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98-600: KOMPSAT or Korean Multi-Purpose Satellite is a series of South Korean multipurpose satellite for Earth observation , communications , meteorological , environmental , agricultural , and oceanographic monitoring applications. South Korea South Korea , officially the Republic of Korea ( ROK ), is a country in East Asia . It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along

196-413: A feed-in tariff . Around 350 residential micro combined heat and power units were installed in 2012. In 2017, South Korea was the world's seventh largest emitter of carbon emissions and the fifth largest emitter per capita. President Moon Jae-in pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero in 2050. Seoul's tap water recently became safe to drink, with city officials branding it " Arisu " in

294-437: A bid to convince the public. Efforts have also been made with afforestation projects. Another multibillion-dollar project was the restoration of Cheonggyecheon , a stream running through downtown Seoul that had earlier been paved over by a motorway. One major challenge is air quality, with acid rain, sulfur oxides, and annual yellow dust storms being particular problems. It is acknowledged that many of these difficulties are

392-625: A close election over the Democratic Party candidate by the narrowest margin ever. Yoon was sworn in on May 10, 2022. South Korea occupies the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula , which extends some 1,100 km (680 mi) from the Continental and East Asian mainland. This mountainous peninsula is flanked by the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. Its southern tip lies on

490-550: A conservative government was elected in 2007 led by President Lee Myung-bak , former mayor of Seoul . Meanwhile, South Korea and Japan jointly co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup . However, South Korean and Japanese relations later soured because of conflicting claims of sovereignty over the Liancourt Rocks . In 2010, there was an escalation in attacks by North Korea. In March 2010 the South Korean warship ROKS Cheonan

588-665: A golden age under Gwanggaeto the Great and his son Jangsu , who both subdued Baekje and Silla during their respective reigns, achieving a brief unification of the Three Kingdoms and becoming the most dominant power on the Korean Peninsula. In addition to contesting control of the Korean Peninsula, Goguryeo had many military conflicts with various Chinese dynasties, most notably the Goguryeo–Sui War , in which Goguryeo defeated

686-420: A huge force said to number over a million men. Baekje was a maritime power, sometimes called the " Phoenicia of East Asia". Its maritime ability was instrumental in the dissemination of Buddhism throughout East Asia and spreading continental culture to Japan. Baekje was once a great military power on the Korean Peninsula, especially during the time of Geunchogo , but was critically defeated by Gwanggaeto

784-636: A much greater influence than the World Bank report suggested. Prior to the 1997 Asian financial crisis , the growth of the Four Asian Tiger economies (commonly referred to as "the Asian Miracle") has been attributed to export oriented policies and strong development policies. Unique to these economies were the sustained rapid growth and high levels of equal income distribution. A World Bank report suggests two development policies among others as sources for

882-475: A nationwide next-generation network that will be 10 times faster than broadband facilities, in order to reduce energy usage. The renewable portfolio standard program with renewable energy certificates runs from 2012 to 2022. Quota systems favor large, vertically integrated generators and multinational electric utilities, if only because certificates are generally denominated in units of one megawatt-hour. They are also more difficult to design and implement than

980-557: A number of studies argued that state intervention was important in the East Asian growth miracle. He has argued "it is impossible to understand the East Asian growth miracle without appreciating the important role that government policy played in stimulating private investment". The Tiger economies experienced a setback in the 1997 Asian financial crisis . Hong Kong came under intense speculative attacks against its stock market and currency necessitating unprecedented market interventions by

1078-451: A political prisoner sentenced to death (later commuted to exile). He won against the backdrop of the 1997 Asian financial crisis , where he took IMF advice to restructure the economy and the nation soon recovered its economic growth, albeit at a slower pace. In June 2000, as part of President Kim Dae-jung's " Sunshine Policy " of engagement, a North–South summit took place in Pyongyang ,

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1176-681: A result of South Korea's proximity to China, which is a major air polluter. South Korea had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 6.02/10, ranking it 87th globally out of 172 countries. South Korea is a member of the Antarctic-Environmental Protocol , Antarctic Treaty , Biodiversity Treaty , Kyoto Protocol (forming the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), regarding UNFCCC , with Mexico and Switzerland), Desertification , Endangered Species , Environmental Modification , Hazardous Wastes , Law of

