, and the last one he directed before his stint as South Koreas Minister of Culture. ...

SBS headquarter in Mokdong, Seoul

The contemporary culture of South Korea is heavily dominated by technology, including feature-rich cell phones and pervasive online games. South Korea today has the high penetration of high-speed internet access to households.^[81] In South Korea, computer games take on a sport-like presentation. The professional leagues are televised with announcers, professional players and major corporate sponsors. SBS broadcasting center. ... Online games refer to games that are played over some form of computer network. ...

Various kimchi and banchan

Korean Pork BBQ, called Pork Galbi

South Korea retains centuries-old customs and traditions, such as its cuisine, ancestor worship, and Confucius ideals. Foods like Steamed Rice(밥), Bulgogi (불고기, Korean style beef BBQ), Kimbap (김밥, rice roll wrapped in seaweed), Mandu (만두, dumplings), Doenjang jjigae (된장찌개, fermented soybean paste), Japchae (잡채, Boiled sweet potato starch noodles mixed with fried vegetables), Tteokbokki (떡볶이, a broiled dish made with sliced rice cake, seasoned beef, fish cakes and vegetables), Bibimbap (비빔밥, mixed rice with vegetables, beef, egg and chili pepper paste) and Kimchi (김치, fermented vegetables) are staples of the Korean diet. Especially well-known throughout the world is the kimchi (김치), a spicy dish made of Chinese cabbage and other seasonings. Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of some select vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. ... Banchan, sometimes spelled panchan, refers to small side-dish plates in Korean cuisine. ... Galbi or kalbi is a Korean dish made from beef short ribs, though it can also be made with pork ribs. ... Hanjeongsik Korean cuisine is based on the traditional foods and preparation techniques of Korea. ... Ancestor worship, also ancestor veneration, is a religious practice based on the belief that ones ancestors possess supernatural powers. ... Confucius (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kung-fu-tzu), lit. ... Bulgogi with Banchan Bulgogi is one of Koreas most popular beef dishes. ... Gimbap (Kimbap) (Korean: 김밥) is a popular snack or lunch dish in Korea. ... Mandu are dumplings in Korean cuisine. ... Also known as jabchae. ... Tteokbokki is a popular Korean snack food which is commonly purchased from street vendors. ... Bibimbap (비빔밥) is a popular Korean dish. ... Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of some select vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. ... Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of some select vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. ...

StarCraft is a popular online game in Korea. Its fanbase exceeds five million, and has two Korean-based channels dedicated to its broadcast. Professional StarCraft player Lim Yo-Hwan (SlayerS `BoxeR`) earned over $300,000 during the peak of his career. “Starcraft” redirects here. ... Lim Yo-Hwan (Revised Romanization: Im Yo-Hwan; Surname: Lim), known by the pseudonym SlayerS_`BoxeR` (usually shortened to Boxer), is one of the most successful players of the real-time strategy game StarCraft to date. ...

Sports

Taekwondo sparring match showing famous Jung Hae Jung.

Main article: Sport in South Korea

Taekwondo, a popular martial art, originated in Korea. In the 1950s and 60's, modern rules were standardized, and Taekwondo became an official Olympic sport in 2000. Taekwondo in the military is an integral part in the Korean land forces. Other Korean martial arts include subak and taekkyeon. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (667x1000, 170 KB) A Taekwondo fight. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (667x1000, 170 KB) A Taekwondo fight. ... Taekwondo (태권도; IPA: ) is a Korean martial art and Chinese combat sport. ... South Korea has some traditional sports of its own, but sports imported from the West are predominant. ... Taekwondo (태권도; IPA: ) is a Korean martial art and Chinese combat sport. ... Hawaiian State Grappling Championships. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Subak, (or Subakhi, Subak-chigi) is a Korean traditional martial art. ... Taekyon, or Taekkyon is a traditional Korean martial art, probably stemming from Subak. ...

Baseball was first introduced to Korea in 1905 and has since become the most popular spectator sport in South Korea.^[82] The first South Korean professional sports league was the Korea Baseball Organization, established in 1982. During the 2006 World Baseball Classic, South Korea reached the semi-finals. This article is about the sport. ... The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) of South Korea is the countrys professional baseball league. ... The 2006 World Baseball Classic was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. ... The World Baseball Classic, sometimes abbreviated WBC, is an international baseball tournament, first held in March 2006. ...

