Short History:
An independent Korean
state or collection of states has existed almost continuously for several
millennia. Between its initial unification in the 7th century - from three
predecessor Korean states - until the 20th century, Korea existed as a single
independent country. In 1905, following the Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a
protectorate of imperial Japan, and in 1910 it was annexed as a colony. Korea
regained its independence following Japan's surrender to the United States in
1945. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern
half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in
the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces
fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks
supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953,
splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel.
Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income
rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Young-sam
became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military
rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a
historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM
Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. Current president of South Korea is
Noh-Moo-Hyun.
[Source: CIA
Factbook ]
Economy:
Since the 1960s, South
Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the
high-tech modern world economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable
with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea
joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDP per capita is
equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This success was achieved by a system
of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import
restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The
government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of
consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian
financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed l ongstanding weaknesses in South Korea's
development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing,
and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then
recovered by 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001
because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that
much-needed corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer
spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global
growth. Between 2003 and 2006, growth moderated to about 4 - 5%. A downturn in
consumer spending was offset by rapid export growth. Moderate inflation, low
unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income
characterize this solid economy.
[Source: CIA
Factbook ]
Culture:
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. Korean art and culture have absorbed
influences from many countries; prior to the 19th century, these cultural
infusions came primarily from China. Koreans adapted many Chinese art forms with
innovation and skill, creating distinctively Korean forms. For many centuries,
Korean forms of metalwork, sculpture, painting, and ceramics flourished
throughout the Korean peninsula and were then passed on to neighboring countries
like Japan. 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 have grown, although there is still strong anti-Japanese sentiment in
South Korea.
Recently, Korean pop
culture has become popular in Asia and beyond, earning the name Hallyu or
"Korean Wave." In Japan, with Korean singers like BoA, and television dramas
like Daejanggeum and Winter Sonata have found success. Recent Korean films such
as Oldboy and Oasis have also received international acclaim. The contemporary
culture of South Korea is heavily dominated by technology, including
feature-rich cell phones and pervasive online gaming. South Korea today has the
highest penetration of high-speed internet access to households in the world.
Digital multimedia broadcasting now allows South Koreans to watch television on
their cell phones.
However, the country still
retains centuries-old customs and traditions, such as its unique cuisine,
ancestor worship, and some Confucianism ideals. Foods like Bulgogi and Kimchi
that have been developed since the Goguryeo and Chosun Dynasty still remain in
the Korean diet. Confucianist ideals, especially from the Chosun Dynasty remain.
Respecting elders, worshiping ancestors, and ethical manners are still present
in Korean society.
[Source: Culture, South Korea -
Wikipedia ]
Sport: 
Taekwondo, a popular
martial art, originated in Korea. Taekwondo roughly translates to the way of
punching and kicking, although it is sometimes translated as the way of the
hands and feet. It became standard military training in South Korea, and in 1961
the 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. Baseball was first
introduced to Korea in 1905 by an American missionary named Phillip Gillette and
has since become the most popular spectator sport in South Korea.[56] The first
South Korean professional sports league was the Korea Baseball Association,
established in 1982. During the 2006 World Baseball Classic, South Korea reached
the final four before losing to Japan. Prior to that final match, the South
Korean team was the only undefeated team, and had beaten Japan twice and the
United States once. Other popular sports in South Korea include basketball,
football, golf, tennis and ice hockey. Women's golf is especially strong, with
45 South Koreans playing on the world's leading women's tour, the U.S. LPGA
Tour, including stars such as future Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak. South Korea's
Olympic teams have performed strongly in archery, shooting, table tennis, short
track speed skating, handball, and taekwondo. Other sports South Korea has
performed well in are badminton, fencing, weightlifting, boxing, judo,
wrestling, and field hockey. In 1988, South Korea hosted the Summer Olympics in
Seoul for the first time. South Korea has also hosted the Asian Games in 1986
and 2002. 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 Korea
Republic national football team, also known as the "Taeguk Warriors", qualified
for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany for their sixth consecutive World Cup. At
the 2004 Summer Olympics, South Korea continued to compete successfully at
archery, winning three of the four gold medals and one silver. During the 2006
Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, the South Korean short track team dominated
their event, taking home six of the eight gold medals available as well as three
silvers and one bronze. Skaters Ahn Hyun Soo and Jin Sun-Yu were the second and
third persons in the Olympic Games to win three gold medals. Recently, there was
campaign to have a future Winter Olympics held in Pyeongchang County, however,
it lost to Sochi, Russia. In South Korea, computer games take on a sport-like
presentation in South Korea, the most popular of which being Starcraft. Although
not recognized as a sport in its own right, the professional leagues are
televised through channels such as MBC Game and OnGameNet with announcers,
professional players and sponsors such as Adidas and LG. The three major
professional Starcraft leagues are Proleague, MSL and OSL. Other popular games
in South Korea include the Counterstrike series, Warcraft III, and Maple Story.
Famous Korean game companies like Nexon have developed popular internet games
that are played worldwide.
[Source: Sports, South Korea -
Wikipedia ]
Korean National Symbols:
NATIONAL FLAG
Korean
flag is called "Taegeukgi" in Korean. Its design symbolizes the principles
of the yin and yang in Oriental philosophy. The circle in the center of Korean
flag is divided into two equal parts. The upper red section represents the
proactive cosmic forces of the yang. Conversely, the lower blue section
represents the responsive cosmic forces of the yin. The two forces together
embody the concepts of continual movement, balance and harmony that characterize
the sphere of infinity. The circle is surrounded by four trigrams, one in each
corner. Each trigram symbolizes one of the four universal elements: heaven ,
earth , fire, and water.
NATIONAL FLOWER
The national flower of Korea is the mugunghwa, rose of sharon. Every
year from July to October, a profusion of mugunghwa blossoms graces the entire
country. Unlike most flowers, mugunghwa is remarkably tenacious and able to
withstand both blight and insects. The flower's symbolic significance stems from
the Korean word mugung, meaning immortality. This word accurately reflects the
enduring nature of Korean culture, and the determination and perseverance of the
Korean people.
NATIONAL ANTHEM
Our national anthem is "Aegukga," which means
"Love the Country". In 1896, the Dongnip Sinmun (Independence News) published
various versions of lyrics for this song. It is not known exactly what music
they were sung to in its early days. Records show that a Western-style military
band was formed during the time of the Dae-han Empire (1897 - 1910) and that the
"Dae-han Empire Aegukga" was composed in 1902 and played at important national
functions. The original words of Aegukga appeared in a written form around 1907
to inculcate allegiance to the nation and foster the spirit of independence as
the country faced threats of foreign annexation. Over the years, the lyrics have
gone through several versions until they were adopted as the national anthem in
the present form in 1948. Before the birth of the Republic in 1948, the words
were often sung to the tune of the Scottish folk song, Auld Lang Syne. Maestro
Ahn Eak-tay (1905 - 1965), then living in Spain, felt that it was inappropriate
to sing this patriotic song to the tune of another country's folk song. So, he
composed new music to go with the lyrics in 1935, and the Korean Provisional
Government in exile adopted it as the national anthem. While Koreans outside the
country sang the anthem to the new tune, those at home continued to use Auld
Lang Syne until Korea was liberated in 1945. The Republic of Korea Government in
1948 officially adopted the new version as the national anthem and began to use
it at all schools and official functions.