1274-622: A secondary education enrollment rate of 88% by 1987. There was also a notable decrease in the gap between male and female enrollments during the Asian miracle. Overall these advances in education allowed for high levels of literacy and cognitive skills. The creation of stable macroeconomic environments was the foundation upon which the Asian miracle was built. Each of the Four Asian Tiger states managed, to various degrees of success, three variables in: budget deficits , external debt and exchange rates . Each Tiger nation's budget deficits were kept within

1372-534: A series of massive public demonstrations from November 2016, and she was removed from office. After the fallout of Park's impeachment and dismissal, elections were held and Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party won the presidency, assuming office on May 10, 2017. His tenure saw an improving political relationship with North Korea, some increasing divergence in the military alliance with the United States, and

1470-466: A significant boost for South Korea's global image and economy. South Korea was formally invited to become a member of the United Nations in 1991. The transition of Korea from autocracy to modern democracy was marked in 1997 by the election of Kim Dae-jung, who was sworn in as the eighth president of South Korea on February 25, 1998. His election was significant given that he had in earlier years been

1568-493: A southwestern region of mountains and valleys; and a southeastern region dominated by the broad basin of the Nakdong River . South Korea is home to three terrestrial ecoregions: Central Korean deciduous forests , Manchurian mixed forests , and Southern Korea evergreen forests . South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous, most of which is not arable . Lowlands , located primarily in the west and southeast, make up only 30% of

1666-425: Is a comprehensive overhaul of South Korea's economy, utilizing nearly two percent of the national GDP. The greening initiative includes such efforts as a nationwide bike network, solar and wind energy, lowering oil dependent vehicles, backing daylight saving time and extensive usage of environmentally friendly technologies such as LEDs in electronics and lighting. The country—one of the world's most wired—plans to build

1764-555: Is a significant influence of Confucianism on the corporate and political institutions of the Asian Tigers. Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew advocated Asian values as an alternative to the influence of Western culture in Asia. This theory was not without its critics. There was a lack of mainland Chinese economic success during the same time frame as the Four Tigers, and yet China was

1862-488: Is affected by the East Asian monsoon , with precipitation heavier in summer during a short rainy season called jangma , which begins end of June and lasts through the end of July. In Seoul, the average January temperature range is −7 to 1 °C (19 to 34 °F), and the average August temperature range is 22 to 30 °C (72 to 86 °F). Winter temperatures are higher along the southern coast and considerably lower in

1960-412: Is also the site of South Korea's highest point: Hallasan , an extinct volcano , reaches 1,950 meters (6,400 feet) above sea level . The easternmost islands of South Korea include Ulleungdo and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo/Takeshima), while Marado and Socotra Rock are the southernmost islands of South Korea. South Korea tends to have a humid continental climate and a humid subtropical climate , and

2058-497: Is concentrated in the summer months of June through September. The southern coast is subject to late summer typhoons that bring strong winds, heavy rains and sometimes floods. The average annual precipitation varies from 1,370 millimeters (54 in) in Seoul to 1,470 millimeters (58 in) in Busan. During the first 20 years of South Korea's growth surge, little effort was made to preserve

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2156-518: Is due in no small part to each country's government fiscal stimulus measures. These fiscal packages accounted for more than 4% of each country's GDP in 2009. Another reason for the strong bounce back is the modest corporate and household debt in these four nations. A 2011 article published in Applied Economics Letters by financial economist Mete Feridun of University of Greenwich Business School and his international colleagues investigates

2254-622: Is the only such government in Korea." Both leaders engaged in authoritarian repression of political opponents. South Korea requested military support from the United States but was denied, and North Korea's military was heavily reinforced by the Soviet Union. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea, sparking the Korean War , the Cold War 's first major conflict, which continued until 1953. At

2352-489: The 38th parallel as the dividing line, as it placed Seoul under U.S. control. To the surprise of Rusk and Bonesteel, the Soviets accepted their proposal and agreed to divide Korea. Despite intentions to liberate a unified peninsula in the 1943 Cairo Declaration , escalating tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States led to the division of Korea into two political entities in 1948: North Korea and South Korea. In

2450-686: The Economic Development Board formulated and implemented national economic strategies to promote the country's manufacturing sector. Industrial estates were set up and foreign investment was attracted to the country with tax incentives. Meanwhile, Taiwan and South Korea began to industrialize in the mid-1960s with heavy government involvement including initiatives and policies. Both countries pursued export-oriented industrialization as in Hong Kong and Singapore. The four countries were inspired by Japan's evident success, and they collectively pursued