In 1988, South Korea hosted the Summer Olympics in Seoul. South Korea's Olympic teams have performed strongly in archery, shooting, table tennis, short track speed skating, handball, freestyle wrestling, judo, taekwondo, and football. South Korea has also hosted the Asian Games in 1986 and 2002. Recently, Pyeongchang County was a finalist for both the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, but lost to Vancouver, Canada and Sochi, Russia, respectively. Johnson winning the 100 m final The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were the Summer Olympic Games celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. ... Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Ping Pong redirects here. ... Short track speed skating (also Shorttrack speedskating) is a form of competitive ice speed skating. ... Handball player leaps towards the goal prior to throwing the ball, while the goalkeeper extends himself trying to stop it. ... This article is about freestyle wrestling. ... This article is about the martial art and sport. ... Taekwondo (태권도; IPA: ) is a Korean martial art and Chinese combat sport. ... “Soccer” redirects here. ... Asian Games Logo The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. ... Pyeongchang County (Pyeongchang-gun) is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. ... For other uses, see Vancouver (disambiguation). ... Sochi (Russian: , IPA: [soʨɪ]) is a Russian resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border. ...

The 2002 FIFA World Cup was jointly hosted by South Korea and Japan, and South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the semi-finals. The football team, also known as the "Taeguk Warriors", played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany for their sixth consecutive World Cup. 2002 World Cup redirects here. ... The 46 member Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of football in Asia, excluding Cyprus and Israel but including Australia. ... 2006 World Cup redirects here. ...

In 2007, South Korea hosted a cycling competition called Tour de Korea. It was the first international cycling competition in South Korea in 10 years. In 2010 South Korea will host their first Formula One race to be staged at Korean International Circuit in Yeongam about 240 miles (390 km) south of Seoul. Tour de Korea (officially named Hyundai Capital Invitational Tour de Korea) is a cycling competion in South Korea. ... F1 redirects here. ... The Korean International Circuit will be a 5. ... Yeongam County (Yeongam-gun) is a county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ...

Haidong kumdo is another traditional martial art. Students spar with swords or perform numbered solo forms to advance through various belt levels. At one time only found in Korea, the sport has become very popular in Australia as well as having a small presence in the United States.

International rankings

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques; OCDE) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques; OCDE) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... Working time refers to the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labor. ... Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... This entity, also known as EIU is part of The Economist Group. ... The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (French: Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle or OMPI) is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. ... The Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs dAutomobiles (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers), commonly called the OICA, is a federation of automobile manufacturers. ... This is a list of countries by automobile production in 2006 mostly based on OICA accessed in September 2007. ... IMF redirects here. ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... World map of the 2006-2007 Global Competitiveness Index. ... IMF redirects here. ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ... World map of GDP (Nominal and PPP). ... The World Bank logo The World Bank (the Bank) is a part of the World Bank Group (WBG), is a bank that makes loans to developing countries for development programs with the stated goal of reducing poverty. ... World map of the Ease of Doing Business Index. ... The United Nations Development Programe (UNDP), the United Nations global development network, is the largest multilateral source of development assistance in the world. ... The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London. ... World map of the Global Peace Index The Global Peace Index is an attempt to measure the relative position of nations’ and regions’ peacefulness. ... This entity, also known as EIU is part of The Economist Group. ... The Economist Intelligence Unit’s quality of life index is based on a unique methodology that links the results of subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the objective determinants of quality of life across countries. ... The Heritage Foundation is one of the most prominent conservative think tanks in the United States. ... The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) is an international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company in New York City, New York, USA, with Asian and European editions, and a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million as of 2006, with 931,000 paying online subscribers. ... Map of Economic Freedom released by the Heritage Foundation. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is a French origin international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press, founded by its current general-secretary, Robert Menard. ... Transparency International (TI) is an international organisation addressing corruption, including, but not limited to, political corruption. ... Overview of the index of perception of corruption, 2006 Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)[1] ordering the countries of the world according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.[2] The organization defines corruption as... Freedom House is a United States-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights. ... Map reflecting the findings of Freedom Houses 2007 survey, concerning the state of world freedom in 2006, which is widely used by researchers and correlates highly with other measures of democracy[1]. Some of these estimates are disputed. ...

See also

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Democracy index map. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The World Factbook (ISSN 1553-8133; also known as the CIA World Factbook)[2] is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 69th day of the year (70th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini/Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 94th day of the year (95th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Microsoft Excel (full name Microsoft Office Excel) is a spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It features calculation and graphing tools which, along with aggressive marketing, have made Excel one of the most popular microcomputer applications to date. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... {| style=float:right; |- | |- | |} is the 235th day of the year (236th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ipsos Group SA is a global survey-based market research company headquartered in Paris, France. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

Hollym is a publishing house with offices in Seoul, Korea and New Jersey, USA. It has been publishing books on Korea and Korea-related topics since 1977. ... Michael Breen is an NLP Trainer and hypnotist best known for working with Richard Bandler and Paul McKenna. ... The Koreans is a non-fiction book by journalist Michael Breen. ...

