Facts About Korea (2008) (English)

Facts about Korea
2008 Edition
Copyright 1973
Published by
Korean Culture and Information Service
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
15, Hyojaro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Telephone: 82-2-398-1910~9
Fax: 82-2-398-1882
All rights reserved
Printed in Seoul
ISBN 89-7375-032-0 03910
Korean Government Publication Number
11-1371030-000003-10
For further information about Korea,
please visit:
www.korea.net
Facts about Korea

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
4
Contents
Facts and Figures 6

General / Geography / People /
National Flag / National Anthem (Aegukga) /
Government / Economy /
Korea’s World Heritage
Korea and Its People 12

Geography /
Climate /
Population /
Language
History 24
Gojoseon / Three Kingdoms and Gaya /
Unified Silla and Balhae / Goryeo / Joseon /
Japanese Occupation and Independence Movement /
Founding of the Republic of Korea
Constitution and Government 36

Constitution / Executive Branch /
Legislature / Judiciary /
Independent Organizations / Local Government
Inter-Korean Relations 54
Historical Background /
Efforts Toward Peaceful Resolution of the North Korean Nuclear Issue /
Inter-Korean Exchanges and Cooperation /
Future Policy Directions
Korea in the World 70

International Relations /
Economic Exchanges /
International Peace and Cooperation /
Economy 82
Economic Growth / Industrial Innovation /
Science and Technology / Information and Telecommunications /
Economic Challenges / Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) /
Capital Market Liberalization / Investor-Oriented Support System /
World-Class Logistics Hub / Economic Outlook
Society 110
Social Welfare /
Education /
Media
Culture and the Arts 138

UNESCO Treasures in Korea /
Fine Arts / Literature /
Painting / Music and Dance /
Drama and Movies / Museums and Theaters
Korean Life 176

House / Clothing /
Food / Festivals /
Religion
Sports 202
Seoul Olympics in Retrospect /
Overall Olympic Standing /
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea, Japan /
National Sports Events / Popular Sports /
Traditional Sports
Tourism 218
Travel Advice / Transportation / Accommodation /
Exploring Korea / Shopping
FACTS AND FIGURES
1 Facts and Figures
General
Geography
People
National Flag
National Anthem (Aegukga)
Government
Economy
Facts and Figures
Longest rivers: Amnokgang River 790km,

Nakdonggang River 521.5km, Dumanggang
River 521km, Hangang River 481.7km
Major cities: Seoul (10.1 million),
Busan (3.5 million), Incheon (2.6 million),
Daegu (2.5 million), Dajeon (1.5 million),
Gwangju (1.4 million), Ulsan (1.1 million)
Climate: Temperate with four distinct
seasons
General
Country Name: Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Capital City: Seoul (10.1 million)
National flag: Taegeukgi
National flower: Mugunghwa (Rose of Sharon)
Currency: won (US$1 = 938.2 won)
※ average 2007 exchange rate
Language: Korean (Written form: Hangeul)
People
Population: 48.46 million (South Korea, 2007)

※ Foreign residents: 1.1 million
Median Age: 36.1 years (2007)
Economically active population: 24.2 million
(2007)
Geography Population increase rate: 0.33% (2007)

Life Expectancy: Males, 75.7 years; females,
Location: Strategically located at the
82.4 years (2006)
crossroads of Northeast Asia, Korea lies
between Japan, the Russian Far East and Religion: A 2005 census showed half of the
China population actively practices religion.
Among this group, 10,726,463 Buddhists,
Territory
8,616,438 Protestants and 5,146,147
-Korean Peninsula: 223,098km2
Catholics comprise the three dominant
-South Korea: 99,678km2
religions. The Constitution guarantees
Highest mountains: Baekdusan Mountain freedom of thought, conscience and
2744m, Hallasan Mountain 1950m religion.
8
The national flower of Korea is
the Mugunghwa or Rose of Sharon
National Flag The Korean flag is called Taegeukgi. Its design symbolizes the
principles of the yin and yang in Asian philosophy. The circle in the center of the flag is
divided into two equal parts. The upper red section represents the proactive cosmic forces
of the yang. Conversely, the lower blue section represents the responsive cosmic forces of
the yin. The two forces embody the concepts of continual movement, balance, and
harmony that characterize the sphere of infinity. The circle is surrounded by four trigrams,
one in each corner. Each trigram symbolizes one of the four universal elements: heaven,
earth, fire, and water.
National Anthem (Aegukga)

Andante maestoso Music by Ahn Eak-tai
Dong hae mul gwa Baek du sa ni Ma reugo dal to rok
Ha neu ni mi bo u-- ha sa u ri na raman se
Mu - gung hwa sam - cheol li hwa reo gang - san
Dae - hansa ram Dae han - eu ro gi ri bojeonha se
9
Facts and Figures
Economy
Gross Domestic Product: US$969.9 billion
(2007)
Per Capita GNI: US$20,045 (2007)
GDP Growth Rate: 5.0 percent (2007)
Foreign Exchange Reserves: US$262.2
billion (2007)
Government
Exports: US$371.5 billion (2007)
Political System: Democracy with president
Imports: US$356.8 billion (2007)
elected to a single 5-year term by direct
popular vote. Division of power among the Major Industrial Products: Semiconductors,
executive, legislature (unicameral National automobiles, ships, consumer electronics,
Assembly) and judiciary mobile telecommunication equipment,
steel and chemicals
President: Lee Myung-bak since 2008
FTAs: Korea has signed free trade
Suffrage: Universal at 19 years of age
agreements with Chile, Singapore, the
Elections European Free Trade Association (EFTA),
- Presidential: every 5 years ASEAN and the U.S. — 16 countries in all.
- National Assembly: every 4 years Currently, negotiations with the EU, Canada
- Local Councils: every 4 years and India are under way with the aim of
Political parties: Grand National Party, concluding these FTAs negotiations by the
United Democratic Party, Liberal Forward end of 2008.
Party, Democratic Labor Party, Pro-Park
Geun-hye Alliance, Renewal of Korea Party
AID: Korea contributed US$455 million in
Official Developmental Aid (ODA) in 2006.
Peacekeeping: South Korea began
participating in United Nations
peacekeeping operations with the dispatch
of a battalion of military engineers to
Somalia in 1993. It has since joined
peacekeeping efforts in India, Pakistan,
Liberia, Burundi, Sudan, Georgia, East
Timor, Lebanon and Afghanistan and sent
the Zaytun forces to Iraq’s Kurdish
autonomous region.
10
Memory of the World Register
•The Hunminjeongeum Manuscript (1997)
•Joseonwangjosillok, the Annals of the
Joseon Dynasty (1997)
•Seungjeongwonilgi, the Diaries of the
Royal Secretariat (2001)
•Buljo Jikjisimcheyojeol (vol. II), the
second volume of The Anthology of Great
Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings (2001)
•Printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka
Koreana and miscellaneous Buddhist
scriptures (2007)
World Heritage •Uigwe, The Royal Protocols of the Joseon
•Haeinsa Temple Janggyeongpanjeon, the Dynasty (2007)
Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana
Woodblocks (1995)
•Jongmyo Shrine (1995)
•Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple
(1995)
•Changdeokgung Palace Complex (1997)
•Hwaseong Fortress (1997)
http://www.korea.net
•Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen
Sites (2000)
•Gyeongju Historic Areas (2000)
•Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes (2007)
Visit korea.net, the official website of the

Korean Government, whenever you need:
•An update of what’s happening in Korea.
•In-depth knowledge about Korea’s
economy, history, arts and culture
•The latest government information
Intangible Cultural Heritage
•An extensive directory of websites
•The Royal Ancestral Ritual at the
related to Korea.
Jongmyo Shrine and its Music (2001)
korea.net provides users with the most
•The Pansori Epic Chant (2003)
accurate, timely, and comprehensive
•The Gangneung Danoje Festival (2005)
information about Korea.
11
KOREA AND ITS PEOPLE
2 Korea and Its People
Geography
Climate
Population
Language
Korea and Its People

Geography
Korea is situated on the Korean Peninsula, which spans 1,100
kilometers north to south. The Korean Peninsula lies on the
northeastern section of the Asian continent, where Korean
waters are joined by the western-most parts of the Pacific. The
peninsula shares its northern border with China and Russia.
To the east is the East Sea, beyond which neighboring Japan
lies. To the west is the Yellow Sea. In addition to the mainland,
Korea includes some 3,200 islands.
Korea encompasses a total of 223,098 square kilometers
— almost the same size as the United Kingdom or Ghana.
Some 45 percent of this area, or 99,678 square kilometers, is
considered cultivable area, excluding reclaimed land areas.
Mountainous terrain accounts for some two-thirds of the
territory like Portugal, Hungary or Ireland.
The Taebaeksan Mountain Range runs the full length of the
The Borders of Korean Territory
Extreme points Places Coordinates

Northernmost Yuwonjin, Hamgyeongbuk-do Province 43。00’42”N
Southernmost Marado Island, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province 33。06’43”N
Easternmost Dokdo Island, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province 131。52’21”E
Westernmost Maando Island, Pyeonganbuk-do Province 124。11’04”E
Source: National Geographic Information Institute
14
The Floating Island will be

built on Seoul’s Hangang
River near Banpo. When
completed in September
2009, the Floating Island,
composed of three
artificial islands, will have
facilities for performances
and exhibitions as well as
festivals, sports and
leisure activities.
east coast, where the lashing waves of the East Sea have
carved out sheer cliffs and rocky islets. The western and
southern slopes are rather gentle, forming plains and many
offshore islands honeycombed with inlets.
The peninsula features so many scenic mountains and
rivers that Koreans have often likened their country to a
beautifully embroidered brocade. The highest peak is on Mt.
Baekdusan in North Korea, along the northern border facing
China. It rises 2,744 meters above sea level and is an extinct
volcano with a large crater lake named Cheonji. The mountain
is regarded as an especially important symbol of the Korean
spirit and is mentioned in Korea’s national anthem.
Considering its territorial size, Korea has a relatively large
number of rivers and streams. These waterways played crucial
roles in shaping the lifestyle of Koreans and in the nation’s
industrialization. The two longest rivers in North Korea are the
Amnokgang River (Yalu, 790 kilometers) and the Dumangang
River (Tumen, 521 kilometers). These rivers originate from Mt.
Baekdusan and flow to the west and the east, respectively.
They form the peninsula’s northern border.
In the southern part of the peninsula, the Nakdonggang
16
River (521.5 kilometers) and the Hangang River (481.7
kilometers) are the two major waterways. The Hangang River
flows through Seoul, the capital of Korea, and serves as a
lifeline for the heavily concentrated population in the central
region of modern Korea, just as it did for the people of the
ancient kingdoms that developed along its banks.
Surrounding the peninsula on three sides, the ocean has
played an integral role in the lives of Koreans since ancient
times, contributing to the early development of shipbuilding
and navigational skills.
Climate
Korea has four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are
rather short, summer is hot and humid, and winter is cold
Spring on Anmyeondo
and dry with abundant snowfall, especially in the Island, Summer on
mountainous regions, but not along the southern coast. Baengnyeongdo Island,
Fall on Juwangsan
Temperatures differ widely from region to region within Korea, Mountain and Winter on
with the average being between 6°C (43°F) and 16°C (61°F). Deokyusan Mountain
17
In early spring, Siberian winds pick up “yellow dust”

from thawing deserts in northern China and carry it to the
peninsula and Japan. But in mid-April, the country also
enjoys balmy weather with the mountains and fields garbed
in brilliant wild flowers. Farmers prepare seedbeds for the
annual rice crop at this time.
Autumn, with its crisp air and crystal blue sky, is the
season most widely loved by Koreans. The countryside is
particularly beautiful, colored in a multitude of rustic hues.
Autumn, the harvest season, features various folk festivals
rooted in ancient agrarian customs.
Population
As of the end of 2007, South Korea’s total population was
estimated to be 48,456,369 with a density of 498 people per
square kilometer. The population of North Korea was
estimated to be 23,200,238.
Korea saw its population grow by an annual rate of 3
Monthly Mean Temperature and Precipitation in Seoul
Source: Korea Meteorological Administration
18
The influx of workers from
other countries and
growing number of
international marriages is
making Korea a more
multiethnic and
multicultural society.
percent during the 1960s, but growth slowed to 2 percent over

the next decade. In 2005, the rate stood at 0.21 percent and is
expected to further decline to 0.02 percent by 2020.
In the 1960s, Korea’s population distribution formed a
pyramid, with a high birth rate and relatively short life
expectancy. However, age-group distribution is now shaped
more like a bell because of the low birth rate and extended life
Population Structure
2005
Male Female (persons)
Source: Korea National Statistical Office
19
expectancy. Those aged 15 and younger will make up a

decreasing portion of the total, while senior citizens (65 and
older) will account for some 15.7 percent of the total by the
year 2020.
The nation’s rapid industrialization and urbanization in
the 1960s and 1970s has been accompanied by continuing
migration of rural residents into the cities, particularly
Seoul, resulting in heavily populated metropolitan areas.
However, in recent years, an increasing number of Seoulites
have begun moving to suburban areas.
The number of foreigners — including short-term
sojourners — residing in Korea reached 1,000,254,
surpassing for the first time the one million mark, on Aug.
24, 2007. They now make up two percent of the population.
And the yearly increase, in particular the 15 percent spurt
from the foreign population of 865,889 recorded in July
2006, shows how rapidly Korean society is diversifying in
terms of race and culture.
Hangeul has helped Korea
By nationality, Chinese made up 44 percent with 441,334
achieve a nearly 100% (266,764 of which were ethnic Koreans), followed by
literacy rate. The scientific Americans who made up 12 percent with 117,938. Vietnamese
alphabet has even given the
country an edge in the
comprised the third largest foreigners group at 6 percent
computer age. with 63,464, followed by Filipinos (5 percent with 50,264)
20
and Thais (4 percent with 43,792). The remainder were
mainly from Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia.
Among the 724,967 long-term residents, workers,
including industrial trainees, made up 56 percent of the
foreign population at 404,051. Those who came to Korea
through marriage were 14 percent at 104,749, while 7
percent or 47,479 were students studying in Korea.
Language
All Koreans speak and write the same language, which has
A portrait of King Sejong,
been a decisive factor in forging their strong national the leading force behind
identity. Korean has several different dialects in addition to the creation of Hangeul
the standard variety used in Seoul. Only the dialect of Jeju-

do Province, however, is so different that it is difficult for
others to understand.
Linguistic and ethnological studies have classified the
Korean language in the Altaic language family, which
includes the Turkic, Mongolic and Tungus-Manchu
languages.
King Sejong the Great commissioned and helped create
the Korean alphabet Hangeul during the 15th century.
Before its creation, only a relatively small percentage of the
Korean language courses

are attracting students
from overseas.
21
population was literate; few could master the difficult

Chinese characters used by the upper class.
Before developing a Korean writing system, King Sejong
studied several writing systems known at the time, such as
Uighur and Mongolian scripts and old Chinese seal
characters.
The system that Joseon scholars came up with, however,
is predominantly based upon phonology. They developed
and followed a theory that divided each syllable into initial,
medial and final phonemes, as opposed to the bipartite
division of traditional Chinese phonology.
The Korean Alphabet
Hangeul consists of ten vowels and fourteen consonants.
Depending on the vowel, syllables in Hangeul are written either from left to right (하) or
from top to bottom (구) with the possibility of one or two additional letters below (한, 국).
Ex)
22
Hangeul, which consists of 10 vowels and 14 consonants,
can be combined to form numerous syllabic groupings. It is
simple, yet systematic and comprehensive, and is
considered one of the most scientific writing systems in the
world. Hangeul is easy to learn and write, which has greatly
contributed to Korea’s high literacy rate and advanced
publication industry.
A growing number of students from abroad are enrolling
in Korean language courses at universities in Seoul,
including Seoul National, Yonsei, Korea and Ewha Womans
University.
Useful Korean Phrases
23
HISTORY
3 History
Gojoseon
Three Kingdoms and Gaya
Unified Silla and Balhae
Goryeo
Joseon
Japanese Occupation and Independence Movement
History
History
Gojoseon
People began living on the Korean Peninsula and its
surrounding areas from some 700,000 years ago. The
Neolithic Age began some 8,000 years ago. Relics from that
period can be found in areas throughout the Korean
Peninsula, mostly in coastal areas and in areas near big rivers.
The Bronze Age began around 1,500 to 2,000 B.C. in
present-day Mongolia and on the peninsula. As this
civilization began to form, numerous tribes appeared in the
Lioaning region of Manchuria and in northwestern Korea.
These tribes were ruled by leaders, whom Dangun, the
Pre-historic Period on the Korean Peninsula
Period: about 700,000 years ago Period: about 8,000 B.C. Period: around 1,000 B.C.
Tools: stone goods, bone-made Tools: polished stone tools, pottery Tools: Bronze
tools Economic activity: agriculture, Economic activity: Private property
Economic activity: hunting and livestock — settlements Habitat: ground-level housing
gathering — nomadic Habitat: dugouts Society: class society,
Habitat: caves, huts Society: tribal, and egalitarian private property
Society: group society, Relics: recognized
egalitarian society bitsalmunui togi Relics: minmunui togi
Relics: jumeok dokki (comb-pattern (non-decorative
(handaxe), geulggae pottery), earthenware), bipahyeong
(side-scraper) ppyeobaneul (bone donggeom (mandolin-
needles) shaped dagger)
Paleolithic Age Neolithic Age Bronze Age
26
legendary founder of the Korean people, later united to
establish Gojoseon (2333 B.C.). The founding date is a
testament to the longevity of Korea’s history. This heritage is
also a source of pride that provides Koreans the strength to
persevere in times of adversity.
Three Kingdoms and Gaya

Town-states gradually united into tribal leagues with complex
political structures which eventually grew into kingdoms.
Among various tribal leagues, Goguryeo (37 B.C.- A.D. 668), Armor and helmet
The armor used by Gaya
situated along the middle course of the Amnokgang (Yalu warriors was made from
River), was the first to mature into a kingdom. long, rectangular steel
plates connected by nails.
Goguryeo’s aggressive troops conquered neighboring
tribes one after another, and in 313, they even occupied
China’s Lolang outposts.
Baekje (18 B.C.-A.D. 660), which grew out of a town-state Three Kingdoms and
Gaya (5th century)
located south of the Hangang River in the vicinity of present-
day Seoul, was another confederated kingdom similar to
Goguryeo. During the reign of King Geunchogo (r. 346-375),
Baekje developed into a centralized and aristocratic state.
Silla (57 B.C.-A.D. 935) was located in the southeast Goguryeo
corner of the peninsula and was initially the weakest and

most underdeveloped of the three kingdoms. However,
because it was geographically removed from Chinese
influence, it was more open to non-Chinese practices
Pyongyang East Sea
and ideas. Its society was built on an advanced
Buddhist order that was markedly class-oriented,
Namgyeong
including a military that featured a unique corps of young Yellow Sea
(Seoul) Usan
Dokdo
aristocratic warriors called Hwarang.
Ungjin (Gongju)
Silla
Gaya (42-562) began as a type of confederation, formed Sabi (Buyeo)
Geumseong
Baekje (Gyeongju)
when several tribes from the Nakdonggang River came Gaya
together.
Tamna
27
History
Unified Silla and Balhae Unified Silla and Balhae

(8th century)
By the mid-sixth century, the Silla
Kingdom had brought under its control
all of the neighboring town-states within
Balhae
the Gaya Confederation.
Through an alliance with the Tang Dynasty
of China, Silla unified the Korean Peninsula in
Sanggyeong
668 and saw the zenith of its power and prosperity
in the mid-eighth century. It attempted to establish an
ideal Buddhist country. Bulguksa Temple was constructed
during the Unified Silla period. However, its Buddhist social
Pyongyang East Sea
order began to deteriorate as the nobility indulged in
increasing luxury.
Silla had repelled Tang attempts to subjugate Goguryeo
Namgyeong Usan
(Seoul)
Dokdo
and Baekje by 676. Then in 698, the former people of
Yellow Sea Silla
Goguryeo who resided in south-central Manchuria
Geumseong
(Gyeongju) established the Kingdom of Balhae. Balhae included not only
people of Goguryeo, but also a large Malgal population.
Balhae established a government system centered around
Tamna
five regional capitals, which was modeled after the Goguryeo
Kingdom's administrative structure. Balhae possessed an
advanced culture which was rooted in that of Goguryeo.
Balhae prosperity reached its height in the first half of the
ninth century with the occupation of a vast territory reaching
to the Amur River in the north and Kaiyuan
in south-central Manchuria to the west.
It also established diplomatic ties with
Turkey and Japan. Balhae existed
A roofing tile with added until 926, when it was overthrown
charm from unified Silla by the Khitan. Many of the Balhae
nobility, who were mostly
Goguryeo descendants, moved
south and joined the newly founded
Goryeo Dynasty.
28
Goryeo Goryeo Dynasty
(11th century)
The Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) was founded by Wang Geon,
a general who had served under Gungye, a rebel prince of
the Silla Kingdom. Choosing his native town of Songak
(present-day Gaeseong in North Korea) as the capital, Wang
Geon proclaimed the goal of recovering the lost territory of
the Goguryeo Kingdom in northeast China.
Wang Geon named his dynasty Goryeo, from which the Seogyeong
(Pyongyang)
modern name Korea is derived. Although the Goryeo East Sea
Dynasty could not reclaim lost lands, it achieved a

sophisticated culture represented by cheongja or blue- Gaegyeong(Gaeseong)
Usan
Namgyeong
green celadon and flourishing Buddhist tradition. No less Yellow Sea
(Seoul) Dokdo
significant was the invention of the world’s first movable

metal type in 1234, which preceded the Gutenberg Bible of Donggyeong
(Gyeongju)
Germany by two centuries. About that time, skilled Korean
artisans also completed the herculean task of carving the
entire Buddhist canon on large woodblocks.
These woodblocks, numbering more than 80,000, were
Tamna
intended to invoke the influence of Buddha for the repulsion
of the Mongol invaders. Called the Tripitaka Koreana, they Restored geumsok hwalja
(metal movable type) from
are now stored at the historic Haeinsa Temple. the Goryeo era
29
History
Joseon Dynasty Joseon

(15th century)
In 1392, General Yi Seong-gye established a new dynasty
called Joseon. The early rulers of Joseon, in order to counter
the dominant Buddhist influence during the Goryeo period,
supported Confucianism as the guiding philosophy of the
Hamgil-do
(Hamgyeong-do) kingdom.
Pyeongan-do Hamheung The Joseon rulers governed the dynasty with a well-
balanced political system. A civil service examination system
Pyongyang
East Sea
was the main channel for recruiting government officials. The
Hwanghae-do
Haeju
examinations served as the backbone for social mobility and
Gangwon-do
Gyeonggi-do
intellectual activity during the period. The Confucian-
Hanseong Ulleungdo
(Seoul) Wonju
Dokdo
oriented society, however, highly valued academic learning
Yellow Sea
Chungcheong-do while disdaining commerce and manufacturing.
Gongju
Gyeongsang-do
Jeonju
During the reign of King Sejong the Great (1418-1450),
Daegu
Jeolla-do
Joseon’s fourth monarch, Korea enjoyed an unprecedented
flowering of culture and art. Under King Sejong’s guidance,
scholars at the royal academy created the Korean alphabet
Jeju-do Hangeul. It was then called Hunminjeongeum, or “proper
phonetic system to educate the people.”
King Sejong’s interest in astronomical science was
comprehensive. Sundials, water clocks, celestial globes and
astronomical maps were produced at his request.
King Sejo (r.1455-1468) later established an institutional
Gyeongguk Daejeon framework for government by publishing a compendium of
legal codes, called Gyeongguk Daejeon.
In 1592, Japan invaded the peninsula to pave the way for
its incursion into China. At sea, Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-
1598), one of the most respected figures in Korean history,
led a series of brilliant naval maneuvers against the
Japanese, deploying the geobukseon (turtle ships), which
are believed to be the world’s first ironclad battleships.
From the early 17th century, a movement advocating
Silhak, practical learning, gained considerable momentum
among liberal-minded scholar-officials as a means of
30
building a modern nation.
They strongly recommended agricultural and industrial
improvements along with sweeping reforms in land
distribution. The conservative government aristocrats,
however, were not ready to accommodate such drastic change.
In the latter half of the Joseon era, government
administration and the upper classes came to be marked by
recurring factionalism. To rectify the undesirable political
situation, King Yeongjo (r.1724-1776) eventually adopted a
policy of impartiality. He was thus able to strengthen the
royal authority and achieve political stability.
King Jeongjo (r.1776-1800) maintained the policy of
impartiality and set up a royal library to preserve royal
documents and records. He also initiated other political and
cultural reforms. This period witnessed the blossoming of
Drawings of a geobukseon,
Silhak. A number of outstanding scholars wrote progressive believed to be the world’s
works recommending agricultural and industrial reforms, first ironclad battleship
but few of their ideas were adopted by the government.
Japanese Occupation and Independence Movement

In the 19th century, Korea remained a “Hermit Kingdom,”
adamantly opposed to Western demands for diplomatic and
trade relations. Over time, a few Asian and European
countries with imperialistic ambitions competed with each
other for influence over the Korean Peninsula. Japan, after
winning wars against China and Russia, forcibly annexed
Korea and instituted colonial rule in 1910.
Colonial rule stimulated the patriotism of Koreans. Korean
intellectuals were infuriated by Japan’s official assimilation
policy, which even banned Korean-language education in
Korean schools. On March 1, 1919, a peaceful demonstration
calling for independence spread nationwide. The Japanese
authorities ruthlessly repressed the demonstrators and their
31
History
supporters, slaughtering thousands.

