South Korea

South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea (ROK) is a country in the South East Region of Asia. It is a peninsula located 34Ð'o26' N latitude and 127Ð'o30' E longitude. It is 98,189 square kilometers in size being a little bigger than the state of Indiana. To the north, it is bordered by North Korea. To the west, across the Yellow Sea lies China and to the southeast across the Korea Strait lies Japan. Being related to Korea either by family or national background, we chose to learn more about the country of Korea that is also sometimes referred to as the “Land of the Morning Calm.”

ROK is mainly mountainous with 30% of the land not confined to hills or mountains. Because of this, there is only about 17% arable land, 2% of which is used for crops and the rest for other purposes. The main crop that is harvested is rice and the second most important is barley. Other crops produced in South Korea include soybeans, potatoes, Chinese cabbage, and a whole other assortment. Despite the fact that there are so many crops, agriculture as a part of the GDP fell from 27% in 1970 to 3.3% in 1999.

Religion in South Korea is diverse in nature. Having the freedom of religion, the majority of the population in South Korea adheres to Buddhism at 27.3%, while Protestantism makes up 16% and Roman Catholicism 5%. 46% do not have an acquainted religion. While Confucianism was the first practiced religion in Korea, it now dwindles at the feet of the bigger religious views. That’s not to say that it’s been completely eradicated, however. Because it was the main religion practice during the Joseon Dynasty, which lasted for 500 years, there is a big impact on Korean culture still to this day, which would explain why the culture is strongly based on respect and etiquette. Other religions that are smaller and less well known include Cheondogyo, which is a new religion that consists of teachings from Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Confucianism, Taejonggyo, which worships Tangun, the founder of Korea, and also a few others.

Addressing the cultural aspect of South Korea, etiquette and protocol play a huge role in the way that Korean life functions, influenced heavily by religion as previously stated. Family, however, is the most important part of Korean life, where family welfare comes first before all else. When it comes to etiquette, there are many strict guidelines to follow, including dining, meeting, and gift giving. Seniority is exercised with the eldest initiating handshakes after the younger person bows and also having the eldest served first and eating first during meal time. With gift giving, it is inconsiderate to give an item that is priced at a level which the receiving party cannot afford to replicate. There is also a protocol to wrapping the gift, which consists of what color ink to use when signing your name and what color wrapping paper you should use. As for the language, it is similar to Vietnamese and Japanese since they are similarly derived from Chinese characters and teachings.

The Korean language is the primary language spoken in South Korea. While there are schools that teach English and Chinese, the numbers of those who speak it primarily are too small to be noted. Some traditional events and items that are practiced in South Korea include holidays such as the Harvest Festival, which is a 3 day holiday that takes place on the 15th day of the 8th month. During that time, there is a mass exodus of people who return home to pay respects to the spirits of their ancestors. Another part of Korea that is easily recognized as a Korean origin is their form of martial arts known as Tae Kwon Do, which dates as far back as 3 AD. There is also traditional clothing known as hanbok, the most visible part of Korean culture, traditional food such as rice cakes, or dduk, which is used to celebrate joyful and sorrow times due to its delicious nature, and kimchi, which is known for its spiciness.

Korea also meaning “The Great Nation of the Korean People” has over 5,000 years of history. Like China, Korea had various dynasty periods such as Goryeo and Joseon. Korea being a peninsula was attacked by various outsiders and foreigners; however it was the year of 1592 that the Koreans were conquered by the Japanese. For 35 years, Koreans were under the rule as part of the Japanese empire. Koreans were not allowed to speak their own language and couldn’t learn about their own history because it was the Japanese goal to obliterate the Korean culture and use them as slaves. The resources of Korea were extracted to Japan to support Japan’s economy, causing huge income disparities in the Korea. On March 1, 1919, the Korean’s protested against the colonial rule and declared independence. Many Koreans were killed, but the Koreans considered this day as a symbol of their patriotism. It was on August 15th, 1945, with the help from the United States, Japan surrendered also ending World War II. The communist form of government came into power in North Korea, and the United States turned its authority over South Korea in 1948 and left a small group of military advisors. Soon after, North Korea invaded South Korea on June 25th, 1950. The civil war between North and South Korea lasted three years. After three years, Korea was officially divided by the Demilitarized Zone. Even today, South Korea continues its efforts to unify North and the South Korea.

Korea's population has rapidly increased over the past 30 years, from the known population in 1970 being approximately 32 million, to little over 49 million today. The sex ratio shows that the country has about an equal ratio of male and female, with 1.01 males per female. The life expectancy is approximately 77.23 years, which is one year better than the United States.

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