Across Korea
Korea ! What an wonderful country.
If
you haven't fallen in love with Korea yet,
let us help you get to
know this incredible country.
Background: Following
its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in
1905, Japan occupied
Korea; five years later it formally annexed the entire peninsula. After
World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean
Peninsula while a 
Communist-style government was installed in the
north.
During the Korean War (1950-1953), US and other UN forces
intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by
the Chinese. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula
along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter,
South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income
rising to roughly 18 times the level of North Korea. South Korea has
maintained its commitment to democratize its political processes. In
June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the
South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Chong-il.
Area:
total:
98,480 sq km
Climate:
temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer
than winter
Population:
48,598,175 (July 2004
est.)
Age Structure:
0-14 years:
20.4% (male 5,223,344; female 4,681,594)
15-64 years: 71.4% (male 17,625,302; female 17,072,029)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 1,597,085; female
2,398,821) (2004 est.)
Religious
affiliation:
no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%,
Confucianist 1%, other 1%
Ethnic
Groups:
homogeneous (except for
about 20,000 Chinese)
Languages:
Korean, English widely
taught in junior high and high school
Economy:
Since the early 1960s, South Korea has
achieved an incredible record of
growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Four
decades ago GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer
countries of Africa and Asia. Today its GDP per capita is 18 times
North Korea's and equal to the lesser economies of the European Union.
This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close
government/business ties, including directed credit, import
restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor
effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and
technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and
investment over consumption.
The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99
exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model,
including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an
undisciplined financial sector. Growth plunged to a negative 6.6% in
1998, then strongly recovered to 10.8% in 1999 and 9.2% in 2000. Growth
fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy,
falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and
financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports,
growth in 2002 was an impressive 6.2%, despite anemic global growth,
followed by moderate 2.8% growth in 2003. In 2003 the National Assembly
approved legislation reducing the six-day work week to five days.
Labor force by occupation:
agriculture 8.8%, industry 19.1%, services
72.1% (2001)
Industries:
electronics, telecommunications, automobile
production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel
Natural Hazzards:
occasional typhoons bring high winds and
floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest
Natural
Resources:
coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead,
hydropower potential
Environmental
Issues:
air pollution in large
cities; acid rain; water pollution from the
discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing
Export Partners:
China 18.2%, US 17.8%, Japan 9%, Hong Kong 7.6% (2003)
Communications:
Telephones
(regular): 22.877 million (2003),
mobile cellular: 33,591,800 (2003)
Radio Stations: (2001)
AM - 104
FM - 136
Shortwave - 5
Television stations: 121,
plus 850 repeater stations and the eight-channel American Forces Korea
Network (1999)
Internet country code: .kr
Internet hosts: 694,206 (2001)
Airports -
with paved runways: 88
with unpaved runways:
91
Heliports: 206
HIV/AIDS:
People living with AIDS: 8,300 (2003 est.)
Primary Source: World Fact
Book ...
Important
Korea Internet
Resources:
Adopting from Korea
- An Adoptive Parent's Guide to Korean Adoption
Australia-Korea
Foundation
Birds Korea -
conserving birds and habitats in South Korea
Canadian Embassy, Seoul /
Ambassade du Canada à Séoul
City Codes --
South Korea
City of Seoul -
Offical home page of Seoul, the capital of Korea
Christian
Churches - in Korea and other parts of the world
Christian
Schools
Conferences
on Korean Studies
for Koreans
Cy.Nema
movies & cinema
Embassy of the Kingdom
of the Netherlands in Seoul
Free North Korea!:
Promoting Nonviolent Action for Human Rights
Government
Korea (Republic) - websites
of governmental institutions and political parties in Korea
(Republic)
Japan-North
Korea Relations
Joong Ang Daily News
KAF -
Korea-American Forum - opinions and essays that would contribute toward
uplifting the quality and cultural standard of the worldwide Korean
communities
Korean Airlines
Korean-American Scientists and
Engineers Association (KSEA)
KOREA ANIMAL
PROTECTION SOCIETY
Korean Arts & Culture
Korea
Astronomy Observatory
Korea Economic Daily
Korean Center, Inc. (KCI)
Korean
Chess (Jang-gi)
Korean Committee for UNICEF
Korea
- Culture, History, and Religion
Korean
Fonts
Korean
Food
Korean Galleries at Overseas Museums
Korean Language Courses in America
Korea Life
Blog - A blog about living and teaching in Korea
Korea Herald :
The Nation's No.1 English Newspaper
Korea
Institute
Homepage, Harvard University
Korea Institute of
Energy Research (KIER)
Korea
Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online
Korea
Ministry of Information & Communcation
Korea National
Tourism Organization - KNTO
KOREA NEWS SERVICE - Official news agency of the DPRK
(North Korea) government. [English, Korean]
Korea-related
Think Tanks
KOREASOPE
- Korean Peninsula, Unification, family
reunion, North Korea, Korea news, humanitarian aid
Korea Stock Exchange
Korea Times
Korea
University - Includes overview,
administration, studies and research, activities and facilities,
international...
Korean
War info
Korea
yellowpage, trade, business, Korean company...
KOTESOL:
Information about and resources for
KOTESOL, the Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages
KOTRA -
Non-profit governmental organization for the
promotion of trade and investment.
[Korean, English]
National
Statistical Office, Republic of Korea
New Zealand
Embassy.com - Korea
North Korea
: Country Studies - Federal Research Division, Library
North Korea
WWW Virtual Library
North Korea zone - A zone for discussion and information exchange about North
Korea
PBS Online:
Hidden Korea/Geography
Peoples Republic of Korea
- official homepage of North Korea
Radio Korea
International
Seoul Daily News Net
Seoul Shin-mun, Sports Seoul, TV Guide
Ski Korea
- Korean ski resort profiles, news, skier
and snowboarder reviews, hotspots, activities, travel services,
lodging, weather reports and snow ...
Soccer
in Korea
Society of Korean American
Scholars
South Korea
: Country Studies - Federal Research Division, Library
South Korea
Intelligence and Security Agencies
South Korea
WWW Virtual Library
Teach Korea -
Job Boards and resources for teachers of
Korean students
Travel
in Korea - guide
United States Embassy,
Seoul, Republic of Korea
US Forces Korea
U.S. Immigration Network
for Koreans
overview of U.S. immigration law and information on obtaining U.S. visa
Weather
Underground: South Korea
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