2548-763: The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan . Japanese rule ended following Japan's surrender in World War II , after which Korea was divided into two zones : a northern zone , which was occupied by the Soviet Union , and a southern zone , which was occupied by the United States . After negotiations on reunification failed,

2646-634: The Gwangju Democratization Movement . Chun subsequently created the National Defense Emergency Policy Committee and took the presidency according to his political plan. Chun and his government held South Korea under a despotic rule until 1987, when a Seoul National University student, Park Jong-chul , was tortured to death. On June 10 , the Catholic Priests Association for Justice revealed

2744-634: The Joseon Navy led by Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his renowned " turtle ship ") with assistance from righteous army militias formed by Korean civilians, and Ming dynasty Chinese troops. Through a series of successful battles of attrition, the Japanese forces were eventually forced to withdraw, and relations between all parties became normalized. However, the Manchus took advantage of Joseon's war-weakened state and invaded in 1627 and 1637 and then went on to conquer

2842-546: The Korea Strait and the East China Sea . The country, including all its islands, lies between latitudes 33° and 39°N , and longitudes 124° and 130°E . Its total area is 100,410 square kilometers (38,768.52 sq mi). South Korea can be divided into four general regions: an eastern region of high mountain ranges and narrow coastal plains; a western region of broad coastal plains, river basins , and rolling hills;

2940-536: The Korean Demilitarized Zone ; though it also claims the land border with China and Russia . The country's western border is formed by the Yellow Sea , while its eastern border is defined by the Sea of Japan . South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands . It has a population of 51.96 million, of which half live in the Seoul Capital Area ,

3038-618: The March First Movement protests in 1919 and the subsequent foundation of resistance groups in exile, primarily in China. Among the resistance groups was Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea . Towards the end of World War II , the U.S. proposed dividing the Korean peninsula into two occupation zones: a U.S. zone and a Soviet zone . Dean Rusk and Charles H. Bonesteel III suggested

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3136-475: The National Taiwan University , Chinese University of Hong Kong , The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , Seoul National University , National University of Singapore , Nanyang Technological University and University of Hong Kong . The cities of Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul are prominent hubs in higher education. The role of Confucianism has been used to explain the success of

3234-537: The Proto–Three Kingdoms period , the states of Buyeo , Okjeo , Dongye , and Samhan occupied the whole Korean peninsula and southern Manchuria. From them, the Three Kingdoms of Korea emerged: Goguryeo , Baekje , and Silla . Goguryeo, the largest and most powerful among them, was a highly militaristic state and competed with various Chinese dynasties during its 700 years of history. Goguryeo experienced

3332-479: The Red Turbans . However, in 1392, General Yi Seong-gye , who had been ordered to attack China, turned his army around and staged a coup. Yi Seong-gye declared the new name of Korea as "Joseon" in reference to Gojoseon, and moved the capital to Hanseong (one of the old names of Seoul ). The first 200 years of the Joseon dynasty were marked by peace and saw great advancements in science and education, as well as

3430-474: The Seoul subway system , and laid the foundation for economic development during his 17-year tenure, which ended with his assassination in 1979. The years after Park's assassination were marked again by political turmoil, as the previously suppressed opposition leaders all campaigned to run for president in the sudden political void. In 1979, General Chun Doo-hwan led the coup d'état of December Twelfth . Following

3528-739: The Shandong Peninsula and the mouth of the Yangtze River. However, Silla was later weakened due to internal strife and the revival of successor states Baekje and Goguryeo , which culminated into the Later Three Kingdoms period in the late 9th century. Buddhism flourished during this time. Many Korean Buddhists gained great fame among Chinese Buddhist circles and greatly contributed to Chinese Buddhism . Examples of significant Korean Buddhists from this period include Woncheuk , Wonhyo , Uisang , Musang , and Kim Gyo-gak . Kim

3626-473: The Tiger Cub Economies of Southeast Asia. In 1993, a World Bank report The East Asian Miracle credited neoliberal policies with the economic boom, including the maintenance of export-oriented policies , low taxes and minimal welfare states . Institutional analyses found that some level of state intervention was involved. Some analysts argued that industrial policy and state intervention had

