Korea can refer to:

South Korea (Warring States): a vassal state during the Warring States period in ancient China;

The Republic of Korea (1948-present): the current Korean Peninsula A country in the south;

Korean Empire (1896-1910): A country on the Korean Peninsula in ancient times. The Republic of Korea () is a country located at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula in Northeast Asia. It borders the Yellow Sea to the southwest, the Korean Strait and Tsushima Strait to the southeast, and is surrounded by the East China Sea of ??Korea (Sea of ??Japan) to the east. It faces the Democratic People's Republic of Korea across the demilitarized zone to the north. It was originally the same country as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. After breaking away from Japanese colonial rule, the Republic of Korea was founded in 1948 by Syngman Rhee, the former Speaker of the National Assembly of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, to compete with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The Republic of Korea is referred to as South Korea (?), but in order to distinguish it from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Koreans often call their country "South Korea" (?), and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The Republic of Korea is called "North Korea" (?); while the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the People of Korea used to call their country "North Korea" (), and the Republic of Korea as "South Korea" () .

Before the People's Republic of China established diplomatic relations with South Korea, it always called the Republic of Korea "South Korea". After the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992, it was renamed "South Korea". Hong Kong and Taiwan have always referred to the Republic of Korea as "South Korea" or "South Korea". Japan is also accustomed to calling the Republic of Korea "Korea" (かんこく), but now Koreans in the country have requested to use the Korean pronunciation instead of the Japanese pronunciation.

Territory

The Republic of Korea is located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, covering an area of ??approximately 99,400 square kilometers. It borders the Sea of ??Japan to the east and faces Shandong Province of my country across the Yellow Sea to the west. The terrain is lower than the northern half of the peninsula, and the terrain is dominated by hills and plains. The main river is the Han River, with a total length of 514 kilometers. The southernmost tip of South Korea is Marado Island, 11 kilometers south of Museopo Port on Jeju Island. It is located at 126 degrees east longitude and 33 degrees north latitude, with an area of ??0.3 square kilometers, a width of 0.5 kilometers from east to west, a length of 1.2 kilometers from north to south, an altitude of 39 meters, and a coastline of 4.2 km, with a population of 64 people. There is a monument with the Chinese characters "Southernmost Point of the Republic of Korea" on the island.

Climate

South Korea has a temperate monsoon climate with four distinct seasons, and the southern part exhibits mild maritime climate characteristics. March to May is spring, when flowers are in full bloom; June to August is summer, with half of the year's rainfall, high temperatures and humidity; September to November is autumn, with crisp air, making it the most suitable season for traveling; December to the following year February is winter, and the weather characteristics are similar to those in Northeast my country, with “three colds and four warms”, making it a good season for skiing.

Population

The population of South Korea is close to 47.28 million. The country is a single ethnic group of Koreans (Korean), and Korean (Korean) is the common language.

Since ancient times, most Koreans believe in Korean shamanism. Today, 26% of South Koreans believe in Buddhism, and the other 26% believe in Catholicism and Christianity. The rest either have no religion or believe in Korean shamanism, Taoism, Tiandaoism and Islam.

Politics

In the early days of its founding, South Korea followed the example of the United States and established a political system with the separation of legislative, judicial, and administrative powers. The functions of the three powers were exercised by the Congress, the courts, and the government respectively. The president is the head of state and the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces, in which administrative power plays a dominant role, manifesting itself as presidential centralism. Since then, the government has experienced many political incidents in which the president amended the constitution in order to seek re-election.

Afterwards, after many constitutional amendments and a series of repeated institutional reforms, the country gradually moved from a presidential authoritarian system to democracy. The current South Korean constitution has placed many restrictions on the power of the president to ensure the implementation of democracy. The term of the president is 5 years and cannot be re-elected.

South Korea implements multi-party cooperation in governance. The current political parties mainly include the Open Kuomintang, the Grand National Party, the Democratic Labor Party, the New Millennium Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Union.

South Korea’s administrative regions are divided into one city, nine roads and six wide areas. The capital (special city) Seoul. Nine provinces: Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, Chungcheongbuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, Jeju-do, six regions (cities): Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan.

. Dao is equivalent to the provincial administrative region in my country, which is divided into cities, counties (counties), yi (towns) and noodles (districts).

