In May 2011, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd., South Korea's largest plane maker, signed a $400 million deal to sell 16 T-50 Golden Eagle trainer jets to Indonesia, making South Korea the first country in Asia to export supersonic jets.[272]. In 1949, the U.S. established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea. [116] President Park Geun-hye's administration was formally accused of corruption, bribery, and influence-peddling for the involvement of close friend Choi Soon-sil in state affairs. candidates are elected, while an additional 46 parliamentary seats are Its total area is 100,032 square kilometers (38,622.57sqmi). [11][12][13] It is a member of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee, the G20, the IPEF, and the Paris Club. [375], Korean traditional architecture is characterized by its harmony with nature. It constitutes the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and shares a land border with North Korea. South Korea has a government which is a Unitary State. [292] Although it was severely harmed by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the South Korean economy managed a rapid recovery and subsequently tripled its GDP. The unemployment rate in South Korea also remained low in 2009, at 3.6%. [255] In 2010, that ceiling was 700,000 KRW for a single individual and 1,120,000 for a couple, equivalent to around $600.00 and $960.00. [65][66][67][68] Buddhism flourished during this time, and many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhists[69] and contributed to Chinese Buddhism,[70] including: Woncheuk, Wonhyo, Uisang, Musang,[71][72][73][74] and Kim Gyo-gak, a Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism. Yi Seong-gye declared the new name of Korea as "Joseon" in reference to Gojoseon, and moved the capital to Hanseong (one of the old names of Seoul). Male citizens 18-35 years old are required to complete at least 21 months of military service. In October, the Soviet Union declared Kim Il-sung's government as sovereign over both parts. Since the success of the film Shiri in 1999, the Korean film industry has begun to gain recognition internationally. 3 October is National Foundation Day. The United States is working with other governments, global initiatives including COVAX and the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT), and other partners to get COVID-19 vaccines to where they are needed most. Following the surrender of Japan, in 1945, the "Republic of Korea" ( / , IPA: tanminuk, lit. [149], In April 2016, South Korea's population was estimated to be around 50.8 million by National Statistical Office, with continuing decline of working age population and total fertility rate. [209] Other religions include Islam (130,000 Muslims, mostly migrant workers from Pakistan and Bangladesh but including some 35,000 Korean Muslims[211]), the homegrown sect of Won Buddhism, and a variety of indigenous religions, including Cheondoism (a Confucianizing religion), Jeungsanism, Daejongism, Daesun Jinrihoe, and others. President Lee Myung-bak declared in May 2010 that Seoul would cut all trade with North Korea as part of measures primarily aimed at striking back at North Korea diplomatically and financially, except for the joint Kaesong Industrial Project and humanitarian aid. South Korea. The weakness of Korean Sindo, which unlike Japanese Shinto and China's religious system never developed into a national religion of high status,[213] combined with the impoverished state of Korean Buddhism, (after 500 years of suppression at the hands of the Joseon state, by the 20th century it was virtually extinct) left a free hand to Christian churches. [286] South Korea's economy was one of the world's fastest-growing from the early 1960s to the late 1990s, and was still one of the fastest-growing developed countries in the 2000s, along with Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, the other three Asian Tigers. South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable. [293], Furthermore, South Korea was one of the few developed countries that were able to avoid a recession during the global financial crisis. [241] South Korea is also China's fourth largest trading partner, with $93 billion of Chinese imports in 2016. Other major cities include Incheon, Busan, and Daegu. [340], In late September 2013, a computer-security competition jointly sponsored by the defense ministry and the National Intelligence Service was announced. In 1979, General Chun Doo-hwan led the coup d'tat of December Twelfth. [198] In addition, 69.8 percent of South Koreans aged 2534 have completed some form of tertiary education qualification, and bachelor's degrees are held by 34.2 percent of South Koreans aged 2564, the most in the OECD. Since the government only controlled the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, the informal term "South Korea" was coined, becoming increasingly common in the Western world. [327] Around 60% of all Korean elders, age 65 and over are entitled to a 5% benefit of their past average income at an average of 90,000 Korean Won (KRW). For example, migrants from China (PRC) make up 56.5% of foreign nationals, but approximately 70% of the Chinese citizens in Korea are Joseonjok (), PRC citizens of Korean ethnicity. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. The South Korean Army has 2,500 tanks in operation, including the K1A1 and K2 Black Panther, which form the backbone of the South Korean army's mechanized armor and infantry forces. [239] The Republic of Korea broke off official relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) upon gaining official relations with the People's Republic of China, which does not recognize Taiwan's sovereignty. Korean culture like Filipino culture has been influenced by interaction with other cultures, technology and the natural instinct of self-preservation. For the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, see, Territory controlled by the Republic of Korea in dark green; territory claimed but not controlled in light green, The oldest surviving metal movable type book, the, It has been suggested that this article should be, Transportation, energy and infrastructure. Oliver, Christian. Despite the initial plan of a unified Korea in the 1943 Cairo Declaration, escalating Cold War antagonism between the Soviet Union and the United States eventually led to the establishment of separate governments, each with its own ideology, leading to the division of Korea into two political entities in 1948: North Korea and South Korea. [347] The launch of Naro-1 in August 2009 resulted in a failure. This impediment to South