3724-602: The financial crisis of 2007–08 . By the fourth quarter of 2008, the GDP of all four nations fell by an average annualized rate of around 15%. Exports also fell by a 50% annualized rate. Weak domestic demand also affected the recovery of these economies. In 2008, retail sales fell 3% in Hong Kong, 6% in Singapore and 11% in Taiwan. As the world recovered from the financial crisis, the Four Asian Tiger economies have also rebounded strongly. This

3822-410: The fourteenth-largest by PPP-adjusted GDP . Its citizens enjoy one of the world's fastest Internet connection speeds and densest high-speed railway networks . The country is the world's ninth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer . Its armed forces are ranked as one of the world's strongest militaries, with the world's second-largest standing army by military and paramilitary personnel . In

3920-511: The ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world . Other major cities include Busan , Daegu , and Incheon . The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. After the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by

4018-498: The 14th century dynasty) in 2333 BCE by the legendary Dangun . Gojoseon was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century. Gojoseon expanded until it controlled the northern Korean Peninsula and parts of Manchuria . Gija Joseon was purportedly founded in the 12th century BCE, but its existence and role have been controversial in the modern era. In 108 BCE, the Han dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and installed four commanderies in

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4116-490: The 2023 QS University Rankings , the top 100 universities in the world include 5 universities from Hong Kong, 6 universities from South Korea, 2 from Singapore and 1 from Taiwan. Despite the small populations and the relatively short history of universities in the four countries, they together account for a quarter of the top 100 universities located outside of the United States or the United Kingdom . Notable schools include

4214-711: The 21st century, South Korea has been renowned for its globally influential pop culture, particularly in music , TV dramas , and cinema , a phenomenon referred to as the Korean Wave . It is a member of the OECD 's Development Assistance Committee , the G20 , the IPEF , and the Paris Club . The name Korea is an exonym , although it was derived from a historical kingdom name, Goryeo ( Revised Romanization ) or Koryŏ ( McCune–Reischauer ). Goryeo

4312-464: The Asian miracle: factor accumulation and macroeconomic management. The Hong Kong economy was the first out of the four to undergo industrialization with the development of a textile industry in the 1950s. By the 1960s, manufacturing in the British colony had expanded and diversified to include clothing, electronics, and plastics for export orientation . Following Singapore's independence from Malaysia ,

4410-612: The Four Asian Tigers. This conclusion is similar to the Protestant work ethic theory in the West promoted by German sociologist Max Weber in his book The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism . The culture of Confucianism is said to have been compatible with industrialization because it valued stability, hard work, discipline, and loyalty and respect towards authority figures. There

4508-456: The Great and declined. Silla was the smallest and weakest of the three, but used opportunistic pacts and alliances with the more powerful Korean kingdoms, and eventually Tang China , to its advantage. In 676, the unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla led to the Northern and Southern States period , in which Balhae controlled the northern parts of Goguryeo, and much of the Korean Peninsula

4606-577: The Japanese islands and displaced or intermingled with the original Jōmon inhabitants. The linguistic homeland of Proto- Koreans is located somewhere in southern Siberia / Manchuria , such as the Liao River area or the Amur River area. Proto-Koreans arrived in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula at around 300 BC, replacing and assimilating Japonic-speakers and likely causing the Yayoi migration. During

4704-557: The Korean crown prince. Henceforth, Goryeo continued to rule Korea, though as a tributary ally to the Mongols for the next 86 years. During this period, the two nations became intertwined as all subsequent Korean kings married Mongol princesses, and the last empress of the Yuan dynasty was a Korean princess. In the mid-14th century, Goryeo drove out the Mongols to regain its northern territories, briefly conquered Liaoyang , and defeated invasions by

4802-469: The Korean name. As a result, the Korean name "Daehan Minguk" is sometimes used by South Koreans as a metonym to refer to the Korean ethnicity (or " race ") as a whole, rather than just the South Korean state. The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. According to Korea's founding mythology , the history of Korea begins with the founding of Joseon (also known as " Gojoseon ", or "Old Joseon", to differentiate it with

4900-597: The Sea , Marine Dumping , Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (not into force), Ozone Layer Protection , Ship Pollution , Tropical Timber 83 , Tropical Timber 94 , Wetlands , and Whaling . The South Korean government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea . Like many democratic states, South Korea has a government divided into three branches: executive , judicial , and legislative . The executive and legislative branches operate primarily at