Military

Practice universal conscription and recruitment of volunteers. The duration of service is two and a half years in the Army and Marine Corps and three years in the Air Force and Navy. The president is the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The current total strength is 691,000, including 560,000 in the Army, 68,000 in the Navy, and 63,000 in the Air Force. Reserve 3.8 million. In 2004, the defense budget increased by 8%, accounting for 3.2% of GDP. The United States has 37,000 troops stationed in South Korea.

Economy

South Korea's economy has always been monopolized by several chaebol families. The scale of the economy is based on the Japanese chaebol model, with bigness being the most important. These chaebols were all established after the Korean War. In 1995, the four largest chaebols in the country were: Hyundai Group, Samsung Group, Daewoo Group and Lexi Venus Group (LG Group).

However, after the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the average debt-to-asset ratio of the 30 consortiums reached 379.8%. Only 4 of the country’s original 18 chaebols remained, but they still dominate South Korea’s economic development. In 2005, South Korea The top ten companies have a total net profit of US$25 billion. Samsung currently controls about 22% of South Korea's total export value and pays 8% tax annually. South Korean media often use titles such as "Samsung Kingdom", "Samsung Republic" and "Lee Jianxi Era" to describe the influence of Samsung Group on the South Korean economy. In 2005, the national income of South Korea exceeded 16,000 U.S. dollars. It has officially surpassed Taiwan among the "Four Asian Tigers" and got rid of the image of being the last one. South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun once made a bold statement: "By 2010, South Korea will achieve the goal of advancing into the top eight in world trade." The goal is to create an era of national income of US$20,000.”

After 1997, Korean companies were reborn. Samsung, LG, and Hyundai became world-famous brands. Samsung even defeated Sony in one fell swoop and became the world’s leading brand. A big brother in the electronics world. In 2004, South Korea's export growth rate was as high as 31%. However, in 2004, South Korea's low-income "non-regular" workers accounted for 37% of the country's employed population. More than 1 out of every 3 workers was a non-regular worker. These non-regular workers are not included in the calculation of the unemployment rate. Korean employees are unemployed. The rate statistics are even much lower than Taiwan, but about 5 million non-regular workers are victims of South Korea's rapid economic development.

The 1995 OECD "Korea Report" pointed out: "(South Korea) Large companies have significantly improved their performance after the reform after the financial crisis; on the contrary, most small and medium-sized enterprises now have financial structure and operating problems." Profitability issues. "South Korea's economic growth has always been dominated by large companies. Take Samsung as an example. Samsung's exports account for 22% of South Korea's total exports. It is the leader in the world in the production of LCDs, mobile phones, and DRAM. South Korea's top ten companies account for more than 80% of total exports. But on the other hand, despite their brilliant achievements, these large companies were unable to create enough jobs for South Korea. After 1997, South Korean large companies increased productivity through layoffs, while small and medium-sized enterprises that relied on large companies for their survival had no spare time to hire excellent employees, so Production capacity has dropped even further, and large companies have to purchase parts and components from first-class overseas manufacturers in order to improve their competitiveness. While improving competitiveness, it has broken the tradition of unity among Koreans. More than a quarter of small and medium-sized enterprises cannot survive by relying on large enterprises, and the balance of the domestic market has been seriously affected. The widening gap between rich and poor has cast an indelible shadow over South Korea's rapid economic growth, and increasingly serious inflation has made life increasingly difficult for South Korean citizens. After becoming suddenly rich, the South Korean government faced serious imbalances in industrial development, polarization between rich and poor, and intensification of social problems.

Culture

a. Clothing culture

Hanbok is a traditional Korean clothing made according to the living habits of Koreans, so it can be regarded as a symbol of Korean culture. synonym. The straight lines and curves of Hanbok are coordinated with each other, fully showing the perfect curves of the body, elegant and tasteful.

The beauty of Hanbok lies in the gentle curves of the blouse and sleeves, as well as the unique curves of traditional cloth socks (modern socks). In addition, the collar edge of the Hanbok top (the white line on the collar) can further enhance the coordination and elegance of the Hanbok. In particular, the image of Korean women wearing white linen skirts vividly expresses pure Korean classical beauty. The key to expressing the unique taste of Hanbok is the matching of underwear. White is the basic color of Hanbok. The materials and colors vary depending on the season and status.

Nowadays, Koreans only wear hanbok during festivals or when there are activities at home. In normal times, they wear suits. Recently, lifestyle hanbok, which is a practical version of traditional hanbok, has become very popular.

