Welcome to Korea
Background
South Korea has a proud and complicated history. The very first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon, was founded almost 4,000 years ago by a legendary leader named Dangun Wanggeom. 57 B.C. to 668 A.D. is called the Three Kingdoms Period, as Korea was unified and ruled by a series of dynasties. In the 1300s, the Joseon dynasty, which was controlled by one of the world's longest running ruling families, was established in the Korean peninsula, and it lasted for 500 years. Throughout its history, Korea shared ideas and culture with its neighbors China and Japan. Korea acted as a kind of bridge for ideas and goods to travel between these countries. Buddhism, Confucianism, and elements of language all spread to Korea from China. Unfortunately, Korea was also invaded by both China and Japan at different times. The Korean people strongly resisted this foreign domination, but in 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan. The Japanese controlled Korea until 1945. During this time, the Korean people had to endure many abuses. The Japanese occupiers tried to eradicate Korean culture. Tens of thousands of Korean women were kidnapped and forced into prostitution as “comfort women”. Japan has never acknowledged the atrocities committed against Korea during World War II, and relations between Japan and South Korea remain strained today. From 1950 to 1953, a civil war was fought by communists in the north, who were backed by the Soviet Union and China, and anti-communists in the south, who were backed by the United States and the United Nations. Although the west saw the Korean War only as an extension of the larger Cold War conflict, to Koreans it was a struggle for independence from foreign influence. Over 1 million Koreans died during this conflict, and the effects are still felt today.
Korea Today
South Korea is a highly industrialized, modernized country. In fact, it is one of the world’s most technologically advanced countries. There are almost 50 million people in South Korea, which makes it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Its capital Seoul, where almost half of the population lives, is one of the world’s most populous cities. South Korea builds automobiles, semi-conductors, and electronics. Following an economic collapse in 1997, the government passed many reforms which have led to low inflation, low unemployment, and a surplus of exports. South Korea now has the twelfth largest economy in the world. Although a ceasefire stopped the fighting in 1953, most Koreans believe that the Korean War has never really ended. Families remain separated by the demilitarized zone at the 38th parallel. Parents and children and grandparents and grandchildren have been unable to see or talk to each other for more than 50 years. Since North Korea is one of the most closed societies in the world, it is difficult and dangerous for people in the South to communicate with family members in the North and vice versa. In recent years, the leaders of the two countries have allowed some brief meetings for people who hadn’t seen their loved ones in decades. In May 2007, a South Korean train was allowed to cross into North Korea for the first time in 56 years. Family reunification remains one of the most important goals of many Koreans. South Koreans are also very concerned about North Korea’s nuclear program.
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