Korea South

National name: Taehan Min’guk

Government
Republic.

Geography
South Korea lies below the 38th parallel on the Korean peninsula. It is mountainous in the east; in the west and south are many harbors on the mainland and offshore islands.

Historical Background
Korea was an independent kingdom for much of the past millennium. 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 of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. During the Korean War (1950- 53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. 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 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. 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 Jong II.

Name

Republic of Korea

Capital

Seoul

Government

Presidential republic -President Lee Myung-bak -Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik -Speaker Park Hee-tae

Area

Total 100,210 km2 (108th) 38,691 sq mi      

Population

2010 estimate 48,875,000[1] (24th)

GDP (PPP)

2010 estimate  -Total $1,457.063 billion[2] (12th)

GDP (nominal)

2010 estimate - Total 986.256 billion[2] (14th)

Currency

South Korean won  (KRW)

Time zone

Korea Standard Time (UTC+9)