South Korea

HISTORY

After Japan lost World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on leaving Korea partitioned along the 38th parallel. Separate governments, each with its own ideology were established. Syngman Rhee, an opponent of communism, who had been backed and appointed by the United States as head of the provisional government, won the first presidential elections of the newly declared Republic of Korea in May 1948.

The ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea took place in August 15, 1948.

Ceremony inaugurating the government of the Republic of Korea 

Following the establishment of the South Korean state, the current flag was declared official by the government of South Korea on October 15, 1949, although it had been used as the de facto national flag before then.

In 1950 communist North Korea, seeking unification of the Korean peninsula, launched a large scale invasion of South Korea. US President Harry Truman ordered troops to assist South Korea and after three years fighting the Korean War ended in stalemate with no land lost or gained.

Though the United States, China, and North Korea all signed an armistice agreement, Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea, refused to sign, resulting in the two countries remaining technically at war. However the South Korean pledged to observe the armistice.

Seoul hosted the Olympic Games in 1988, which was widely regarded as successful and a significant boost for South Korea's global image and economy.

Fireworks at the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul

Roh Moo-hyun, President of South Korea from 2003 to 2008, killed himself in 2009 by jumping off a cliff. His left-wing party chose to delay the opening of parliament until the right-wing government of the time accepted responsibility for his suicide.

The 2018 Pyeongchang, South Korea Winter Olympic games saw 2,952 athletes from 92 countries take part.

South Korea's GDP per Capita in 1960 was $79, and the country received aid from many African nations because it was so poor. It is now the twelfth biggest economy in the world. 

FUN SOUTH KOREA FACTS

South Korea has completely Autonomous Turrets, SGR-A1 developed by Samsung, deployed along its entire 160 mile border with North Korea, making it the most militarized border in the world.

Seoul, the South Korean capital, just means "the capital" in the Korean language.

About half of the country's people live in iSeoul, or near the city in the metropolitan area.

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 the total land area.

Topography of South Korea. By Sadalmelik - Wikipedia

Christianity has been flourishing in South Korea for many decades. From the beginning of the First World War where there were under 200,000 Christians in the whole of Korea the numbers increased dramatically helped by the efforts of American missionaries to around 15 million by the end of the century. This is in spite of the partitioning of Korea in 1948 whereby the communist North Korea has one of the the most atheistic countries in the world.

Hangul, the alphabet which is used to write Korean, was published by King Sejong the Great of Joseon in 1446. It is the only alphabet in the word whose creator, invention day and invention principle is known.

The most famous traditional food of Korea, kimchi, is eaten with nearly every meal. It is a side dish made from salted and fermented vegetables, most commonly napa cabbage and Korean radishes, with a variety of seasonings.

Various kimch By National Institute of Korean Language.

Park Geun-Hye was the first female Korean president, serving as the President of South Korea from 2013 until her impeachment in 2017. She is the daughter of a Korean former president, Park Chung-hee.

In South Korea, the number of guests at a wedding is so important that "fake guest" agencies exist.

60% of South Korean families use professionals to find a name for their newborns.

In Korean, there are no words for 'brother' or 'sister', but there are words for an older or younger brother, and an older or younger sister.

In South Korea, where great emphasis is placed on academic success, children average 4.9 hours of sleep a night.

South Korean criminal law applies to South Korean citizens throughout the world. Since gambling is illegal in South Korea, citizens cannot even gamble overseas.

South Korea has what is known as the 'Cinderella Law' which bans children under 16 from online gaming between midnight and 6am.

According to the 2000 census in South Korea, there are 426,927 people in the country with the surname Moon.

South Korean women are nearly 8 inches (~20cm) taller today than 100 years ago - a jump bigger than any other population in the world.

In South Korea, men who win Olympic medals do not have to participate in the two year long mandatory military service.

The tiger is the national animal of South Korea, despite being an extinct species in Korea..

In order to legally give someone a tattoo in South Korea, one must obtain a doctor's license.

In South Korea only the blind or visually impaired may become licensed masseurs.