Although it failed, the March 1 Independence Movement
created strong bonds of national identity and patriotism
among Koreans. The movement led to the establishment of
a Provisional Government in Shanghai, China, as well as an
organized armed struggle against the Japanese colonists in
Manchuria. The Independence Movement is still
commemorated among Koreans every March 1, which is
designated a national holiday.
Kim Gu, President of the During the colonial period, Japan’s economic exploitation
Provisional Government of of Korea continued. The lives of Koreans deteriorated under
Korea in Shanghai
colonial rule until the end of World War II in 1945.

Koreans rejoiced at Japan’s World War II defeat. However, their
joy was short-lived. Liberation did not instantly bring about the
independence for which the Koreans had fought so fiercely.
Rather, it resulted in a country divided by ideological
differences caused by the emerging Cold War. Korean efforts
to establish an independent government were frustrated as
U.S. forces occupied the southern half of the peninsula and
High-ranking officials from Soviet troops took control of the north.
Korea’s Provisional
Government in Shanghai In November 1947, the United Nations General Assembly
pose for a commemorative adopted a resolution that called for general elections in
photo in 1945 .
Korea under the supervision of a UN Commission.
However, the Soviet Union refused to comply with the
resolution and denied the UN Commission access to the
northern half of Korea. The UN General Assembly then
adopted another resolution calling for elections in areas
accessible to its commission. The first elections in Korea
were carried out on May 10, 1948, in the areas south of the
38th parallel. This parallel came to divide the Korean
Peninsula into South and North.
32
Syngman Rhee was elected the first
President of the Republic of Korea in 1948.
Meanwhile, north of the 38th parallel, a
communist regime was set up under the
leadership of Kim Il-sung.
On June 25, 1950, North Korea launched an
unprovoked full-scale invasion of the South,
triggering a three-year war which drew in U.S.,
Chinese and other foreign forces. The entire
peninsula was devastated by the conflict. A
cease-fire was signed in July 1953.
Korea’s growth-oriented, export-led
economic development since the 1960s was so
remarkable that it earned the expression “the
Miracle on the Hangang River” in the 1970s.
Subsequently, Seoul successfully hosted the
24th Olympics in 1988 and Korea co-hosted
the 2002 FIFA World Cup soccer finals with A special ceremony
inaugurating the Republic
Japan. Through these occasions, Korea has demonstrated to of Korea Government on
the world its rich cultural heritage and love of art, as well as August 15. 1948
modern technologies. In the 1950s, Korea ranked among the

poorest countries. Today, its economy is around the 13th
largest in the world, and the nation is determined to become
even more of a global economic leader throughout the new
millennium.
The Republic of Korea has steadily followed the path to
mature democracy and market economy. Even though the
legacies of the Cold War still linger on this peninsula, Korea
today is poised to make a new economic take-off. The Koreas
are also working toward a durable structure of peace on the
peninsula and promoting common prosperity for South and
North Korea through peace, reconciliation and cooperation.
33
History at a glance
Korean History
Korea’s history started from Gojoseon (2333 B.C.). Three Kingdoms Era
Silla (57 B.C.-A.D.935)
Through its 5,000-year history, Korea has developed a
Baekje (18 B.C.-A.D.660)
truly distinct culture while interacting with the larger Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D.668)
nations surrounding it.
Confederated Kingdoms of
Samhan (Three Han States)
Paleolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Hunting Scene in Dancing Figure Tomb

(replica)
This scene portrays warriors on horseback
hunting deer and tigers.
Hunting was a very important activity for
the welfare of the state during Goguryeo
Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D.668 ).
Gojoseon Iron Age Gaya Kingdom

Bronze Age Buyeo (42-562)
KOREA
B.C. 5000 2000 1000 500 200 100 A.D. 200 300 400 500
CHINA
Bronze Age Warring States Era (475-221) San Guo (Three Sui Dynasty
Qin Dynasty (221-206) Kingdoms) Era (581-618)
Western Han Dynasty (220-280)
Shang Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.25 ) Jin Dynasty
(1600 -1046) (265-420) Nan Bei Chao
Dynasties
(420-589)
Zhou (1046-256) Spring and Autumn Era Eastern
(770-476) Han Dynasty (25-220)
THE WEST
Julius Caesar Anglo-Saxons

Early Mesopotamia (101-44) Birth of established
Egyptian Kingdoms Jesus Christ in Britain (449)
First Punic War (264-241)
Second Punic War (219-201)
Third Punic War (149-146) Christianity established Mohammed
as State Religion of (570-632)
Roman Empire (392)
Greek Civilization Socrates (470-399) Roman Empire split in
The Foundation of Rome (735) Alexander the Great (356-323) two (395)
34
Unified Silla Kingdom (676-935)
Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)
2002 FIFA World Cup

Korea / Japan
Seokguram Grotto
Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392)

Hunminjeongeum
was a primer for teaching
Hangeul, the Korean
Celadon alphabet created by the
Pottery Joseon Dynasty’s fourth
ruler, King Sejong the
Great (r.1418-1450). 24th Olympic Games,
Seoul (1988)
The Depositories for the Tripitaka
Koreana Woodblocks
Korean War
Tripitaka Koreana is the oldest and (1950-53)
most comprehensive compilation of
Buddhist scriptures in existence today. The establishment of
Balhae It was carved on 81,258 woodblocks Republic of Korea (1948)
Kingdom during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392).
(698-926)
Daehan Empire
600 700 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1800 1900 2000
Tang Dynasties Song Dynasty Yuan Qing Dynasty Establishment of

(618-907) (960-1279) Dynasty (1616-1911) the People’s Republic
(1271-1368) of China (1949)
Wu Dai Dynasties Ming Dynasty Establishment of

(907-960) (1368-1644) the Republic of China
(1912)
World War I (1914-18)

World War II (1939-45)
First Crusade The one hundred
American Civil War (1861-65)
(1096-99) Years’ War
(1344-1434) American Revolution (1776)
Charles the Great Crowned French Revolution (1789-1793)
first Holy Roman Emperor (800)
Marco Polo(1254-1324) The thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
Mangna Carta (1215) Martin Luther launched the Reformation (1517)
Gutenberg’s Press (1434)
Hegira (622) and beginning of Islamic era Columbus discovered America (1492)
35
CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT
Constitution and
4 Government
Constitution
Executive Branch
Legislature
Judiciary
Independent Organizations
Local Government
38
Constitution and Government
Constitution and
Government
Constitution
On July 17, 1948, the first Constitution of the Republic of
Korea was adopted. As the nation underwent political
upheavals in pursuit of democratic development, the
Korean Constitution has been amended nine times, the last
time on October 29, 1987.
The current Constitution represents a major ad-
vancement in the direction of full democratization. Apart
from a legitimate process of revision, a number of
substantive changes are notable. They include the
curtailment of presidential powers, the strengthening of the
power of the legislature and additional devices for the
The manuscript of the first
Constitution of the protection of human rights. In particular, the creation of a
Republic of Korea new, independent Constitutional Court played a vital role in
making Korea a more democratic and free
society.
The Constitution consists of a preamble,
130 articles, and six supplementary rules. It
is divided into 10 chapters: General
Provisions, Rights and Duties of Citizens,
the National Assembly, the Executive, the
Courts, the Constitutional Court, Election
Management, Local Authority, the
Economy, and Amendments to the
38
Constitution.
The basic principles of the Korean Constitution include
the sovereignty of the people, separation of powers, the
pursuit of peaceful and democratic unification of South and
North Korea, the pursuit of international peace and
cooperation, the rule of law and the responsibility of the
state to promote welfare.
Constitutional amendment requires special procedures
different from other legislation. Either the President or a
majority of the National Assembly may submit a proposal
for constitutional amendment. An amendment needs the
concurrence not only of the National Assembly but also of a
national referendum. The former requires support of two-
thirds or more of the National Assembly members, while the
latter requires more than one half of all votes cast by more
than one half of eligible voters in a national referendum.
Executive Branch
The President
The President of the Republic of Korea, elected by
nationwide, equal, direct and secret ballot, stands at the
apex of the executive branch.
The President serves a single five-year term, with no
Cheongwadae
(Office of the President)
39
President Lee Myung-bak

(R) and First Lady Kim
Yoon-ok (L)
additional terms being allowed. This single-term provision

is a safeguard for preventing any individual from holding
the reins of government power for a protracted period of
time. In the event of presidential disability or death, the
Prime Minister or members of the Cabinet will temporarily
serve as the President as determined by law.
Under the current political system, the President plays
five major roles. First, the President is head of state,
symbolizing and representing the entire nation both in the
governmental system and in foreign relations. He receives
foreign diplomats, awards decorations and other honors,
and grants pardons. He has the duty to safeguard the
independence, territorial integrity, and continuity of the
state and to uphold the Constitution, in addition to the
unique task of pursuing the peaceful reunification of Korea.
Second, the President is the chief administrator and thus
enforces the laws passed by the legislature while issuing
orders and decrees for the enforcement of laws. The
President has full power to direct the Cabinet and a varying
number of advisory organs and executive agencies. He is
authorized to appoint public officials, including the Prime
40
Minister and heads of executive agencies.
Third, the President is commander-in-chief of the armed
forces. He has extensive authority over military policy,
including the power to declare war.
Fourth, the President is the chief diplomat and foreign
policy maker. He accredits or dispatches diplomatic envoys,
and signs treaties with foreign nations.
Finally, the President is chief policy maker and a key
lawmaker. He may propose legislative bills to the National
Assembly or express his views to the legislature in person
or in writing. The President cannot dissolve the National
Assembly, but the Assembly can hold the President
ultimately accountable to the Constitution by means of an
impeachment process.
Cabinet
Under Korea’s presidential system, the President performs
his executive functions through the Cabinet made up of 15
to 30 members and presided over by the President, who is
solely responsible for deciding all important government
policies. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President
and approved by the National Assembly. As the principal
executive assistant to the President, the Prime Minister
supervises the administrative ministries and manages the The Cabinet
41
The Central Government

Complex on Sejongno
Office for Government Policy Coordination under the

direction of the President. The Prime Minister also has the
power to deliberate major national policies and to attend
the meetings of the National Assembly.
Members of the Cabinet are appointed by the President
upon recommendation by the Prime Minister. They have the
right to lead and supervise their administrative ministries,
deliberate major state affairs, act on behalf of the President
and appear at the National Assembly and express their
opinions. Members of the Cabinet are collectively and
individually responsible to the President only.
In addition to the Cabinet, the President has several
agencies under his direct control to formulate and carry out
national policies: the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea,
the National Intelligence Service, and the Korea Communications
Commission. The heads of these organizations are appointed
by the President, but the presidential appointment of the
Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection is subject to
the approval of the National Assembly.
The Board of Audit and Inspection has the authority to
audit the financial accounts of central and local government
agencies, government corporations and related
42
Daejeon Goverment
Complex
organizations. The board is also vested with the power to

inspect abuses of public authority or misconduct by public
officials in their official duties. The results of audits are
reported to the President and the National Assembly,
although the board is responsible only to the chief
executive.
The National Intelligence Service is authorized to collect
strategic intelligence of internal as well as external origin
and information on subversive and international criminal
activities. It also plans and coordinates the intelligence and
security activities of the government.
The Korea Communications Commission comprises five
standing members who run the committee on consensus-
basis. It’s the highest-level agency that governs broadcasting,
telecommunications and real-time Internet television services
or IPTV.
43
Legislature
Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly, a
unicameral legislature. The Assembly is composed of 299
members serving four-year terms.
Out of 299 members, 245 are elected by popular vote
from local constituencies, while the remaining 54 members
obtain their seats through a proportional representation
system in which seats are allocated to each political party
that has gained 3 percent or more of all valid votes or five or
more seats in the local constituency election. The system is
aimed at reflecting the voices of people from different walks
of life while enhancing the expertise of the Assembly.
To be eligible for election, a candidate must be at least
25 years of age. One candidate from each electoral district
is selected by majority vote.
An Assembly member is not held responsible outside the
Assembly for any opinions expressed or votes cast in the
legislative chamber. During a session of the Assembly, no
Assembly member may be arrested or detained without consent
of the Assembly except in the case of a flagrant criminal act.
In case of apprehension or detention of an Assembly
member prior to the opening of a session, the member must
The National Assembly
44
be released during the session upon the request of the
Assembly.
Two types of legislative sessions are provided for, regular
and special. The regular session is convened once a year
from September through December and special sessions
may be convened upon the request of the President or one-
fourth or more of the members of the Assembly. The period
of a regular session is limited to 100 days and to 30 days for
special sessions. If the President requests the convening of a
special session, he must clearly specify the period of the
session and the reasons for the request.
Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution or law,
All citizens aged 19 or
the attendance of more than one half of the entire Assembly older are eligible to vote.
members, and the concurrent vote of more than one half of
the Assembly members present, are necessary to make the
decisions of the National Assembly binding. In the case of a
tie vote, the matter is considered to be rejected by the
Assembly. Legislative meetings are open to the public, but
this rule may be waived with the approval of more than one
half of the members present or when the Speaker deems it
The 18th National Assembly
Independents, 25
Renewal of Korea Party, 3
Democratic Labor Party, 5
Pro-Park Geun-hye Alliance, 14
Liberty Forward Party, 18
Grand National Party, 153
United Democratic Party, 81
45
The Supreme Court
necessary to do so in the interest of national security.

The National Assembly is vested with a number of
functions under the Constitution, the foremost of which is
making laws. Other functions of the Assembly include
approval of the national budget, matters related to foreign
policy, declaration of war, and the stationing of Korean
troops abroad or of foreign forces within the country,
inspecting or investigating specific matters of state affairs
and impeachment.
An impeachment motion against an appointed official can
come to a vote if approved by at least one third of the
Assembly. The impeachment passes if it receives the backing
of a majority of the Assembly members. A motion of
impeachment against the President requires a majority vote
from the Assembly to proceed. The motion passes only if
two-thirds or more of the entire Assembly approves.
The Assembly elects one Speaker and two Vice Speakers,
who serve for two-year terms. The Speaker presides over
plenary sessions and represents the legislature while
supervising its administration. In the absence of the Speaker,
the Vice Speakers shall act for the Speaker.
46
Judiciary
The Judiciary of Korea consists of the Supreme Court, High
Courts, District Courts, Patent Court, Family Court,
Administrative and Local Courts. The courts exercise
jurisdiction over civil, criminal, administrative, electoral,
and other judicial matters, while also overseeing affairs
related to real estate registrations, family registrations,
financial holdings, and court officials.
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial tribunal. It hears
appeals on cases rendered by lower courts. The Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court is appointed by the President with the
consent of the National Assembly. Other justices are appointed
by the President upon the recommendation of the Chief Justice.
The term of office for the Chief Justice is six years and is not
renewable. The Chief Justice must retire from office at the age
of 70. The term for other justices is six years. Though they may
be re-appointed in accordance with legal provisions, they must
retire from office when they reach the age of 65.
The High Courts hear civil, criminal and administrative
appeals cases rendered by district, administrative and family
courts and try special cases designated by law. The Patent Lady Justice statue in front
of the Supreme Court in
Court reviews decisions rendered by the Patent Office. The Seocho-dong, Seoul
Supreme Court is the final tribunal over patent disputes.
District Courts are located in Seoul and in the following 13
cities: Incheon, Uijeongbu, Suwon, Chuncheon, Daejeon,
Cheongju, Daegu, Busan, Changwon, Ulsan, Gwangju, Jeonju
and Jeju. The Family Court is empowered to hear all cases
involving matrimonial, juvenile or other domestic matters.
The Administrative Court handles administrative cases only.
District Courts outside of Seoul also perform the functions
of the Administrative Court in their respective districts. In
addition to these courts, there are military tribunals which
exercise jurisdiction over offenses committed by members of
the Armed Forces and their civilian employees.
47
Independent Organizations
The Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court was established in September
1988 as a key part of the constitutional system. The
Constitution of the Sixth Republic, based on the Korean
people’s deep enthusiasm for democracy, adopted a new
judicial review system — the Constitutional Court — to
safeguard the Constitution and to protect the people’s basic
rights by establishing special procedures for the adjudication
of constitutional issues.
The Court is empowered to interpret the Constitution
and to review the constitutionality of all statutes, to make
judicial decisions on impeachment or on dissolution of a
political party, and to pass judgment in competence
disputes and constitutional complaints.
The Court is composed of nine Justices. The term of
office for Justices is six years and is renewable. The
courthouse is a five-story domed building in Seoul which
has won the Korean Architectural Award.
National Election Commission

In accordance with the provision of Article 114 of the
Constitution, the National Election Commission was established
The Constitution Court
48
as an independent constitutional agency compatible with the
National Assembly, the government, courts and the
Constitutional Court of Korea for the purpose of fair
management of elections and national referenda. It also deals
with administrative affairs concerning political parties and
political funds.
The term and status of each Election Commissioner is
strictly guaranteed as prescribed in the Constitution. They
are guaranteed fair execution of duties without any external
interference.
National Human Rights Commission

The Commission was established in 2001 as a national
advocacy institution for human rights protection. It is
committed to the fulfillment of human rights in a broader
sense, including dignity, value and freedom of every human
being, as signified in international human rights conventions
and treaties to which Korea is a signatory.
The Commission is comprised of 11 Commissioners
including the Chairperson, 3 Standing Commissioners and 7
Non-standing Commissioners. Among the 11 Commissioners,
4 shall be elected by the National Assembly, 4 shall be
nominated by the President of Korea, and 3 shall be
nominated by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and
then approved by the President of Korea.
Local Governments Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall
The Constitution of the Republic of Korea states in Article

117 that “Local governments deal with matters pertaining to
the welfare of local residents, manage properties and may,
within the limit of laws, enact provisions relating to local
autonomy regulations.”
49
Local government heads manage and supervise

administrative affairs except as otherwise provided by law.
The local executive functions include those delegated by
the central government such as the management of public
properties and facilities and assessment and collection of
local taxes and fees for various services. Higher-level local
governments have boards of education which carry out
matters related to education and culture in each community.
Local Governments
1 Metropolitan Seoul 1 14
Office Location: Euljiro
Population: 10.1 million 3
Area: 606 km2
8
http://www.seoul.go.kr/
2 Metropolitan Busan 15
Office Location : Jungangro 11
Population: 3.5 million
Area: 764 km2 5 10
http://www.busan.go.kr/
3 Metropolitan Incheon 4
Office Location: Guwol-dong 13
Population: 2.6 million 7
Area: 997 km2
http://www.incheon.go.kr/ 9
2
6
4 Metropolitan Daegu
12
Office Location: Gongpyeongro
Population: 2.5 million
Area: 884 km2
http://www.daegu.go.kr/
5 Metropolitan Daejeon 16 Jeju Special Self-Governing Province

Office Location: Hyangchongil Office Location: Jeju City
Population: 1.5 million Population: 0.5 million
Area: 540 km2 Area: 1,848 km2
http://www.metro.daejeon.kr/ 16 http://www.jeju.go.kr/
50
Higher-level local governments basically serve as
intermediaries between the central and lower-level local
governments.
Lower-level local governments deliver services to the
residents through an administrative district (eup, myeon, and
dong) system. Each lower-level local government has several
districts which serve as field offices for handling the needs of
their residents. Eup, myeon, and dong offices are engaged
mainly in routine administrative and social service functions.
6 Metropolitan Gwangju 11 Chungcheongnam-do

Office Location: Chipyung-dong Office Location: Daejeon
Area: 501 km2 Area: 8,600 km2
http://www.gwangju.go.kr/ http://www.chungnam.net/
7 Metropolitan Ulsan 12 Jeollanam-do

Office Location: Shinjung 1-dong Office Location: Muan-gun
Area: 1,057 km2 Area: 12,074 km2
http://www.ulsan.go.kr/ http://www.jeonnam.go.kr/
8 Gyeonggi-do 13 Jeollabuk-do
Office Location: Suwon-si Office Location: Jeonju
Area: 10,182 km2 Area: 8,052 km2
http://www.gg.go.kr/ http://www.jeonbuk.go.kr/
9 Gyeongsangnam-do 14 Gangwon-do
Office Location: Changwon Office Location: Chuncheon
Area: 10,521 km2 Area: 16,873 km2
http://www.gsnd.net/ http://www.provin.gangwon.kr/
10 Gyeongsangbuk-do 15 Chungcheongbuk-do
Office Location: Daegu Office Location: Cheongju
Area: 19,026 km2 Area: 7,432 km2
http://www.gyeongbuk.go.kr/ http://www.cb21.net/
51
Constitution and Government at a glance
Government Structure
Constitutional
Legislature Executive Judiciary Court
President
•Board of Audit and Inspection

Korea Communications Commission
•National Intelligence Service
Prime Minister
•Office of Minister for Special Affairs

•Fair Trade Commission
•Ministry of Government Legislation
•Financial Services Commission
•Ministry of Patriots & Veterans
•Civil Rights Commission
Affairs
Ministry of Ministry of Education, Ministry of

Ministry of
Strategy Science and Foreign
Unification
and Finance Technology Affairs and Trade
Ministry of Ministry of Public Ministry of

Ministry of
National Administration Culture, Sports
Justice
Defense and Security and Tourism
Ministry for Food, Ministry of Ministry for Health,

Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry Knowledge Welfare and
Environment
and Fisheries Economy Family Affairs
Ministry of Land,
Ministry of Ministry of
Transport
Labor Gender Equality
and Maritime Affairs
52
Presidents of the Republic of Korea
Syngman Rhee Yun Bo-seon Park Chung-hee Choi Kyu-hah

1st, 2nd and 3rd 4th President 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 10th President
President (1960 - 1962) 9th President (1979-1980)
(1948 - 1960) (1963 - 1979)
Chun Doo-hwan Roh Tae-woo Kim Young-sam Kim Dae-jung

11th, 12th President 13th President 14th President 15th President
(1980 - 1988) (1988 - 1993) (1993 - 1998) (1998 - 2003)
Roh Moo-hyun Lee Myung-bak

16th President 17th President
(2003 - 2008) (2008 - )
53
INTER-KOREAN RELATIONS
Inter-Korean
5 Relations
Historical Background
Efforts Toward Peaceful Resolution of the North Korean Nuclear Issue
Inter-Korean Exchanges and Cooperation
56
Inter-Korean Relations
Historical Background
When the Second World War ended with Japan’s defeat, all
Koreans aspired for a unified independent nation but instead
suffered national division resulting from the subsequent Cold
War between East and West. The national division and
establishment of separate governments in the South and the
North eventually led to a civil war, the Korean War (1950-1953).
The Korean War was a by-product of internal ideological
conflicts and was viewed by many as a proxy war between the
West and the Communist bloc.
The Korean War developed into a large-scale international
war drawing in 16 UN countries to fight together with the
south as well as China and the USSR from the Communist
The Korean War Veterans

