South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in <a href="/facts/East_Asia/D8yGVCQX">East Asia</a>. It constitutes the southern half of the <a href="/facts/Korea/cj2kDBzc">Korean Peninsula</a> and borders <a href="/facts/North_Korea/Q41laakP">North Korea</a> along the <a href="/facts/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone/DQL4p02L">Korean Demilitarized Zone</a>, with the <a href="/facts/Yellow_Sea/0T615mgC">Yellow Sea</a> to the west and the <a href="/facts/Sea_of_Japan/eDf8AHIq">Sea of Japan</a> to the east. Like North Korea, South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and <a href="/facts/List_of_islands_of_South_Korea/LJ12uqIB">adjacent islands</a>. It has <a href="/facts/Demographics_of_South_Korea/dTE0QxG4">a population</a> of about 52 million, of which half live in the <a href="/facts/Seoul_Metropolitan_Area/MDUupnE3">Seoul Metropolitan Area</a>, the <a href="/facts/List_of_largest_cities/5eVR5sk2">ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world</a>; other major cities include <a href="/facts/Busan/rHbfkIA3">Busan</a>, <a href="/facts/Daegu/FgLnjlxv">Daegu</a>, and <a href="/facts/Incheon/U2mUEnlb">Incheon</a>.
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the <a href="/facts/Lower_Paleolithic/oeIoC6WB">Lower Paleolithic</a> period. <a href="/facts/Gojoseon/2GyGCISH">Its first kingdom</a> was noted in Chinese records in the early seventh century BC. From the mid first century BC, various <a href="/facts/Polity/0R8Wr4CL">polities</a> consolidated into the rival <a href="/facts/Three_Kingdoms_of_Korea/s2gt3ydj">kingdoms</a> of <a href="/facts/Goguryeo/oI7tQPB4">Goguryeo</a>, <a href="/facts/Baekje/TdKogGVC">Baekje</a>, and <a href="/facts/Silla/mCPc58jC">Silla</a>, with the lattermost <a href="/facts/Unified_Silla/kLDNpYnc">unifying most of the peninsula</a> for the first time in the late seventh century AD while <a href="/facts/Balhae/VFeJcDFd">Balhae</a> succeeded Goguryeo in the north. The <a href="/facts/Goryeo/0nUJccJR">Goryeo</a> dynasty (918–1392) achieved lasting unification and established the basis for modern <a href="/facts/Koreans/GDk7QLdA">Korean identity</a>. The subsequent <a href="/facts/Joseon/Vv7SVEfL">Joseon</a> dynasty (1392–1897) saw the height of cultural, economic, and scientific achievement as well as prolonged peace and <a href="/facts/Isolationism/sQUIHlja">isolationism</a> from the mid 17th century. The succeeding <a href="/facts/Korean_Empire/I4FJBbX5">Korean Empire</a> (1897–1910) sought <a href="/facts/Gwangmu_Reform/zdpDnnRe">modernization and reform</a> but was <a href="/facts/Japan%25E2%2580%2593Korea_Treaty_of_1910/fXRES3LY">annexed in 1910</a> into the <a href="/facts/Empire_of_Japan/gMpNKg2W">Empire of Japan</a>. <a href="/facts/Korea_under_Japanese_rule/zXSwP1Qu">Japanese rule</a> ended following <a href="/facts/Surrender_of_Japan/SM4dd1M9">Japan's surrender</a> in <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, after which Korea was <a href="/facts/Division_of_Korea/kbvVAkIf">divided into two zones</a>: <a href="/facts/Soviet_Civil_Administration/vkWwN0Ex">a northern zone</a>, which was occupied by the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a>, and <a href="/facts/United_States_Army_Military_Government_in_Korea/6PtlMfyP">a southern zone</a>, which was <a href="/facts/Operation_Blacklist_Forty/7unv4CCK">occupied</a> by the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a>. After negotiations on <a href="/facts/Korean_reunification/eCMHCMkV">reunification</a> failed, the southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948, while the northern zone became the <a href="/facts/Communist_state/oYaCr1Av">communist</a> <a href="/facts/North_Korea/Q41laakP">Democratic People's Republic of Korea</a> the following month.