The basic decoration of Hanbok is hanging on a streamer (in order to fasten the short jacket, there are long ribbons sewn on each of the two front plackets. The ribbons of women's short jackets hang in front of the long skirt, which also serve as decoration. ) on the buckle. There are also hairpins and headdresses worn on the hair.

The types of shoes include embroidered satin shoes, leather shoes, clogs worn when it rains, and straw shoes.

b. Korean food culture

:: Daily diet - South Korea has a rich food culture. South Korea is a traditional agricultural country, and rice has been used as a staple food since ancient times. Each place has its own unique food ingredients and cooking methods. In particular, fermented preserved foods such as kimchi and bean paste (fermented soybeans) are relatively developed. These foods are popular all over the world.

1. Dining etiquette

In the past, Koreans paid great attention to eating etiquette. When eating, you must dress and act modestly. When dining with elders, the elders should use their chopsticks first and then the younger ones can use their chopsticks. In addition, people should not see the food in their mouths while eating, and do not make any noise. Do not use chopsticks and spoons at the same time. After eating, no one else can leave the table before the elders leave the table.

2. Food

Rice is the staple food of Koreans. Dishes mainly include soups based on soup and casseroles stewed with thick soup. In addition, there are also stir-fried dishes made from meat and vegetables (the stir-fried dishes need to add salt, soy sauce, salt and pepper, sesame oil, garlic, onions and then blanch or stir-fry a little), hoisin sauce (seafood marinated in salt) .

These dishes often appear on Korean tables. The main cooking methods of Korean food are roasting, stir-frying, boiling and steaming.

The characteristic of Korean food is its seasoning. In most Korean dishes, soy sauce, onions, garlic, sesame salt, sesame oil, pepper and chili powder are added.

Kimchi is a unique fermented food in Korea. Koreans cannot eat without kimchi.

The main ingredient of kimchi is Chinese cabbage. When making it, the Chinese cabbage is soaked in many kinds of seasonings (chili powder, garlic, ginger, green onion and radish, etc.). In order to ensure the preservation and maturity of the product, it must be Leave at low temperature.

Delicious kimchi must be stored at a certain temperature and then fermented properly so that the flavor can come out and can be stored for a long time. Smart ancestors used appropriate storage methods according to seasonality and region, and then made delicious kimchi.

Kimchi has many functions. When kimchi matures, it produces antibacterial properties. The vegetables used to make kimchi contain a large amount of fiber, which can prevent constipation and diseases such as enteritis. When kimchi matures, lactic acid bacteria are produced in large quantities, which can inhibit the production of bad bacteria. Kimchi is also helpful in the prevention of adult diseases, and has a great effect on the prevention of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and indigestion.

In Korea, the dishes and staple foods on the dinner table vary depending on the situation. The dining table in daily life is called a 'rice bed' in Korea, and is divided into 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12 plates according to the number of side dishes (dish is a method of calculating the number of side dishes, excluding rice, soup and kimchi). Rice and soup should be placed in front of the diners, and soup should be placed to the right of the rice. Put soy sauce in the middle. Hot food and meat are placed on the right, and cold food and vegetables are placed on the left. The spoon and chopsticks are placed on the right side of the rice bed.

In Korea, there is a custom of making special foods according to the seasons. The food that comes out at this time is not only delicious but also highly nutritious. These are Korean food culture, from which we can see the wisdom of Koreans:

Ginseng chicken soup is to put glutinous rice, ginseng, garlic, dates, etc. in the belly of the chicken, and put enough water in the pot Boil it thoroughly and then take it out. Ginseng and chicken go well together and are often eaten in summer. Especially after sweating a lot, eating delicious ginseng chicken soup is really comforting. (Photo of ginseng chicken soup added)

The bulgogi is made of non-fatty beef. It is not only tender but not spicy, and children love to eat it. Add green onions, sesame salt, ginger, sesame oil, etc. to the soy sauce and cook for 30 minutes before eating (do not exceed 30 minutes, otherwise it will not taste good).

Cold noodles are a unique food of Korea. According to historical records, it has been a very popular food since the Joseon Dynasty.

Put some starch into the flour and knead it thoroughly. Take out the noodles and put them in a large bowl. Put the meat slices, fried beef, cucumber, cabbage, eggs, etc. in the bowl. Noodle soup is made from beef, chicken, pheasant meat, or radish kimchi soup is used as the noodle soup. Then add vinegar and mustard and it's ready to eat. This kind of cold noodles is called Pingyang cold noodles. There is also Hamhung cold noodles, which are made with potato starch produced in that area, and can be eaten with seafood such as plaice and seasonings.

