South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in
East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and
lying to the east of the Asian mainland.[12] The name Korea is derived
from Goguryeo which was one of the great powers in East Asia during its
time,[13][14][15][16] ruling most of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, par
ts of the Russian Far East[17] and Inner Mongolia,[18] under Gwanggaeto the
Great.[19] South Korea lies in the north temperate zone and has a predomi
nantly mountainous terrain. It comprises an estimated 51.4 million reside
nts distributed over 100,363 km2 (38,750 sq mi).[20][21] Its capital
and largest city is Seoul, with a population of around 10 million.
Archaeology indicates that the Korean Peninsula was inhabited
by early humans starting from the Lower Paleolithic period
(2.6 Ma–300 Ka).[22][23] The history of Korea begins with the
foundation of Gojoseon in 2333 BCE by the mythic king Dangun,
but no archaeological evidence and writing was found from this
period. The Gija Joseon was purportedly founded in 11th century
BCE, and its existence and role has been controversial in the modern
era. The written historical record on Gojoseon (Old Joseon) was first
mentioned in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE.[24] Following
the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Unified Silla in
CE 668, Korea was subsequently ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). It was annexed by the Empire of
Japan in 1910. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided into Soviet
and U.S. zones of occupations. A separate election was held in the U.S.
zone in 1948 which led to the creation of the Republic of Korea (ROK),
while the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was established
in the Soviet zone. The United Nations at the time passed a resolution
declaring the ROK to be the only lawful government in Korea.[25]
The Korean War began in June 1950 when forces from North Korea invaded
South Korea. The war lasted three years and involved the U.S., China,
the Soviet Union and several other nations. The border between the two
nations remains the most heavily fortified in the world.[26] Under long-
time military leader Park Chung-hee, the South Korean economy grew signi
ficantly and the country was transformed into a G-20 major economy.[27]
Military rule ended in 1987, and the country is now a presidential
republic consisting of 17 administrative divisions.
South Korea is a highly developed country and a high-income economy,
with a "very high" Human Development Index, ranking 22nd in the world.
The country is considered a regional power and is the world's 11th largest
economy by nominal GDP and the 12th largest by PPP as of 2010.[28] South Korea
is a global leader in the industrial and technological sectors, being the
world's 5th largest exporter and 8th largest importer. Its export-driven
economy primarily focuses production on electronics, automobiles, ships,
machinery, petrochemicals and robotics. South Korea is a member of the
ASEAN Plus mechanism, the United Nations, Uniting for Consensus, G20,
the WTO and OECD and is a founding member of APEC and the East Asia Summit.