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South Korea Profile |
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___ Korea (South Korea) - HangukDestination South Korea, a virtual travel guide to the southern part of Choson, the "land of morning calm".Find comprehensive information about South Korea in its diversity: geography, economy, science, people, culture, environment, government and history. You will have access to newspapers from South Korea and you will find extensive travel and tourism information for South Korea. |
 View of Korea's Capital: Seoul © KOIS | |
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Republic of Korea | Taehan-min'guk |
Country Profile |
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 Taegeukgi the Flag of South Korea |
 Korea's name in Korean (Hangeul) and Chinese (Hanja) characters. |
 Official Name: Taehan-min'guk int'l long form: Republic of Korea int'l short form: South Korea abbreviation: ROK note: the South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country. ISO Country Code: kr Actual Time: Tue-May-13 01:21 Local Time = UTC +9h Capital City: Seoul The Municipality of Seoul (pop. 11 million). Other Cities: Daejeon (Taejon, pop. 1.3 million), Incheon (Inchon, pop. 2.4 million) Gwangju (Kwangju, pop. 1.4 million) Busan (Pusan, pop. 3.9 million) Daegu (Taegu, pop. 2.5 million) Government: Type: Republic with powers shared between the president and the legislature. Liberation: 15 August 1945 from Japanese rule. Geography: Location: Korea is a peninsula country in Northeast Asia bordering China and Russia to the north, and Japan to the southeast. The Korean peninsula is surrounded by Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and East Sea (Sea of Japan). Area: 99 392 sq km (38 375 sq. mi.) (entire Korean Peninsula including North Korea: 222 154 sq km) (85 774 sq. mi.) Terrain: Partially forested mountain ranges separated by deep, narrow valleys; cultivated plains along the coasts, particularly in the west and south. Highest mountains in S. Korea - Hallasan on Jeju Island, 1950 m. Climate: Temperate, four distinct seasons, and heavier rainfall in the summer. People: Nationality: Korean(s). Population 48 million Population growth rate: 0.6%. Ethnic groups: Korean; small Chinese minority. Religions: Buddhism 46%, Protestantism 39%, Catholicism 13%, Confucianism 1%, Cheondogyo (the Religion of Heavenly Way) and others 1% Language: Korean, spoken by 70 million people and 5 million overseas Koreans. Writing system: Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, was invented by King Sejong the Great in 1443, consisting of 10 vowels and 14 consonants. Literacy rate: 97.75% (2000 estimate), male: 99.1%, female: 96.4% Natural resources: Limited coal, tungsten, iron ore, limestone, kaolinite, and graphite. Agriculture products: Rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish. Industries: Electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel. Exports partners: China 21.8%, USA 14.6%, Japan 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.5% (2005) Imports partners: Japan 18.5%, China 14.8%, USA 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2005) Currency: Won (KRW) (Source: Korean National Statistical Office and others). |
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Background: The Korean Peninsula extends southward from the northeast part of the Asian continent. The country has a long history and proud tradition. Buddhism and Confucianism have influenced the nation's society and culture. Koreans, like many other Asian peoples, are descendants of the Mongolian Tungus stock. They differ from the neighboring Japanese and Chinese, however, in that Koreans are a homogeneous ethnic group with their own language, culture, and customs. Over the last several decades, Korea has transformed herself from an agrarian society to an industrial leader on the world economic scene. Progress is being made in education, science and technology and social welfare. In 2002 South Korea has co-hosted, the FIFA World CupTM tournament. After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula (in August 15, 1945) while a communist-style government was installed in the north. The Korean War (1950-53) had US and other UN forces intervene to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese. 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 13 times the level of North Korea. In 1997, the nation suffered a severe financial crisis from which it continues to make a solid recovery. South Korea has also maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In June 2000, a historic first south-north summit took place between the south's then President KIM Dae-jung and the north's leader KIM Chong-il. In December 2000, President KIM Dae-jung won the Noble Peace Prize for his lifelong commitment to democracy and human rights in Asia. He is the first Korean to win a Nobel Prize. (Source: various sources) In-depth
country profile of South Korea More information on South Korea's political system, foreign policy, economy, science and technology, and more. border countries: North Korea related countries: China, Japan, United States |
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Note: External links will open in a new browser window. Official Sites of South KoreaChong Wa Dae (Blue House)President Roh Moo-hyun's office. The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea The site provides a general introduction of the National Assembly and basic materials on Korea's legislative activities.  Korea.net:
Korean Government HomepageOfficial English-language web site of the Korean Government operated by the Korean Overseas Information Service (KOIS). eGovernment Korean e-Government administrative service for citizens (G4C). Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade In charge of diplomacy, external economic policy, overseas Korean nationals, international situation analysis and overseas promotional affairs. Diplomatic Missions Permanent Mission of The Republic of Korea to the UN South Korea's representation to the United Nations. Embassy of the Republic of Korea Washington, D.C. Korean Overseas Missions Directory of Korean Missions Abroad. Diplomatic Missions in Korea List of foreign Consulates, Embassies and Organizations in Korea. Statistics Korea National Statistical Office - KNSO Maps Map of the Korean Peninsula and vicinity Map of the Korean Peninsula Government of The Republic of Korea. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade 2001.  Google