Tea has been a favorite snack food of Koreans since ancient times. The so-called ‘tea ceremony and tea art’ means to understand yourself and cultivate a kind and tolerant attitude through drinking tea. According to the "History of the Three Kingdoms", tea was introduced to the Korean Peninsula during the reign of Queen Seondeok of the Silla Dynasty. The Goryeo Dynasty was the golden age of Korean tea culture. In Joseon, the tea ceremony temporarily declined, but starting from the late Joseon Dynasty, led by Jeong Yak-yong, Kim Jung-hee, and Master Choi, the tea art was developed again.

Tea is a drink. Tea leaves are picked in early spring, processed, and the leaves or powder are soaked in boiling water for drinking. Generally, boiling water at 60-70°C is used to make tea. Brew *** 3 times. The first cup is focused on fragrance, the second cup is focused on taste, and the third cup is focused on maintenance. Good tea should have rich aroma and good taste. Especially when drinking tea, it should give people a soft feeling. The so-called "five joys of tea drinking" refer to the sound of boiling water, the warmth of the tea cup, the color, aroma and taste of the tea. Generally speaking, drinking tea can help restore energy, improve memory, prevent cancer, detoxify, and reduce cholesterol. Recently, many tea-loving clubs have appeared, and Korean tea culture is constantly developing.

3. Housing culture

Hanok refers to houses built using traditional Korean architectural methods. In Korean architecture, the natural environment has always been considered the most important factor. What is unusual about traditional Korean architecture is the harmony with the natural scenery. Most of the building materials of Hanok also come from nature, mainly using stone, wood, and soil. The door and window paper also uses hanji (traditional Korean paper) made of wood, fully showing the natural beauty. The roofs of traditional Korean houses are made of tiles or straw. Wealthy families used tiles, while common people lived on farmhouse roofs made of plaited straw. Both fully express the Korean people's attitude and wisdom in getting along with nature.

A house made of tiles is called a tile house, and a house made of straw is called a thatched house. The walls of the tile houses are made of soil and circular tiles on top, while the walls of the thatched houses are made of Huang Shou Dan or bushes.

Put window paper on the door to allow natural ventilation. There is also adequate sunlight that can enter the room.

The biggest feature of Korean rooms is the 'hot stone' (fire pit heating system). Hot stone refers to the heat conduction method of burning a fire under a long pit in the kitchen for heating. The stove was placed in the general kitchen, and the largest house was usually built next to it.

There is a courtyard in the Korean house. Korean gardens are also based on the premise of complying with the surrounding natural environment and not destroying the surrounding landscape, and blending with nature. Some gardens of the Yangban (the ruling class in Korea's feudal era) added artificial beauty to the natural beauty, reflecting the perfect combination of man and nature. The structure of ordinary people's houses generally has a courtyard in the front and a sauce jar platform in the sunny place at the back. There are soy sauce jars, yellow sauce jars, chili sauce jars, etc. on the sauce jar platform. Flowers are planted around the sauce jar platform.

The spatial composition of the house is composed of the main living space consisting of an anchae, a sarangchae, ancillary rooms, corridors, and other ancillary rooms, and the ancestral hall space where ancestors’ memorial tablets are placed. Due to the influence of Confucianism, the back room is strictly divided into a female space and a male space, and each space has obvious class characteristics.

Transportation

Many airlines have routes between Seoul and major cities around the world. South Korea has Incheon, Gimpo, Gimhae, and Jeju international airports and many ports. It also has two major airlines, Korean and Asiana, with regular flights to 14 domestic cities. There are direct flights to Seoul from Beijing and Hong Kong, and liner services from Weihai, Qingdao, and Tianjin to Incheon. The sailing time takes 20 to 24 hours.

Currently there are subways running in Seoul and Busan; bus fares in the city are cheap, but since the routes are only marked in Korean, it is slightly inconvenient for foreign passengers to take them.

Taxi fares are slightly cheaper than in other countries, and taxis are also readily available. Trains and railway branches and main lines connect almost all parts of the country, and highways can also lead to major cities and tourist resorts across the country. There are tour boats along the coast. Visitors can take a boat ride to enjoy the beautiful coastal scenery and enjoy the best services.