Memorial in Washington,
D.C.
56
Bloc. The fighting ended in an armistice, which
created a 155-mile truce line dividing the
Korean Peninsula.
After the ceasefire, the Cold War confrontation
on the Korean Peninsula intensified. The South
Korean Government pursued a policy toward
North Korea aimed at achieving unification by
defeating Communism. At the same time, North
Korea declared a strategy of a “revolutionary
stronghold” and attempted to communize the
South.
From the beginning of the 1970s, Cold War
tensions began to ease, with capitalist and
communist countries seeking détente. Against
this backdrop, Seoul and Pyongyang simultaneously Soldiers at the
demarcation line in the
announced the South-North Joint Communiqué of July 4, 1972, Demilitarized Zone near
and initiated dialogue and exchanges on a limited scale, Cheorwon
including the South-North Red Cross Talks and South-North
Coordinating Committee Meetings. Nevertheless, it proved to
be impossible to relieve the animosity and mistrust between
the South and North or build mutual confidence in the political
arena.
In 1979, the USSR invaded Afghanistan, which drove the
world back to a new Cold War confrontation and turned inter-
Korean relations sour. By the mid 1980s, reforms and
openness in the USSR triggered an acceleration of reforms
and opening in East European communist countries. As the
Cold War began to be dismantled, inter-Korean relations
reached an important turning point.
On July 7, 1988, in response to the easing of the Cold War
internationally, the South Korean Government announced the
Special Declaration in the Interest of National Self-Esteem,
Unification and Prosperity. By 1990, inter-Korean relations had
improved dramatically with the beginning of South-North
High-Level Talks between the prime ministers.
57
The fifth round of the high-

level talks in 1991
At the fifth round of the High-Level Talks in 1991, the two

prime ministers signed the Agreement on Reconciliation,
Nonaggression and Exchanges and Cooperation between the
South and the North, also known as the Basic Agreement. It
marked one step forward toward peace and unification on the
Korean Peninsula.
Due to serious economic difficulties in North Korea,
Production and Number of Employees at the Gaeseong Industrial Complex
No. of North Korean employees (persons)
Value of manufactured products (million dollars)
Source: Ministry of Unification
58
however, outsiders expected the regime to collapse.
Furthermore, suspicions were raised about whether North
Korea had developed nuclear weapons when it withdrew from
the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in March 1993. Due to
these developments, tension on the Korean Peninsula
heightened in the mid-1990s.
The issue of a North Korean nuclear program caused inter-
Korean relations to be nearly severed, and they only began to
gradually improve as the Kim Dae-jung Administration (1998-
2003) carried out a policy of reconciliation and cooperation,
dubbed the Sunshine Policy. These efforts culminated in the
first inter-Korean summit, which was held in Pyongyang in June
2000 and resulted in the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration.
The inter-Korean summit served as a watershed in inter-
Korean relations, ending five decades of confrontation and
hostility in exchange for ties of reconciliation and cooperation.
Since June 2000, much progress has been made in inter-
Korean relations. Dialogue has opened in various areas and
Official Reunions of Separated Families
(persons)
Source: Ministry of Unification
59
reunions of separated relatives have commenced. In

addition, there has been an increase in inter-Korean
exchanges of personnel and goods.
The Roh Moo-hyun Administration (2003-2008)
consistently pursued a peace and prosperity policy
toward North Korea, which was based on the Kim Dae-
jung Administration’s Sunshine Policy. The second
summit between South and North Korean leaders,
which took place Oct.2-4, 2007, in Pyongyang, in
particular is significant as it is the second meeting
between the leaders amidst changing relations between
the two Koreas and the larger Northeast Asian region.
Historic First South-North
Korean Summit in 2000 The two leaders discussed an array of pending issues such as
as establishment of peace, co-prosperity, economic
cooperation and reconciliation and reunification, announcing
an eight-point “Declaration for Development in Inter-Korean
Relations and Peace and Prosperity.”
North and South Korea have stopped propaganda broadcasts
against each other, taken down propaganda material at the
Demilitarized Zone, and opened a military hotline.
Also, the two leaders have virtually ended the hostilities
that have persisted for more than half a century and
established a platform to ensure real peace and prosperity on
the Korean Peninsula.
Efforts Toward Peaceful Resolution of the

North Korean Nuclear Issue
The South Korean Government has designated making a
breakthrough in the North Korean nuclear issue through the
Six-Party Talks — involving the Koreas, the United States,
China, Russia and Japan — as the core task of its security
policy. It is pursuing advancements in inter-Korean relations
as a catalyst for the resolution of the nuclear issue.
60
Thanks to these efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear Envoys from six nations
pose for a group photo
issue through dialogue, the fourth round of the Six-Party Talks during their North Korean
adopted a six-point Joint Statement on September 19, 2005. It nuclear disarmament
meeting in Beijing, China,
dealt with the abandoning of nuclear weapons by North Korea 30 September 2007.
and implementing principles. The Joint Statement was
followed by the adoption of a Chairman’s Statement at the
fifth round of the Six-Party Talks in November 2005. It
reaffirmed the commitment of the participating countries to
the implementation of the September 19 Joint Statement.
The Six-Party Talks were hindered by confrontation between
the United States and North Korea over U.S. financial sanctions
against the North and North Korea’s counterfeiting of U.S.
dollars. In addition, after North Korea test-fired missiles on July
5, 2006, and conducted a nuclear test on October 9, 2006, the
nuclear problem entered a tense phase. In close cooperation
with the international community, the South Korean
Government took its own countermeasures toward the North,
including suspension of rice and fertilizer aid. Recognizing the
fact that resuming the Six-Party Talks as soon as possible was
essential to finding a fundamental solution to the nuclear
problem, the South Korean Government exerted diplomatic
efforts to that end. As a result, the second session of the fifth
round of the Six-Party Talks was held on December 18, 2006
61
An inter-Korean men’s
friendly soccer game
and the third session was held from February 8, 2007.

In 2007, progress to dismantle the North Korean nuclear
facilities took place amid cooperation between the six
nations. The concerned countries agreed through the Feb.
13 Agreement and the Oct. 3 Agreement to close and seal
North Korean nuclear facilities. They also outlined “first-
phase measures” to implement the Sept. 19 Joint
Agreement, including declaring nuclear disablement. The
development of inter-Korean relations and progress in
resolving the North Korean nuclear issue culminated with
the October 2007 Inter-Korean Summit.
Inter-Korean exchanges further reconciliation and
cooperation, bring peace and stability to the Korean
Peninsula, and promote dialogue and cooperation between
North Korea and other concerned countries. How the North
Korean nuclear issue is resolved and inter-Korean relations
grow will affect more than the change to a permanent peace
system from the current cease-fire treaty. These
developments will contribute greatly to pan-Northeast Asian
security and economic cooperation. In this view, the
political situation on the Korean Peninsula and throughout
Northeast Asia is at a turning point; moving toward peace
and prosperity.
62
Inter-Korean Exchanges and Cooperation
Following national division, the two halves of the peninsula
became increasingly heterogeneous. Consequently, the South
Korean Government has strived to rebuild a national
community through inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation
rather than rushing to achieve unification.
Gaeseong Industrial Complex

The Gaeseong Industrial Complex is an inter-Korean economic
cooperative project developed and pursued by the two Koreas
near the North Korean city Gaeseong in North Korea’s North
Hwanghae Province just across the Demilitarized Zone. By an
agreement between Hyundai Asan and North Korea,
construction began on the site in June 30, 2003, after official
inter-Korean consultations. The complex began operation in
earnest in late December 2007, when the first phase of
development and a lottery for lots were completed.
The Gaeseong Industrial Complex primarily brings the
South’s capital and technology together with the North’s labor
and land for mutual gain. The complex is transforming an area
of confrontation and tension into one of reconciliation and
North Korean workers at

the Gaeseong Industrial
Complex
63
peace. The Gyeongui Road carries around 600 vehicles and

1,000 South Korean staff and supplies across the Demilitarized
Zone daily to feed the needs of existing enterprises and help
prepare the industrial zone for newly arriving businesses. As of
the end of December 2007, 65 companies are operating in the
complex. Throughout that year, they produced $184.78 million
dollars worth of goods — nearly $40 million from exports.
Since the GIC’s cumulative production value from 2005 was
$273.7 million, 2007 clearly saw a marked increase in output.
The Government will make consistent efforts — based on
agreements reached by the two Koreas — to consult closely
with the North Korean authorities and the firms and to monitor
developments, so that companies can invest and continue to
do business in the complex.
Reconnecting the Inter-Korean Railroad

On Feb. 19, 1992, the two Koreas agreed through the North-
South Basic Agreement to reconnect their severed rail links. A
decade later on Sept. 18, 2002, groundbreaking to reconnect
rail and road systems on both coasts — the Gyeongui Line
and Road on the west coast and Donghae (East Coast) Line
and Road on the other — took place simultaneously. The
roads were completed in October 2004 and have been in
use since Dec. 1 that year. The two Koreas agreed for a trial
In 2007, the two Koreas

began daily cargo rail
service between Munsan,
South Korea, and
Bongdong, North Korea.
64
Kim Soon-kwon (Dr. Corn)
As head of the International
Corn Foundation (ICF),
Dr. Kim oversaw the
development of “super
corn,” a cereal engineered
to provide bigger yields.
In 1998, the ICF
transferred super corn
seeds to North Korea and
began working with their
researchers to find new
ways to help alleviate
chronic food shortages
there.
run of the rail systems on May 11, 2006. On May 17, 2007, for
the first time since the division 56 years ago, trains traveled
through the Demilitarized Zone on both the Gyeongui and
Donghae railways.
From Dec. 11, 2007, daily freight-train service between the
South’s Munsan and the North’s Bongdong stations began.
The linking of inter-Korean railways and roads is
advantageous on many levels. Not only does it greatly reduce
logistics costs, but it helps diminish inter-Korean tension,
speed up development of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex
and promote overland tourism to the North’s Mt.
Geumgangsan Resort. In the future, these railways will link to
trans-Siberian or trans-China railways and roads, cementing
South Korea’s position as a logistics hub for Northeast Asia.
Socio-Cultural Exchanges and Cooperation

Cooperative projects in social and cultural fields have greatly
increased since the June 15, 2000, Joint Declaration. At the
end of 2007, there were 498 cases involving 12,700 people
engaged in inter-Korean socio-cultural exchanges, a 15-fold
jump over pre-1999 years.
65
Socio-cultural exchanges in the civil sector are significant in

that they contribute to inter-Korean dialogue and accelerate
inter-Korean relations overall. To date, civilian-level exchanges
have organized regular festivities to mark the June 15
anniversary of the 2000 inter-Korean summit and Liberation Day
(Aug. 15), arranged the return to North Korea of a 16th-century
Joseon monument taken by imperial Japan during the
occupation, and begun work on a joint Korean dictionary. These
and other projects aim to restore the oneness of the Korean
people. The Government continues to invite North Korean
artists to visit, so South Koreans can gain a better
understanding of North Korean culture through their creativity
and talent. Other efforts to narrow the differences between the
two Korean cultures are ongoing: In the sports arena, officials
are working to replace one-time events with regular sporting
games that can strengthen cooperation between the two
Koreas.
Reunion of Separated Korean families

Reunion of separated families is an important and pressing
issue for the Government that must be solved in consideration
Once-divided relatives of the universal desire to interact with relatives. The two
from the South and North Koreas should assiduously abide by the agreement that came
meet at an official family
reunion. at the 9th Inter-Korean Red Cross Talks held in November
2007. (The agreement calls for 400
people to be able to reunite face-to-
face every year, 100 would meet in a
special reunion, 160 families would
reunite via screen and 120 families
exchange visual correspondence.)
The Government aims to give priority
to this humanitarian issue and more
aggressively consult with North
Korea, so that, when the reunion
66
center at Mt. Geumgang is completed in July 2008, reunions
can occur on a prompt and regular basis.

Based on the progress in inter-Korean relations made so far,
the Lee Myung-bak Administration will focus on the
successful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and
establishment of a lasting peace. Resolving the North
Korean nuclear issue is crucial to peace on the Korean
Peninsula. It is a critical link in the progress toward peace
and economic development. For economic exchanges and
cooperation between the two Koreas to advance, peace
must be wrought, and in turn, economic cooperation will
advance the establishment of peace.
Peace on the Korean Peninsula has rested on a cease-fire
agreement for more than half of a century. First, the
Administration will focus on bringing the ongoing talks over
the North Korean nuclear issue to a successful conclusion.
At the same time, it will work to realistically and
systematically replace the armistice agreement with a
permanent peace structure.
In particular, the Administration will work with the
international community to spearhead an inter-Korean
economic community, based on the “non-nuclear,
openness, 3000” plan that entails reciprocity between the
two Koreas. Also, the Administration will work to reinforce
friendly relations with the United States and Japan for
successful Six-Party Talks and expand cooperation with
China and Russia. The Administration will pursue a great
transformation of the old framework through future-
oriented thinking and actions, so as to achieve a global
Korea that contributes to world peace, democracy and co-
prosperity; a Korea that breathes in unison with the world.
67
Inter-Korean Relations at a glance
Major Accomplishments in
Inter- Korean Relations
The Korean War began on June 25, 1950, when
North Korea invaded the South. An armistice
agreement was signed in 1953. South Korea’s
astonishing economic growth since 1960 has
affected relations between the two Koreas. With its 1998,
strong economy as a platform, South November 18
Korea was able to propose dialogue and Package trips to
the North’s
exchanges with the North. Geumgansan
Mountain start
for South Korean
tourists
1985, September 20 - 23
First reunion of separated
Korean families
1972, November 30
South-North Coordinating
Committee
1972, July 4
Announcement of the July 4th
South-North Joint
Communiqué
1953, July 27
Signing of the
ceasefire agreement
1950, June 25
The Korean War
begins
68
2007, December 11
Inter-Korean Gyeongeui and
Donghae railway lines open (Freight
service between Munsan and
Bongdong begins)
2007, December 5
South Korean package
tours to the North’s
historic city Gaeseong
begin
2007, October 2 - 4
Second inter-Korean
Summit
2005, September 19
4th round of the Six-Party Talks
produces the Joint Statement calling for
denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula
2003, June 30
Groundbreaking for Gaeseong Industrial
Complex
2000, September 15
The Koreas make a joint entry into the
opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics
2000, June 13 - 15
The first inter-Korean
Summit
69
KOREA IN THE WORLD
6 Korea in the World
International Relations
Economic Exchanges
International Peace and Cooperation
Korea in the World
Korea in the World
International Relations
Since its founding in 1948, the Republic of Korea has been
committed to the concepts of democracy and a free-market
economy, but its foreign relations have undergone
significant changes since its founding. As U.S.-USSR
relations divided much of the world into two antagonistic
blocs following World War II, the Republic of Korea pursued
its foreign relations in concert with the democratic nations
of the West. In the years following the Korean War, the
international community viewed Korea as a devastated,
poverty-ridden state. But that image began to change in
1962 when the Republic of Korea adopted a policy of export-
driven economic development and began to actively pursue
international commerce worldwide.
As confrontation sharpened during the Cold War, the
Republic of Korea began to expand its foreign relations by
Involvement in international organization
www.imf.org www.apec.org www.un.org www.wto.org www.oecd.org

IMF APEC United Nations WTO OECD
(1955) (1989) (1991) (1995) (1996)
72
improving ties with traditional allies and by building
cooperative relations with Third-World nations. Since the
1970s, the diplomacy of the Republic of Korea has been
designed to promote the independent and peaceful
reunification of the peninsula. The ROK has also fortified its
ties with allies and actively participated in international
organizations.
With its diplomatic foundation firmly in place, the
Republic of Korea continued throughout the 1980s to
pursue cooperative partnerships with all countries in every
field. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, epochal changes in
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union brought an end
to the Cold War, while the Republic of Korea moved swiftly
to exploit the situation by actively promoting a “Northern
Diplomacy.”
Energetic pursuit of the Northern Diplomacy policy
greatly expanded the ties with former Communist-Bloc
countries, ties that had languished due to ideological and
structural differences. Relations with most of these
countries, including the Soviet Union and China, were
normalized in short order, thus enabling Korea’s foreign
relations to become truly global. South and North Korea
joined the United Nations simultaneously in September
1991, crowning the success of the Northern Diplomacy.
South and North Korea

joined the United Nations
simultaneously in
September 1991.
73
Korea in the World
Furthermore, the foundation for peaceful coexistence

between the South and North was laid in December 1991,
when they concluded the Agreement on Reconciliation,
Nonaggression and Exchanges and Cooperation (the Basic
South-North Agreement) and the Joint Declaration of the
Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. These historic
documents planted the seeds of peace on the peninsula
and in Northeast Asia, representing an important first step
toward the peaceful reunification of the divided nation.
Former President Kim Economic Exchanges

Dae-jung, who won the
Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 In the wake of the Cold War, a distinct trend toward
regionalism emerged. Countries like the Republic of Korea,
which have pursued export-led growth, found themselves
facing a different international economic environment than in
the past.
Korea’s export growth mostly depended on trade with
advanced countries — the United States, Japan and the
European Union. This has often caused friction over trade
imbalances. With Korea gradually increasing its trade with
developing countries, however, the reliance on trade with
advanced countries has steadily declined.
The Republic of Korea’s trade with developing countries
and the nations of Eastern Europe will continue to expand as
long as Korea’s economy and trade continue to grow and the
nation’s industrial structure continues to focus on
technology-intensive activities. Once Korea has completed its
industrial restructuring, it will be able to make a greater
contribution to international economic development by
accelerating cooperation with developing countries on the
basis of its comparative advantages and complementing
sectors.
To the extent that advanced countries remain key to trade
74
and crucial as partners in industrial science and technology,
Korea will endeavor to minimize friction through the
reciprocal opening of its industrial, agricultural and service
markets.
Global environmental issues, such as depletion of the
ozone layer, global warming and deforestation have emerged Assembly line at LG’s
Polish LCD cluster
as new challenges to people throughout the world. After
participating in the June 1992 United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) — the Earth Summit
— the Korean Government concluded continuous economic
development could not be allowed to harm the environment
on which we all depend. Most Koreans strongly support
efforts to balance economic development and environmental
protection through the adoption of the Rio Declaration and
other global environmental accords.
The Uruguay Round basically provided for a
comprehensive reduction in tariffs and a general removal of
non-tariff trade barriers, a crucial step in the global
movement toward free trade. The Republic of Korea is
proactively opening its markets to support a global free trade
system.
Korea has signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with 16
countries, including Chile, Singapore, the European Free
Trade Association (EFTA), ASEAN, and the U.S. Currently,
Korea-EU FTA
South Korea's chief
negotiator to the Korea-EU
Free Trade Agreement
talks and his EU
counterpart shake hands
at the opening of the sixth
round of their talks in
Seoul.
75
Korea in the World
negotiations with the EU, Canada and India are under way
with the aim of concluding them by the end of 2008, and the
groundwork is being laid for FTA negotiations with China,
MERCOSUR and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at the
government level. In the case of unfair import restrictions
from trade partners, Korea has resolved the issues either
through bilateral channels or by making full use of the WTO’s
dispute settlement procedure.
International Peace and Cooperation

The Republic of Korea joined the United Nations in
September 1991, expanding its active participation in
multilateral diplomacy in tandem with its elevated global
Dr Lee Jong-wook standing economically. Even before joining the UN, however,
Prior to his work as WHO the Republic of Korea was active in such specialized UN
Director-General, Dr Lee
was a world leader in the
agencies as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the
fight against two of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
greatest challenges to
international health and
(IBRD), the United Nations Industrial Development
development - Organization (UNIDO), and the United Nations Educational,
tuberculosis, and vaccine
preventable diseases of
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as well as
children. Dr Lee Jong- the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and
wook died on the morning
of 22 May 2006 following a
other key inter-governmental bodies.
sudden illness. It has also helped to launch the Goodwill Ambassadors
Program adopted by the UN International Drug Control
Program as part of activities for the UN Decade Against Drug
Abuse. Korea hosted the 18th session of the Meeting of
Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Asia
and the Pacific in Seoul in September 1993.
As a member of the UN, the Republic of Korea stepped up
efforts to expand its global role. In 1992, the nation became
a member of several important UN bodies, such as the
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the
Governing Council of the United Nations Development
76
Program (UNDP), the Commission on Human Rights and the
Committee for Program and Coordination. At the 47th
session of the General Assembly in October 1992, the
Republic of Korea was elected to the UN Economic and
Social Council, one of the principal UN organs along with the
Security Council and the General Assembly. Korea’s financial
contribution to the UN’s regular budget amounted to US$44
million in 2007, placing it 11th among all member states.
At the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session in
January 1993, the Republic of Korea was elected to serve as
a vice-president and also became the chairman of the
ECOSOC Committee. The Republic of Korea was also elected
to the Commission on Sustainable Development, a new
commission established under the ECOSOC in February
1993 to coordinate and monitor environmental and
developmental activities.
Throughout its nearly two decades in the UN, the
Republic of Korea has participated actively in major issues
handled by the world body such as conflict prevention and
peacekeeping missions, disarmament talks, environmental
protection, development projects and human rights
U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon of the Republic of Korea, the eighth Secretary-

General of the United Nations, brings to his post 37 years of
service in government and on the global stage. At the time of
his election as Secretary-General, Mr. Ban was his country’s
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“My heart is overflowing with gratitude toward my

country and people who have sent me here to serve.
It has been a long journey from my youth in war-torn
and destitute Korea to this rostrum and these awesome
responsibilities. I could make the journey because the
UN was with my people in our darkest days. It gave us hope and sustenance, security and dignity.
It showed us a better way. So I feel at home today, however many miles and years I have traveled.”
(Quote from Secretary-General Ban’s acceptance speech before the United Nations.)
77
Korea in the World
protection. In particular, its role as a non-permanent

member in the Security Council from 1996-1997 provided
invaluable experience. During its tenure, Korea contributed
constructively in the discussions to address major regional
conflicts by highlighting the problem of “political refugees.”
As a peace-loving member of the UN, Korea is committed
to the maintenance of international peace and security and
is therefore actively participating in UN peacekeeping
activities. Since the Republic of Korea joined the UN in 1991,
it has dispatched 920 troops to UN peacekeeping
operations, including UNOSOM II in Somalia, UNAVEM II in
Angola, UNTAET in East Timor, UNFICYP in Cyprus,
MINURSO in Western Sahara, and ONUB in Burundi.
Right now, 38 Koreans are dispatched to UNMOGIP in
India/Pakistan, UNOMIG in Georgia, UNMIL in Liberia,
UNAMA in Afghanistan, UNMIS in Sudan, UNMIT in East
Timor and UNMIN in Nepal. 350 infantry troops were sent
to UNIFIL (Lebanon) in July last year, so a total of 401 troops
are dispatched to a total of eight peacekeeping missions,
which is the 37th largest number of troops dispatched to
BEXCO, Busan Exhibition &
peacekeeping operations among the UN member states.
Convention Center In addition to those, Korea has a number of troops
78
S. Korea’s Dongmyeong
unit in the city of Tyr,
southern Lebannon,
treated a total of 3,000
local patients within 8
months.
dispatched to war zones such as Iraq and, until recently,

Afghanistan as well.
Developing countries often face serious problems
because they lack experience in preparing economic plans,
procuring necessary investment capital and executing the
economic policies necessary for sustained economic
growth. The Republic of Korea’s developmental experience,
therefore, can be a model for such nations.
Korea had already begun assisting developing countries
in the 1960s by hosting small numbers of trainees and
dispatching a few experts overseas. After 1975, when its
economy had reached a higher level, Korea began to
increase its assistance in a variety of forms: grants of
machinery and materials, construction technology aid,
Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) loans and
direct personnel assistance, especially through the Youth
Volunteer Program.
The Republic of Korea also provided assistance to
developing countries through multilateral organizations
such as the IMF, IBRD, ADB and nearly a dozen other
international financial organizations.
In April 1991, the Republic of Korea created the Korea
79
Korea in the World
International Cooperation Agency

(KOICA) under the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade to consolidate its
assistance to developing countries. It
provides technical and financial aid
to developing countries and shares
Korea’s development experience and
expertise.
KOICA implements various
cooperation programs such as
dispatching medical doctors,
Korea International
Cooperation Agency
industry experts, taekwondo instructors and other
(KOICA) volunteers, inviting trainees to Korea and assisting non-
The KOICA stresses governmental organizations. KOICA contributes to
poverty eradication and is
actively participating in enhancing Korea’s image through establishing cooperative
efforts to achieve relationships with developing countries. Korea contributed
international development
goals and solve global US$455 million in Official Development Aid (ODA) in 2006.
issues, such as sustainable The Republic of Korea is committed to the pursuit of
socioeconomic
development and improved cultural exchanges with foreign countries to enhance
governance in developing bilateral friendship and understanding and to contribute to
countries.
global reconciliation and cooperation. The nation also seeks
to introduce Korean traditional art and culture abroad, and
supports overseas Korean studies programs as well as
numerous academic conferences and athletic exchanges.
The Korea Foundation, established in 1991, coordinates and
supports international cultural exchange programs.

