About South Korea
Corea del Sur
Unlike China and Japan, which had varying degrees of interaction with the west by the early 20th century, Korea was little known in international circles at that time, in part because of its unique history. In 1897, the Korean Empire (which included what’s now North Korea, as well as South Korea), was formed by Emperor Gojong of the country’s Joseon dynasty. The country, which lived in relative isolated for decades before then, went through a period of partial modernization & Westernization of its military, economy, land system, and education system, along with some of the country’s industries.
In 1905, Korea was made a colonial protectorate of Japan, and five years later (1910) it was annexed outright by the Japanese. Japanese annexation of Korea would remain until the end of World War II (1945). That year, Korea was divided up between the northern half (which was administered by the Soviet Union), and the southern half (which was protected mainly by the U.S.). In 1948, when the former allied powers failed to set up a single government for all of Korea, the Republic of Korea was formed in the southern half (with American and Western European support), while the Democratic Republic of Korea was formed in the north (with Russian and Chinese backing).
The then Premier of North Korea, Kim il-Sung, started the Korean War in 1950, in his attempt to unify the country under Communist rule. With heavy casualties incurred by both the west (South Korean, USA and other western forces under the U.N. flag) and the east (North Korean and Chinese forces), the Korean Armistance Agreement was signed, which created the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). No formal agreement was ever signed between the two governments. Many years later (April 2018), the two sides met at the DMZ, and agreed to work towards a treaty to formally end the Korean War.
For many years since the Korean War, both Koreas were basically under military rule. However, South Korea formed its first competitive electoral system in 1987 (putting the country on the path to a more liberal democracy). More importantly, South Korea also went on the road to full-scale capitalist development. Nowadays, South Korea is considered one of the “Asian Tigers” – on par with other developed Far Eastern economies from Japan to Singapore. South Korea is best-known for its electronic and automobile exports, with brands such as Samsung, LG and KIA now being household names in the USA and elsewhere.
In terms of the country’s tourism, the nation’s capital (Seoul) is the top destination for international visitors. Other destinations include Seorak-san national park, the historic city of Gyeongju, and Jeju Island. According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), over 15.3 million tourists visited South Korea in 2018. International visitors arrive mainly from other Far East countries like Japan, China (including Hong Kong) and Taiwan (making up the majority of travelers coming to South Korea). There are also groups arriving from Southeast Asian countries and India.
In recent times, South Korea has hosted international sporting events, as a means to expose itself to more international travelers. Along with the 1988 Summer Olympics, South Korea also hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 2014 Asian Games, and the 2018 Winter Olympics.