South Korea
Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically
homogenous in the world. Except for a small Chinese community (about
20,000), virtually all Koreans share a common cultural and
linguistic heritage. With 48.38 million people, South Korea has one
of the world's highest population densities. Major population
centers are located in the northwest, southeast, and in the plains
south of the Seoul-Incheon area.
Korea has experienced one of the largest rates of emigration, with
ethnic Koreans residing primarily in China (2.4 million), the United
States (2.1 million), Japan (600,000), and the countries of the
former Soviet Union (532,000).
Language
The Korean language is related to Japanese and Mongolian. Although
it differs grammatically from Chinese and does not use tones, a
large number of Chinese cognates exist in Korean. Chinese ideograms
are believed to have been brought into Korea sometime before the
second century BC. The learned class spoke Korean, but read and
wrote Chinese. A phonetic writing system ("hangul") was invented in
the 15th century by King Sejong to provide a writing system for
commoners who could not read classical Chinese. Modern Korean uses
hangul almost exclusively with Chinese characters in limited use for
word clarification. Approximately 1,300 Chinese characters are used
in modern Korean. English is taught as a second language in most
primary and secondary schools. Chinese and Japanese are widely
taught at secondary schools.
Religion
Half of the population actively practices religion. Among this
group, Christianity (49%) and Buddhism (47%) comprise Korea's two
dominant religions. Though only 3% identified themselves as
Confucianists, Korean society remains highly imbued with Confucian
values and beliefs. The remaining 1% of the population practice
Shamanism (traditional spirit worship) and Chondogyo ("Heavenly
Way"), a traditional religion. |
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The myth of Korea's foundation by the god-king Tangun in BC 2333
embodies the homogeneity and self-sufficiency valued by the Korean
people. Korea experienced many invasions by its larger neighbors in
its 2,000 years of recorded history. The country repelled numerous
foreign invasions despite domestic strife, in part due to its
protected status in the Sino-centric regional political model during
Korea's Chosun dynasty (1392-1910). Historical antipathies to
foreign influence earned Korea the title of "Hermit Kingdom" in the
19th century.
With declining Chinese power and a weakened domestic posture at the
end of the 19th century, Korea was open to Western and Japanese
encroachment. In 1910, Japan began a 35-year period of colonial rule
over Korea. As a result of Japan's efforts to supplant the Korean
language and aspects of Korean culture, memories of Japanese
annexation still recall fierce animosity and resentment, especially
among older Koreans. Nevertheless, import restrictions on Japanese
movies, popular music, fashion, and the like have been lifted, and
many Koreans, especially the younger generations, eagerly follow
Japanese pop culture. Aspects of Korean culture, including
television shows and movies, have also become popular in Japan.
Japan's surrender to the Allied Powers in 1945, signaling the end of
World War II, only further embroiled Korea in foreign rivalries.
Division at the 38th parallel marked the beginning of Soviet and
U.S. trusteeship over the North and South, respectively. On August
15, 1948 the Republic of Korea (R.O.K.) was established, with
Syngman Rhee as the first President. On September 9, 1948 the
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (D.P.R.K.) was established
under Kim Il Sung.
On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea. Led by
the U.S., a 16-member coalition undertook the first collective
action under United Nations Command (UNC). Following China's entry
on behalf of North Korea later that year, a stalemate ensued for the
final two years of the conflict. Armistice negotiations, initiated
in July 1951, were ultimately concluded on July 27, 1953 at
Panmunjom, in what is now the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The
Armistice Agreement was signed by representatives of the Korean
People's Army, the Chinese People's Volunteers, and the U.S.-led
United Nations Command (UNC). Though the R.O.K. supported the UNC,
it refused to sign the Armistice Agreement. A peace treaty has never
been signed. The war left almost three million Koreans dead or
wounded and millions of others homeless and separated from their
families.
In the following decades, South Korea experienced political turmoil
under autocratic leadership. President Syngman Rhee was forced to
resign in April 1960 following a student-led uprising. The Second
Republic under the leadership of Chang Myon ended after only one
year, when Major General Park Chung-hee led a military coup. Park's
rule, which resulted in tremendous economic growth and development
but increasingly restricted political freedoms, ended with his
assassination in 1979. Subsequently, a powerful group of military
officers, led by Lieutenant General Chun Doo Hwan, declared martial
law and took power.
Throughout the Park and Chun eras, South Korea developed a vocal
civil society that led to strong protests against authoritarian
rule. Composed primarily of students and labor union activists,
protest movements reached a climax after Chun's 1979 coup and
declaration of martial law. A confrontation in Gwangju in 1980 left
at least 200 civilians dead. Thereafter, pro-democracy activities
intensified even more, ultimately forcing political concessions by
the government in 1987, including the restoration of direct
presidential elections.
In 1987, Roh Tae-woo, a former general, was elected president, but
additional democratic advances during his tenure resulted in the
1992 election of a long-time pro-democracy activist, Kim Young-sam.
Kim became Korea's first civilian elected president in 32 years. The
1997 presidential election and peaceful transition of power marked
another step forward in Korea's democratization when Kim Dae-jung, a
life-long democracy and human rights activist, was elected from a
major opposition party. The transition to an open, democratic system
was further consolidated in 2002, when self-educated human rights
lawyer, Roh Moo-hyun, won the presidential election on a
"participatory government" platform. South Koreans voted for a new
president in December 2007. Former business executive and Mayor of
Seoul Lee Myung-bak's 5-year term began with his inauguration on
February 25, 2008. |
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