External links

Korea Portal

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South Korea

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• Korea.net: Gateway to Korea
• Korea National Statistical Office
• South Korea in Encyclopædia Britannica
• South Korea entry at The World Factbook
• A Country Study: South Korea in the Library of Congress
• South Korea at the Open Directory Project
• South Korea at the Yahoo! Directory
• Main cities of South Korea, satellite views and geographical coordinates

Geography and administration
v • d • e  Regions and administrative divisions of South Korea Regions Capital area · Gwandong (Yeongdong · Yeongseo) · Hoseo · Honam (Jeju) · Yeongnam Provinces Chungbuk · Chungnam · Gangwon · Gyeonggi · Gyeongbuk · Gyeongnam · Jeonbuk · Jeonnam Autonomous province Jeju Special city Seoul Metropolitan cities Busan · Daegu · Daejeon · Gwangju · Incheon · Ulsan v • d • e Countries and territories of East Asia  People's Republic of China  Republic of China1  Japan  North Korea  South Korea  Mongolia SARs  Hong Kong  Macau Sometimes included:  Singapore · Vietnam · Russian Far East This image shows Gyeongbokgung in Seoul, South Korea. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Image File history File links Wikibooks-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiquote-logo. ... Image File history File links Wikisource-logo. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Image File history File links Wikiversity-logo-Snorky. ... The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. ... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ... The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as dmoz (from , its original domain name), is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links owned by Netscape that is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors. ... The Yahoo! Directory is a web directory which rivals the Open Directory Project in size. ... This article is about the Korean civilization. ... This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ... This article is about the history of Korea, up to the division of Korea in the 1940s. ... This is a timeline of Korean history. ... Korean dynasties are listed in the order of their fall. ... Korea has a long military history going back several thousand years, with an extensive series of wars that involved invasions, civil discord, counter-piracy actions against medieval Japan, the first use of armoured battleships in seabattles, and the devastation of rebellions against the Joseon era Japanese invasions, the forced peace... Gojoseon was an ancient Korean kingdom. ... Jin was an early Iron Age state which occupied some portion of the southern Korean peninsula during the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE, bordering the Korean kingdom Gojoseon to the north. ... Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea (원삼국시대, 原三國時代) refers to the period after the fall of Gojoseon and before the maturation of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla into full-fledged kingdoms. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Okjeo was a small tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BC to 5th century AD. Dong-okjeo (East Okjeo) occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo (North Okjeo) occupied the Duman River region. ... Dongye was a state which occupied portions of the northeastern Korean peninsula from roughly 150 BCE to around 400 CE. It bordered Goguryeo and Okjeo to the north, Jinhan to the south, and Chinas Lelang Commandery to the west. ... During the Samhan period, the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan dominated the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Gaya was a confederacy of chiefdoms in the Nakdong River valley of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period. ... The Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (hangul: 삼국시대) featured the three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. Historians claim that the Three Kingdoms period ran from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until... Chinese name Russian name Goguryeo or Koguryo was an ancient kingdom located in southern Manchuria, southern Russian Maritime province, and the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. ... Baekje (October 18 BCE–August 660 BCE), originally Sipje, was a kingdom in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. ... For other uses, see Silla (disambiguation). ... Unified Silla (668CE–935CE) is the name often applied to the kingdom of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, after 668, when it conquered Baekje to unify the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. ... Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Alternate meaning: Bohai Sea Balhae (698 - 926) (Bohai in Chinese) was an ancient multiethnic kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. ... The Later Three Kingdoms of Korea (892-936) consisted of Silla, Hubaekje (later Baekje), and Taebong (also known as Hugoguryeo, or Later Goguryeo). ... Taegeuk is a traditional symbol of Korea Capital Gaegyeong Language(s) Korean Religion Buddhism Government Monarchy Wang  - 918 - 946 Taejo  - 949 - 975 Gwangjong  - 1259 - 1274 Wonjong  - 1351 - 1374 Gongmin Historical era 918 - 1392  - Later Three Kingdoms rise 892  - Coronation of Taejo June 15, 918  - Korea-Khitan Wars 993 - 1019  - Mongolian... The Mongol invasions of Korea consisted of a series of campaigns by the Mongol Empire against Korea, then known as Koryo, from 1231 to 1259. ... Joseon redirects here. ... Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, Won Gyun, Kim Myung Won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Kim Shi-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan, Zhang Shijue, Chen... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Flag Anthem Kimigayo¹ Korea under Japanese rule - 일제 강점기 Capital Seoul Language(s) Korean, Japanese Religion Shintō¹ Government Occupied state Emperor of Japan ¹  - 1910–1912 Emperor Meiji  - 1912–1925 Emperor Taisho  - 1925–1945 Emperor Showa Governor-General  - 1910–1916 (first) Count Masatake Terauchi  - 1944–1945 (last) Nobuyuki Abe Legislature Assembly of Councilors... The nature of the search for Korean independence under the Japanese occupation period (1890-1945) has a particularly complicated and diverse history, this article looks at these movements, as well as exploring the overlap between independence and nationalist movements. ... The March First Movement, or the Samil Movement, was one of the earliest displays of Korean nationalism during the Japanese rule. ... The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China and later in Chongqing, during the Japanese occupation of Korea. ... The Korean peninsula, first divided along the 38th parallel, later along the demarcation line The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japans 35-year occupation of Korea. ... The United States Army Military Government in Korea, also known as USAMGIK, was the official ruling body of the southern half of the Korean Peninsula from September 8, 1945 to August 15, 1948. ... Belligerents United Nations: Republic of Korea Australia Belgium Canada Colombia Ethiopia France Greece Luxembourg Netherlands New Zealand Philippines South Africa Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Naval Support and Military Servicing/Repairs: Japan Medical staff: Denmark Italy Norway India Sweden DPR Korea PR China Soviet Union Commanders Syngman Rhee Chung... The following is a list of Presidents of North Korea since its Separation from South Korea. ... The Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea is the supreme commander of the North Korean military and the most powerful person in the North Korea. ... The current Premier of North Korea is Pak Pong-ju. ... The Supreme Peoples Assembly (SPA) is the unicameral parliament of North Korea (DPRK). ... Kim Yong Nam is the current Chairman of the Presidium of the [[Supreme Categories: Korea-related stubs ... Elections in North Korea are held every five years. ... Political parties in North Korea informs about political parties in North Korea. ... The Workers Party of Korea (WPK) is the ruling party of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly known as North Korea. ... The human rights record of North Korea is extremely difficult to fully assess due to the secretive and closed nature of the country. ... North Korea claims to possess nuclear weapons, and is widely believed to have a substantial arsenal of chemical weapons, deliverable by artillery against South Korea. ... North Korea now has the fourth-largest military in the world. ... The foreign relations of North Korea are often tense and unpredictable. ... The Juche Idea (also Juche Sasang or Chuche; pronounced // in Korean, approximately joo-cheh) is the official state ideology of North Korea and the political system based on it. ... The President is head of state of South Korea. ... The Prime Minister of South Korea is appointed by the President with the National Assemblys approval. ... The National Assembly (Hangul: 국회; Hanja: 國會; Revised: Gukhoe; McCune-Reischauer: Kukoe) is the parliament of South Korea. ... Elections in South Korea provides an overview of the history of South Korean elections and their results. ... Political parties in South Korea lists political parties in South Korea. ... The situation of human rights in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) has changed significantly from the days of military dictatorship and reflects its status as a constitutional democracy governed by a president and a unicameral legislature. ... The foreign relations of South Korea are dominated by its relationships with its neighbors North Korea, China, Japan, and with the United States. ... The Sunshine Policy was the South Korean doctrine towards North Korea until Lee Myung-baks election to presidency. ... // The ordinal numbers are the numbers used by the North Korean government and can be seen on Naenara, the DPRK Website: Foreign Investment. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Chaebol (alternatively Jaebol) refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate. ... Samsung Group is one of the largest South Korean business groupings. ... South Korean business tycoon Chung Ju-yung, founder and honorary chairman of Hyundai Group, 1998 Hyundai refers to a group of companies founded by Chung Ju-yung in South Korea, and related organizations. ... A leader in making and manufacturing Electronics LG redirects here. ... SK Group (Hangul: SK그룹, 에스케이그룹) is the 3rd largest conglomerate (chaebol) in South Korea. ... Miracle on the Han River (한강의 기적) is a catchphrase often used in South Korea and by scholars to describe the period of rapid economic growth that took place in South Korea following the Korean War up until the Asian Financial Crisis. ... The East Asian financial crisis was a period of economic unrest that started in July 1997 in Thailand and affected currencies, stock markets, and other asset prices in several Asian countries, many considered East Asian Tigers. ... Communications services improved dramatically in the 1980s with the assistance of foreign partners and as a result of the development of the electronics industry. ... Recently, though there are lots of regulations and laws to prevent the price of real estate (especially apartments in Gangnam district) to rise, and it is a huge issue in South Korea. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... See: Geography of North Korea Geography of South Korea ... This article is about the Korean Peninsula. ... Korea has traditionally been divided into a number of unofficial regions that reflect historical, geographical, and dialect boundaries within the peninsula. ... This article describes the historical evolution of Koreas provinces (Do ; Hangul: 도; Hanja: 道). For detailed information on current administrative divisions, please see Administrative divisions of North Korea and Administrative divisions of South Korea. ... During most of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea was divided into eight provinces (do; 도; 道). The eight provinces boundaries remained unchanged for almost five centuries from 1413 to 1895, and formed a geographic paradigm that is still reflected today in the Korean Peninsulas administrative divisions, dialects, and regional distinctions. ... In North and South Korea, Special cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). ... Map of the Korean DMZ. The DMZ is given in red, the demarcation line runs in the middle of the DMZ (black line). ... The following is a list of mountains in Korea: Paektu-san (백두산; 白頭山) - 2,750 m Kumgang-san (금강산; 金剛山) - 1,638 m Myohyang-san (묘향산; 妙香山) Chilbo-san