Korea's indigenous nuclear industrial undertaking has sparked occasional diplomatic rows between the two allies. [256] South Korea asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban the Japanese Rising Sun Flag from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo,[257][258] and the IOC said in a statement "sports stadiums should be free of any political demonstration. [276], Male citizens who refuse or reject to undertake military services because of conscientious objection are typically imprisoned, with over 600 individuals usually imprisoned at any given time; more than the rest of the world put together. Boys' uniforms usually consist of trousers and white shirts, and girls wear skirts and white shirts (this only applies in middle schools and high schools). South Korea has the fastest Internet download speeds in the world,[332] with an average download speed of 25.3 Mbit/s. military juntas) No constitutionally defined basis to current regime (e.g. Park was heavily criticized as a ruthless military dictator, who in 1972 extended his rule by creating a new constitution, which gave the president sweeping (almost dictatorial) powers and permitted him to run for an unlimited number of six-year terms. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, South Korea won the bronze medal for football. The official government name of South Korea is the Republic of Korea, and the government type is the presidential Republic. R.O.K. Its armed forces are ranked as one of the world's strongest militaries, with the world's second-largest standing army by military and paramilitary personnel. [320], South Korean tourism is driven by many factors, including the prominence of Korean pop culture such as South Korean pop music and television dramas, known as the Korean Wave or Hallyu, has gained popularity throughout East Asia. [385] Western-style pop, hip hop, rhythm and blues, rock, folk, electronic dance oriented acts have become dominant in the modern South Korean popular music scene, though trot is still enjoyed among older South Koreans. An official website of the United States Government, History of U.S. Relations With South Korea, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Country Page, Office of the U.S. The percentage of foreign nationals has been growing rapidly. Speed skating and figure skating are also popular, and ice hockey is an emerging sport, with Anyang Halla winning their first ever Asia League Ice Hockey title in March 2010. [367], The industrialization and urbanization of South Korea have brought many changes to the way modern Koreans live. This was followed by 13 months of political instability as South Korea was led by a weak and ineffectual government. South Korea has four distinct seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter. On 17 May, Chun Doo-hwan forced the Cabinet to expand martial law to the whole nation, which had previously not applied to the island of Jejudo. ", "Can South Korean Startups (and the government) Save its Flailing Giant Tech Conglomerates? Like many democratic states,[145] South Korea has a government divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative. [317], In 2016, 17 million foreign tourists visited South Korea. [321] Among East Asian countries, China was the most receptive, investing $1.4 billion in South Korea, with much of the investment within its service sector, a sevenfold increase from 2001. Thus,its force was diminished andit only served as a trade center until it was conquered by Goguryeo in 313. [159], The population has also been shaped by international migration. However, in 1392, General Yi Seong-gye, who had been ordered to attack China, turned his army around and staged a coup. [305] Smaller airlines, such as Jeju Air, provide domestic service with lower fares. [261], The EU has been the single largest foreign investor in South Korea since 1962, and accounted for almost 45% of all FDI inflows into Korea in 2006. [212] Overall, between the 2005 and 2015 censuses, there has been a slight decline of Christianity (down from 29% to 27.6%), a sharp decline of Buddhism (down from 22.8% to 15.5%), and a rise of the unaffiliated population (from 47.2% to 56.9%).[209]. [307] Nuclear power in South Korea supplies 45% of electricity production, and research is very active with investigation into a variety of advanced reactors, including a small modular reactor, a liquid-metal fast/transmutation reactor and a high-temperature hydrogen generation design. [312][313] As of 2010[update], South Korea and Turkey are in negotiations regarding construction of two nuclear reactors. [263], The two nations also share a close economic relationship, with the U.S. being South Korea's second largest trading partner, receiving $66 billion in exports in 2016. [27] As a result, the Korean name "Daehan Minguk" is sometimes used by South Koreans as a metonym to refer to the Korean ethnicity (or "race") as a whole, rather than just the South Korean state. Constitution Day is on 17 July, and it celebrates the promulgation of Constitution of the Republic of Korea. South Korea is a unitary government system because most of the power is in the hands of the central . The succeeding Korean Empire (18971910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. South Korea's highly enviable academic performance has persuaded British education ministers to actively remodel their own curriculums and exams to try to emulate Korea's militant drive and passion for excellence and high educational achievement. [142], South Korea is a member of the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity Treaty, Kyoto Protocol (forming the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), regarding UNFCCC,[143] with Mexico and Switzerland), Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (not into force), Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, and Whaling.