A brief history of the country

1. Early history

Korean history can be traced back to 57 BC. Ancient Korea was initially characterized by a clan society composed of small city-states. The small city-states gradually merged into tribal alliances with complex political structures, and eventually formed kingdoms.

Baekje (18 BC - AD 660) was a tribal alliance kingdom that developed from a small city-state located south of the Han River near today's Seoul. Baekje developed into a centralized state ruled by aristocrats during the reign of King Geunshogo (reigned 346-375).

Gaya Kingdom (57-562 AD)

The Silla Kingdom (57 BC-935 AD) is located at the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula. It was initially the weakest and most backward among the Three Kingdoms. nation. However, due to its geographical distance from China's influence, it was the last to accept the influence of Chinese culture. Its social class characteristics are obvious, and later the unique "Hwarang Tuan" was born and Buddhism was developed.

2. Unified Silla

In the mid-6th century, the Silla Kingdom conquered the neighboring Gaya Kingdom (developed in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula from the mid-1st century to the mid-6th century) A group of city-states), because Goguryeo and Baekje, the Chinese border autonomous regimes, jointly invaded Silla. On the eve of Silla's demise, they asked for help from the Tang Dynasty and received help from the Tang Dynasty. Tang destroyed Baekje and Goguryeo one by one, preserving the existence of the Korean nation.

Silla occupied the central and southern parts of the Korean Peninsula in the early 8th century AD, and entered its heyday of prosperity and power in the mid-8th century. Silla has always wanted to establish an ideal Buddhist country, and Bulguksa Temple was built during the unified Silla period. However, as the princes and nobles indulged in a comfortable and luxurious life, the kingdom's admiration for Buddhism began to decline. In addition, conflicts arose with the leaders of the occupied southern tip of Goguryeo and Baekje, which claimed sovereignty. In 935 AD, the King of Silla formally surrendered to the newly established Goryeo Dynasty.

3. Goryeo

Although the Korean Peninsula has been subject to frequent foreign invasions, it has been governed by a single government since its unification by Silla in 668 AD. The founder of the Goryeo dynasty, Wang Geon, was a general under Gong Yi, a rebellious prince of Silla. He chose his hometown Songak (now Kaesong, North Korea) as his capital. He named his kingdom Goryeo, from which the current name of Korea "Korea" comes. The Goryeo Dynasty achieved brilliant cultural achievements represented by the prosperity of celadon and Buddhism. At the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, conflicts between scholar-bureaucrats and samurai and battles between Confucian believers and Buddhist believers led to the decline of the Goryeo Dynasty. The Mongolian invasion of Goryeo began in 1231. Although the Goryeo people fought bravely against the Mongols, Goryeo remained a vassal state of Mongolia for nearly a century.

In 1392, General Li Chenggui established a new dynasty-North Korea. Early rulers of Joseon supported Confucianism as the kingdom's guiding philosophy to offset the Buddhist influence that had been dominant during the Goryeo era.

The rulers of North Korea governed the country with a good moderate political system. The imperial examination system was the main way to select officials. During this period, the imperial examination became an important way to become an official. A society guided by Confucianism attaches great importance to academic research but despises business and industry.

During the reign of the fourth king of North Korea, King Sejong (1418-1450), the country's culture and art flourished unprecedentedly. At the initiative of King Sejong, scholars from royal academic institutions created the Korean alphabet "Hunminjeongeum".

King Sejong attached great importance to astronomy. Sundials, water leaks, astronomical charts and celestial globes were all built at his request. Later, he passed the throne to his son Wenzong (reigned 1450-1452). Emperor Wenzong died in 1452, and the 11-year-old prince succeeded him as Danjong.

In 1455, Danjong's uncle Suyang Dajun usurped the throne of the young king and became King Sejo (reigned 1455-1468). He published a code called "Jingguo Dadian", which became the cornerstone of the dynasty's governance.

In 1592, Japan invaded the Kingdom of Korea and prepared to launch an aggressive war against China. At sea, General Yi Sun-shin (1545-1598), the most respected figure in Korean history, commanded the "turtle ships" to fight the Japanese and achieved a series of brilliant victories. This "turtle ship" is considered to be the world's earliest ironclad warship.

On land, armies of peasants and monks who volunteered to fight also fought bravely against the enemy. With the death of Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Japanese troops began to retreat and the war ended in 1598. But this war left disastrous consequences for North Korea and the Ming Dynasty of China. During the war, a large number of Korean craftsmen, including ceramic craftsmen, were kidnapped and sent to Japan.