In 1950, <a href="/facts/Operation_Pokpung/zY3oDP7A">a North Korean invasion</a> triggered the <a href="/facts/Korean_War/Qo93pNhE">Korean War</a>, one of the first major <a href="/facts/Proxy_war/uSySFXLM">proxy conflicts</a> of the <a href="/facts/Cold_War/spJdJQ3q">Cold War</a>, which saw extensive fighting involving the <a href="/facts/United_States_in_the_Korean_War/IvHHd6Uw">American-led</a> <a href="/facts/United_Nations_Command/LsA07bVV">United Nations Command</a> and the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union_in_the_Korean_War/tIt0CMyP">Soviet-backed</a> <a href="/facts/People%2527s_Volunteer_Army/KhzPEp0W">People's Volunteer Army</a> from China. The war ended in 1953 with an <a href="/facts/Armistice/myGLIXmj">armistice</a> but no <a href="/facts/Peace_treaty/D66EbaKF">peace treaty</a>, leading to the ongoing <a href="/facts/Korean_conflict/7xhwCzNT">Korean conflict</a>, and <a href="/facts/Aftermath_of_the_Korean_War/NlMAvsU8">left three million Koreans dead and the economy in ruins</a>. South Korea endured a series of dictatorships punctuated by coups, revolutions, and violent uprisings, but also experienced a <a href="/facts/Miracle_on_the_Han_River/HadFwAFo">soaring economy</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(real)_per_capita_growth_rate/31Ta1qkh">one of the fastest rises in average GDP per capita</a>, leading to its emergence as one of the <a href="/facts/Four_Asian_Tigers/pGzXmmgB">Four Asian Tigers</a>. The <a href="/facts/June_Democratic_Struggle/eCNujfGr">June Democratic Struggle</a> of 1987 <a href="/facts/1987_South_Korean_presidential_election/5xaTYbYz">ended authoritarian rule</a> and led to the establishment of the current <a href="/facts/Sixth_Republic_of_South_Korea/M0fje2sa">Sixth Republic.</a>
South Korea is now considered among the <a href="/facts/Democracy_indices/wY8M26p0">most advanced democracies</a> in continental and East Asia. Under the <a href="/facts/Constitution_of_South_Korea/yc5wcE44">1987 constitution</a>, it maintains a <a href="/facts/Unitary_state/HAxK1eMM">unitary</a> <a href="/facts/Presidential_republic/lFFCrzpv">presidential republic</a> with a popularly elected unicameral legislature, the <a href="/facts/National_Assembly_(South_Korea)/B8rkX7YC">National Assembly</a>. South Korea is a <a href="/facts/Major_non-NATO_ally/fTRWTDN9">major non-NATO ally</a> of the United States and is regarded as a <a href="/facts/Regional_power/5sEzSjCx">regional power</a> in East Asia and an <a href="/facts/Emerging_power/YouWwHna">emerging power</a> in global affairs; its <a href="/facts/Conscription_in_South_Korea/Q2evqGPs">conscription</a>-based <a href="/facts/Republic_of_Korea_Armed_Forces/KHfR5eNp">armed forces</a> are ranked as one of the strongest in the world and have the second highest number of <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_number_of_military_and_paramilitary_personnel/bTvFzuQI">military and paramilitary personnel</a>. A highly <a href="/facts/Developed_country/sqwTSDHm">developed country</a>, <a href="/facts/Economy_of_South_Korea/Kbb3Jm45">South Korea's economy</a> is ranked 12th and 14th largest in the world <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)/k3Lf3RIL">by nominal GDP</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)/fDw3Ibeo">PPP-adjusted GDP</a>, respectively; it is the world's <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_exports/M6KuE0Gu">eleventh-largest exporter</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_imports/DFYUJAtG">seventh-largest importer</a>.
South Korea performs well in metrics of <a href="/facts/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment/KG9RF5hR">education</a>, <a href="/facts/Human_Development_Index/hQpz064I">human development</a>, <a href="/facts/The_Economist_Democracy_Index/HjS8EEoG">democratic governance</a>, and <a href="/facts/Global_Innovation_Index/mIqcsoF4">innovation</a>. Its citizens enjoy <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy/qwatUAo1">one of the world's longest life expectances</a> and access to some of the <a href="/facts/List_of_sovereign_states_by_Internet_connection_speeds/JDSA5KVN">fastest Internet connection speeds</a> and <a href="/facts/List_of_high-speed_railway_lines/BNBw2W0l">densest high-speed railway networks</a>. Since the turn of the 21st century, the country has been renowned for its globally influential pop culture, particularly <a href="/facts/K-pop/3d7p4uKH">in music</a>, <a href="/facts/Korean_drama/ThrPT9LC">TV dramas</a>, and <a href="/facts/Cinema_of_South_Korea/euUVBj7f">cinema</a>, a phenomenon referred to as the <a href="/facts/Korean_Wave/7I377DfG">Korean Wave</a>. South Korea is a member of the <a href="/facts/OECD/CI9W2zGv">OECD</a>'s <a href="/facts/Development_Assistance_Committee/9xp2V7CK">Development Assistance Committee</a>, the <a href="/facts/G20/pFut6kJQ">G20</a>, the <a href="/facts/Indo-Pacific_Economic_Framework/tJTtXmdM">IPEF</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Paris_Club/d9LvuQ36">Paris Club</a>.

South Korea open-in-new

South Korea