The Republic of Korea will take a more positive stance with
a greater vision and carry out global diplomacy in active
cooperation with the international community.
Transcending the differences in race, religion, and
wealth, Korea will befriend all nations and peoples.
80
Respecting the universal principles of democracy and
market economics, we will take part in the global movement
for peace and development.
The Government will work to develop and further
strengthen relations with the United States and other allies.
To ensure the economy runs smoothly, it will work to
acquire a safe and stable supply of resources and energy.
Moreover, it will steer Korea toward the lead in
environment-friendly international cooperation.
As befitting its economic size and global weight, Korea’s
diplomacy will contribute to promoting and protecting
universal values. The country’s soldiers will actively
participate in the United Nation's peacekeeping operations,
and the Government will enlarge the budget for official
development assistance (ODA).
Korea’s bilateral ODA by region
Source: International Development

Statistics Online DB, OECD
81
ECONOMY
7 Economy
Economic Growth
Industrial Innovation
Science and Technology
Information and Telecommunications
Economic Challenges
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
Capital Market Liberalization
Investor-Oriented Support System
World-Class Logistics Hub
Economic Outlook
Economy
Economy
Economic Growth
Korea rapidly recovered from the economic storm that began
in late 1997. This crisis, which roiled markets all across Asia,
had threatened Korea’s remarkable economic achievements.
However, thanks to the faithful implementation of an IMF
Miracle on the Hangang agreement, the Korean Government’s strong resolve for
“Miracle on the Hangang”
reform, and successful negotiation of foreign debt
is a catchphrase used to
describe the period of restructuring with creditor banks, the nation rebounded and
rapid economic growth
is now stronger than ever economically. Since the onset of
that took place in South
Korea following the Korean the crisis, Korea began rapidly integrating itself into the
War.
world economy. The goal of the nation is to overcome
problems rooted in the past by
creating an economic structure
suitable for an advanced economy.
Korea, once known to be one of the
world’s poorest agrarian societies, has
undertaken economic development in
earnest since 1962. In less than four
decades, it achieved what has become
known as the “Miracle on the Hangang
River”—an incredible process that
dramatically transformed the Korean
economy while marking a turning
84
point in Korea’s history.
An outward-oriented economic development strategy,
which used exports as the engine of growth, contributed
greatly to the radical economic transformation of Korea.
Based on such a strategy, many successful development
programs were implemented. As a result, from 1962 to
2007, Korea’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from
US$2.3 billion to US$969.9 billion, with its per capita GNI
soaring from $87 to about $20,045. These impressive
figures clearly indicate the magnitude of success that these
economic programs have brought about.
Major import items include industrial raw materials such
as crude oil and natural minerals, general consumer
products, foodstuffs and goods such as machinery and
electronic and transportation equipment.
Korea developed rapidly from the 1960s, fueled by high
savings and investment rates, and a strong emphasis on
education. The nation became the 29th member country of
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) in 1996.
With a history as one of the fastest growing economies in
the world, Korea is working to become the focal point of a
powerful Asian economic bloc during the 21st century. The
Northeast Asian region commands a superior pool of
essential resources that are the necessary ingredients for
GDP Growth Per Capita GNI

(Unit: US$ billion) (Unit: US$)
Source: The Bank of Korea
85
Economy
economic development. These include a population of 1.5

billion people, abundant natural resources, and large-scale
consumer markets.
Industrial Innovation
As the world’s 13th largest economy, Korea has emerged as
a success story in many ways. In 2007, Korea’s trade
volume amounted to US$728 billion, ranking 11th in the
world. Korea also has the fourth largest foreign reserves.
Despite high oil prices, the strong won and rising raw
material prices, the Korean economy is growing at a healthy
pace.
Sustaining Korea’s economic growth are key industries
that have garnered recognition in the global arena. Korea is
the world’s largest shipbuilding nation; for semiconductors,
the third largest; digital electronics, the fourth. Korean
textile, steel and petrochemicals are fifth in terms of
volume, and automobiles are also fifth in the world. Korea’s
shipbuilding sector has been the industry leader for the
past four years, accounting for 40% of the world’s total
Hyundai Motor SUVs

waiting for shipping in the
nation’s southeastern port
Ulsan
86
shipbuilding orders.
As a major auto manufacturer, Korea produces over 3.8
million vehicles annually. Since Korea first started exporting
cars in 1976, the nation’s auto industry has developed at a
remarkable speed. Riding on the increased popularity of
Korean automobiles all over the world, leading Korean car
companies have begun extending manufacturing bases to
overseas locations.
With almost 11% of the global market share, Korea’s
semiconductor sector is at the forefront of the industry,
particularly in terms of flash memory and DRAM (Dynamic
Random Access Memory). As of 2006, Korea’s DRAM
(Dynamic Random Access Memory) ranked first in the world,
with a remarkable 49% market share. Equally impressive
were the flash memory chips, which took up 63% of global
markets.
Looking back, the direction of Korea’s industrial policy
changed significantly every decade or so, helping to drive
the economy toward a brighter and more prosperous future.
From the 1960s, Korea started to promote exports by
enacting relevant laws and regulations and establishing
export-oriented development plans. The heavy chemical
Leading Traders, 2006 Korea’s Principal Manufacturing Products

(US$ billion)
Auto manufacturing Shipbuilding orders Steel manufacturing
Year
(In thousands) (1,000 Gross/Tonnage) (1,000 Metric/Tonnage)
1980 123 1,690 9,341
1990 1,321 4,382 24,868
1995 2,526 7,133 36,772
1997 2,818 12,749 42,554
1999 2,843 12,719 41,042
2000 3,115 19,380 43,107
2002 3,148 12,774 45,390
2003 3,178 28,188 46,310
2004 3,469 25,735 47,521
2005 3,699 19,279 47,770
2006 3,840 33,656 48,433
Source: World Trade Organization Source: Ministry of Knowledge Economy
87
Economy
Hyundai car plant in India
industry was the center of the nation’s industrial policy in

the 1970s and there was industrial restructuring in the
1980s. The restructuring was aimed at promoting small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Market opening and liberalization marked the 1990s.
When the Asian financial crisis hit in 1997, Korea took on
bold reforms to bring about a speedy recovery. Korean
businesses took the initiative to increase transparency and
meet global standards while policies to facilitate startups
were put into place.
Since 2000, innovation has topped the national agenda.
To bring about more innovation into the industries, Korea is
promoting business-friendly policies as well as policies
enhancing cooperation between large companies and
SMEs.
Korea’s main emphasis is concentrated on stimulating
the nation’s growth engines and upgrading its industrial
structure. To do so, Korea aims to further develop its
components and materials sector and the knowledge-based
service sector.
Having reached a successful free trade agreement with the
U.S., Korea now hopes to explore other mutually beneficial
88
pacts with its trading partners. This will pave the way for
Korea to become truly integrated with the global economy.
One way to become an active player on the global stage is
to have more Korean companies invest and take part in
overseas business ventures.
Science and Technology

To reinvigorate the development of advanced science and
technology, the Government established the Korea Institute
of Science and Technology (KIST) and the Ministry of Science
and Technology (MOST) in 1966 and 1967, respectively.
Initially, Korea’s national science and technology policies
focused mainly on the introduction, absorption, and
application of foreign technologies. In the 1980s, however,
the emphasis shifted to the planning and conducting of
national R&D projects to raise the level of scientific and
Distribution of Government R&D Investment According to Socio-economic Purposes
Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning (Unit: 100 million won)
89
Economy
Semiconductor Research
Center of Samsung
Electronics
technological skills. This included programs to increase

both public and private sector R&D investment and to
nurture highly skilled R&D manpower.
Since the early 1990s, the Government has been
concentrating on three areas: fostering research in the basic
sciences, securing an efficient distribution and use of R&D
resources, and expanding international cooperation. These
efforts are intended to increase Korea’s technological
competitiveness.
Samsung's 64 Gigabyte As of the end of 2006, Korea’s total R&D investment
NAND Flash memory
reached US$28.6 billion, which accounted for 3.2 percent of
GDP. Korea will also actively invest in the
development of public welfare technologies that
improve the quality of life and of technologies that
can lead to the creation of new industries.
In addition, Korea will continue to strengthen
its involvement in global issues such as the
preservation of the environment and a stable
supply of food, energy, and health care for
the betterment of mankind.
90
Information and Telecommunications
Korea’s stance as a powerhouse in
terms of information technology is
demonstrated by its vast IT-related
production and exports, development
of world-leading technology, and also
the wide use of Internet and mobile
telecommunication devices within the country. IT industry- The World Cyber Games
(WCG) is the largest annual
related products, such as computer chips and mobile
gaming festival in the
phones, account for over 30% of Korea’s total exports, and world. This “Cyber Games
Festival” is organized by
nearly every Korean over age 12 owns at least one mobile
Korean companies.
phone. Moreover, almost every other household has
broadband connections, and all parts of the society from
food-service industries to public transportation systems are
heavily dependant on computers and IT.
Today, Korean semiconductors, mobile handsets, TFT-
LCDs and other items have become the most advanced and
top selling in their fields globally. The Korean IT industry was
able to secure such a leading position through an interlinking
Internet Use
(Unit: 1,000 people)
Source: Korea Communications Commission
91
Economy
development and usage process: new services generate new

domestic demand, the infrastructure required to utilize such
services is built up, and the manufacturing capabilities
behind the related devices enhanced.
When looking at IT-related statistics and changes that
occurred in Korean society between 2001 and 2007, the
number of broadband Internet subscribers increased from
7.81 million to 14.71 million, while the number of Internet
users also increased from 24.38 million to 34.82 million. The
number of e-commerce transactions also showed growth
between 2003 and 2006, from 7.2 million cases to 12.8
million. While the number of IT-related businesses changed
little from 2001 to 2006 (19,110 to 19,447, respectively), the
number of workers in this sector increased from 480
thousand to 680 thousand.
Economic Challenges
A human-like robot, HUBO Over the past three decades, Korea has enjoyed an annual
average economic growth rate of 8.6 percent and has
emerged as the world’s 11th largest trading nation. In less
Household Subscription to High-speed Internet connection by country

(Subscription out of 100 households as of 2007)
Source: National Information Society Agency
92
Wishing for record-high
stock prices
than two generations, the nation has established itself as

one of the world’s leading shipbuilders and manufacturers
of electronics, semiconductors and automobiles.
International financial markets positively regarded Korea’s
economic achievements, including sustained high growth,
moderate inflation, high national savings, nominal external
deficits and significant government budget surpluses.
Recently, however, these impressive accomplishments have
been overshadowed by the difficulties of several major
conglomerates and financial institutions. These failures
raised doubts among foreign investors and led to the serious
liquidity crisis in late 1997. The crisis also created a serious
unemployment problem.
However, following the change of government in 1998,
Korea renewed its resolve to work with the IMF to fully
implement comprehensive reform measures. As such, Korea
was determined to adopt stringent adjustment measures to
overcome the economic crisis.
The new leadership took steps to promote reform in the
financial, corporate, public and labor sectors with a view to
restoring and strengthening foreign investors’ confidence as
well as maintaining a commitment to a free-market
93
Economy
economy, restructuring of the chaebol-based system, and

increasing flexibility in the labor market.
The nation’s foreign exchange reserves that totaled a
mere US$20.4 billion as of the end of 1997 rose to $262.2
billion as of the end of 2007, and the nation was able to
repay all the $13.5 billion rescue loan from the International
Monetary Fund. The IMF Executive Board on December 16,
1999, declared that the foreign exchange crisis in the
Republic of Korea was completely resolved. Korea’s credit
rating, meanwhile, has been restored to investment grade.
Financial Restructuring: A modern, market-based economy

cannot function efficiently without dynamic and well-
supervised financial institutions. The Financial Services
Commission (FSC), which serves as a regulatory mechanism
to establish universal banking practices, has created a new
system of prudent regulations and supervision as well as a
schedule for reform implementation.
In the process of financial sector reform, the Government
has closed a number of non-viable financial institutions.
Other viable banks are following through on the strong
remedial actions imposed by the FSC to further improve
their soundness. Korea’s non-bank financial sector also
Foreign Exchange Reserves

(Unit: US$ billion)
Source: The Bank of Korea
94
underwent restructuring. As a result of these restructuring
efforts, just over 40 percent of all financial institutions
nationwide — a total of 867, including savings banks and
credit unions — have been dissolved since 1997. Korea had
1,377 financial institutions in operation at the end of 2006.
Corporate Restructuring: In the corporate sector, overall

results of restructuring have been quite positive. The debt-
equity ratio of the manufacturing sector has improved
dramatically, from 396% in late 1997 to 81.5% in September
2006. And the “too-big-to-fail” myth disappeared while
many of the 30 largest conglomerates were sold, merged or
liquidated. Rules for transparent and responsible The gold-collection
campaign
management have been established and reinforced through The gold-collection
the appointment of outside directors, the introduction of campaign went beyond
being a simple symbolic
audit committees and the obligatory publication of gesture of patriotism.
combined financial statements. Countless Koreans
participated in the
The purpose of corporate reform is to enhance the country’s campaign to help
productivity and growth potential of the Korean economy by the government rebuild its
financial reserves while
establishing an efficient and fair market. enduring painful economic
Corporate structural reform will continue based on the hardship.
following principles. First, to enhance
management and accounting transparency, it is
necessary to focus on constructing a market-
friendly oversight system, gaining the trust of
market participants. Second, corporate reform
should be pursued consistently. Until
management transparency meets global
standards, corporate restructuring should be
promoted on an on-going basis.
Steps to bolster transparency and soundness
of corporate governance will be carried out and
reinforced. The management monitoring
system will be strengthened within companies
95
Economy
by enhancing the role of the audit committee, the board of

directors and the rights of minority shareholders. To root
out illegal practices such as deceptive accounting and stock
price manipulation, class action lawsuits for the securities
sector was introduced in January 2006.

In the case of Korea, foreign trade accounted for 71.5% of the
national GDP in 2006, while revenue from foreign invested
companies took up almost 14% of total manufacturing sales.
As such, Korea is working hard to support foreign invested
companies. A good example is the opening of the world’s
largest LCD complex in Paju, just kilometers from the
Demilitarized Zone.
The Government built roads and infrastructure needed to
support the massive industrial complex in Paju. It worked to
relax or eliminate regulations that had been in place for
decades regarding the development of border areas. These
and other measures were pushed through with utmost
speed — a sign of the Government’s willingness and
commitment to helping foreign businesses take root in
Korea.
There are many other success stories: The British retailer
President Lee Myung-bak
at the Asian Leadership
Tesco has done remarkably well in Korea. Tesco’s Korean
Conference in Seoul operations make up a third of the retailer’s overseas sales.
96
Another example is the outstanding performance by GM
Daewoo. The company, in the first quarter of 2006, became
Korea’s number two automaker once again. It has made
great strides in the span of just four years. GM Daewoo is
doing so well, in fact, that it is said to be helping to boost
GM’s overall presence in Asia.
Korea is expecting US$10 billion in foreign investment in
2008 — a level similar to 2007. In addition to the usual
sectors like finance and insurance, there is growing interest
by investors in R&D facilities, logistics centers and regional
headquarters of multinational corporations. There is also
much interest in Korea’s highly developed electronics sector
from parts and materials companies.
The interest expressed by investors in these fields is
natural when you consider the huge R&D investments made
by Korea annually, helping it to rank in the top 10 every
year. Such dedication has paid off in many fields. In 2006,
Korea was ranked fourth in terms of international patent
applications filed with the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO).
(Unit: US$ billion)
Source: Ministry of Knowledge Economy
97
Economy
One of Korea’s strong points is its great human resources.

There are more than 100,000 science and engineering
students graduating every year. An increasing number of
these students are working for advanced master’s and
doctorate degrees. For investors, this is the optimal
environment for creating new goods and services. Another
point to consider is that Korea is the perfect place to base
logistics centers or regional headquarters in Asia. There are
51 cities with populations of one million or more within a
four-hour flight from Seoul.
Besides Korea’s potential as a hub of Asia, Korea has
another advantage in that companies can easily expand to
overseas markets after using Korea as a test bed platform.
Already more than half of the Fortune 500 companies have a
presence in Korea.
Underscoring the importance of investment to the nation’s
future, Korea is determined to do all it can to accommodate
Number of Researchers
Source: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
98
Invest KOREA (IK), Korea's
national investment
promotion agency, was
established within the
Korea Trade-Investment
Promotion Agency (KOTRA)
with the sole purpose of
supporting the entry and
successful establishment
of foreign business into
Korea.
For more information
about Invest Korea, go to
www.investkorea.org.
investor needs. For this, Korea is implementing measures to

help improve the business environment. The new Invest
Korea Plaza in southern Seoul opened in late 2006 to help
foreign-backed businesses meld seamlessly with the Korean
economy. The facility will offer many programs geared toward
potential investors, the most important of which will be the
hands-on consultations and incubating assistance for
businesses about to start operations in Korea.
The Plaza is a one-stop service destination for investors:
on-site project managers help with everything from finding
the best location for factory sites, to dealing with
administrative details, to applying for all relevant government
assistance programs and benefits. The Government is
working to increase incentives so that businesses interested
in high-tech R&D or those wishing to relocate their regional
headquarters to Korea will have greater access to cash
grants.
Ultimately, Korea is concentrating efforts on two
objectives: first, supporting market conditions which allow
99
Economy
entrepreneurs to fully realize their business potential and,

secondly, following through on its commitment to help
businesses perform well here.
Capital Market Liberalization

Korea’s strategy for capital market development centers on
two interrelated policy initiatives, namely market
liberalization and market augmentation. Capital market
liberalization will directly increase Korea’s access to foreign
capital and technology, while market augmentation will
improve the operational efficiency of the capital market.
Significant progress has already been realized in the
implementation of measures to further open the Korean
capital market and reduce barriers to portfolio and direct
investment. Foreign investment is now liberalized for all
industries, except for those involving national security
concerns and cultural considerations such as mass media.
Foreigners are treated the same as Korean nationals when
purchasing land for commercial purposes as well as non-
business purposes. All limits on foreign investment in the
Fast-Moving and Market-
Friendly Reforms local bond and money market have already been eliminated,
Upgrading the capital as has the ceiling on foreign investment in the stock market.
market is making Korea
more competitive in
Foreign banks and securities companies are also allowed to
international markets. establish local subsidiaries.
As of May 25, 1998, foreign
investors have been able to buy
shares of any Korean firm without
consent of the board of directors
or governmental approval, except
for defense industry companies
and public corporations.
Foreigners can now purchase up
to 50 percent of the outstanding
100
shares of some public corporations.
All types of takeovers, including hostile
acquisitions of Korean corporations, are
permitted by both domestic and foreign
investors. Furthermore, foreign exchange
transactions will be authorized for all
financial institutions meeting certain
requirements.
In May 1998, the aggregate ceiling on foreign investment The Seoul Global Center
opened in January 2008 to
in Korean equities was abolished.
provide multilingual
In 2002, the Bank of Korea’s certification procedure was administrative assistance
for business immigration
abolished, and the burdensome paperwork accompanying
and daily living.
individual and corporate financial transactions was
simplified. At the same time, capital movement has become
much more liberalized.
In order to revitalize overseas investment, the Government
has been actively working on liberalization since 2005.
Examples include easing of regulations on direct foreign
investment and on the purchase of overseas residential
properties by Korean nationals. In 2006, all capital
transactions were changed from a license system to a
simple reporting system, spurring liberalization of inbound
investment.
Investor-Oriented Support System

All current laws and regulations related to FDI have been
streamlined and incorporated into a single legal framework
represented by the new Foreign Investment Promotion Act
(FIPA), which took effect in November 1998. This has
enabled foreign investors to take advantage of one-stop
service and uniform treatment.
Various incentives, including tax exemptions and
reductions, have been instituted to promote FDI. To cite an
101
Economy
example, corporate and income taxes are exempted or

reduced for high-tech businesses for a period of seven
years. Government-owned real estate can be leased to
foreign-invested firms for up to 50 years at favorable rates,
and for no cost in certain instances. Also, a Free Investment
Zone can be developed to accommodate large-scale FDI.
The Government continues to phase out import restrictions,
reducing the number of items subject to tariffs.
Service Sector: Liberalization of Korea’s service sector has

been difficult due to the relatively underdeveloped state of
domestic service industries. Nevertheless, the Government
has taken a number of unilateral actions toward its eventual
full opening. To cite some examples, the life insurance
industry is now completely open to foreign underwriters.
Foreign banks receive treatment commensurate to that of
national banks. Investment by foreigners in retailing and
wholesaling activities is also open, although certain
restrictions exist in specific areas. The advertising market,
once open only to joint ventures with minority foreign
participation, is now completely accessible to foreigners.
Intellectual Property Rights: The Government recognizes
Seminar on Living in Korea

for Foreigners
As part of its long-term
strategy to attract Foreign
Direct Investment, the
Korean government hosted
a seminar on living in
Korea for newly arrived
business people.
102
that the strict protection of intellectual property rights is
essential for the technological well-being of the nation and
for cooperative economic relations with major trading
partners. Consequently, since 1987 the Government has
instituted fundamental reforms to strengthen the protection
of intellectual property rights.
New copyright laws ensure comprehensive protection for
both foreign and domestic works. Copyright guarantees
extend over the life of an author plus 50 years. Also,
safeguards against intellectual property infringement have
been extended to computer software products through
specific legislation.
Agricultural Market: In Korea, as in many countries,

agricultural policy is fraught with far-reaching social and
political implications, making liberalization of this sector a
daunting challenge.
Korean sensitivity about agriculture derives in part from
the fact that arable land per farmer in Korea is only 1/57
that of the United States, which makes it impossible for
Korean farmers to be as competitive as their U.S.
counterparts. Nonetheless, the Korean Government is
making efforts to further open the domestic agricultural
To Attract More FDI

South Korea is creating a
business-friendly
environment for foreign
investors.
103
Economy
market. These efforts are accompanied by continuing

government initiatives to strengthen the competitiveness of
Korea’s agricultural sector.
In December 1988, the Government formed a task force
to revise the schedules for agricultural import liberalization
through 1991. Revised plans have helped to increase the
scope of liberalization and accelerate the pace of market
opening. Also, during the Uruguay Round of the GATT
(General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade) negotiations on
agricultural products, Korea committed to improving market
access for various agricultural products.
World-Class Logistics Hub

Incheon International Airport, opened in March 2001, is
equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and provides
advanced traffic networks for its customers. With its
strategic location, the new airport is poised to become a
leading logistics and transportation hub in Northeast Asia.
Gwangyang Port, a
Expansion plans for the airport area include establishing a
logistics hub for Northeast
Asia in southwest Korea Free Trade Zone, International Business District and Special
104
Economic Zone.
Incheon International Airport has seen a continuous
increase in the volume of cargo since its opening in March
2001. In 2006, it handled 2.34 million tons of international
air cargo, becoming the second leading airport in the world
in terms of air cargo volume.
Container ships from Korea ply international sea lanes to
ports in South and North America, Europe, Australia, the
Middle East and Africa. Foreign ocean liners, cruise ships
and passenger-carrying freighters also pay frequent visits to
Korean ports.
Port cargo volume also climbed steadily, from 11.89
million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2002 to 17.48
million TEU in 2007, with the expansion of port facilities and
increased productivity through improved cargo handling
capabilities at Busan New Port, Gwangyang Port and
Port Cargo Volume and Trans-shipment Rate

(Unit: million tons)
Source: Ministry of Land Transport and Maritime Affairs
105
Economy
Incheon Port.
In particular, Busan Port handled 13.26 million TEU in
2007, ranking fifth in the world for four consecutive years in
terms of volume of containers handled.
Economic Outlook
Korea has been rapidly integrating itself into the world
economy since the onset of the 1997 crisis. The Government
has advanced a new paradigm that involves upgrading
business practices to international standards, promoting
human resources and technology development and
enhancing institutional efficiency.
The timing and strength of the economic recovery will
depend largely on the pace of corporate sector
restructuring, household adjustment to reduced job
security and investor confidence in Korea. The Government
Cargo Volume and Trans-shipment Rate at Incheon International Airport