At the beginning of the 17th century, the "practical learning" movement in Korea began to flourish among open-minded scholar-officials. They want to use "practical learning" to build a modern country.

They strongly recommended the improvement of industry and agriculture, and advocated drastic reform of the land distribution system. Unfortunately, the conservative aristocratic rulers were not ready to adapt to such drastic changes.

In the late Joseon Dynasty, strife continued to occur within the government and among the upper classes. In order to correct this unhealthy political situation, King Yeongjo of Joseon (reigned 1724-1776) adopted an impartial strategy, successfully consolidated the royal power and achieved political stability.

After succeeding to the throne, Jeongjo (reigned 1776-1800) continued to implement the policy of impartiality and established the royal family library to collect royal family documents and records. He also promoted other political and cultural reforms. During this period, the "Practical Learning" movement flourished. Many outstanding scholars wrote a large number of progressive articles on industrial and agricultural reform, but the government did not adopt their suggestions.

4. Japanese Occupation and Korean Independence Movement

In the 19th century, South Korea was still a "closed country" and resolutely opposed Western demands for establishing diplomatic and trade relations. Since then, some Asian and European countries with imperialist ambitions have competed to exert influence on the Korean Peninsula. After defeating China and Russia, Japan forcibly annexed Korea in 1910 and began to colonize it.

Japan’s colonial rule inspired the Korean people’s patriotism. The Japanese even banned Koreans from teaching in Korean in schools. Such assimilation policies angered Korean intellectuals. On March 1, 1919, Koreans launched nationwide protests, and thousands of people died.

Although the "March 1 Independence Movement" failed, it strengthened the unity of the Korean nation and inspired the spirit of patriotism. This movement led to the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government in Shanghai, China, and launched an organized armed struggle against the Japanese colonialists in Manchuria. The Korean people still commemorate the "March 1st Independence Movement" every year and designate it as a national holiday.

Until Japan's defeat in 1945, the Korean people lived in dire straits. During its colonial rule, Japan continued to economically exploit South Korea.

5. The establishment of the Republic of Korea

The Korean people were delighted with Japan's defeat in World War II, but they did not rejoice for long. The liberation did not immediately bring them the heroism for which they had fought. Struggle for national independence.

Instead, ideological differences caused by the Cold War divided the country. South Korea's efforts to establish an independent government failed when American troops occupied the southern part of the peninsula and Soviet troops controlled the northern part of the peninsula.

The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in November 1947 requiring South Korea to hold general elections under the supervision of a United Nations committee.

However, the Soviet Union refused to implement United Nations resolutions and did not allow the United Nations committee to enter northern Korea. So the United Nations General Assembly passed a new resolution calling for elections to be held wherever the committee can reach. South Korea's first presidential election was held on May 10, 1948, south of the 38th parallel. This line finally divided the Korean Peninsula into the south and the north.

In 1948, Syngman Rhee was elected as the first president of the Republic of Korea. At the same time, the communist regime under the leadership of Kim Il Sung was established north of the 38th parallel.

North Korea launched an unprovoked large-scale invasion of the South on June 25, 1950, triggering a three-year war involving the involvement of the United States, China and other foreign forces. The entire peninsula was devastated. A ceasefire agreement was signed in July 1953.

The Korean people suffered almost 3 million casualties in this war, and millions of people were displaced and separated from their families. Serious social unrest continued during the Syngman Rhee administration.

South Korea's democracy was not mature at that time, and the country experienced tremendous political and economic difficulties. President Syngman Rhee eventually resigned in April 1960 due to a student-led uprising. Zhang Mian of the Democratic Party formed the government in August 1960 and established the Second Republic of China.

However, the new government was overthrown by a coup launched by Major General Park Chung-hee on May 16, 1961. The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, headed by Park Chung-hee, took over the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the government.

Park Chung-hee was elected president in an election in 1963. The Park Chung-hee administration was committed to rapid industrialization and achieved rapid economic growth known as the "Han River Miracle" in the 1960s and 1970s. However, Park Chung-hee's rule was accompanied by severe restrictions on people's political rights and civil liberties.

After President Park Chung-hee was assassinated in October 1979, there was a transitional period during which martial law was implemented. Acting President Choi Kyu-ha resigned in August 1980, and Chun Doo-hwan, leader of the powerful military officer group, was elected president by the National Assembly (electoral college) of the United Juche.