4998-446: The South Korean public. South Korea saw another milestone in 2012 with the first ever female President Park Geun-hye elected and assuming office. The daughter of former President Park Chung Hee, she carried on a conservative brand of politics. President Park Geun-hye's administration was formally accused of corruption, bribery, and influence-peddling for the involvement of close friend Choi Soon-sil in state affairs. There followed

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5096-770: The South, the United States appointed and supported the former head of the Korean Provisional Government Syngman Rhee as leader. Rhee won the first presidential elections of the newly declared Republic of Korea in May 1948. In the North, the Soviets backed a former anti-Japanese guerrilla and communist activist, Kim Il Sung , who was appointed premier of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in September. In October,

5194-548: The Soviet Union declared Kim Il Sung's government as sovereign over both the north and south. The UN declared Rhee's government as "a lawful government having effective control and jurisdiction over that part of Korea where the UN Temporary Commission on Korea was able to observe and consult" and the government "based on elections which was observed by the Temporary Commission" in addition to a statement that "this

5292-402: The Vietnam War. Park was heavily criticized as a ruthless military dictator, who in 1972 extended his rule by creating a new constitution , which gave the president sweeping (almost dictatorial) powers and permitted him to run for an unlimited number of six-year terms. The Korean economy developed significantly during Park's tenure. The government developed the nationwide expressway system ,

5390-400: The capital of North Korea. Later that year, Kim received the Nobel Peace Prize "for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular". However, because of discontent among the population for fruitless approaches to the North under the previous administrations and, amid North Korean provocations,

5488-435: The case of Thailand there exists a bidirectional causality between these variables. The results further suggest that in the case of Malaysia, financial development does not seem to cause economic growth. In 2018, the combined economy of the Four Asian Tigers constituted 3.46% of the world's economy with a total Gross domestic product (GDP) of 2,932 billion US dollars. The GDP in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan

5586-429: The causal relationship between financial development and economic growth for Thailand , Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , China, India and Singapore for the period between 1979 and 2009, using Johansen cointegration tests and vector error correction models . The results suggest that in the case of Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, China and India financial development leads to economic growth, whereas in

5684-420: The country's high level of exports. Exchange rates in the Four Asian Tiger nations had been changed from long-term fixed rate regimes to fixed-but-adjustable rate regimes with the occasional steep devaluation of managed floating rate regimes. This active exchange rate management allowed the Four Tiger economies to avoid exchange rate appreciation and maintain a stable real exchange rate. Export policies have been

5782-534: The coup d'état, Chun planned to rise to power through several measures. On May 17, Chun forced the Cabinet to expand martial law to the whole nation, which had previously not applied to Jeju Island . The expanded martial law closed universities, banned political activities, and further curtailed the press. Chun's assumption of the presidency through the events of May 17 triggered nationwide protests demanding democracy; these protests were particularly focused, Gwangju , to which Chun sent special forces to violently suppress

5880-430: The creation of Hangul by Sejong the Great to promote literacy among the common people. The prevailing ideology of the time was Neo-Confucianism , which was epitomized by the seonbi class: nobles who passed up positions of wealth and power to lead lives of study and integrity. Between 1592 and 1598, Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched invasions of Korea , but the advance was halted by Korean forces (most notably

5978-415: The current Sixth Republic. The country is now considered among the most advanced democracies in continental and East Asia. South Korea maintains a unitary presidential republic under the 1987 constitution with a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly . It is considered a regional power and a developed country , with its economy ranked as the world's fourteenth-largest by nominal GDP and

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6076-505: The de facto reason for the rise of these Four Asian Tiger economies. The approach taken has been different among the four nations. Hong Kong, and Singapore introduced trade regimes that were neoliberal in nature and encouraged free trade, while South Korea and Taiwan adopted mixed regimes that accommodated their own export industries. In Hong Kong and Singapore, due to small domestic markets, domestic prices were linked to international prices. South Korea and Taiwan introduced export incentives for

6174-444: The destabilized Ming dynasty. After normalizing relations with the new Qing dynasty , Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. Kings Yeongjo and Jeongjo particularly led a new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty during the 18th century. In the 19th century, Joseon began experiencing economic difficulties and widespread uprisings, including the Donghak Peasant Revolution . The royal in-law families had gained control of