Earth Korean PeninsulaZoomable satellite view of the Korean Peninsula. Google
Earth SeoulZoomable satellite view of South Korea's capital city. Map of East Asia Political Map of East Asia. Map of AsiaPolitical Map of Asia. |
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Korean NewsChosun IlboDaily News in English about Korea. JoongAng Daily National News. Korea Herald In-depth news and information. Korea Times The Korea Times Online News. Korea Watch Covering issues and news affecting the security of Korea. Yonhap News Agency Korean News Agency. |
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Arts & CultureClick KoreaAccess to Korean Arts & Culture; comprehensive portal site dedicated to Korean culture. Korean Culture and Arts Foundation Korean culture and arts (in Korean) Museums National Museum of Contemporary Art Established to show the public the desirable direction into which Korean art and its culture should go forward. National Museum of Korea A sanctuary of 5 000 years of Korean art. Nanta (Cookin) A must-see comical performance integrating uniquely Korean traditional drumbeats made with kitchen equipments. Sports Football (Soccer) Korea Football Association Official Site of the Korean Football Association. Martial Arts World Hapkido Game Federation Hapkido is a traditional Korean self-defense martial art. Korean Taekwondo Association Taekwondo a martial art which has been developed over about 20 centuries in Korea is today a modern, international sport. |
 Ceramic installation by Nam June Paik © KOIS |
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Business & EconomyThe Bank of KoreaThe Central Bank of South Korea. The Korea Stock Exchange - KSE Korea Stock Exchange opened its market March 1956 with twelve listed companies. Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) Silkroad21 Import export emarketplace. Korea Yellow Pages Korean phone numbers. Business
Trip to KoreaA guide to Korean culture by LG a Korean business group. South Korean Industry DaeWoo Korean cars and electronic. HyunDai Korean cars and more. KIA Korean cars. LG Korean Global Business Group. Samsung Korean electronics. Transportation Airlines Asiana Airlines Korea's second largest carrier. Korean Air Korea's national airline. Railroad Korea High Speed Rail Construction Authority Koreas High Speed Rail. |
 Books
about Business in KoreaCorporate Culture Korea (South) Market Research Reports Korea |
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 Seoul and Han-gang river © KOIS |
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Destination South Korea - Travel and Tour GuidesDiscover Korea: Regions from north to south: Gangwon-do, Gyeonggi-do Chungcheongnam-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do Jeollabuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeollanam-do, and the island Jeju-do. City destinations: Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Gyeongju, Gangneung, Chuncheon, Jeonju, Suwon, Andong Find accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, biking, skiing, hiking, climbing, cruising, diving, tours and much more.  Tour2KoreaOfficial Korea Travel Site by Korea National Tourism Organization. Tour2Korea The English version. Korea.net
- Korean Overseas Information Service (KOIS)Extensive information on all things Korean. Window on Korea Korea information by Korea Infogate. Life in Korea Korean portal with guides to the country's culture. Cities Seoul The Municipality of Seoul. VisitSeoul.net : Seoul Culture & Tourism The official cityguide by Seoul Metropolitan Government Tourism Division. Busan Busan Metropolitan City. Daegu Taegu Metropolitan City Government. Daejeon Taejon Metropolitan City Government. Gwangju Kwangju Metropolitan Government. Incheon Incheon Metropolitan City. |
 Traditional Korean Houses © KOIS |
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EducationAndong National UniversityOne of Koreans National Universities. Chonnam National University Chungnam National University Korea University Founded in 1905. Seoul National University (SNU) Major teaching and research university, founded in 1946; ... designed to provide students with a sound understanding of humankind and the world... The National Library of Korea |
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EnvironmentNational Parks of KoreaOfficial site with extensive information on South Korea's National Park System. |
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HistoryA Brief History of KoreaKorean history, by Mok Kim General view of Korean history. Published by the National Institute for International Education Development. History of Korea History of Korea by Radio Korea International. Korean History Project Comprehensive site about Korean and East Asian history. National Institute of Korean History NIKH's mission is to governmental the nation's historical heritage, founded in 1946. The T'angun Legend The national foundation myth - The short version. Korean Myths and Tales: Tangun, The Father of Our Nation The long version. |
 Part of the Gyeongbok Palace © KOIS Books
about the History of KoreaHistory of Modern Korea Early History of Korea |
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SearchKorea.net DirectoryIndex of Korean related sites by KOIS. Korea Web Weekly An independent, non-partisan, FREE web on all things Korean. Newsgroup of Korea soc.culture.korean alt.talk.korean Additional Information on South KoreaBBC News Country Profile: South KoreaOpen Directory Project: South Korea The Society of Korean-American Scholars UH Manoa Library - Korea Collection - Internet Resources Wikipedia: South Korea The World Factbook -- Korea |
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| The South Korea page was last modified on: Saturday, 24-Nov-2007 02:59:04 CET |
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