Kuwol-san Hallasan (한라산; 漢拏山) - 1,950 m Jirisan (지리산; 智異山) - 1,915 m Seoraksan (설악산; 雪岳山) - 1708 m Deokyusan (덕유산; 德裕山) - 1,614 m Taebaeksan (태백산; 太白山) - 1567 m Odaesan (오대산; 五臺山) - 1,563 m Nogodan (노고단; 老姑壇) - 1,507... The Baekdudaegan is a mountain range which runs most of the length of the Korean Peninsula, from Baekdusan in the north to Jirisan in the south. ... Baekdu Mountain, also known as Changbai Mountain in China, is a volcanic mountain on the border between China and North Korea, located at . At 2,744 m, it is the highest mountain of the Changbai mountain range to the north and Baekdudaegan mountain range to the south. ... KÅ­mgangsan (Diamond Mountain) is the second-tallest mountain in North Korea, with a height of 1638 metres. ... Seorak-san is the highest mountain in the Taebaek mountain range in the Gangwon province in eastern South Korea. ... Jiri-san is a mountain in the south of South Korea. ... Hallasan (한라산) is a dormant volcano on Jeju Island of South Korea. ... Islands of Korea are listed below, grouped by provinces, and not including most uninhabited islands and islets. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting Jeju-do. ... Map of Korea, showing some major rivers. ... Korean name Hangul: Hanja: Manchu name Manchu: (Tumen ula) Mongolian name Mongolian: Russian name Russian: The Tumen or Dumen River is a 521 km-long river that serves as part of the boundary between China, North Korea, and Russia, rising in the Changbai/Jangbaek Mountains and flowing into the Sea... The Amnok River, or the Yalu River, is a river on the border between China and North Korea. ... The Han River located in South Korea, is the confluence of the South Han River, which originates in Mount Daedeok-san, and the North Han, which originates in Mount Geumgang-san. ... The Nakdong River (Rakdong in North Korean) is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan. ... Most of the lakes of Korea are artificial reservoirs, due to the countrys rugged topography. ... Map of North Korea The following is a list of cities in North Korea: Pyŏngyang (평양) Anju-si (안주시, 安州市) Chŏngjin-si (청진시, 淸津市) Haeju-si (해주시, 海州市) HamhÅ­ng-si (함흥시, 咸興市) Hoeryŏng-si (회령시, 會寧市) HÅ­ichŏn-si (희천시, 熙川市) Hyesan-si (혜산시, 惠山市) Kaechŏn-si (개천시, 价川市) Kaesŏng (개성시, 開城市) Kanggye-si (강계시, 江界市) Kimchaek-si (김책시, 金策市) Manpo-si (만포시, 滿浦市) Munchŏn... Not to be confused with PyeongChang. ... Map of South Korea The largest cities in South Korea have self-governing status equivalent to that of provinces. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ... This is a list of famous Koreans or famous people of Korean descent. ... Koreatown (Korean: 코리아타운) is a term to describe the Korean ethnic enclave within a city or metropolitan area. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Korean writing systems Hangul Hanja Hyangchal Gugyeol Idu Mixed script Korean romanization Revised Romanization of Korean McCune-Reischauer Yale Romanization Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... A Korean personal name consists of a family name followed by a given name. ... A Korean adoptee or KAD is a person who was adopted from Korea through the international adoption of South Korean children as a child and raised in another country, often by adoptive parents of another race, ethnic background, and culture. ... This article is about the traditional culture of Korea. ... The grounds of Koreas Buryeongsa Temple. ... There are a number of shamanistic practices that are developed in Korea, where the role of a shaman is most frequently taken by women. ... It has been suggested that Christianization of Korea be merged into this article or section. ... There has been a continuous history of philosophy in Korea, that goes back more than two thousand years. ... Korean Confucianism is the form of Confucianism developed in Korea. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Korean drama (Korean: 한국드라마) refers to televised dramas, similar to Western miniseries, produced in the Korean language for Korean audiences. ... Practitioners from a Korean martial arts school in Calgary do a demonstration Korean martial arts (Hangul: 무술 or 무예, Hanja: 武術 or 武藝) are the martial arts that are native to, or were adapted and modified by, Korea. ... Taekwondo (태권도; IPA: ) is a Korean martial art and Chinese combat sport. ... This article is about Martial art. ... Image:Ssireum-1. ... Korean swords have a long history little known to the world. ... Hanjeongsik Korean cuisine is based on the traditional foods and preparation techniques of Korea. ... Kimchi, also spelled gimchi or kimchee, is a traditional Korean fermented dish made of some select vegetables with varied seasonings, most commonly referring to the spicy baechu variety. ... Galbi or kalbi is a Korean dish made from beef short ribs, though it can also be made with pork ribs. ... Bulgogi with Banchan Bulgogi is one of Koreas most popular beef dishes. ... A typical setting for a Korean tea ceremony disregarding a contemporary tiled rather than paper covered floor The Korean tea ceremony is a unique form of tea ceremony practiced in Korea for more than a thousand years. ... Landscape of Geumgangsan in Korea. ... Korean pottery appeared later than south Chinese pottery, and required a reasonably stable village culture before domestic Korean potters wheels and kilns could be produced. ... Korean painting includes paintings made in Korea or by overseas Koreans on all surfaces. ... Korean calligraphy - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Korean architecture refers to the architecture of Korea. ... Korean music includes both the folk and classical music styles of the Korean people. ... Pansori is a genre of Korean music. ... Arirang is arguably the most popular and best known Korean folk song, both inside and outside Korea. ... Korean literature is the body of literature produced in Korea. ... Korean poetry is oral or written poetry, given in performance or written down, in the Korean language, or by Koreans overseas. ... Sijo (IPA: ) is a purely Korean[1] poetic form. ... Gasa were a form of poetry popular during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a partial list of Korean films: ...ing (2003) 100 Days With Mr. ... Since the establishment of the Han Dynasty colonies in the northern Korean Peninsula 2,000 years ago, Koreans have been under the cultural influence of China. ... The Juche Idea (also Juche Sasang or Chuche; pronounced // in Korean, approximately joo-cheh) is the official state ideology of North Korea and the political system based on it. ... Arirang Festival This North Korean festival is held in the Rungnado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea to celebrate the late Communist leader Kim Il-sungs birthdate on 15 April. ... North Korea has a blend of both traditional and western sports in which the country participates. ... Tourism in North Korea is highly controlled by the government, and as such it is not a frequently visited destination — roughly 1,500 Western tourists visit North Korea each year, along with larger numbers of Chinese and other Asians. ... A dance contest was being held on the stage in front of migliore, Myeongdong, Seoul The contemporary culture of South Korea developed from the traditional culture of Korea, but since the 1948 division of Korea, it has developed separately from North Koreas culture. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... K-pop is an abbreviation for Korean popular music, specifically from South Korea. ... Sports in South Korea generally do not differ from those played in the West. ... The Gyeongbokgung palace, a major tourist attraction in Seoul. ... Marriage in South Korea is similar to that of the western counterparts, but has unique features of its own. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Korea has traditionally been divided into a number of unofficial regions that reflect historical, geographical, and dialect boundaries within the peninsula. ... Korea has traditionally been divided into a number of unofficial regions that reflect historical, geographical, and dialect boundaries within the peninsula. ... The Seoul National Capital Area is a region located at the center of the Korean peninsula and is home to the capital of South Korea, Seoul. ... ... This article is about Yeongdong, a region in eastern Korea. ... Yeongseo is the western, inland region of Gangwon Province, South Korea and Kangwon Province, North Korea. ... Chungcheong (Chungcheong-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Honam is a region coinciding with the former Jeolla Province in what is now South Korea. ... Jeju is the smallest province of South Korea, situated on its largest island. ... Yeongnam is the name of a region that coincides with the former Gyeongsang Province in what is now South Korea. ... South Korea is divided into 8 provinces (do), 1 special autonomous province (teukbyeol jachido), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi), and 1 special city (teukbyeolsi). ... Chungcheongbuk-do (North Chungcheong) is a province in the centre of South Korea. ... Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong) is a province in the west of South Korea. ... Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. ... Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. ... Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang) is a province in eastern South Korea. ... Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. ... Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ... South Korea is divided into 8 provinces (do), 1 special autonomous province (teukbyeol jachido), 6 metropolitan cities (gwangyeoksi), and 1 special city (teukbyeolsi). ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting Jeju-do. ... In North and South Korea, Special cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... In North and South Korea, Special cities, Metropolitan Cities, and Directly Governed Cities are cities that have a status equivalent to that of Provinces (Do). ... Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ... Short name Statistics Location map Map of South Korea highlighting the city. ... This article is about Gwangju Metropolitan City. ... This article is about the city. ... Ulsan, a metropolitan city in the south-east of South Korea, facing the Sea of Japan (East Sea). ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Types of administrative and/or political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... This article is about the geographical region. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_North_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mongolia. ... A Special administrative region (SAR) is an administrative division of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Macau. ... Far Eastern Federal District (highlighted in red) Russian Far East (Russian: ; IPA: ) is a term that refers to the Russian part of the Far East, i. ... 1 Otherwise known as "Taiwan"; see Political status of Taiwan. v • d • e Countries of Asia Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Burma · Cambodia · China, People's Republic of · China, Republic of (Taiwan)2 · Cyprus · Egypt3 · Georgia1 · India · Indonesia4 · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Korea, Republic of · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste (East Timor)4 · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen3 Taiwan Strait area The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of... This is an alphabetical list of Asian countries and dependencies. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... Motto: Unidade, Acção, Progresso (Portuguese: Unity, Action, Progress) Anthem: Pátria Capital (and largest city) Dili Official languages Tetum and Portuguese1 Demonym East Timorese Government Parliamentary republic  -  President José Ramos-Horta  -  Acting President Fernando de Araújo  -  Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão Independence from Portugal²   -  Declared November 28, 1975... For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory. World map of dependent territories. ... 1 Partly or significantly in Europe.  2 The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan. 3 Partly or significantly in Africa.  4 Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania. This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... UN redirects here. ... Taiwan Strait area The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu), should remain the effective territory of the Republic of China (ROC), become unified with the territories now governed by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), or become the Republic of... This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... For other uses, see Oceania (disambiguation). ...