6272-471: The dispersion of knowledge on philosophy, literature, religion, and science. By 1100, there were 12 universities that produced notable scholars. However, the Mongol invasions in the 13th century greatly weakened the kingdom. Goryeo was never conquered by the Mongols, but exhausted after three decades of fighting, the Korean court sent its crown prince to the Yuan capital to swear allegiance to Kublai Khan , who accepted and married one of his daughters to

6370-443: The economy in ruins . The authoritarian First Republic of Korea led by Syngman Rhee was overthrown in the April Revolution of 1960. However, the Second Republic failed to control the revolutionary fervor. The May 16 coup of 1961 led by Park Chung Hee put an end to the Second Republic, signaling the start of the Third Republic in 1963. South Korea's devastated economy began to soar under Park's leadership, recording one of

6468-407: The environment. Unchecked industrialization and urban development have resulted in deforestation and the ongoing destruction of wetlands such as the Songdo Tidal Flat. However, there have been recent efforts to balance these problems, including a government run $ 84 billion five-year green growth project that aims to boost energy efficiency and green technology. The green-based economic strategy

6566-747: The exception of the short-lived Second Republic of Korea , the country has always had a presidential system with an independent chief executive. Under its current constitution the state is sometimes referred to as the Sixth Republic of Korea . The first direct election was also held in 1948. Four Asian Tigers By the early 21st century, these economies had developed into high-income economies , specializing in areas of competitive advantage. Hong Kong and Singapore have become leading international financial centres , whereas South Korea and Taiwan are leaders in manufacturing electronic components and devices. Large institutions have pushed to have them serve as role models for many developing countries , especially

6664-452: The fastest rises in average GDP per capita . Despite lacking natural resources, the nation rapidly developed to become one of the Four Asian Tigers based on international trade and economic globalization , integrating itself within the world economy with export-oriented industrialization . The Fourth Republic was established after the October Restoration of 1972, in which Park wielded absolute power. The Yushin Constitution declared that

6762-572: The four economies far exceeded other countries at similar levels of development. This subsequently led to a rapid growth in per capita income levels. While high investments were essential to their economic growth, the role of human capital was also important. Education in particular is cited as playing a major role in the Asian economic miracle. The levels of education enrollment in the Four Asian Tigers were higher than predicted given their level of income. By 1965, all four nations had achieved universal primary education. South Korea in particular had achieved

6860-465: The fourth largest city in the world. It experienced a golden age of art and culture, exemplified by monuments such as Hwangnyongsa , Seokguram , and the Emille Bell . It also carried on the maritime legacy and prowess of Baekje, and during the 8th and 9th centuries dominated the seas of East Asia and the trade between China, Korea, and Japan, most notably during the time of Jang Bogo . In addition, Silla people made overseas communities in China on

6958-408: The government, leading to mass corruption and weakening of the state. In addition, the strict isolationism of the Joseon government that earned it "the hermit kingdom " became increasing ineffective due to increasing encroachment from powers such as Japan, Russia, and the United States. This is exemplified by the Joseon–United States Treaty of 1882 , in which it was compelled to open its borders. In

7056-689: The incident, igniting the June Democratic Struggle across the country. Eventually, Chun's party, the Democratic Justice Party , and its leader, Roh Tae-woo , announced the June 29 Declaration , which included the direct election of the president. Roh went on to win the election by a narrow margin against the two main opposition leaders, Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam . Seoul hosted the Olympic Games in 1988 , widely regarded as successful and

7154-743: The late 19th century, Japan became a significant regional power after winning the First Sino-Japanese War against Qing China and the Russo-Japanese War against the Russian Empire . In 1897, King Gojong, the last king of Korea , proclaimed Joseon as the Korean Empire . However, Japan compelled Korea to become its protectorate in 1905 and formally annexed it in 1910. What followed was a period of forced assimilation, in which Korean language, culture, and history were suppressed. This led to

7252-401: The limits of their financial limits, as to not destabilize the macro-economy. South Korea in particular had deficits lower than the OECD average in the 1980s. External debt was non-existent for Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, as they did not borrow from abroad. Although South Korea was the exception to this – its debt to GNP ratio was quite high during the period 1980–1985, it was sustained by