(Unit: million tons)
Source: Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC)
106
Songdo International
Business District (IBD)
Songdo IBD is a master-
planned international
business center being
developed on 1,500 acres
of reclaimed land along
Incheon's waterfront. It is
located 40 miles south of
Seoul and will be
connected to Incheon
International Airport by a
7-mile highway bridge.
remains strongly committed to reform and will continue to

implement financial and corporate restructuring while
pursuing flexible macroeconomic policies conducive to
growth.
Korea’s goal is to solve the problems rooted in its past
and create an economic structure suitable for an advanced
economy meeting the challenges of the 21st century.
107
Economy at a glance
East Asian Miracle

Over the past four decades, Korea’s impressive economic growth has been
part of what has been described as the “East Asian Miracle.”
Trade Volume 728
546
333
113
11
Source: Ministry of Knowledge Economy (Unit : US$ billion)
108
2007 Exports of Major items
Items Value
Semiconductor 39.0
Automobile 37.3
Wireless Communication
30.5
apparatus
Vessel, ocean structure 27.8
Articles of petroleum 24.0
Flat-display and sensor 16.9
Computer 13.8
Synthetic resin 13.0
Part of automobile 12.4
Steel Plate-rolled products 12.4
Source: Korea International Trade Association (Unit : US$ billion)
109
SOCIETY
8 Society
Social Welfare
Employment
Housing
Health and Medical Services
Social Security
Women
Education
The School System
Special Education and Non-Formal Education
Korean Studies
Media
Newspaper and News Agencies
Television
Radio
112
Society
Society
Social Welfare
Employment
The employment structure of Korea has undergone
remarkable changes since the beginning of industrialization
in the early 1960s. In 1960, workers in the agricultural,
forestry and fishery sectors accounted for 63 percent of the
total labor force. However, this figure dropped to 7.3 percent
in 2007. By contrast, the share of the tertiary industry
(service sectors) grew from 28.3 percent of the total labor
force in 1960 to 75.0 percent in 2007.
In the latter half of the 1970s, the Korean labor market
Composition of Labor Force by Industry
Note: The term “Primary” refers to the agricultural, forestry and fishery sectors; “Secondary,” the mining
and manufacturing sectors; and “Tertiary,” social overhead capital (SOC) and other service sectors.
112
went through a series of important changes. Korea emerged
as a competitive country in the global market with its labor-
intensive industries such as textiles and footwear. In the
1970s and 1980s, the Government focused on the labor supply
and training in response to economic growth. The cultivation
of a skilled workforce and provision of job placement services
for low-skilled workers were major policy pursuits to ease
labor shortages resulting from industrialization. From the
latter half of the 1980s, however, the emphasis on quantitative
growth caused inequality between classes and regions to
loom as a problem. The policy emphasis thus shifted to
promoting welfare and enhancing equality, which led to the
legislation of the Minimum Wage Act (1986), the Equal
Employment Act (1987) and the Act on Employment Promotion
and Vocational Rehabilitation for the Disabled (1990) as well
as other measures.
In the early 1990s, in order to systematically cope with
unemployment problems caused by a slowdown in economic
growth, the Government passed several major laws,
including the Employment Insurance Act (1993), the Basic
Employment Policy Act (1995) and the Vocational Training
Doosan Heavy Industries’

training center teaches
foreign engineers about
power station construction
and operation.
113
Society
Promotion Act (1997), setting a foundation for employment

policies.
In October 1999, the Government also strengthened the
social safety net to cope with unemployment by extending
the coverage of employment insurance to all workers,
including part-time and temporary workers.
Individual Action Plans (IAPs) for recipients of
unemployment benefits have been expanded to cover both
young people and the elderly as a means of encouraging
them to look for jobs more actively.
Also, in response to growing demands for lifelong
competency development, the Government has gradually
expanded investment in vocational training. In reaction to the
trend of low fertility and an aging labor force, various measures
have been implemented to increase the employment rate of
women. They include such measures as easing discrimination
in employment and supporting reconciliation between work
and family life as well as tackling the problem of career breaks
caused by pregnancy and childbirth. A variety of other
measures have been implemented to expand and stabilize
employment of the elderly, such as extending the retirement
age, reforming wage systems and reducing discrimination and
prejudice based on age.
Employment Trends
(Thousand persons, %)
Economically active population Economic activity Unemployment
Year Population aged
15 and over Total Employed Unemployed participation rate rate
2001 36,579 22,471 21,572 899 61.4 4.0
2002 36,963 22,921 22,169 752 62.0 3.3
2003 37,340 22,957 22,139 818 61.5 3.6
2004 37,717 23,417 22,557 860 62.1 3.7
2005 38,300 23,743 22,856 887 62.0 3.7
2006 38,762 23,978 23,151 827 61.9 3.5
2007 39,170 24,216 23,433 783 61.8 3.2
114
Apartment complex in
Seoul
Housing
As in other countries, industrialization in Korea proceeded in
parallel with urbanization. In 1960, only 27.7 percent of
Korea’s population lived in cities. In 2000, 88.3 percent of
Korea’s population was urban. But this trend has receded,
81.5 percent of Korea’s population lived in cities in 2005.
This rapid population growth in urban areas led to a
housing shortage and spiraling land prices in cities. In order to
solve the housing shortage problem and stabilize housing
costs, increasing the supply of land available for residential
construction and the building of small housing units have
continuously been among the top priorities of the Government.
Housing Construction Status
(Thousand units)
Source: Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs
115
Society
In 1988, the Government established and promoted its

“Two Million Housing Units Construction Plan” for the period
of 1988-1992. Actual housing construction for the period
totaled 2.7 million units, and this massive supply
contributed to a sharp stabilization of previously rising
housing prices.
The Government supplied an average of 500,000 to
600,000 housing units per year from 1993 to 1997. As a
result, the housing supply ratio increased to 107.1 percent in
2006 from 72.4 percent in 1990.
With rising land prices and a marked preference for
modern lifestyles, the rate of people living in apartment
buildings has continued to increase. In 1985, only 13.5
percent of housing units were apartments, but in 2005, 52.5
percent of all housing units were apartments. In Korea, most
apartments, like condominiums in America, are owned by
individual families.
Health and Medical Services

Along with Korea’s success in economic development, the
overall health of Koreans has improved significantly over
the past three decades. In 1960, the life expectancy was 51
years for males and 54 for females. These figures have
High-speed three
dimensional CT
(computed tomography)
examination
116
increased to 75.7 for males and 82.4 for females in 2006.
The infant mortality rate has likewise declined sharply,
along with maternal mortality as well.
These improvements are all directly related to
improvement in diet as well as in available health and
medical services.
People are increasingly relying on medicine and medical
services and the share of medical costs to total household
expenditures has increased accordingly. In 1985, national
health expenditure per capita was 85,000 won which
increased to 840,133 won in 2003.
Health care in the form of medical insurance and medical
assistance was first introduced in 1977. However, the
coverage rate was only 29.5 percent until 1980. As of Dec.
2005, 96.4 percent of the population had access to health
insurance, with the remaining 3.6 percent being able to
receive direct medical assistance.
The supply of hospitals and medical personnel has
continuously increased. The total number of hospitals and
clinics in the nation (including Oriental medicine hospitals
and clinics) was 11,188 in 1975, which increased to 51,247 in
2006. Meanwhile, the number of licensed doctors, which
totaled 16,800 in 1975, increased to 88,214 in 2006.
Number of Licensed Medical Personnel Per Person

(persons)
Source: National Statistical Office

Note: Medical personnel include physicians, dentist, Oriental medical doctors, licensed pharmacists,
midwives and nurses.
117
Society
National statistics for 2005 showed that there was one

physician for every 564 persons, one dentist for every 2,231
and one pharmacist for every 878.
Social Security
Various systems related to social security have been
implemented since the late 1980s. These included
expansion of medical insurance and medical assistance in
1988 and 1989, and the introduction of an Unemployment
Insurance System in 1995. The Government has thus
provided the basis for building a society that can ensure the
wellbeing of its people.
While the primary goal of the above systems is to
provide minimum guarantees to the economically active
population in case of economic difficulties, there are also
welfare programs for those not economically active. These
public subsidy programs consist mainly of two parts:
subsidies for living expenses and medical assistance.
Due to elevated living standards and improvement in
health and medical services, the average age of Koreans
has increased rapidly, which means that the number of
elderly people has increased significantly over the years. In
1960, the population aged 65 and over comprised 2.9
Free medical checkups

are now available to
foreign spouses of Korean
nationals.
118
Treating seniors with
respect
percent of Korea’s total population. By the end of 2005, this

ratio had increased to 9.1 percent and is expected to rise to
14.4 percent by 2019.
The Four Social Insurance Programs
Program Starting Year Basic Purpose
National Pension 1988 Income security

Health Insurance 1977 Medical care
Employment Insurance 1995 Relief for the unemployed
Industrial Accident Compensation for industrial
Insurance 1964 accidents
Source: http://www.4insure.or.kr
Policies that have been implemented to improve the

welfare of the elderly include the provision of direct subsidies
to the elderly living under the subsistence level, the
expanding of employment opportunities for older people by
developing suitable jobs and opening job placement centers,
the strengthening of health care systems for the aged, and
the opening of various types of public facilities for the elderly.
With the strengthening of social security measures since
the late 1980s, awareness of the needs of the disabled has
also been increasing.
119
Society
Women
In traditional Korean society, women’s roles were
confined to the home. From a young age, women
were taught the virtues of subordination and
endurance to prepare for their future roles as
wives and mothers. Women, in general, could not
participate actively in society as men did, and their
role was limited to household matters.
With the establishment of the Republic of Korea
in 1948, women achieved constitutional rights for
equal opportunities to pursue education, work,
and public life.
In March 2005, the Government took another
big step toward a gender-equal society by
abolishing the household head system, which had
South Korea's first
astronaut, Yi So-yeon been a major example of discrimination against women.
The abolishment of this system laid the foundation for a
new family culture based on democratic values and gender
equality.
As economic development proceeded and the living
conditions of Koreans improved, the educational attainment
level of women also increased.
In Korea, elementary and middle school attendance is
compulsory and free. As of 2005, one hundred percent of
the nation’s children attended elementary school. The
percentage of middle and high school attendance was
nearly the same for girls and boys. A total of 82.7 percent of
male high school graduates go on to college or university
while 80.4% of female students do. The difference here is
minimal, and in fact, the enrollment of women in college is
notably higher than the world average.
Industrialization has steadily increased the number of
women in the workforce; from 37.2 percent in 1965 to 50.2
in 2007. By job classification, the female labor force in 1975
120
Female prosecutors smile
during their official
appointment ceremony at
the Gwacheon Government
Complex.
saw only 2 percent working in professional or managerial

occupations, while 3.7 percent worked in clerical positions.
However, by 2007, 19.3 percent of female employees were
serving in professional or managerial positions, and another
17.5 percent were working in clerical occupations.
Korean women today are actively engaged in a wide
variety of fields making significant contributions to society.
Recently, women have been making major inroads in
some areas, particularly in the government sector. For
example, female members of parliament have increased
considerably; there were 16 (5.9%) in the 16th National
Assembly (2000-2004), and the number has increased to 43
(14.4%) in the 18th National Assembly (2008-2012). In the
latest bar examination, 35.1 percent of all successful
candidates were women. Among those passing high-level
civil service and foreign service tests, women accounted for
49 and 67.7 percent, respectively. Almost all of them were
hired as judges, prosecutors, deputy director level civil
servants or diplomats.
121
Society
Education
Koreans have traditionally placed great importance on
education as a means for self-fulfillment as well as for social
advancement. Modern schools were first introduced in the
1880s. After the founding of the Republic of Korea in 1948,
the government began to establish a modern educational
system, making six years of elementary school attendance
mandatory since 1953. Today, Korea boasts one of the
highest literacy rates in the world. An emphasis on
education is often cited as a primary source for Korea’s
rapid economic growth over the past four decades as it has
produced the scientists, engineers and specialists needed
as well as a well-educated labor pool generally.
The School System

The school system in the Republic of Korea consists of one
to three-year pre-schools and kindergartens, six-year
elementary schools, three-year middle schools, three-year
high schools, and four-year colleges and universities, which
also offer graduate courses leading to Ph.D. degrees. There
are also two- to three-year junior colleges and vocational
colleges. Elementary schooling is compulsory with an
Elementary school pupils

show their paintings of
Dokdo, Korea’s
easternmost territory.
122
enrollment rate of nearly 100 percent. Three more years of
compulsory middle school education have been
implemented nationwide since 2002.
Although preschool education is not yet compulsory, its
importance has been increasingly recognized in recent
years. Preschool education is regarded as very important in
terms of helping pull up the low birth rate, resolving social
Education System
123
Society
Exceptional middle school

students studying
chemistry in their
laboratory
polarization, and allowing a greater number of women to

work outside the home.
The number of kindergartens in Korea grew from 901 in
1980 to 8,294 in 2007. Since 1999, the Government has
carried out a nationwide project to subsidize education fees
for five-year-olds from low-income families. This was
followed by a sliding scale subsidy for three- to four-year-
olds in 2004 and a program to support education fees for
households with two or more children. These measures
have provided underprivileged children increased
opportunities for preschool education, establishing a more
equitable educational environment.
The average number of students per teacher in
elementary schools stood at 58.8 in 1960. This figure was
further cut to 24.0 in 2006. Elementary school teacher
candidates are required to graduate from a four-year
teachers’ university or obtain an undergraduate degree in
primary education from either Ewha Womans University or
the Korea National University of Education.
Upon completion of elementary school, children in the 12
to 14 age group enter middle school for the seventh to ninth
grades. The student-teacher ratio for middle schools in
124
University students on
campus
2006 was 19.4:1, while the comparable figure for 1975 was
43.2:1.
There are two types of high schools in the Republic:
general and vocational. Applicants for vocational high
schools (covering agriculture, engineering, commerce,
maritime studies and home economics) are admitted
through examinations administered by each school. The
curriculum at vocational high schools is usually 40-60
percent general courses with the remainder being
vocational. As of 2007, there were 702 vocational high
schools with 494,011 students. Among general high schools,
there are several specialized high schools in the arts,
physical education, science, and foreign languages. The
goal of these schools is to provide appropriate education
for students with special talents in these fields.
Courses at general high schools tend to center around
preparation for entering universities. As of 2007, there were
1,457 general high schools with 1.35 million students.
Combining the two types of high schools, the ratio of middle
school graduates advancing to high school was 99.6 in
2007.
There are several different types of institutions of higher
125
Society
learning in the Republic: colleges and universities with four-

year undergraduate programs (six years for medical and
dental colleges), four-year teachers’ universities, two-year
junior colleges, a broadcasting and correspondence
university, open universities, and miscellaneous schools
with college status with two- or four-year programs. As of
2007, there were 408 institutions of higher learning in
Korea, with a total of 3.56 million students and 70,957
faculty members.
Colleges and universities in Korea operate under strict
enrollment limits. In selecting students, colleges and
universities make use of the student’s high school records
and national standardized test results.
Special Education and Non-Formal Education

People with disabilities may obtain an education in special
schools as well as special and general classes within
general schools. In 2007, a total of 65,944 students with
The disabled receive disabilities received special education. Of this number,
vocational training
22,963 students were given instruction in special schools,
and 42,977 were mainstreamed in special
and general classes in regular schools.
As of 2007, there were 144 special
schools for persons with disabilities in the
nation. These included seven for
emotionally disturbed students, 12 for
students with visual impairments, 18 for
students with hearing impairments, 18 for
students with physical disabilities and 89
for students with limited mental
development.
With an increasing awareness of the
needs of people with disabilities, there is
also a growing effort to mainstream them in
126
E-Learning started
influencing society by
simply providing materials
and improving educational
methods. It has now
expanded the educational
space to include all
cyberspace and is leading
to the development of a
ubiquitous-based
educational system and
lifelong-learning society.
general schools. More and more general schools are

appointing special education support staff and building
facilities for students with disabilities. In order to
accommodate students who have chronic problems, the
government is also promoting the establishment of hospital
schools.
To improve the quality of special education, the
government established the Korea Institute for Special
Education in 1994, which has been responsible for
conducting research on special education and enhancing
public awareness of the needs of those with disabilities.
The Korea National Open University (KNOU) provides
working youths and adults with four-year university
programs in humanities, the social sciences, the natural
sciences and education. Classes are broadcast through
diverse media, including the Internet, cable TV, radio, video
and audio recordings.
An average of 100 courses are offered per semester on
the Open University Network via KNOU-TV, which reaches
every part of the country through cable and satellite
broadcasting. Thirty-minute TV lectures are broadcast 16
hours per day on average. KNOU broadcasts thirty-three 30-
127
Society
minute radio courses, while offering online courses as a

means of checking student attendance.
Those who complete the required credit units receive the
same type of degree as graduates of regular universities.
Other types of special education programs include training
programs offered by the government and private
organizations. Subjects taught in these programs range
across various vocational and technical skills, with the goal
of assisting young people and adults in their job
performance or leisure activities.
Korean Studies
The term Korean studies emerged after national liberation
in 1945, with the academic community’s efforts to enhance
research on Korea, including its history, society, culture,
and political system. Academic research had been
suppressed or dominated by a Japanese point of view
during the 35-year colonial period. With an increasing
number of foreign scholars engaging in Korean studies in
recent decades, the government has been supporting
research and education activities through the Academy of
Korean Studies established in 1978 and the Korean Studies
Graduate School, which opened two years later within the
Academy. As of February 2006, the state-run academy had
International conference
on Korean Studies
128
Culture classes help
students from abroad
pick up the beat of
traditional music.
produced 466 master’s and 200 doctorate degree holders in

seven disciplines — history, philosophy and ethics,
language and literature, arts, culture and religion, politics
and economy, society and education. During the school
year, the academy has 201 Korean and foreign students
enrolled in its master’s and Ph.D programs. Foreign
graduates return to their home countries where they are
active as professors or researchers of Korean studies.
Korean studies has attracted great attention overseas,
and related courses are now available at some 735
universities in China, Japan, the United States, Russia,
France, Germany, Thailand, Vietnam, Poland, Denmark,
Switzerland, Ukraine, Hungary and other countries.
129
Society
Media
Newspaper and News Agencies
The Korean press is now well over a century old. Korea’s first
modern newspaper, the Dongnip Sinmun (Independence
Newspaper), was established in 1896 by Dr. Seo Jae-pil. The
Dongnip Sinmum was a bilingual paper with 300 copies of
four tabloid pages printed three times a week, the first
three pages in Korean and the last page in English.
Over the following decades, Korean newspapers found
their greatest challenge in upholding the nationalistic spirit
The first edition of the of the Korean people and opening their eyes to the rapidly
Dongnipsinmum
(The Independent). changing world. The newspapers played an important role
Launched on April 7, 1896, in independence movements during the Japanese colonial
it was Korea’s first
privately-owned, all- regime (1910-1945).
Hangeul newspaper. The Chosun Ilbo and the Dong-A Ilbo are the two oldest
newspapers in Korea, both inaugurated in 1920 in the wake of
the March First Independence Movement. Both newspapers
are known for their independent editorial policies and
considerable influence on public opinion. This spirit persisted
through the establishment of the Republic of Korea in 1948.
With broad leeway to criticize officialdom, newspapers have
always been at the forefront of leading social changes.
Korean newspapers have made significant investments
in modern press facilities and equipment in recent years.
Most national dailies operate computerized typesetting and
editing systems with multicolor printing capability.
There are two major news agencies in Korea, Yonhap
News and Newsis. With an extensive news-gathering
network in the capital city and provinces, Yonhap News also
maintains 23 overseas bureaus in Europe, North America,
the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America. And
Newsis, which was registered in 2001, has provided news
services since June 2002.
130
TV home networking
demonstration
Television
Television broadcasting in the Republic of Korea began in
1956 with the opening of a privately-owned and
commercially operated station in Seoul. This first TV station,
however, was destroyed by fire in 1959. In December 1961,
KBS-TV was inaugurated by the government as the first full-
scale television service in Korea. Another broadcast firm,
TBC-TV, began operation in December 1964. The Munhwa
Broadcasting Corporation established Korea’s third
television station, MBC-TV, in August 1969. During a period
of media mergers in the late 1980s, TBC-TV was taken over
by KBS and renamed as KBS-2.
EBS (the Educational Broadcasting System), under the
supervision of the Ministry of Education, started
broadcasting in 1990. EBS broadcasts extracurricular
educational programs for students and also cultural
programs and documentaries. EBS became a public
corporation under the new Broadcasting Law in June 2000.
SBS (the Seoul Broadcasting System) began
broadcasting under private management in 1990. The first
privately-operated local stations — PSB (Busan Broadcasting
Corp.), TBC (Daegu Broadcasting Corp.), KBC (Gwangju
131
Society
Korea Multimedia phone

LG Electronics' mobile
phone with a DMB (direct
multimedia broadcasting)
function
Broadcasting Company) and TJB (Daejeon Broadcasting

Corp.) — were established in 1995 to promote local culture
and spur regional development. A second group of
privately-operated local stations — iTV (Incheon Television
Corp.), UBC (Ulsan Broadcasting Corp.), CJB (Cheongju
Broadcasting Corp.) and JTV (Jeonju Television Corp.) —
began operating in 1997. Some of the broadcasters have
discontinued their operations, while others have been
renamed.
Additionally, Gangwon Television Broadcasting (GTB)
and Jeju Free International City Broadcasting System (JIBS)
started broadcasting services in 2001 and 2002, respectively.
The KBS, MBC, SBS and EBS television networks
launched digital broadcasting in the Seoul metropolitan
area in the latter half of 2001. The service was expanded to
the greater Seoul and surrounding areas in 2002.
Cable TV was first introduced in Korea in 1970. It was
popular mainly among those who could not enjoy good TV
reception due to geographical conditions or man-made
structures.
However, since the late 1980s, as public demand for
more information and a greater variety of entertainment
132
increased, demand for cable TV has also been on the
increase.
Cable TV started experimental services in 1990. As of the
end of 2005, 14.0 million subscribers were able to view
about 70 cable channels broadcasting programs for 77
subject areas.
Korea has put three telecommunications satellites —
Mugunghwa Nos. 1, 2, 3 — into orbit since 1995 and secured
168 satellite channels to broadcast programs in such
diverse areas as sports, music, education and
entertainment. Korea Digital Broadcasting (KDB) launched a
satellite broadcasting service in March 2002, and as of the
end of 2004, it was providing diverse channel services to
about 1.65 million subscribers. The satellites also paved the
way for Korea to become one of the leading nations in
information technology.
Radio
Radio broadcasting in Korea started in 1927, when the
Japanese government established a station in Seoul. The
U.S. military government in Korea subsequently took it over
and later formed the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS). This
Studio of “Bae Chul-soo’s

Music Camp,” MBC’s pop
music radio program
133
Society
was the only radio station in the country until 1954, when
the Christian Broadcasting System (CBS), operated chiefly
with contributions from churches, started educational and
religious programming along with news and entertainment
broadcasts.
In December 1956, another Christian organization, the
Evangelical Alliance Mission, inaugurated the Far East
Broadcasting Station in Incheon, and the first commercial
radio enterprise in Korea, the Busan Munhwa Broadcasting
Station, was established in Busan in April, 1959. The
founding of several private broadcasting companies
followed. MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Company) began
operations in December 1961 with the call sign KLKV,
followed by two rivals, DBS (Dong-A Broadcasting Station) in
1963 and TBC (Dongyang Broadcasting Company) in 1964.
Another wave of change took place in 1990 with the
establishment of a number of specialized broadcasting
stations. The Seoul city-operated TBS (Traffic Broadcasting
Station) was set up in June, 1990, followed by the
government-operated EBS (Educational Broadcasting
Korea’s global English-

www.arirang.co.kr
language cable network
arirang
134
Station). Pyeonghwa Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) for
Catholics and the Buddhist Broadcasting System (BBS)
were also established in 1990.
In March 1991, the privately-owned Seoul Radio Station
began broadcasting to a target audience among the Seoul
Metropolitan area and its vicinity, while five other privately-
owned local FM radio channels opened in 1997. There are
presently a total of 202 radio broadcasters in the Republic
of Korea; 153 FM, 47 AM, and two shortwave services for
Koreans overseas. Despite the increasing popularity of
television, radio still has an expanding audience in Korea.
Major foreign newspapers and networks

(As of February 2008)
Media Language Homepage
Korea Times English http://www.koreatimes.co.kr

Korea Herald English http://www.koreaherald.co.kr
JoongAng Daily English http://joongangdaily.joins.com
Arirang TV English http://www.arirang.co.kr
KBS worldnet English, Chinese http://www.kbsworld.net
Japanese
135
Society at a glance
The Average Middle & High School Students

Studying Abroad
Korean Life (persons)
12,252
15,697
10,170
6,668 6,446
5,837
3,692
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Source: Korean Educational Development Institute
The number of
kindergartens in Korea
grew from 901 in 1980
to 8,294 in 2007.
The ratio of middle school

graduates advancing to
high school was 99.6 in 2007.
The fertility rate
stood at 1.26 in 2007.
Average Time High School Student
Spent on Activities
Fertility Rate
4.53
(persons)
8.3%
2.83 Others
14% 40.8%
Leisure Personal
1.59 24HR care

1.47
1.26 36.9%
Study
1970 1980 1990 2000 2007
Source: Korea National Statistical Office Source: Korea National Statistical Office, 2004
136
Employees by Education Level
(Thousand persons)
College, University
8,212
Graduates & Higher
High School
9,779
Graduates
Middle School
5,442
Graduates & Lower
Source: Korea National Statistical Office, 2007
The average age of newlyweds

in 2007 was 31.1 years for males
and 28.1 years for females.
Average life expectancy in 2006

was 75.7 years for men and 82.4
years for women.
Life Expectancy
Male Female
75.7 2006 82.4
75.2 2004 80.4
78.5 2005 85.5

(years)
Source: OECD Health Data, 2007
137
CULTURE AND THE ARTS
9 Culture and the Arts
UNESCO Treasures in Korea
Fine Arts
Literature
Painting
Music and Dance
Dramas and Movies
Museums and Theaters
Culture and the Arts
The geography of Korea — a peninsula jutting out from the

world’s largest continent — has contributed greatly to the
development of uniquely Korean characteristics. The
foundation for the country’s culture and arts is the Korean
identity: a combination of traits associated with continental
and island peoples. Throughout many millennia, Korea has
interacted with the predominant continental cultures of Asia
despite its peripheral location in the northeast. Remarkably,
while accommodating major religions and traditions of other
Asian regions, the country has developed a truly distinct
culture in many aspects, which some people call the
“centrality of the Korean culture.”
Under this topographical influence, the Korean people
came to develop a peace-loving yet dynamic character that
has created a contemplative yet vibrant, optimistic yet
sentimental culture.
UNESCO Treasures in Korea

World Heritage
UNESCO has recognized the unique value and the distinct
character of Korean culture by placing a number of Korean
treasures on the World Heritage List. In 1995, UNESCO
added to its list Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto,
140
both in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province; Haeinsa
Temple Janggyeongpanjeon, the Depositories for the
Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks in Gyeongsangnam-do
Province; and Jongmyo, the Royal Ancestral Shrine in Seoul.
Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul and Hwaseong Fortress
in Suwon were entered on the list in 1997. In 2000, two
additional Korean treasures were added to the list: the
dolmen sites of Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwado; and the
Gyeongju Historic Area, the capital of the ancient Silla
Kingdom (57 B.C.- A.D. 935), where innumerable cultural
treasures and historic sites are carefully preserved. In 2007,
UNESCO named Korea’s volcanic island Jejudo and its lava
tubes a natural property of outstanding beauty which bears
testimony to the history of our planet.
Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto were
constructed over a 23-year period beginning in 751 during
the Silla Kingdom by Chief Minister Kim Dae-seong (701-
774). It is recorded that Kim was reincarnated as the son of a
chief minister because he had been the virtuous son of a
poor widow in a previous life. He himself became chief
minister and resigned in 750 to supervise the construction of
Bulguksa to honor the parents of his present life and
The majestic entrance to

Bulguksa Temple
141
Seokguram to honor the parents of his previous life.