International membership
v • d • e Member states of the East Asia Summit (EAS)      Australia  Brunei Burma  Cambodia The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a pan-Asia forum held annually by the leaders of 16 countries in East Asia and the region, with ASEAN in a leadership position. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brunei. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Myanmar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cambodia. ...  India  Indonesia  Japan  Laos Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Japan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Laos. ...  Malaysia  New Zealand  People's Republic of China  Philippines Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Peoples_Republic_of_China. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Philippines. ...  Singapore  South Korea  Thailand  Vietnam Image File history File links Flag_of_Singapore. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Thailand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Vietnam. ... Potential future members        Timor-Leste     Russia v • d • e Member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Australia · Brunei Darussalam · Canada · Chile · People's Republic of China · Hong Kong, China · Indonesia · Japan · Republic of Korea · Malaysia · Mexico · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · Peru · Philippines · Russia · Singapore · Chinese Taipei * · Thailand · United States of America · Vietnam Image File history File links Flag_of_East_Timor. ... Motto: Unidade, Acção, Progresso (Portuguese: Unity, Action, Progress) Anthem: Pátria Capital (and largest city) Dili Official languages Tetum and Portuguese1 Demonym East Timorese Government Parliamentary republic  -  President José Ramos-Horta  -  Acting President Fernando de Araújo  -  Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão Independence from Portugal²   -  Declared November 28, 1975... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... APEC redirects here. ... The Asian financial crisis in 1997 and 1998, coupled with fluctuations in the price of oil have created uncertainty and instability in Bruneis economy. ... All text and figures relate to mainland China only, unless stated. ... The Economy of Hong Kong is widely believed, and some argue incorrectly, to be the most economically free in the world. ... Currency 1 South Korean Won (W) = 100 Jeon(Chŏn) (theoretical) Fiscal year Calendar year Trade organizations APEC, WTO and OECD GDP ranking 10th by volume (at nominal) (2006); 11th by volume (at PPP) (2006); GDP (Nominal) $981. ... The Economy of New Zealand is a small but prosperous free market economy, which is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the United States of America and Japan. ... Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. ... Dr. Sun Yat-Sen decorates a 100NT bill. ... * Designation of the Republic of China ‹ The template below (World Trade Organization (WTO)) is being considered for deletion. See templates for deletion to help reach a consensus. › v • d • e Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Albania · Angola · Antigua and Barbuda · Argentina · Armenia · Australia · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Barbados · Belize · Benin · Bolivia · Botswana · Brazil · Brunei · Burkina Faso · Burma · Burundi · Cambodia · Cameroon · Canada · Central African Republic · Chad · Chile · PR China · Colombia · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Republic of the Congo · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Croatia · Cuba · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · European Union¹ · Republic of Macedonia · Fiji · Gabon · The Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · Hong Kong² · Iceland · India · Indonesia · Israel · Jamaica · Japan · Jordan · Kenya · South Korea · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lesotho · Liechtenstein · Macau² · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Moldova · Mongolia · Morocco · Mozambique · Namibia · Nepal · New Zealand · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · Norway · Oman · Pakistan · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Qatar · Rwanda · St. Kitts and Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent and the Grenadines · Saudi Arabia · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Singapore · Solomon Islands · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Suriname · Swaziland · Switzerland · Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu³ · Tanzania · Thailand · Togo · Tonga · Trinidad and Tobago · Tunisia · Turkey · Uganda · Ukraine · United Arab Emirates · United States · Uruguay · Venezuela · Vietnam · Zambia · Zimbabwe-1... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 370 pixelsFull resolution (1357 × 628 pixel, file size: 19 KB, MIME type: image/png)World map of World Trade Organization (WTO) members/non-members, 2005; based on Image:BlankMap-World-v2. ... Economy - overview: Antigua and Barbudas economy is service-based, with tourism and government services representing the key sources of employment and income. ... Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world with an average income per capita of €250 (US$300). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... All text and figures relate to mainland China only, unless stated. ... Sparsely populated in relation to its area, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to a vast potential of natural resources and mineral wealth, yet the economy of the DROC has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The economy of Costa Rica heavily depends on tourism, agriculture, and electronics exports. ... The Ivorian economy is largely market based and depends heavily on the agricultural sector. ... The Dominican Republic is a middle-income developing country primarily dependent on agriculture, trade, and services, especially tourism. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... If it is considered as a single state, the economy of the European Unions twenty-seven member states is the worlds largest economy. ... Economy - overview: The breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 deprived F.Y.R.O.M. (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), then its poorest republic (only 5% of the total federal output of goods and services), of its key protected markets and large transfer payments from the center. ... Economy - overview: The Gambia has no important mineral or other natural resources and has a limited agricultural base. ... This article needs to be updated. ... The Economy of Hong Kong is widely believed, and some argue incorrectly, to be the most economically free in the world. ... Currency 1 South Korean Won (W) = 100 Jeon(Chŏn) (theoretical) Fiscal year Calendar year Trade organizations APEC, WTO and OECD GDP ranking 10th by volume (at nominal) (2006); 11th by volume (at PPP) (2006); GDP (Nominal) $981. ... The Economy of New Zealand is a small but prosperous free market economy, which is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the United States of America and Japan. ... Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, but exploitation has been hampered by the rugged terrain and the high cost of developing infrastructure. ... The economy of Saint Kitts and Nevis has traditionally depended on the growing and processing of sugar cane; decreasing world prices have hurt the industry in recent years. ... Saint Lucias economy depends primarily on revenue from banana production and tourism with some input from small-scale manufacturing. ... The St. ... Economy - overview: Saudi Arabia has an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... A per capita GDP of $340 ranks Solomon Islands as a lesser developed nation. ... South Africa has a two-tiered economy; one rivaling other developed countries and the other with only the most basic infrastructure. ... With an economy of $27. ... Republic of China (ROC) has a dynamiccapitalist economy with gradually decreasing guidance of investment and foreign trade by the government. ... Trinidad and Tobago experienced a real growth rate of 3. ... // The United Arab Emirates has a highly industrialized economy that makes the country one the most developed in the world, based on various socioeconomic indicators such as GDP per capita, energy consumption per capita, and the HDI. At $168 billion in 2006, the GDP of the UAE ranks second in... The economy of the United States has been the worlds largest national economy since the late 1890s;[1] its gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated as $13. ... All twenty-seven member states of the European Union are also members of the WTO in their own right: Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy • Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands and Netherlands Antilles • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom. Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. Designated name for the Republic of China (Chinese Taipei) v • d • e Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Australia · Austria · Belgium · Canada · Czech Republic · Denmark · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Japan · South Korea · Luxembourg · Mexico · Netherlands · New Zealand · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Slovakia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey · United Kingdom · United States Of the emerging democracies in central and eastern Europe, Czechia has one of the most developed industrialized economies. ... Tourism, petroleum transshipment, and offshore finance are the mainstays of the Netherlands Antillean economy, which is closely tied to the outside world. ... The economy of the United Kingdom is the fifth largest in the world in terms of market exchange rates and the sixth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). ... A Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the Peoples Republic of China is an administrative division of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques; OCDE) is an international organisation of thirty countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... Of the emerging democracies in central and eastern Europe, Czechia has one of the most developed industrialized economies. ... Currency 1 South Korean Won (W) = 100 Jeon(Chŏn) (theoretical) Fiscal year Calendar year Trade organizations APEC, WTO and OECD GDP ranking 10th by volume (at nominal) (2006); 11th by volume (at PPP) (2006); GDP (Nominal) $981. ... The Economy of New Zealand is a small but prosperous free market economy, which is greatly dependent on international trade, mainly with Australia, the United States of America and Japan. ... The economy of the United Kingdom is the fifth largest in the world in terms of market exchange rates and the sixth largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). ... The economy of the United States has been the worlds largest national economy since the late 1890s;[1] its gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated as $13. ... v • d • e Member states of the Four Asian Tigers  Hong Kong  ·    South Korea  ·    Singapore  ·    Republic of China (Taiwan)

Korean name Hangul: Skyline of Central, Hong Kongs financial centre (viewed from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong) Seoul, the capital of South Korea The skyline of Singapores town area at dusk. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Korea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Singapore. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Republic_of_China. ... For the Chinese civilization, see China. ...