7350-415: The mountainous interior. Summer can be uncomfortably hot and humid, with temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F) in most parts of the country. South Korea has four distinct seasons; spring, summer, autumn and winter. Spring usually lasts from late March to early May, summer from mid-May to early September, autumn from mid-September to early November, and winter from mid-November to mid-March. Rainfall

7448-478: The national level, although various ministries in the executive branch also carry out local functions. The judicial branch operates at both the national and local levels. Local governments are semi-autonomous and contain executive and legislative bodies of their own. South Korea is a constitutional democracy. The constitution has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 at independence. However, it has retained many broad characteristics and with

7546-461: The north and the south, the war eventually reached a stalemate. During the war, Rhee's party promoted the One-People Principle , an effort to build an obedient citizenry through ethnic homogeneity and authoritarian appeals to nationalism . The 1953 armistice , never signed by South Korea, split the peninsula along the demilitarized zone near the original demarcation line. No peace treaty

7644-475: The northern Korean peninsula. Three of the commanderies fell or retreated westward within a few decades. As Lelang Commandery was destroyed and rebuilt around this time, the place gradually moved toward Liaodong. Thus, its force was diminished and only served as a trade center until it was conquered by Goguryeo in 313. Beginning around 300 BC, the Japonic -speaking Yayoi people from the Korean Peninsula entered

7742-475: The official name for the entire territory, though it was not universally accepted. The new official name has its origin in the ancient kingdom of Gojoseon (2333 BCE). In 1897, the Joseon dynasty changed the country's official name from Joseon to Daehan Jeguk ( Korean Empire ). The name Daehan (Great Han) derives from Samhan (Three Han), referring to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , not the ancient confederacies in

7840-529: The peoples who traded with this part of the world known by the Portuguese as the Gores . Despite the coexistence of the spellings Corea and Korea in 19th-century publications, some Koreans believe that Imperial Japan , around the time of the Japanese occupation, intentionally standardized the spelling of Korea , making Japan appear first alphabetically. After Goryeo was replaced by Joseon in 1392, Joseon became

7938-596: The president could suspend basic human rights and appoint a third of the parliament. Suppression of the opposition and human rights abuse by the government became more severe in this period. Even after Park's assassination in 1979, the authoritarian rule continued in the Fifth Republic led by Chun Doo-hwan , which violently seized power by two coups and brutally suppressed the Gwangju Uprising . The June Democratic Struggle of 1987 ended authoritarian rule , forming

8036-467: The resignation of the autocratic President Syngman Rhee. This was followed by 13 months of political instability as South Korea was led by a weak and ineffectual government. This instability was broken by the May 16, 1961, coup led by General Park Chung Hee . As president, Park oversaw a period of rapid export-led economic growth enforced by political repression . Under Park, South Korea took an active role in

8134-675: The ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor nations of Goguryeo. Like Silla, Goryeo was a highly cultural state, and invented the metal movable type printing press . After defeating the Khitan Empire, which was the most powerful empire of its time, in the Goryeo–Khitan War , Goryeo experienced a golden age that lasted a century, during which the Tripitaka Koreana was completed and significant developments in printing and publishing occurred. This promoted education and

8232-423: The same goal by investing in the same categories: infrastructure and education. They also benefited from foreign trade advantages that set them apart from other countries, most significantly economic support from the United States; part of this is manifested in the proliferation of American electronic products in common households of the Four Tigers. By the end of the 1960s, levels in physical and human capital in

8330-402: The southern Korean Peninsula. However, the name Joseon was still widely used by Koreans to refer to their country, though it was no longer the official name. Under Japanese rule , the two names Han and Joseon coexisted. Following the surrender of Japan , in 1945, the "Republic of Korea" was adopted as the legal English name for the new country. However, it is not a direct translation of

8428-616: The southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948, while the northern zone became the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea the following month. In 1950, a North Korean invasion began the Korean War , which ended in 1953 after extensive fighting involving the American-led United Nations Command and the People's Volunteer Army from China with Soviet assistance . The war left 3 million Koreans dead and

8526-645: The state Hong Kong Monetary Authority . South Korea was hit the hardest as its foreign debt burdens swelled resulting in its currency falling between 35 and 50%. By the beginning of 1997, the stock market in Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea also saw losses of at least 60% in dollar terms. Singapore and Taiwan were relatively unscathed. The Four Asian Tigers recovered from the 1997 crisis faster than other countries due to various economic advantages including their high savings rate (except South Korea) and their openness to trade. The export-oriented tiger economies, which benefited from American consumption, were hit hard by