Bulguksa was for public worship and Seokguram for the
private worship of the king.
Built on a series of stone terraces, Bulguksa blends into
what appears as an organic whole with the rocky terrain of
the wooded foothills of Tohamsan. The temple houses the
Seokgatap (Pagoda of the Historic Buddha) and Dabotap
(Pagoda of Many Treasures) as well as Cheongungyo (Blue
Cloud Bridge), Baegungyo (White Cloud Bridge) and
Chilbogyo (Bridge of Seven Treasures) — the three
staircases are called bridges because symbolically they lead
from the secular world to the spiritual one of Buddha. There
are many other outstanding treasures within and outside the
temple grounds, including gilt bronze Buddha statues.
Dominating the courtyard of the Daeungjeon (Main Hall)
are two of Korea’s most beautiful pagodas. The 8.3-meter-
high Seokgatap and the 10.5-meter-high Dabotap were both
The main rotunda of the
Seokguram Grotto built around 756. Seokgatap is characterized by masculine
142
simplicity and princely dignity and represents spiritual
ascent via the teachings of Sakyamuni whereas the highly
decorative Dabotap is more feminine and symbolizes the
complexity of the world.
Seokguram Grotto has undergone renovation several
times over the years. It is an artificially created stone cavern
featuring a large seated Buddha surrounded by 38
Bodhisattvas. The grotto, like the structures in the vicinity of
Bulguksa, is made from granite.
Seokguram comprises a rectangular antechamber and a
round interior chamber with a domed ceiling connected by a
passageway. Chiseled out of a single block of granite, the
3.5-meter-high main Buddha is seated cross-legged on a
lotus throne facing the east, with eyes closed in quiet
meditation, and a serene, all-knowing expression on its face. Tripitaka Koreana
woodblocks
Seokguram represents a combination of Silla’s
knowledge of architecture, math, geometry,
physics, religion and art into an organic whole and
is one of Korea’s greatest Buddhist masterpieces.
Janggyeongpanjeon, two storage halls at
Haeinsa Temple, are the repositories for the
Tripitaka Koreana, consisting of some 81,258 wood
printing blocks, the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392)
version of the Buddhist canon. With more than 52 million
Chinese characters precisely rendered, it is the oldest and
most comprehensive Buddhist canon existing in the world
today.
Jongmyo, the Royal Ancestral Shrine, was dedicated in Jongmyo Shrine
143
1395, three years after the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was

established. It enshrines the spirit tablets of its kings and
queens. The elaborate memorial rites and the music, which
accompanies them called Jongmyojeryeak, were designated
as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of
Humanity. Ceremonial reenactments of the Joseon ancestral
memorial rites are conducted on the first Sunday of every
Changdeokgung Palace May at Jongmyo.
Changdeokgung Palace was first built in 1405
and was reconstructed after being burnt down in
1592 during the Japanese invasion. The palace itself
is a masterful work but particularly noteworthy is
the back garden (Huwon), also called the Secret
garden (Biwon), which is widely acclaimed for its
beautifully landscaped and creative gardens. The
garden comprises almost three-fourths of the
405,636-square-meter palace grounds and is tastefully laid
out with all the essential elements of a traditional Korean
garden: picturesque pavilions and halls, lotus ponds,
uniquely shaped rocks, stone bridges, stairways, water
troughs and springs scattered among dense woods.
Hwaseong Fortress was constructed over 34 months in
Suwon, south of Seoul, in 1796. The fortress incorporated
the very latest construction technology, theories of military
Hwaseong Fortress in
Suwon defense and aesthetic principles to create the most
144
advanced military stronghold Korea had ever
known. It stretched over mountainous
terrain, around an urban center and through
flatland and included four major and several
minor gates, command posts, observation
towers, battlements, guard posts and
bunkers. Most of the 5,743 meter exterior
fortress wall still remains.
The Gyeongju Historic Area and dolmen
sites in the counties of Gochang, Jeollabuk-
Silla Dynasty tombs in
do; Hwasun, Jeollanam-do; and Ganghwa, Gyeonggi- Gyeongju
do, were also added to the list in 2000. Gyeongju
was the capital of the Silla Kingdom for a thousand
years and the area is called a “Museum Without Walls” Dolmen
because of the wealth of historical properties there.
Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes together comprise
three sites that make up 18,846 ha. They are Geomunoreum,
regarded as the finest lava tube cave system anywhere, with
its multicolored carbonate ceilings and floors and dark-
colored lava walls; the dramatic fortress-like Seongsan
Ilchulbong crater rising out of the ocean; and Hallasan,
Hallasan and
lava tube on Jeju-do
145
South Korea’s highest mountain, with its waterfalls, multi-

shaped rock formations and small crater lake. These sites of
outstanding aesthetic beauty also bear testimony to the
history of the planet, its features and the processes which
formed our world.
Memory of the World

In 1997, UNESCO initiated a Memory of the World Register for
the purpose of preserving and disseminating the documentary
heritage of the world that is in danger of being lost forever.
Korean additions to this registry include Hunminjeongeum
Hunminjeongeum
(Proper Phonetics to Instruct the People), Joseon Wangjosillok
(Annals of the Joseon Dynasty), Buljo Jikjisimcheyojeol
(Selected Sermons of Buddhist Sages and Seon Masters),
Seungjeongwon Ilgi (Diaries of the Royal Secretariat), the
printing woodblocks of the Tripitaka Koreana and
miscellaneous Buddhist scriptures, and the Uigwe (Royal
Protocols of the Joseon Dynasty).
Hunminjeongeum was a primer for teaching Hangeul, the
Korean alphabet created by the Joseon Dynasty’s fourth ruler,
King Sejong the Great (r. 1418-1450). The new alphabet was
promulgated in 1446.
Joseon Wangjosillok resulted from the tradition of
preparing a historic record of each reign. It began in 1413 with
the Annals of King Taejo, the founder and first king of Joseon,
and continued through the end of the dynasty in 1910. The
Joseon Wangjosillok Buljo Jikjisimcheyojeol Seungjeongwon Ilgi
146
Annals were drafted by historians in the Office for Annals
Compilation (Chunchugwan), and to ensure preservation,
copies were stored in special repositories situated in different
parts of the country.
Buljo Jikjisimcheyojeol, compiled in 1372 by the monk
Baegun (1298-1374), contains the essentials of Seon (Zen)
Buddhism. The key words of the title, “Jikjisimche” were taken
from a famous phrase about attaining enlightenment through
the practice of Seon. A colophon on the last page of the book
states that it was printed with movable metal type at
Heungdeoksa Temple in 1377, about seventy years before the
Gutenberg Bible was printed in Germany, making it the
world’s oldest book printed with movable metal type.
The Seungjeongwon, the Royal Secretariat of the Joseon
Dynasty, was responsible for keeping the Seungjeongwon Ilgi,
a detailed record of the daily events and official schedule of
Uigwe: The Royal Protocols
the court, from Joseon Dynasty’s first king, Taejo (r. 1392- of the Joseon Dynasty
147
1398), to the 27th and last, Sunjong (r. 1907-1910). However,

currently only 3,243 diaries exist. Recorded in the
Seungjeongwon Ilgi is the largest amount of authentic historic
information and state secrets of the Joseon Dynasty. It served
as the primary source for the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty,
thus its historic value is even greater than the Annals itself.
The Goryeo Daejanggyeong (Goryeo Dynasty Tripitaka),
known as the “Tripitaka Koreana” to modern scholarls, is a
collection of the Tripitaka (Buddhist scriptures). Carved onto
81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century, under
commission by the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), it is currently
stored at Haeinsa Temple in Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
A unique form of documentary heritage, the Uigwe is a
collection of Royal Protocols for the 500-year-long Joseon
Dynasty. A comprehensive and systematic collection of
writings and paintings, it provides a detailed account of the
important ceremonies and rites of the Joseon court. Its
particular style of documentary heritage cannot be found
Jongmyojeryeak
(Royal ancestral ritual anywhere else in the world.
music)
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Intangible Cultural Heritage
In 1998, UNESCO created the Proclamation of
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage
of Humanity to protect the oral and intangible cultural
heritage of the world. Since the first proclamation in 2001,
three intangible cultural treasures of Korea have been
proclaimed Masterpieces, and these include the Jongmyo
Jerye and Jongmyo-jeryeak (Royal Ancestral Rite and Ritual
Music), pansori (epic songs), and the Gangneung Danoje
Festival.
Jongmyojerye is the ancestral memorial rite held for the Mask dance from the
Gangneung Danoje Festival
repose of the spirits of the kings and queens of the Joseon
period at Jongmyo (the Royal Ancestral Shrine) where their
spirit tablets are enshrined. Jongmyo-jeryeak is during the
rites. Accompanied by ritual dancing, Botaepyeong
(Maintaining the Great Peace) was a suite of 11 pieces praising
the civil achievements of the dynastic founders and
Jeongdaeeop (Founding a Great Dynasty) was a suite of 15
pieces praising their military accomplishments. These two
works were composed in 1447. Two additional pieces, known
as Jongmyoakjang were composed a few years later.
Hundreds of officiants, musicians, dancers and attendants
take part in the event, which reflects the solemnity and
magnificence of Confucian rituals. It is a rare example of an
intangible cultural masterpiece that has maintained its
original form for 500 years.
Pansori is a genre of musical story-telling, performed by a
vocalist with drum accompaniment. These Pansori performance
popular solo epic songs, characterized by

expressive singing, stylized speech, and mimetic
gestures, embrace both aristocratic and folk
culture. Pansori is a compound word from “pan”
(a public place where people gather) and “sori”
(song). Performances can last up to eight hours,
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where a male or female singer improvises on texts that

combine rural Korean dialects with erudite literary
expressions. The settings, characters and situations that
make up the pansori are rooted in the Joseon period.
Danoje, held to pray for a good harvest, falls on the fifth
day of the fifth lunar month and marks the end of the spring
barley and rice-planting season. Traditionally it was one of
the three most important holidays along with Seollal (Lunar
New Year’s) and Chuseok (Thanksgiving). Gangneung’s
Danoje Festival in Gangwon-do Province is the largest
traditional festival in Korea and lasts nearly four weeks in the
fourth to early fifth month of the lunar calendar. The music,
dance, literature, drama and handicrafts associated with the
festival are of high artistic value and have extraordinary
Gilt-bronze worth in that the festival has continued for approximately a
Maitreya (the
Buddha of the thousand years and reflects the history and life of
future) from the
commoners. The festival also incorporates Korean religious
Goguryeo Kingdom
traditions, including Confucianism, Shamanism, Buddhism
and Taoism and offers a diversity of ceremonies and
performances.
Fine Arts
Though people started living on the Korean Peninsula in the
Paleolithic Age, existing remains indicate that the origin of
fine arts dates back to the Neolithic Age (c. 6,000-1,000 B.C.).
Rock carvings on a riverside cliff named Ban-gudae in Ulsan
on the southeast coast feature vivid descriptions of
animals and are noteworthy art from the prehistoric age.
The aesthetic sense of this era can also be found in the
comb and eggplant pattern on pottery for daily use. In the
Bronze Age (c. 1,000-300 B.C.), a variety of bronze goods
including mirrors, bells and pendants were produced,
most of which are presumed to be indicative of
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authority or designed for religious purposes and
were intended to inspire awe.
During the Three Kingdoms era, Goguryeo (37
B.C.- A.D. 668), Baekje (18 B.C.- A.D. 660) and Silla
(57 B.C.- A.D. 935) each developed different fine
arts influenced by their own unique geographical,
political and societal circumstances. Mural
paintings from Goguryeo tombs, mostly found
around Jiban and Pyongyang, illustrate the art of
this kingdom. The murals on the four walls and
ceilings of the burial chambers feature figures
depicted in brilliant colors and energetic and
dynamic movement, illustrating ideas about life on earth and A ceiling painting in
Ssangyeongchong (the
in the afterlife. tomb of Double Columns)
The art of Baekje is best characterized by soft surface from the Goguryeo
Kingdom
treatment and warm smiles as seen in the Buddhist triad
carved on a rock at Seosan. Archaeologists uncovered rich
collections of gold accessories, including crowns, earrings,
necklaces and belts from the tombs of Silla, which are a
visible expression of authority. Gold threads and gold
granules found in the tombs together with splendid
accessories attest to the highly refined artistic skills of this
kingdom. In the meantime, the official recognition of Silla Kingdom gold crown
Buddhism during the Three Kingdoms led to the creation of

Buddhist statues. One prime example is the statue of
Maitreya (the Buddha of the Future) sitting in meditation with
his finger touching his cheek.
Unified Silla (676-935) developed a polished artistic
culture bearing a strong international flavor through
exchanges with the Tang Dynasty (618-907) of China. Still,
Buddhism served as a strong driving force behind Silla
cultural developments. Seokguram Grotto, the quintessence
of the fine arts of Unified Silla, is an unrivalled masterpiece in
respect to the majestic figures, their realistic expressions and
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unique features. In addition, Silla artisans also excelled in

producing temple bells. Bronze bells like the Divine Bell of
King Seongdeok manufactured in the late 8th century are well
known for their elegant designs, sonorous sound and
impressive size.
The artistry of Goryeo (918-1392) can be best appreciated
by its celadon ware. The jade green color, elegant designs
and great variety of Goryeo celadon are profoundly beautiful
and quite different from Chinese ceramics. Up until the first
The Divine Bell of King half of the 12th century, Goryeo celadon was noted for its
Seongdeok (late 8th
century) is the largest of its pure color, while in the second half of the century, the
kind in Korea.
technique of incising designs into clay and then filling the
recesses with white or black slip came to stand out as a main
characteristic.
The current oldest wooden structure built in this era is
Muryangsujeon (Hall of Infinite Life) at Buseoksa Temple in
Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. It is presumed to have
been built in the 13th century. Wooden architectural designs
in this age can be categorized into two major types, jusimpo
(column brackets to support the roof) and dapo (multi-
bracket sets placed on the lintels between pillars as well as
on the columns). The dapo system, in particular was
developed for the construction of grand, large-scale
structures. These two construction forms remained as the
basis for wooden architecture up to the Joseon Dynasty.
Buncheong, stoneware made of gray clay and decorated
with white slip coating, was one kind of ceramic produced
Goryeo
Inlaid celadon Celadon pitcher

vase from the in the shape of
Goryeo Dynasty a tortoise
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Muryangsujeon, the oldest
wooden structure in Korea
during the Joseon Dynasty. It was coated with a celadon-type

gray-blue glaze. Also typical of this period was white
porcelain and blue-and-white porcelain. Used by common
people in their daily lives, Buncheong ware is decorated with
unconstrained patterns. White porcelain, exhibiting a perfect
harmony between curves and subtle color tones, is an
example of the acme of beauty. Beginning in the mid-15th
century, blue-and-white porcelain began to exhibit a brilliant
aesthetic sense thanks to the picturesque patterns painted in
blue cobalt pigment on the white porcelain surface.
During the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), traditional
construction, which sought harmony with the natural
landscape, flourished in great variety and sophistication.
Sungnyemun (also known as Namdaemun) in downtown
Seoul is an especially valued example of the architectural
Joseon
Blue and white Joseon

Dynasty porcelain vase
with bamboo and pine Buncheong flask
tree design with peony design
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style of the early Joseon Dynasty. It and numerous temple

and palace buildings are being rebuilt or restored using
traditional methods.
Western architecture was introduced to Korea at the end
of the 19th century, as churches and offices for foreign
legations were built by architects and engineers from abroad.
Since the 1960s, in Korea’s pursuit of industrialization and
urbanization, the Government pushed ahead with
development plans and a number of beautiful old buildings
were demolished and replaced by unsightly structures.
However, in recent years, there have been active
discussions in this regard while the time-honored concept of
harmonizing buildings with nature is being revived.
Literature
Korean literature is usually divided chronologically into
Yongbieocheonga
The work eulogizies the classical and modern periods. Korea’s classical literature
virtue of the ancestors for developed against the backdrop of traditional folk beliefs. It
the House of Yi, the
founding family of the was also influenced by Taoism, Confucianism, and
Joseon Dynasty, likening Buddhism. Among these, Buddhist influence held the
them to a deep rooted tree
and a spring of deep greatest sway, followed by enormous influences from
waters.
Confucianism during the Joseon period.
Modern literature in Korea, on the other
hand, developed out of its contact with
Western culture, following the course of
modernization. Not only Christian thought,
but also various artistic trends and
influences were imported from the West. As
the “New Education” and the “National
Language and Literature Movement”
developed, the Chinese writing system,
which had traditionally represented the
culture of the dominant class, lost the socio-
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cultural function it had previously enjoyed.
The hyangga poetry of the Silla period signaled the
beginning of a unique poetic form in Korean literature. The
hyangga were recorded in the hyangchal script the in which
the Korean language was written using, “sound” (eum) and
“meaning” (hun) of Chinese characters. Fourteen poems in
the hyangga style from the Silla period have been preserved
in the Samgungnyusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms).
The literature of the Goryeo period is marked by an
increased use of Chinese letters, the disappearance of
hyangga, and the emergence of Goryeogayo (Goryeo songs)
which continued to be transmitted as oral literature until
the Joseon period.
The creation of Hangeul in the early Joseon period was a
key turning point in the history of Korean literature. Akjang
(musical scores) were written in the Korean script,
such as Yongbieocheonga (Songs of Flying Dragons
Through the Heavens).
The sijo (current tune) is representative of Joseon
period poetry. Its poetic form was established in the
late Goryeo period, but it flourished to a greater extent
under the Joseon period’s new leading ideology, the
Neo-Confucianism of China’s Song Dynasty. Another
form of Joseon-period poetry, the gasa is properly
placed in the category of verse, but its content is not
limited to the expression of individual sentiment. It often
includes moral admonitions. Honggildongjeon (Tales of
Hong Gil-dong, the first
The first classical fictions in Korea include Kim Si-seup’s novel published in
Geumosinhwa (Tales of Geumo) which was written in Hangeul) is a work of
social criticism that
Chinese characters and Heo Gyun’s Honggildongjeon (Tales scathingly attacked the
of Hong Gil-dong) written in Hangeul. inequities of Joseon with
its discriminatory
As time passed, Hangeul was used widely in Korean treatment of illegitimate
offspring and its
society, resulting in the growth and development of Korean
differences based on
language and literature studies. wealth.
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Modern Korean literature was formed against the

background of the crumbling feudalistic society of the
Joseon Dynasty and the importation of new ideas from the
West.
As forms of modern Korean literature, the changga (new
type of song) and sinchesi (new poetry) were hailed as new
poetic forms.
Sansumunjeon
Clay tile with landscape in Painting
relief from the Baekje
Kingdom
Although Korean painters showed a certain level of
accumulated skills from the time of the Three Kingdoms,
most paintings have been lost because they were drawn on
paper. As a result, it is only possible to appreciate a limited
number of paintings from this age such as the tomb murals.
In addition to the Goguryeo mural paintings, the landscape
tiles of Baekje and the Painting of the Flying Horse of Silla
combine to attest to the characteristics and quality of
paintings during the Three Kingdoms. These works display
energetic and bold lines and well-organized composition,
distinctive features of this age.
The figures on the walls of Only a handful of paintings of Unified Silla remain. Still,
Muyongchong (the Tomb of
the painted illustrations of the teachings of the Avatamsaka
the Dancers) from the
Goguryeo Kingdom Sutra (the Flower Garland Sutra) bears witness to the
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Geumgangsan-do
Panoramic View of
Geumgang Mountains by
Joseon Dynasty artist
Jeong Seon
refinement of the paintings of this age. Exquisite and lively

lines characterize these illustrations.
Both decorative and Buddhist paintings reached a peak
during the Goryeo Dynasty. During this age, a great variety
of paintings were produced. The works from this period that
have survived are mainly Buddhist paintings of the 13-14th
century. The main features of these works include elegant
postures, delicate and exquisite folds of the clothing and
refined hues, indicative of the thriving Buddhism of this
epoch.
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The greatest advancement in Korean painting

took place during the Joseon Dynasty. Trained
professional painters and literati artists played a
leading role in the development of painting. In
particular, economic growth, political stability and
ideological development in the 18th century served
as catalysts for the predominance of uniquely
Korean painting styles. This trend can be seen in
landscape paintings of actual Korean scenes and
genre paintings with secular themes. Jeong Seon
(1676-1758) and Kim Hong-do (1745-1816) are
regarded as two leading painters during this period.
Based on Southern School paintings of China,
Jeong Seon filled his canvas with picturesque
“Magpie and Tiger,” a scenery of the mountains of Korea, creating a
popular theme in folk
painting distinctive Korean style. He had the greatest influence of
any Korean artist on the development of literati tastes of his
time, and this has continued down to the present. One of
his masterpieces is “Panoramic View of Geumgang
Mountains.” In the meantime, the paintings of Kim Hong-do
are greatly valued in that he captured the mundane lives of
farmers, artisans and merchants. His precise but humorous
depictions stand out. In the late years of the Joseon
Dynasty, the styles of painting further expanded. Untrained
painters emerged as active producers of folk paintings to
meet the demands of ordinary people. These folk paintings
featured unconstrained use of vivid colors and boldly
simplified and stylized designs.
Following Japan’s forcible annexation of Korea in 1910,
the traditional styles of painting were gradually
overshadowed by Western oil painting styles that were
introduced during that period and later became prevalent.
After Korea’s liberation from Japan’s rule in 1945, traditional
Korean painting styles were revived by a number of
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outstanding artists. At the same time, many
Korean artists educated in Europe and the
United States helped their home country keep
up with the contemporary trends of the
outside world.
In the 1950s, a government-run institution,
the National Exhibition played a leading role
in the advancement of Korean art. The
National Exhibition had a rather formal and
academic atmosphere and tended to choose
works that were realistic. Young artists
pursuing creativity in their works, therefore,
sought an art in tune with the new age. From
the late 1960s, modern Korean painting began
to change its directions to geometrical
"Ssireum" (Korean
abstraction. Other artists took a deep interest in subject Wrestling) by Joseon
Dynasty artist Kim Hong-do
matters that conveyed the innate unity between man and
nature.
Korean paintings of the 1980s were largely a reaction to
the modernism of the 1970s. During this period, artists
strongly felt that art should convey a message dealing with
current social issues. Since then, there has been an interest
in the issues of modernism and post-modernism.
“U.S. Map” by renowned

video-artist Paik Nam-june
on display in the
Smithsonian, Washington,
D.C.
159
In 1995, the International Gwangju Biennale was held.

