Country Information on South Korea 

Terrain

South Korea has a mountainous terrain. Its most distinctive mountain range is the Taebaek Range. However, the country's highest peak, Mount Halla (1,950 m), is on the island of Cheju-do. About 15% of South Korea is covered by plains, which are mostly on the western coast. Most rivers start in the mountains; Naktog and Han-gang are the country's longest rivers.

Climate

South Korea has a continental climate with winters that are dry and cold and summers that are hot and humid. There is a quick change from winter to summer between April and early May and back to winter again in late October. Asian monsoons bring with them cold winds from Manchuria and Siberia in the winter. In the summer, winds from the Pacific Ocean bring hot and humid air. The wettest months are between June and September and there is at least one typhoon a year.

Fauna/Flora

Tropical vegetation and the plantations of the famous Korean ginseng roots are found along the southern coast. The country has more than 20 national parks; the most well-known are the Soraksan, Hallasan and Chirisan parks. The north is the only part of the country where native animals such as black bears and deer are found.

History/Politics

According to a legend, the divine Dangun, the forefather of all Koreans, founded Korea in 2333 BC. Between the years 18 BC and AD 668, the three Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla formed and dominated the peninsula. The Kingdom of Silla finally subjugated the other two kingdoms and ruled the region until 935 when Wang Kon of the Koryo dynasty peacefully overthrew the Silla. In 1231, the Mongols invaded the region, initiating a war that was waged intermittently for 30 years and ended with the defeat of the Koryo dynasty.

Around 1392, the Joseon dynasty came to power and ruled the country until 1910. During its reign the dynasty had to fight off a number of invaders: Mongols, Japanese and Manchurians. The Manchurian invasion in the 17th century isolated Korea from external influence and allowed the country to develop its own culture in a more creative way. At the end of the 19th century, Japan forced a trade agreement upon Korea. At the beginning of the 20th century, encouraged by victories over China and Russia, Japan occupied Korea in 1905 and it finally officially annexed it in 1910. Over the decades that followed, and until the Japanese were defeated in World War II, Korea supplied food and cheap labour.

After World War II, Korea was separated into two zones: the southern part was occupied by the USA and the north by the Soviet Union. This division lead to the creation of two separate countries in 1948: the Republic of Korea in the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north. North Korea attacked South Korea in June 1950 with the aim of driving out the US troops that were stationed there and annexing the territory. However, after 17 months of fighting and nearly four million deaths, a borderline was drawn between the two countries; the 38th parallel was recognized as the official borderline in 1953.

Over the decades that followed, the main task that faced Korea's successive governments was to stabilise its economy, which was achieved in the middle of the 1970s. The restriction of civil liberties during these years led to widespread dissatisfaction and demonstrations that culminated in the assassination of President Park. He was however succeeded by General Chun Doo Hwan, who imposed even greater restrictions on civil rights. After a series of demonstrations in the late 1980s, the country underwent a democratisation process that led to the election of the first civilian president, Kim Young Sam, in 1992. The presidential elections in 1997 were won by Kim Dae Jung who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his reconciliation efforts with North Korea. In 2002, North and South Korea agreed to continue the rapprochement process and as a result, plans were developed for economic cooperation. In 2004, both countries also agreed to open the roads that cross the borders and to carry out tests on two railway lines.

Economy

Until the outbreak of civil war, South Korea's economy was traditionally based on agriculture. Over the 30 years that followed, Korea managed to recover from the great devastation caused by the civil war and became an industrialised country. The past years have seen the services sector contribute 52% to the domestic economy. Manufacturing contributed 43%, whilst agriculture contributed 5%. A number of problems connected to the corporate structure of the Korean economy, based on large industrial corporations (called "chaebol"), such as Samsung or Hyundai, meant that the financial crisis of 1997 hit South Korea more strongly. A legislative reform, structural changes in the business and financial sectors, and a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), helped to stabilise the South Korean economy. In 2003, the unemployment rate was 3.4% and inflation reached 3.3%.

Culture

Korea's most important literary work is Samguk Yusa (Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea), a historical text that was written in the 12th century by the monk Illyon. Koreans also consider their language a form of art and are particularly proud of their script, hangeul. Traditional painting has been strongly influenced by Chinese and calligraphic elements. Most traditional sculptures are Buddhist and include statues and pagodas.