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South Korea

geography Maturity 11-13 Vital Level 3 Next article →

South Korea is a country located in East Asia.

Yeouido2025
Yeouido2025

It sits on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. To the west, you will find the Yellow Sea. To the east, the country meets the Sea of Japan. It shares a border with North Korea along a special area called the Demilitarized Zone.

070401 Panmunjeom3
070401 Panmunjeom3

The country is a very important part of the world today. It is known as a regional power in East Asia. It also plays a big role in global affairs.

Many people live in South Korea, with about 52 million people in total.

Population density of South Korea provinces
Population density of South Korea provinces

About half of these people live in the Seoul metropolitan area. Seoul is a huge place and the ninth most populous area in the world.

CheonggyecheonSeoul
CheonggyecheonSeoul

Other very large cities include Busan, Daegu, and Incheon.

The country has a very modern way of life. It has some of the fastest internet speeds on Earth. It also has very dense networks of high-speed trains.

Incheon Airport Maglev 1-04
Incheon Airport Maglev 1-04

The history of this land goes back a very long time. People lived on the peninsula as early as the Lower Paleolithic period.

Long ago, there were three rival kingdoms called Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Silla eventually unified most of the peninsula in the late seventh century AD. Later, the Goryeo dynasty achieved lasting unification from 918 to 1392. This dynasty helped create the modern Korean identity.

SelectedTeachingsofBuddhistSagesandSonMasters1377
SelectedTeachingsofBuddhistSagesandSonMasters1377

The Joseon dynasty followed and brought many scientific achievements.

In the 20th century, the country went through many big changes. Japan ruled Korea from 1910 until the end of World War II. After that, the land was divided into two zones. The southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948.

Ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea (colored)
Ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea (colored)

Then, the Korean War began in 1950. The fighting was very hard and left many people dead.

WarMemorialOfKorea
WarMemorialOfKorea

An armistice ended the fighting in 1953. Because there is no peace treaty, the conflict is still ongoing.

Today, South Korea is a leader in many different areas. It has one of the largest economies in the world.

South Korea's GDP (PPP) growth from 1911 to 2008
South Korea's GDP (PPP) growth from 1911 to 2008

The country is also famous for the "Korean Wave." This is the global popularity of Korean music, TV dramas, and movies. People all over the world enjoy this pop culture. South Korea is also a place of great innovation. It is a highly developed country with many smart technologies.

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🖼️ Images & Media (46)
File:Seal of South Korea.svg
Seal of South Korea.svg
National anthem of South Korea, performed...
File:Front view of Seokguram from front chamber.jpg
Front view of Seokguram from front chamber.jpg
File:SelectedTeachingsofBuddhistSagesandSonMasters1377.jpg
SelectedTeachingsofBuddhistSagesandSonMast...
File:창덕궁 전경 (2012).jpg
창덕궁 전경 (2012).jpg
File:아름다운 방화수류정.jpg
아름다운 방화수류정.jpg
File:L’Indépendance de la Corée et la Paix-02.jpg
L’Indépendance de la Corée et la Paix-02.jpg
File:Ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea (colored).jpg
Ceremony inaugurating the government of...
File:WarMemorialOfKorea.jpg
WarMemorialOfKorea.jpg
File:South Korea's GDP (PPP) growth from 1911 to 2008.png
South Korea's GDP (PPP) growth from 1911...
Kim Dae-jung (2001).tif
File:2010 G-20 Seoul summit.jpg
2010 G-20 Seoul summit.jpg

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