[144]. The UN declared Rhee's government as "a lawful government having effective control and jurisdiction over that part of Korea where the UN Temporary Commission on Korea was able to observe and consult" and the Government "based on elections which was observed by the Temporary Commission" in addition to a statement that "this is the only such government in Korea. Christianity's similarity to native religious narratives has been studied as another factor that contributed to its success in the peninsula. Korea and the Philippines were both invaded by Japan during the WWII era, as with most Asian countries. Nevertheless, EU companies have significant problems accessing and operating in the South Korean market because of stringent standards and testing requirements for products and services often creating barriers to trade. It remained the state religion in Later Silla (North South States Period) and Goryeo. The aim of a communist state is to achieve communism or a sense of common ownership of the means of production and do away with social classes. [313], South Korea is not allowed to enrich uranium or develop traditional uranium enrichment technology on its own, because of US political pressure,[315] unlike most major nuclear powers such as Japan, Germany, and France, competitors of South Korea in the international nuclear market. [254] Aside from micro-states and city-states, South Korea is the world's third most densely-populated country. Usually decentralization is a response to the problem of "centralized unitary government," that is to the abuse of power and undemocratic behavior of the ruling body, to the weakening of the private sectors, to the undermining civil liberties, and to blocking the demands of minorities for a greater says in local governance. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west, and the Sea of Japan to the east. In the other states of the Three Kingdoms Period, Goguryeo and Baekje, it was made the state religion respectively in 372 and 528. [334] From 2014 to 2019, the country ranked first among the most innovative countries in the Bloomberg Innovation Index. Following Japan's surrender in 1945, at the end of World War II, the Korean Peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel into two occupation zones, with the U.S. in the South and the Soviet Union in the North. [302] There are also many heliports. This category comprises retirees who voluntarily choose to have additional benefits, individuals under the age of 27 without income, and individuals whose spouses are covered under a public welfare system, whether military, governmental, or private school teacher pensions. [140] Efforts have also been made with afforestation projects. [185], Higher education is a serious issue in South Korean society, where it is viewed as one of the fundamental cornerstones of South Korean life. K-pop stars and groups are well known across Asia and have found international fame making millions of dollars in export revenue. [152][153], A centralized administration in South Korea oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to the third and final year of high school. [122], In March 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol, the candidate of conservative opposition People Power Party, won a close election over Democratic Party candidate by the narrowest margin ever. There followed a series of massive public demonstrations from November 2016[117] and she was removed from office. [163] As of 2016[update], South Korea had 1,413,758 foreign residents, 2.75% of the population;[162] however, many of them are ethnic Koreans with a foreign citizenship. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [247] On 22 June, Moon Jae-in and Putin signed a document for foundation of free trade area. From them, Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla emerged to control the peninsula as the Three Kingdoms of Korea. No peace treaty was ever signed, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. [173] The average life expectancy in 2008 was 79.10 years,[174] (which was 34th in the world[175]) but by 2015 it had increased to around 81. Korean cuisine, hanguk yori (; ), or hansik (; ), has evolved through centuries of social and political change. [408] The Korean Grand Prix was held from 2010 to 2013, but was not placed on the 2014 F1 calendar. South Korean hospitals have advanced medical equipment and facilities readily available, ranking 4th for MRI units per capita and 6th for CT scanners per capita in the OECD. [22] Despite the coexistence of the spellings Corea and Korea in 19th century publications, some Koreans believe that Imperial Japan, around the time of the Japanese occupation, intentionally standardized the spelling on Korea, making Japan appear first alphabetically.[23][24]. South Korean television shows have become popular outside of Korea. [279], South Korea's mixed economy[281][282][283] ranks 10th nominal[284] and 13th purchasing power parity GDP in the world, identifying it as one of the G-20 major economies. South Korea is a regional power and a highly developed country, with its economy being ranked as the world's thirteenth-largest by nominal GDP and the fourteenth-largest by GDP (PPP). In the aftermath of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, South Korea has witnessed a wide variation of styles in its architectural landscape due, in large part, to the opening up of the market to foreign architects. The central government may create (or abolish) administrative divisions (sub-national units). Between 1592 and 1598, Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched invasions of Korea, but his advance was halted by Korean forces (most notably the Joseon Navy led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his renowned "turtle ship") with assistance from Righteous Army militias formed by Korean civilians, and Ming dynasty Chinese troops. This fee is in addition to the nonimmigrant visa application fee (MRV fee). Football has traditionally been regarded as the most popular sport in Korea, with Baseball as the second. The Korean high-speed rail system, KTX, provides high-speed service along Gyeongbu and Honam Line. [231] On 27 May 2009, North Korean media declared that the Armistice is no longer valid because of the South Korean government's pledge to "definitely join" the Proliferation Security Initiative. The Deep State and The Unitary Executive by . It ranks nineteenth globally by Human Development Index, and has the third-highest life expectancy in the world. All South Korean males are constitutionally required to serve in the military, typically 18 months. Every 15th day of the 8th lunar month, Koreans celebrate the Midautumn Festival, in which Koreans visit their ancestral hometowns and eat a variety of traditional Korean foods. There are currently 4 negotiation groups in the Assembly, formed by the Democratic, the United Future, the People's Livelihoods, and the Future Korea. Later Silla carried on the maritime prowess of Baekje, which acted like the Phoenicia of medieval East Asia,[58] and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea and Japan, most notably during the time of Jang Bogo; in addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on the Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River. [121] The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the nation since 2020. 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