8624-570: The successful hosting of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang . In April 2018, Park Geun-hye was sentenced to 24 years in jail because of abuse of power and corruption. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the nation since 2020. That same year, South Korea recorded more deaths than births, resulting in a population decline for the first time on record. In March 2022, Yoon Suk Yeol , the candidate of conservative opposition People Power Party , won

8722-488: The time, the Soviet Union had boycotted the UN, thus forfeiting their veto rights . This allowed the UN to intervene in a civil war when it became apparent that the superior North Korean forces would unify the entire country. The Soviet Union and China backed North Korea, with the later participation of millions of Chinese troops . After an ebb and flow that saw both sides facing defeat with massive losses among Korean civilians in both

8820-521: The total land area. South Korea has 20 national parks and popular nature places like the Boseong Tea Fields, Suncheon Bay Ecological Park , and Jirisan . About 3,000 islands, mostly small and uninhabited, lie off the western and southern coasts of South Korea. Jeju Province is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the southern coast of South Korea. It is the country's largest island, with an area of 1,845 square kilometers (712 square miles). Jeju

8918-486: The traded-goods sector. The governments of Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan also worked to promote specific exporting industries, which were termed as an export push strategy. All these policies helped these four nations to achieve a growth averaging 7.5% each year for three decades and as such they achieved developed country status. Dani Rodrik, economist at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, has in

9016-590: Was a Silla prince whose influence made Mount Jiuhua one of the Four Sacred Mountains of Chinese Buddhism. In 936, the Later Three Kingdoms were united by Wang Geon , who established Goryeo as the successor state of Goguryeo. Balhae had fallen to the Khitan Empire in 926, and a decade later the last crown prince of Balhae fled south to Goryeo, where he was warmly welcomed and included in

9114-552: Was controlled by Later Silla . Relationships between Korea and China remained relatively peaceful during this time. Balhae was founded by a Goguryeo general and formed as a successor state to Goguryeo. During its height, Balhae controlled most of Manchuria and parts of the Russian Far East and was called the "Prosperous Country in the East". Late Silla was a wealthy country, and its metropolitan capital of Gyeongju grew to become

9212-585: Was ever signed, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. Approximately 3 million people died in the Korean War, with a higher proportional civilian death toll than World War II or the Vietnam War , making it one of the deadliest conflicts of the Cold War era. In addition, virtually all of Korea's major cities were destroyed by the war. In 1960, a student uprising (the " April Revolution ") led to

9310-642: Was generally successful and helped develop the countries into more advanced and high-income industrialized developed countries . For example, all four countries have become global education centers with Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong high school students scoring well on math and science exams such as the PISA exam and with Taiwanese students winning several medals in International Olympiads. In relation to higher-level education, there are many prestigious colleges as in most developed countries. In

9408-488: Was sunk killing 46 South Korean sailors, allegedly by a North Korean submarine. In November 2010 Yeonpyeongdo was attacked by a significant North Korean artillery barrage, with 4 people dying. The lack of a strong response to these attacks from both South Korea and the international community (the official UN report declined to explicitly name North Korea as the perpetrator for the Cheonan sinking) caused significant anger with

9506-558: Was the shortened name officially adopted by Goguryeo in the 5th century and the name of its 10th-century successor state Goryeo. Visiting Arab and Persian merchants pronounced its name as "Korea". The modern name of Korea appears in the first Portuguese maps of 1568 by João vaz Dourado as Conrai and later in the late 16th century and early 17th century as Corea (Korea) in the maps of Teixeira Albernaz of 1630. The Kingdom of Goryeo became first known to Westerners when Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca in 1511 and described

9604-710: Was worth 363.03 billion, 361.1 billion, 1,619.42 billion and 589.39 billion US dollars respectively in 2018, which represented 0.428%, 0.426%, 1.911% and 0.696% of the world economy. Together, their combined economy surpassed the United Kingdom's GDP of 3.34% of the world's economy some time in the mid-2010s. In 2021, each of the Four Asian Tigers' GDP Per capita (nominal) exceeds $ 30,000 according to IMF 's estimate. The four governments focused on investing heavily in their infrastructure as well as education to benefit their country through skilled workers and higher level jobs such as engineers and doctors. The policy

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