The event provided an opportunity for modern Korean
artists to get together with leading figures from the
international art world. Paik Nam-june’s video art was one
of the most prominent exhibitions.
In Korea today, both traditional and Western-style
painting are taught and pursued, producing one of the most
versatile communities of fine arts in the world. Many Korean
painters are active in New York, Paris and other centers of
contemporary art.
Music and Dance

Music and dance were means of religious worship and this
tradition continued through the Three Kingdoms period.
More than 30 musical instruments were used during the
Three Kingdoms period, and particularly noteworthy was
the hyeonhakgeum (black crane zither), which Wang San-ak
of Goguryeo created by altering the seven-string zither of Jin
Ensemble of national Dynasty China. Also notable was the gayageum, a zither
classical music performing
Sujecheon (Long Life as used in Gaya (A.D. 42-562). The 12-string gayageum is still
Eternal as the Heavens)
160
played in modern Korea.
Goryeo followed the musical tradition of Silla in its early
years, but came to have more diversified genres later. There
were three types of music in Goryeo — Dangak, meaning
music from Tang Dynasty China, Hyangak or village music,
and Aak or court music. Some Goryeo music was inherited
by Joseon and is still used in ceremonies today, especially
those involving ancestral worship.
As in music, Goryeo enjoyed the dance tradition of the
Three Kingdoms initially, but later added more varieties
with the introduction of court and religious dance from
China’s Song Dynasty.
During the Joseon Dynasty, music was respected as an
important element of rituals and ceremonies. Early in the
dynasty, two offices dealing with musical matters were
established and efforts were made to arrange musical texts.
As a result, a canon of music called Akhakgwe-beom was
produced in 1493. The book classified music to be played at
court into three categories — ceremonial music, Chinese
music and native songs. Especially during King Sejong’s
reign, scores of new musical instruments were developed.
In addition to court music, the traditions of secular music
Percussion instruments for Samulnori
Ggwaenggwari Pungmul janggo
Samulnori is a percussion ensemble for four

different instruments: ggwaenggwari (small metal
gong), jing (large metal gong), janggo (hourglass-
shaped drum), and buk (barrel drum). Jing Soribuk
161
such as Dangak and Hyangak continued.

Folk dances, including the farmers’ dance, shaman dance
and monk dance, became popular in the latter days of
Joseon, along with the mask dance known as Sandaenori
and a puppet dance.
The mask dance combined dance with song and
narrative and included shamanistic elements that greatly
appealed to commoners. The performance was often
accented by satirical passages that mocked the nobility to
the delight of the crowds watching.
As for traditional dances, Confucian and Buddhist
Rain influences were very prominent. Confucian influence was
Popular singer, dancer, often repressive, while Buddhism allowed a more tolerant
model and actor
attitude as shown in the beautiful court dances and many
shaman dances for the dead.
A large number of traditional dances withered away
during Japan’s colonial rule, as well as the rapid
industrialization and urbanization of Korea in the 1960s and
1970s. It was in the 1980s that people began to think about
reviving these long-forgotten dances. Of the 56 original
court dances, only a few are well-known today.
Cheoyongmu (the Mask Dance) of Silla, Hakchum (the
Crane Dance) of Goryeo, and Chunaengjeon (Nightingale-
Singing-in-the-spring Dance) of Joseon — All of these dances
have been designated as “Intangible Cultural Properties” by
the Government to support their continuation. Professional
performers have been granted the titles of “Human Cultural
Properties,” the highest honor awarded to masters of
traditional arts and crafts.
The development of modern dance in Korea was due
largely to such pioneers as Jo Taek-won and Choe Seung-
hui who were active during the Japanese colonial period.
Following liberation, the Seoul Ballet Company was founded
Ballerina Kang Sue-jin
with the Stuttgart Ballet in 1946 to become the first organization that staged
162
performances of ballet.
Western music was first heard in Korea with the
introduction of a Christian hymnal in 1893, and
began to be taught at schools in 1904. Changga, a
new type of song sung to Western melodies,
flourished across the country.
As the nation experienced tumultuous changes
with its forced opening to the West and the
prolonged Japanese colonial rule, changga was
sung to enhance love for the nation, a desire for
independence and a new cultural form. In 1919,
Hong Nanpa composed Bongseonhwa (Touch Me
Not) in the form of changga.
After national liberation in 1945, Korea’s first
Western-style orchestra was inaugurated as the Vocalist Jo Su-mi
Korea Symphony Orchestra Society. Today there are nearly

50 full orchestras in Seoul and the provinces.
An increasing number of Korean musicians are
performing outside Korea these days, winning acclaim from
concert audiences and awards at prestigious international
competitions. Among the most notable performers are the
Chung Trio conductor-pianist Chung Myung-whun, cellist
Chung Myung-wha and violinist Chung Kyung-wha. Conductor-pianist
Chung Myung-whun
Among singers, sopranos Jo Su-mi, Shin Young-ok and
Hong Hye-gyong have all established an impressive
presence in the international
community of music. They
have performed leading roles in
productions at New York’s
Metropolitan Opera and other
famed stages in addition to
recording for world-famous music
companies.
In August, 1997, “The Last Empress,” a musical depicting
163
The Last Empress the last years of Korea’s monarchy and Empress
A musical depicting the
tragic demise of Korea’s
Myeongseong, was staged in New York to the wide acclaim
monarchy and Empress of the American press. The musical, an epic tale, was
Myeongseong
viewed as offering a precious opportunity to promote
Korean history and culture abroad.
To preserve and further develop traditional Korean
music and performing arts, the National Center for Korean
Mask dance, or talchum, is
a form of folk drama
Traditional Performing Arts was established in 1951. The
enjoyed by the common Government established the Korean National University of
people.
Madanggeuk Play (Outdoor Arts in 1993 to offer world class education in the arts and to
Theater), part of Dongnae cultivate professional artists. The University has six schools:
Yaryu (Field Play)
Music, Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, Film &
Multimedia and Korean Traditional Arts.
Public and private arts centers, such as the
Seoul Arts Center and LG Arts Center, have
introduced various performances from all
over the world to Korean audiences. Since
2004, members of the Korean Network of
Performing Arts Festivals have exchanged
information on performing arts, researched
164
festivals, co-invited overseas performances, and co-
produced performing arts. Established in 2005, the
Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) has been a
platform for the effective promotion of Korean performing
art companies in the domestic and international arenas.
Dramas and Movies

While music and dance play an integral role in all traditional
theatrical performances, Korean drama has its origins in
prehistoric religious rites. A good example of this classical
theatrical form is the masked dance Sandaenori, a
combination of dance, song and narrative punctuated with
satire and humor. Slightly varying from one region to
another in terms of style, dialogue and costume, it enjoyed
remarkable popularity among rural people up to the early
20th century. Pansori and the shamanistic ritual known as a
gut were other forms of sacred theater that appealed to the Korea’s B-boys have
earned global recognition
populace. All of these are still performed in modern Korea, by winning numerous
international battles.
though not very often.
There are a few institutions that offer
various performing arts in one place, one
example being Jeong-dong Theater in
central Seoul. It presents a traditional
performing arts series, drama and music.
The first performance of singeuk (new
drama), a departure from the masked dance
and other forms of traditional dramas, was
presented in December 1902. However,
modern drama began to take firm root in the
1910s after the first Western-style theater
was opened in Seoul in 1908. The theater
named Wongaksa was in operation until
November 1909.
165
Theatrical groups Hyeoksindan and Munsuseong were

also organized by those who returned from study in Japan
and staged sinpa (new wave) dramas. Sinpa was a concept
that countered gupa (old wave) drama, meaning kabuki of
Japan. Sinpa dramas first dealt with political and military
themes and then were diversified into detective stories,
soap operas and tragedies.
While sinpa dramas proved to be a passing fad, a
genuine new wave of dramas was promoted by artists who
rallied around Wongaksa and raised the curtain of modern
drama. In 1922, Towolhoe, a coterie of theatrical figures,
was formed, and led the drama movement across the
country, staging as many as 87 performances. Drama
remained popular until the 1930s, but then subsided in the
socio-political turmoil of the 1940s and 1950s. In the
following decade, it was further weakened amidst the boom
of motion pictures and the emergence of television.
In the 1970s, a number of young artists began to study
and adopt the styles and themes of traditional theatrical
works like the masked dance plays, shaman rituals and
pansori. The Korean Culture and Arts Foundation has been
Korean TV Drama
Winter Sonata (2002, KBS)

Winter Sonata was the second part of the KBS TV drama
series Endless Love. Broadcast on Japan's NHK, it helped
spark the Hallyu (Korean pop culture) wave that has swept
Japan and Asia.
Daejanggeum (2003, MBC)

Based loosely on a historical figure depicted in the Annals of
the Joseon Dynasty, the show focuses on Jang-geum,
Korea’s first female royal physician.
166
sponsoring an annual drama festival to encourage local
theatrical performances. At present, a great number of
theatrical groups are active around the year, featuring all
manners of genres from comedy to historical epics at small
theaters along Daehangno Street in downtown Seoul. Some
theatrical performances become very successful and are
staged for extended runs.
The first Korean-made film was shown to the public in
1919. Entitled “Righteous Revenge,” it was a so-called kino-
drama designed to be combined with a stage performance.
The first feature film, “Oath Under the Moon,” was screened Old Boy (2003, directed by
in 1923. In 1926, charismatic actor-director Na Un-gyu drew Park Chan-wook)
an enthusiastic response from the public by producing Old Boy is the twisted tale
of a man imprisoned for 15
“Arirang,” a cinematic protest against Japanese oppression. years without any
explanation.
After the Korean War in 1953, the local film industry grew The film won the Grand
gradually and enjoyed a booming business for about a Prix from the Cannes Film
Festival jury in 2004.
decade. But the next two decades saw a stagnation of the
industry due largely to the rapid growth of television. Since
the early 1980s, however, the film industry has regained
some vitality thanks mainly to a few talented young
directors who boldly discarded old stereotypes in movie
making. Their efforts succeeded and their movies have
earned recognition at various international festivals
including Cannes, Chicago, Berlin, Venice, London, Tokyo,
Moscow and other cities. This positive trend has
accelerated with more and more directors producing movies
based on uniquely Korean stories that have moved hearts
worldwide.
In 2000, “Chunhyangjeon” (The Story of Chunhyang), Secret Sunshine (2007,
directed by Im Kwon-taek, became the first Korean film to directed by
Lee Chang-dong)
compete in the Cannes Film Festival. Four other films were
The story centers around a
screened in non-competitive categories. The film “Seom” lady that copes with the
death of her husband and
(Island), directed by Kim Ki-duk, competed in the Venice child. Jeon Do-yeon won the
International Film Festival. Best Actress Prize in the
2007 Cannes Film Festival.
167
JUMP, the spectacular Following these films, in 2001, “Joint Security Area” was
Martial Arts Performance
selected to compete in the Berlin International Film Festival
This dynamic show fuses
the ancient Korean fighting and another film by Kim Ki-duk, “Address Unknown”
arts of taekwondo with entered the competition section of the Venice International
taekkyeon and other Asian
martial arts. Film Festival.
JUMP won the Comedy
Award at the Edinburgh
Director Park Chan-wook garnered the Jury Grand Prix at
Fringe Festival 2006 and the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for his film “Old Boy.” He
the same year excerpts
were performed for Prince also won the Best Director Award at the Bangkok
Charles and the BBC at International Film Festival for “Old Boy” in 2005 and
The Royal Variety
Performance. “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” in 2006.
Public interest in films has been mounting and several
international film festivals have been staged by provincial
governments or private organizations in Korea. They include
the Pusan International Film Festival, the Bucheon
International Fantastic Film Festival, the Jeonju International
Film Festival and the Women’s Film Festival in Seoul.
As in other countries, Korean cinema circles are seeing a
noticeable expansion of the animation and cartoon industry.
More than 200 companies are producing works in this rising
genre.
The film, video, animation and online content industries
168
are also undergoing a boom in Korea, fueled by the
availability of high-speed Internet services. In 2007,
following steep reductions in the screen quota system the
previous year, 392 feature films were screened in Korea, a
60 percent increase over 2003. Nearly 30 percent, or 112 of
these, were Korean productions.
Museums and Theaters

Korea abounds in cultural facilities of all levels and
categories where people can enjoy exhibitions and stage
performances throughout the year. These places offer an
on-the-spot glimpse into the cultural and artistic
achievements of Koreans past and present, regarding both
traditional and modern trends and tastes. From
internationally recognized museums to small theaters
where performers and spectators can casually mingle and
interact, these facilities vary in type and scale to satisfy the
diverse interests and penchants of their target audiences.
There are 358 museums in Korea, with 31 being funded
and operated by the central government, including the
National Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum
located in downtown Seoul. Others are located in provincial
National Museum of
Contemporary Art in Seoul
Grand Park
169
cities, some of which were the capitals of ancient kingdoms.

In particular, Gyeongju and Buyeo are treasure houses of
historic relics that reveal the cultural brilliance of their
respective regions. As such, each museum features a
unique historical flavor.
In addition to the national and public museums as well
as college and university museums, there are more than 155
private museums in Korea that have been established by
private citizens, religious organizations and business
enterprises.
In most cases, their collections consist of cultural
artifacts which involved a lifetime of dedicated efforts to
gather. The collections range from folk paintings, books,
religious objects, furniture and embroidery to traditional
costumes.
Museums with unusual collections have appeared
including a museum specializing in kimchi, Korea’s
trademark pickled cabbage and radish.
Korea has about 80 multi-purpose theaters. The National
Theater, founded in 1950, is located at the foot of Mt.
The National Museum of Namsan in the heart of Seoul. With a goal of preserving and
Korea in Yongsan-gu,
Seoul developing traditional culture and contemporary performing
170
arts, it has gone through a half century of
hardship and change and is now
rightfully proud of its four resident
companies who stage some 35 regular
productions annually.
The four include the National Drama
Company, National Changgeuk (Korean
musical drama) Company, National
Dance Company and National Traditional
Music Orchestra. These companies frequently present Kimchi Field Museum in
Seoul’s COEX Mall
special tour performances overseas and across Korea.
Besides the four resident companies, three others were
quite active — The National Opera Company, The National
Ballet Company and The National Chorus. These three were
reborn as independently-run companies residing at the
Seoul Arts Center in February 2000.
The National Museum of Contemporary Art, located in a
scenic park in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, features an
extensive collection of Korean and Western art works of the
20th century.
The number of art galleries has greatly increased in the
past two decades amid growing public interest in fine art.
Sejong Center, central

Seoul
171
The Opera House and

Seoul Arts Center complex
Galleries of varied sizes and character are clustered in such

areas as Insa-dong, downtown Seoul; Sagan-dong near
Gyeongbokgung Palace; and Cheongdam-dong, southern
Seoul.
One of Korea’s largest multi-purpose theaters is the
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, located in the center
of Seoul. Affiliated with this municipal arts center, opened
in 1978, are the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, the Seoul
Metropolitan Korean Traditional Music Orchestra, the Seoul
Metropolitan Choir, the Seoul Metropolitan Theater
Company, the Seoul Metropolitan Musical Company, the
Seoul Metropolitan Dance Company, the Seoul
Metropolitan Opera Company, the Seoul Metropolitan Boys
and Girls Choir and the Seoul Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.
The center’s main hall can seat 3,800, while its pipe organ is
one of the finest in the world.
The Seoul Arts Center, located in southern Seoul, was
Korea’s first multi-disciplinary art and cultural center. The
Center, covering a total land area of over 234,385 square
meters and a total floor space of 120,951 square meters,
opened in three stages from 1988 to 1993.
With its beautiful architecture, the Opera House has
three separate theaters. The Opera Theater, with 2,278
172
The center of Daehagno,
Marronnier Park, has
frequent live performances
by aspiring entertainers.
Daehagno is popular with
young Koreans and is one
of Seoul’s main theater
districts.
seats, is equipped to host grand operas, ballets and more.

Towol Theater, which can seat 669, is a medium-sized
theater for plays, smaller-scale operas and modern dance.
The Jayu Theater, which can accommodate a maximum of
350 people, is for experimental and avant-garde
performances.
The Concert Hall, with 2,600 seats, is a large hall for full
orchestras, while the Recital Hall, which can accommodate
up to 380 seats, is for solo or chamber orchestras. And the
Center has an art gallery, calligraphy hall, arts library, open-
air theater and film archive.
Since its completion, Seoul Arts Center has been
recognized by artists from a number of disciplines as a
unique place for fostering, promoting and staging creative
works. As a world-class institution, the Seoul Arts Center now
plays a role in leading Korean culture into the next century.
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Culture and the Arts at a glance
Hallyu: Korean Wave

Hallyu, the ‘Korean Wave,’ refers to the growing interest in Korean pop and
traditional culture across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.
MAJOR
KOREAN FILM
FESTIVALS
Puchon International
Fantastic Film Festival
PiFan is held every July
in Bucheon, South
Korea. Inaugurated in
1997, the festival
focuses on horror,
thriller, mystery and
Pusan International fantasy films, with Jeonju International
Film Festival particular attention to Film Festival
The hub of Asian films from South Korea The Jeonju
cinema, The Pusan and other Asian nations. International Film
International Film Festival promotes the
Festival marks its 13th possibilities of digital
year in 2008. The PIFF film. In addition to
breaks the barriers showing a variety of
separating short films submitted
documentary, from around the world,
animated, commercial, organizers annually
independent, digital award $50,000 to three
and analog films and filmmakers to produce
helps bring Asian digital shorts expressly
directors and for the festival.
performers into the
global spotlight.
174
ACTORS SINGERS
Jang Dong-gun Bae Yong-joon Rain BoA
KOREAN
ENTERTAINERS
Jun Ji-hyun Lee Young-ae Jang Young-ju Paik Nam-june
ACTRESSES ARTISTS
175
KOREAN LIFE
10 Korean Life
Houses
Clothing
Food
Festivals
Religion
Korean Life
Korean Life
It is generally believed that Paleolithic man began to inhabit

the Korean Peninsula about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago,
although it has yet to be confirmed if they were the ethnic
ancestors of present-day Koreans. Some Paleolithic men lived
in caves, while others built structures on level ground. They
lived on fruit and edible roots and by hunting and fishing.
Neolithic man appeared in Korea around 4000 B.C., with
signs of their active presence around 3000 B.C. being found
across the peninsula. It is believed that the Neolithic people
formed the ethnic stock of the Korean people. Neolithic
people dwelled near the seashore and riverbanks before
advancing into inland areas. The sea was their main source
Dolmen Park in Suncheon
of food. They used nets, hooks and fishing lines to catch fish
Prehistoric dolmen and
other relics are on display and gather shellfish. Hunting was another way to procure
indoors and outdoors
food. Arrowheads and spear points have been found at
alongside Juam Lake. The
park is Korea’s first Neolithic sites. Later, they began to engage in farming using
dedicated to these ancient
grave markers. stone hoes, sickles and millstones.
Rice cultivation started during the Bronze Age, generally
thought to have lasted in Korea until around 400 B.C. People
178
also lived in thatch-covered pits, while dolmen and stone cist
tombs were used predominantly for burials during the period.
As agriculture became a principal activity, villages were
formed and a ruling leader with supreme authority emerged.
Law became necessary to govern the communities. In
Gojoseon (2333 B.C.-108 B.C.), a law code consisting of eight
articles came into practice, but only three of the articles are
known today: First, anybody who kills another shall
immediately be killed. Second, those who injure another’s
body shall compensate in grain. Third, those who steal
other’s possessions shall become a slave of their victim.
Houses
Hanok, traditional Korean houses, remained relatively
unchanged from the Three Kingdoms period through the
late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).
Ondol, a unique Korean underfloor heating system, was
first used in the north. Smoke and heat generated from the
low-lying kitchen stoves were channeled through flues built
under floors. In the warmer south, ondol was used together
with wooden floors. The major materials of traditional
houses were clay and wood. Giwa, or black-grooved roof
Ondol
In modern usage it refers
to any type of underfloor
heating or a room that
follows the traditional way
of eating and sleeping on
the floor.
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Korean Life
tiles, were made of earth, usually red clay. Today, the

