Korea 한국 (South Korean) 조선 (North Korean) | |
|---|---|
   | |
Anthem:
| |
.svg) Korea shown in dark green | |
| Capital | |
| Largest city | Seoul |
| Official languages | Korean |
| Official script |
|
| Demonym(s) | Korean |
| Government | In dispute between South Korea and North Korea |
| Yoon Suk Yeol | |
| Kim Jong Un[a] | |
| Han Duck-soo | |
| Kim Tok Hun | |
| Legislature | |
| Establishment | |
• Gojoseon | 2333 BCE (mythological) |
| 194 BCE | |
| 57 BCE | |
| 668 | |
| 918 | |
| 17 July 1392 | |
| 12 October 1897 | |
| 29 August 1910 | |
| 1 March 1919 | |
• Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea | 11 April 1919 |
| 2 September 1945 | |
• Establishment of the Republic of Korea | 15 August 1948 |
• Establishment of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea | 9 September 1948 |
| 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 | |
• Both Koreas admitted to the UN | 17 September 1991 |
| Area | |
• Total | 223,172 km2 (86,167 sq mi)[1][2] |
| Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 77,000,000 |
• Density | 349.06/km2 (904.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09 (Korea Standard Time and Pyongyang Time) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code |
|
| Internet TLD | |
Korea (Korean: 한국, romanized: Hanguk in South Korea or 조선, Chosŏn in North Korea) is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and minor islands. Since 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel, now known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone; in 1948, two states declared independence, both claiming sovereignty over the entire region: South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) in its southern half and North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) in its northern half. The region is bordered by China to the north and Russia to the northeast, across the Amnok (Yalu) and Duman (Tumen) rivers, and is separated from Japan to the southeast by the Korea Strait.
Known human habitation in Korea dates to at least 40,000 BC.[3] The first state to emerge was Gojoseon, which fell to the Han dynasty of China in 108 BC. In the first half of the 1st millennium, Korea was divided between three states, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, known as the Three Kingdoms. In the 7th century, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with the aid of the Tang dynasty, then drove the Tang out of Korea in the Silla–Tang War. Unified Silla collapsed into three states due to civil war, starting the Later Three Kingdoms period. In 918, Goguryeo was resurrected as Goryeo, which united nearly the entire peninsula and started a Buddhist golden age. In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire made Goryeo its vassal state. Goryeo later overthrew Mongol rule, but in 1392 fell to a coup that established Joseon, which maintained vassal links to China and embraced neo-Confucianism. Joseon's first 200 years were marked by peace, which ended with Japanese and Manchu invasions that devastated Korea and led to a policy of foreign isolationism. After the invasions, Joseon experienced another nearly 200-year period of peace and prosperity, along with cultural and technological development. During the latter half of the 19th century, Joseon faced increasing internal strife, international pressure, and power struggles. In 1897, the Korean Empire was established to maintain national independence. However, following the Empire of Japan's victories in the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, Korea became a Japanese protectorate in 1905 before being annexed in 1910.
Korea under Japanese rule was marked by industrialization and modernization, economic exploitation, and brutal suppression of the Korean independence movement, as reflected in the 1919 March First Movement. The Japanese suppressed Korean culture, and during World War II forcefully mobilized millions of Koreans to support its war effort. In 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies, and the Soviet Union and United States agreed to divide Korea into two military occupation zones divided by the 38th parallel, with the Soviet zone in the north and American zone in the south. The division was meant to be temporary, with plans for Korea to be reunited under a single government. In 1948, the DPRK and ROK were established with the backing of each power, and ongoing tensions led to the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, which came to involve U.S.-led United Nations and communist Chinese forces. The war ended in stalemate in 1953, but without a peace treaty. A demilitarized zone was created between the countries, approximating the original partition.
This status contributes to high tensions which continue to divide the peninsula. South Korea is a regional power and highly developed country, with its economy ranked as the world's fourteenth-largest by GDP (PPP). Its armed forces are one of the world's strongest militaries, with the world's second-largest standing army by military and paramilitary personnel. South Korea has been renowned for its globally influential pop culture, particularly in music (K-pop) and cinema, a phenomenon referred to as the Korean Wave. North Korea follows Songun, a "military first" policy which prioritizes the Korean People's Army in state affairs and resources. It possesses nuclear weapons, and is the country with the highest number of military personnel, with a total of 7.8 million active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel, or approximately 30% of its population. Its active duty army of 1.3 million soldiers is the fourth-largest in the world, consisting of 4.9% of its population. North Korea is widely considered to have the worst human rights record in the world.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Castello-Cortes 1996, p. 498, South Korea.
- ^ Castello-Cortes 1996, p. 413, North Korea.
- ^ Bae, Kidong. 2002 Radiocarbon Dates from Palaeolithic Sites in Korea. Radiocarbon 44(2): 473–476.