The democratic movement surged in the 1980s. In 1987, the constitution was revised and the system of direct election of the president was restored.

Under the new constitution, Roh Tae-woo, another general, was elected president. During Roh Tae-woo's administration, democracy has made great progress, laying the foundation for the election of the first civilian president in 32 years.

Kim Young-sam, a long-time pro-democracy activist, was elected president in 1992 as a candidate of the ruling party.

In 1997, Kim Dae-jung, leader of the National Assembly for New Politics, the main opposition party, was elected president. The Kim Dae-jung government is known as the "National Government" and is the first government in the history of South Korea's constitution to peacefully transfer power from the ruling party to the opposition party.

The Roh Moo-hyun government, the "national participation government", was established on February 25, 2003. It is the 16th government in Korean history. The Roh Moo-hyun government has proposed three goals: "building democracy for the people," "building a society with balanced development for the people," and "ushering in an era of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia."

The Roh Moo-hyun government is a product of the power of the people. Citizens who cherish principles and common sense voluntarily raised funds to carry out electoral activities, which enabled Roh Moo-hyun to win the presidential election.

The most important thing is that the Roh Moo-hyun government was established on the basis of universal participation of the people. Therefore, as at the time of its birth, the participation of citizens will play a key role in the future operation of the government.

Language

Korean script is an alphabetic script that was founded in 1446. According to research, before that, Korean was written with Chinese characters. Korean characters themselves are the result of original creation. Each character has one sound. The pronunciation refers to Chinese phonology, which is created based on the vocal organs of the body and heaven, earth, and people. Alphabet, Korean has 40 letters, including 21 vowels and 19 consonants.

The Korean nation has had an inherent language that is different from Chinese since ancient times, but the lack of inherent characters has brought a lot of inconvenience to written life. Therefore, South Korea had to borrow Chinese characters - Chinese characters - for a long time. Considering this reality, King Sejong of the Joseon Dynasty created Korean writing that was scientific and original and worthy of showing off to the world. Since then, the Korean people have been using their own characters and language that are completely different from the Han people in China. Koreans have thus become one of the only peoples in the world who think in their own language.

Hangul is an original script formulated and announced by King Sejong and scholars from Jhyeonjeon Hall in 1446 during the Joseon Dynasty. Korean writing is a very scientific phonetic writing, which is not only easy to learn and organized but also allows any pronunciation to be expressed at will. Therefore, the view that phonetic Korean characters are combined with ideographic Chinese characters should be corrected. The content stated in Chinese and American textbooks that Korean characters were created by combining or imitating Chinese references is wrong.

A textbook in the Philippines compares Korean and Japanese and believes that although they do not belong to the same language, they are related to each other. It is also believed that Korean characters borrowed Chinese writing methods.

There is a problem with the perspective that some foreigners want to find the foundation of Korean culture through China. The understanding that Korean characters are influenced by Chinese characters is also wrong. This understanding of foreign scholars should be corrected immediately.

"Hunmin Zhengyin" was promulgated in 1446. Taiwanese textbooks not only remember the wrong year, but also use the title "Lee's Korea" very inappropriately. This issue will be discussed in detail in item 16.

Religious beliefs

a. Buddhism

Buddhism was introduced to Korea in the 2nd century (AD372) during the reign of the King of Goguryeo, and had a huge impact on Baekje and Silla. Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto, designated as World Cultural Heritage by the United Nations, are works of art from Silla Buddhism.

Buddhism has a long history and has a great influence on Korean culture. To this day, Korea still preserves many types of valuable Buddhist heritage such as buildings, sculptures, paintings, and handicrafts.

b. Christianity

After the establishment of diplomatic relations with the United States in 1882, Christianity was introduced to South Korea. Because Christianity was in conflict with the basic values ??of Korean society, early believers suffered persecution. However, Christians actively participated in the anti-colonial movement, and the church also promoted the development of education, so it was gradually accepted by the public. Currently, Korean churches are still conducting missionary activities overseas. About 25% of Koreans in South Korea believe in Christianity.

c. Catholicism

Catholicism was originally introduced to South Korea as a Western culture by envoys from the Ming Dynasty in North Korea. He was baptized for the first time in Beijing in 1784. After returning to Korea, he established a Catholic church. Despite the brutal persecution at that time, many people still believed in Catholicism. The Catholic Church now has more than 2 million believers.

d. Confucianism

Confucianism emphasizes "benevolence"