Presidential mansion is called Cheong Wa Dae, or the Blue
House, for the blue tiles used for its roof.
Hanok were built without using any nails but rather
assembled with wooden pegs. Upper-class houses
consisted of a number of separate structures, one for the
accommodation of women and children, one for the men of
the family and their guests, and another for servants, all
enclosed within a wall. A family ancestral shrine was built
behind the house. A lotus pond was sometimes created in
front of the house outside the wall.
The form of the houses differed from the colder north to
the warmer south. Simple houses with a rectangular floor
and a kitchen and a room on either side developed into an
L-shaped house in the south. Hanok later became U- or
square-shaped centered around a courtyard.
From the late 1960s, Korea’s housing pattern began to
change rapidly with the construction of Western-style
apartment buildings. High-rise apartments have
mushroomed all over the country since the 1970s but the
Namsangol Traditional ondol system has remained popular with heated water
Village in downtown Seoul
pipes taking the place of smoke flues under the floor.
Clothing
Koreans weaved cloth with hemp and arrowroot and
raised silkworms to produce silk. During the Three
Kingdoms period, men wore jeogori (jacket), baji
(trousers), and durumagi (overcoat) with a hat, belt and pair
of shoes. The women wore jeogori (short jacket) with two
long ribbons tied to form an otgoreum (knot), a full length,
high-waist wrap-around skirt called chima, a durumagi,
beoseon (white cotton socks), and boat-shaped shoes. This
attire, known as Hanbok, has been handed down in the same
form for men and women for hundreds of years with little
change except for the length of the jeogori and chima.
Western-style clothes were commercialized in Korea
during the Korean War (1950-53), and during the rapid
Hanbok, traditional
industrialization in the 1960s and 1970s, Hanbok use declined, clothing
being regarded as inappropriate for casual wear. Recently,
however, Hanbok lovers have been campaigning to revitalize
Hanbok and have updated styles to better fit modern work
environments.
A few Koreans still wear traditional Hanbok but usually
only on special holidays like Seollal and Chuseok and family
festivities such as Hwangap, the celebration for parents
turning 60.
Traditional full-course
dinner
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Korean Life
Housewives making kimchi
Food
Baechu kimchi Of the three basic elements of life — house, clothing and
food — the change in dietary habits has most significantly
affected Koreans. Rice still remains the staple of most
Koreans, but among the younger generations, many prefer
Western-style food.
Rice has been usually accompanied by various side dishes,
mostly seasoned vegetables, soup, pot stew, and meat.
A traditional Korean meal is not complete without kimchi,
Making Baechu kimchi
1. Ingredients for kimchi 2. Slice and wash chinese 3. Clean the bottoms of the
cabbages and soak in salt cabbages.
water.
182
a mixture of various pickled vegetables such
as Chinese cabbage, radish, green onion
and cucumber. Certain types of kimchi are
made spicy with the addition of red chili
pepper powder, while others are prepared
without red chili peppers or are soaked in a tasty
liquid. However, garlic is always used in kimchi to
add to its flavor.
In late November or early December, Korean
families used to prepare enough kimchi to last the Bulgogi, Korea's
long winter. The kimchi was stored in large clay jars partially most popular beef
dish
buried to maintain temperature and retain flavor. In modern
Korea, housewives often don’t have time to make kimchi or
the outdoor space needed to store large amounts. But
kimchi is still a vital part of the Korean lifestyle: companies
making the fermented dish and others selling special kimchi
refrigerators enjoy brisk sales.
In addition to kimchi, doenjang (soybean paste), with its
anti-cancer attributes, has attracted the attention of
modern-day nutritionists. Koreans used to make doenjang
at home by boiling yellow beans, drying them in the shade,
soaking them in salty water, and fermenting them in
sunlight. However, only a few families go through this
process anymore; the majority buy factory-made doenjang.
4. Mix seasonings with salted and 5. Spread seasonings evenly 6. Wrap the whole cabbage and
fermented fish. between leaves. store in cool place.
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Korean Life
Among meat dishes, seasoned bulgogi (usually beef)

and galbi (beef or pork ribs) are the most favored by both
Koreans and foreigners.
Festivals
In bygone days, festivals were lavish religious observances.
Even before the Three Kingdoms period, harvest thanksgiving
festivals began to be observed officially in the smaller
Ddeokguk confederated kingdoms. They included the yeonggo (spirit-
Korean custom calls for invoking drums) of Buyeo, dongmaeng (worship of the
starting the New Year
with a hearty bowl of rice founder) of Goguryeo, and mucheon (Dance to Heaven) of
cake soup to bring luck.
Dongye. Usually, festivals were conducted in the tenth month,
according to the lunar calendar, after harvests were over.
The tradition of enjoying the fall harvest and greeting the
new year in merriment continued through the later kingdoms
and dynasties with each making some modifications.
Due to the hectic pace of life today, modern Korea has
Sebae is the custom of lost many of its traditional holidays. But a few holidays are
younger people bowing to
respected elders as a New still celebrated fervently. One such day is Seollal, the first
Year’s greeting.
day of a new lunar year, which falls sometime in late
184
January to late February in the solar calendar.
The entire family gathers on that day. Dressed
in Hanbok or their best clothes, the family
observes ancestral rites. After the ceremonies,
the younger members make a traditional deep
bow to their elders.
Other major holidays include Daeboreum, the
first full moon of the year after Seollal. During
this holiday, farmers and fishermen pray for a
bountiful harvest and catch, and ordinary
households express yearning for a fortuitous
year and the prevention of bad luck by preparing
special dishes of seasonal vegetables. At breakfast on
Daeboreum, Ogokbap (five-
On Dano, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, farmers took grain rice) is eaten with
a day off from the field for joint festivities marking the various dried herbs.
completion of sowing, while women washed their hair in special

water prepared by boiling iris flowers in the hope of preventing
misfortune. Dano was a major holiday in the old days, but
interest today has greatly decreased except in a few provinces.
Chuseok, the autumnal full moon day that falls on the 15th
day of the eighth month by the lunar calendar, is probably the
A family making
songpyeon, half moon-
shaped rice cakes, for
Chuseok
185
Korean Life
most anticipated festive day for

modern Koreans.
Endless throngs of cars fill
expressways and many institutions
and stores are closed for three
days. Family members get together,
pay tribute to their ancestors, and
visit ancestral graves. People living
in cities return to their hometowns
to observe Chuseok. Airplane and
Dol, the first birthday train tickets for those returning to their hometowns are
celebration
usually reserved several months in advance.
Among other festive days are Buddha’s Birthday, which
falls on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, and
Christmas, which not only Christians but most young people
enjoy. For Buddha’s Birthday, a huge crowd of Buddhists
join a lantern parade through the heart of Seoul, and
Buddhist lanterns are hung along major streets.
There are several family holidays that are important for
all Koreans and that are celebrated with feasting and
merriment. They include baegil, the 100th day after a child’s
birth; dol, a baby’s first birthday; and hoegap or hwan-gap,
one’s 60th birthday, which is considered as the completion
of the 60-year cycle of the Oriental zodiac. These special
days were observed with much enthusiasm when infant
mortality was high and life expectancy was low.
Korean Tea Ceremony
The chief element of the Korean tea ceremony is the ease

and naturalness of enjoying tea within an easy formal setting.
Tea ceremonies are now being revived as a way to find
relaxation and harmony in the new fast-paced culture and
continue the long tradition of this intangible Korean art.
186
Such occasions were observed as festivals in which even
remote relatives attended, but these days they are usually
observed by only close family members. As for hoegap,
more and more senior citizens are turning to other forms of
celebration such as traveling abroad, instead of enjoying
celebrations at home.
Holidays
New Year’s Day The first day of the New Year is a public holiday.
Jan. 1 The first day of the first month by the lunar

Seollal:
calendar: the days right before and after Seollal
Lunar New Year’s Day
also make up this 3-day holiday
This day marks the day when a large-scale

Independence
March 1 independence movement was waged against
Movement Day
Japanese colonial rule in 1919.
Solemn rituals are held at Buddhist temples.

Buddha’s Birthday
April 8 A large lantern parade fills Jongno in downtown
(Lunar calendar)
Seoul with light and people on the preceding Sunday.
May 5 Children’s Day A day of various celebrations for children.
The nation pays tribute to its war dead. Memorial

June 6 Memorial Day
services are held at the National Cemetery.
On this day in 1945, Korea was liberated from

Japan’s 35-year-long colonial rule. The day also
Liberation Day
marks the establishment of the government of the
Republic of Korea in 1948.
Aug. 15
This is one of the biggest national holidays of the
Chuseok:
year. Families hold memorial services at home or
Korean Thanksgiving Day
at family graves. Viewing the full moon and making
(Lunar calendar)
a wish is an important feature of the evening.
This day marks the founding of the first nation of

Oct. 3 National Foundation Day
Korea by Dangun in 2333 B.C.
Both Christians and non-Christians alike celebrate

Dec. 25 Christmas
this day, as in the West.
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Korean Life
Religion
Unlike some cultures where a single religion is dominant,
Korean culture includes a wide variety of religious elements
that have shaped the people’s way of thinking and
behavior. In the early stages of history in Korea, religious
and political functions were combined but they later
became distinct.
Historically, Koreans lived under the influences of
shamanism, Buddhism, Taoism or Confucianism, and in
modern times, the Christian faith has made strong inroads
into the country, bringing forth yet another important factor
that may change the spiritual landscape of the people. The
rapid pace of industrialization which occurred within a
couple of decades compared to a couple of centuries in the
West, has brought about considerable anxiety and
alienation while disrupting the peace of mind of Koreans,
encouraging their pursuit of solace in religious activities. As
a result, the population of religious believers has expanded
Religion
A 2005 census showed half of the population actively practices religion. Among this group,
Buddhism (43.0%), Protestantism (34.5%) and Catholicism (20.6%) comprise the three
dominant religions.
The remaining 1.9% mostly practice Confucianism; Shamanism; Isam and Chondogyo
(Heavenly Way), an indigenous religion.
(persons)
Source: Korea National Statistical Office (2005)
188
markedly with religious institutions emerging as influential
social organizations.
Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution in
Korea. According to a 2005 social statistics survey, 53.1
percent of Koreans follow a specific religious faith.
Buddhists account for some 43 percent of these followed by
Protestants at 34.5 percent and Catholics at 20.6 percent of
the religious population.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a highly disciplined philosophical religion
which emphasizes personal salvation through rebirth in an
endless cycle of reincarnation.
Buddhism was introduced to Korea in A.D. 372 during
the Goguryeo Kingdom period by a monk named Sundo who
came from the Qian Qin Dynasty in China. In 384, monk
Malananda brought Buddhism to Baekje from the Eastern
Jin State of China. In Silla, Buddhism was disseminated by a
monk Ado of Goguryeo by the mid-fifth century. Buddhism
seems to have been well supported by the ruling people of
the Three Kingdoms because it was suitable as a spiritual
prop for the governing structure with Buddha, like the king,
Jogyesa Temple is the

center for Zen Buddhism in
Korea and sits in the heart
of Seoul.
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Korean Life
serving as a venerated symbol of authority.

Under royal patronage, many temples and monasteries
were constructed and believers grew steadily. By the sixth
century monks and artisans were migrating to Japan with
scriptures and religious artifacts to form the basis of early
Buddhist culture there.
By the time Silla unified the peninsula in 668, it had
embraced Buddhism as the state religion, though the
government systems were along Confucian lines. Royal
preference for Buddhism in this period produced a
magnificent flowering of Buddhist arts and temple
architecture, including Bulguksa Temple and other relics in
Gyeongju, the capital of Silla. The state cult of Buddhism
began to deteriorate as the nobility indulged in a luxurious
lifestyle. Buddhism then established the Seon (Zen) sect to
concentrate on finding universal truth through a life of
Lotus Lantern Festival
frugality.
A lantern festival is held to
commemorate the birth of The rulers of the succeeding Goryeo Dynasty were even
Buddha on a weekend
more enthusiastic in their support of the religion. During
before the date (April 8th
on the lunar calendar). Goryeo, Buddhist arts and architecture continued to flourish
190
with unreserved support from the
aristocracy. The Tripitaka Koreana was
produced during this period. When Yi
Seong-gye, founder of the Joseon Dynasty, staged a revolt
and had himself proclaimed king in 1392, he tried to remove Restored
Mugujeonggwang
all influences of Buddhism from the government and
Daedaranigyeong (Pure
adopted Confucianism as the guiding principles for state Light Dharani Sutra)
management and moral decorum. Throughout the five- The world’s oldest existing
woodblocks were used to
century reign of Joseon, any effort to revive Buddhism was print the document.
met with strong opposition from Confucian scholars and
officials.
When Japan forcibly took over Joseon as a colonial ruler
in 1910, it made attempts to assimilate Korean Buddhist
sects with those of Japan. These attempts however failed
and even resulted in a revival of interest in native Buddhism
among Koreans. The past few decades have seen Buddhism
undergo a sort of renaissance involving efforts to adapt to
the changes of modern society. While the majority of monks
remain in mountainous areas, absorbed in self-discipline
and meditation, some come down to the cities to spread
their religion. There are a large number of monks
conducting religions research at universities in and outside
Korea. Seon (meditation-oriented Korean Buddhism) has
been noticeably growing with many foreigners following in
the footsteps of revered Korean monks through training at
Songgwangsa Temple in Jeollanam-do Province and Seon
centers in Seoul and provincial cities.
Confucianism
Founded by Confucius in the 6th century B.C., Confucianism
is more a moral code of conduct than a religious belief. It is
a system of ethical precepts — benevolent love,
righteousness, decorum and wise leadership — designed to
inspire and preserve the proper management of family and
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Korean Life
Cheonghakdong Village,
located at the southern
foot of Samsinbong Peak
on Mt. Jirisan, maintains
the traditional style of daily
Korean life.
society. Still, Confucianism can be seen as a religion

without a god because as the ages have passed, some
followers have canonized the founding sage and religiously
follow the principal disciplines of his system.
Confucianism was introduced along with the earliest
specimens of Chinese written materials around the
beginning of the Christian era. The Three Kingdoms of
Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla all left records that indicate the
early existence of Confucian influence. In Goguryeo, a state
university called Daehak was established in 372 and private
Confucian academies were founded in its provinces. Baekje
set up such institutions even earlier.
Unified Silla sent delegations of scholars to Tang China
to observe the workings of the Confucian institutions
firsthand and to bring back voluminous writings on the
subjects. For the Goryeo Dynasty in the 10th century,
Buddhism was the state religion, and Confucianism formed
the philosophical and structural backbone of the state. The
civil service examination of Gwageo, adopted after the
Chinese system in the late 10th century, greatly encouraged
studies in the Confucian classics and deeply implanted
Confucian values in Korean minds.
192
Scholars in traditional
attire study the Confucian
canon.
The Joseon Dynasty, which was established in 1392,

accepted Confucianism as the official ideology and
developed a Confucian system of education, ceremony and
civil administration. When Western powers and Japan began
using military incursions in the late 19th century to pressure
Korea to open up, the Confucianists raised “righteous
armies” to fight against the aggressors.
Efforts were also made to reform Confucianism and adapt
it to the changing conditions of the times. These reformists
accepted the new Western civilization and endeavored to
establish a modern, independent government. Also, during
Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, Confucian reformists joined
many independence movements to fight against imperial
Japan. Today, Confucian ancestral worship is still prevalent
and filial piety is highly revered as a virtue in Korean
society.
Catholicism
The tide of Christian mission activities reached Korea in the
17th century when copies of Catholic missionary Matteo
Ricci’s works in Chinese were brought back from Beijing by
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Korean Life
the annual tributary mission to the Chinese emperor. Along

with religious doctrine, these books included aspects of
Western learning such as the solar calendar and other
matters that attracted the attention of the Joseon scholars
of Silhak, or the School of Practical Learning.
By the 18th century, there were several converts among
these scholars and their families. No priests entered Korea
until Chinese priest Zhou Wenmo visited Korea in 1794. The
number of converts continued to increase, although the
propagation of foreign religions on Korean soil was still
In 1984, John Paul II technically against the law and there were sporadic
became the first Pope to
visit South Korea. persecutions. By the year 1865, two years after the
xenophobic prince regent Daewongun came to power, a
dozen priests presided over a community of some 23,000
believers.
In 1925, 79 Koreans who had been martyred during the
Joseon Dynasty persecutions were beatified at St. Peter’s
Basilica in Rome, and in 1968 an additional 24 were
honored in the same way.
During and after the Korean War (1950-53), the number
of Catholic relief organizations and missionaries increased.
The Korean Catholic Church grew quickly and its hierarchy
Myeongdong Cathedral,
central Seoul
194
was established in 1962. The Roman Catholic Church in
Korea celebrated its bicentennial with a visit to Seoul by
Pope John Paul II and the canonization of 93 Korean and 10
French missionary martyrs in 1984. It was the first time that
a canonization ceremony was held outside the Vatican. This
gave Korea the fourth-largest number of Catholic saints in
the world, although quantitative growth has been slow for
Catholicism.
Protestantism
In 1884, Horace N. Allen, an American medical doctor and
Presbyterian missionary, arrived in Korea. Horace G.
Underwood of the same denomination and Methodist
Episcopal missionary, Henry G. Appenzeller, came from the
United States the next year. They were followed by
representatives of other Protestant denominations. The
missionaries contributed to Korean society by rendering
medical service and education as a means of disseminating
their credo. Korean Protestants like Dr. Seo Jae-pil, Yi Sang-
jae and Yun Chi-ho, all independence leaders, committed
themselves to political causes.
The Protestant private schools, such as Yonhi and Ewha,
Dedicating a renovated
Christian church
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Korean Life
functioned to enhance nationalist thought among the

public. The Seoul Young Men’s Christian Association
(YMCA) was founded in 1903 along with other such Christian
organizations. The organizations carried out socio-political
programs actively, encouraging the inauguration of similar
groupings of young Koreans. These groups pursued not
only political and educational causes but also awakened
social consciousness against superstitious practices and
bad habits, while promoting the equality of men and
women, elimination of the concubine system, and
simplification of ceremonial observances.
The ever-growing vitality of the Protestant churches in
Korea saw the inauguration of large-scale Bible study
conferences in 1905. Four years later, “A Million Souls for
Christ” campaign was kicked off to encourage massive new
conversions to the Protestant faith. Protestantism was
warmly received not only as a religious credo but also for its
political, social, educational and cultural aspects.
Indigenous Religions
The fall of the Joseon Dynasty and the coming of the
Japanese occupation spurred the formation of several new
faiths.
Won-Buddhism was founded to lead all sentient beings
drowning in the sea of suffering to an immeasurable paradise.
It is a faith based on moral training and fortitude and the quest
for truth. The name Won-Buddhism, Wonbulgyo in Korean, is a
compound of words signifying truth, enlightenment and
teaching: “Won” means unitary circle and symbolizes the
ultimate truth. “Bul” means to enlighten, and “gyo” means to
teach the truth. Therefore, Won-Buddhism is a religion that
calls for truthful enlightenment and the application of that
knowledge in daily life.
Cheondogyo was initiated as a social and technological
196
Daejonggyo
movement against rampant competition and foreign

encroachment in the 1860s. At that time, it was called
Donghak (Eastern learning) in contrast to “Western learning.”
The principle of Cheondogyo is Innaecheon which means that
man is identical with “Haneullim,” the God of Cheondogyo,
but man is not the same as God. Every man bears Haneullim
in his mind and this serves as the source of his dignity, while
spiritual training makes him one with the divine.
Daejonggyo, a nationalist religion that worshiped
Dangun, played a critical role in leading the Korean
independence movement during the 1910s and 20s.
Islam
Although there were trade and diplomatic exchanges
between the Goryeo Dynasty and the Islamic world, these
contacts dried up during the Joseon Dynasty. The first
Koreans to be introduced to Islam in more recent times were
laborers dispatched to northeastern China in the early 20th
century as part of imperial Japan’s colonial policy. A handful
of converts returned home after World War II. They lived
alone with their new faith until the Korean War brought
Turkish troops here on the side of the UN forces. The Turks
197
Korean Life
Seoul Central Mosque in

Hannam-dong
invited the Korean converts to join them in prayers.

Korean Islam’s inaugural service was held in September
1955, followed by the election of the first Korean imam. The
Korean Islamic Society was expanded and reorganized as
the Korean Muslim Federation in 1967, and a central
mosque was dedicated in Seoul in 1976.
Shamanism
Shamanism, an ancient polytheistic religion, lacks a
systematic structure but still permeates into the daily lives
of the people through folklore and customs.
Korean shamanism includes the worship of thousands of
spirits and demons that are believed to dwell in every object
in the natural world, including rocks, trees, mountains and
streams as well as celestial bodies.
Shamanism in ancient Korea was a religion of fear and
superstition, but for modern generations, it remains a
198
A Seseupmu is a shaman
who inherited the vocation
from his or usually her
ancestors.
colorful and artistic ingredient of their culture. A

shamanistic ritual, rich with exorcist elements, presents
theatrical elements with music and dance.
The introduction of more sophisticated beliefs like
Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism did not result in the
abandonment of shamanistic beliefs and practices. They
assimilated elements of shamanistic faith and coexisted
peacefully. Shamanism has remained an underlying religion
of the Korean people as well as a vital aspect of their
culture.
199
Korean Life at a glance
The Beauty of Korea
Hanbok has been Korea’s traditional

costume for thousands of years. Before
the adoption of Western clothing 100
years ago, Hanbok used to be everyday
attire. Men wore a jeogori (jacket) with
baji (trousers) while women wore a
jeogori and chima (wrap-around skirt).
Today, Hanbok is mainly worn on days of
celebration or special occasions
such as weddings,
60th or 70th
birthdays, and
Seollal or
Chuseok.
CLOTHING
200
HOUSES
Korean gardens attempt to
recreate natural landscapes with
hills, streams and fields.
They are usually small in scale, but strive towards an ideal
harmony of nature and man. The principal idea is to raise the
garden from nature with the least possible disturbance
because nature, in the Korean mind, is already a perfect and
absolute entity that regenerates and sustains life.
FOOD
Korean food is nutritious and many dishes are partly
fermented. Consequently, it is considered healthy and
a good defense against cancer. Kimchi, the most famous
Korean food, is salted, fermented cabbage served as a side
dish at nearly every meal. It is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Main dishes most familiar to Westerners are galbi and bulgogi.
201
SPORTS
11 Sports
Seoul Olympics in Retrospect
Overall Olympic Standing
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan
National Sports Events
Popular Sports
Traditional Sports
Sports
Sports
Traditionally, Korean people have enjoyed a variety of

sporting activities and games. The impressive economic
advancement of recent years has drastically increased
interest in sports. More and more Koreans are now exercising
or competing in organized sport events.
On a national level, the most noteworthy accomplishments
include the successful hosting of the 1988 Seoul Olympic
Games and co-hosting of the 2002 FIFA World Cup with
Japan. Also, Daegu has been selected as the host city for the
2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics, one of the top
three world sports events along with the Olympic Games
and the FIFA World Cup.
Ahn Hyun-soo leads in the
men’s 500-meter short Considering the size and population of Korea, its
track at the 2006 World
performance in international sport competitions has been
Team Championship in
Montreal. outstanding. Unprecedented in Asia, Korea has qualified for
the FIFA World Cup seven times.
To support various projects, the
Korea Sport Science Institute is
compiling a computerized database
covering sports facilities, programs,
coaching staffs and the public’s
participation rate in sporting
activities.
One important aspect of the
204
Government’s sport policies involves promoting exchanges
with North Korea. The Korean Government has long pursued
participation in sporting events with North Korea, believing
that sport is one of the most effective means of reconciling
a divided people. In addition, the Republic of Korea
supported bids for North Korea to join various international
sport organizations such as the World Mountain Climbers’
Association and the Pan-Asian Boxing Association.
Seoul Olympics in Retrospect

The 24th Summer Olympic Games were successfully
concluded after a 16-day run in Seoul, from September 17 to
October 2, 1988, under the theme: Peace, Harmony and
Progress. In what was the largest-ever Olympiad up to that
time, more than 13,000 athletes and officials from 160
The Olympic Flame at the

1988 Seoul Olympics
205
Sports
countries gathered to promote the lofty ideals of harmony

and peace, while transcending the barriers separating East
and West, and North and South. The first boycott-free
Olympics in 12 years, the Seoul Olympic Games rose above
ideological division and national interest and returned the
Olympic movement back to its founding ideals. The success
of the Seoul Olympic Games was the result of the all-out
effort the Korean people put forth to achieve harmony and
peace for the entire human race, the undaunted spirit of the
International Olympic Committee to revive the Olympics as
a festival for all mankind, and the aspiration for peace
shared by nations around the globe.
Partly as a result of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Korea now
has many world-class sports facilities, concentrated in Seoul
and Busan where most of the Olympic events were held. The
Seoul Sports Complex, which encompasses a land area of
545,000 square meters, includes the Olympic Stadium with a
seating capacity of 100,000, two gymnasiums for basketball
Ranking and number of Gold Medals South Korea won at Summer Olympic Games
*Skipped the 1980 Moscow Olympics
Source: International Olympic Committee
206
and boxing, an indoor swimming pool, a baseball stadium
No. of Total Summer
and a warm-up field. Olympics Gold Medals by
Category (1936-2008)
Olympic Park, occupying a vast area of
some 1.5 million square meters in southeastern
Seoul, comprises a 6,000-seat velodrome,
three gymnasiums, fencing and weightlifting
venues, indoor swimming pools, and tennis
courts.
A key training facility for the country’s
athletes is the Taereung Athletes’ Village,
located on the eastern outskirts of Seoul. Built
on a 17.1 acre site in the midst of a beautifully
wooded area, the village includes a skating
rink, indoor swimming pool, shooting range
and gymnasiums for wrestling, boxing and
weightlifting.
Overall Olympic Standing

An active participant in many international Source: International
Olympic Committee
sports competitions, Korea participated in the London
Olympics in 1948 for the first time under its own national
flag. In 1936, a Korean marathoner, Sohn Kee-jeong, won a
gold medal in the Berlin Olympics, but he competed as a
member of the Japanese team because Korea was under
Japanese colonial rule at the time.
Korea’s athletes have continued to improve their
performances in Olympic Games. In the 1976 Montreal
Games, Korea ranked 19th among more than 100 participating
nations. In Los Angeles in 1984, Koreans captured 10th
place out of 140 nations and achieved fourth out of 160
nations in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
Korea placed seventh in the final medal standings in the
1992 Barcelona Olympics. It was a memorable event for
207
Sports
Koreans especially with Hwang Young-jo’s gold medal in the

marathon, enabling him to become the nation’s first
marathoner to win this Olympic event under the Korean
national flag.
In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Korea ranked seventh out
of 172 countries with twelve golds, five silvers and twelve
bronzes. Korea ranked 10th in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with
seven gold, 15 silver and five bronze medals, and 12th in the
Sydney Olympics four years later with eight golds, nine
silvers and eleven bronzes. In the 2004 Athens Olympics,
Korea won nine gold, twelve silver and nine bronze medals,
placing ninth. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Korea ranked 7th,
winning 13 golds, 10 silvers and 8 bronzes. In the Olympics
this year, Korea recorded the most outstanding performance
ever, including the country’s first gold medal in swimming by
Park Tae-hwan, 9 straight wins and the gold medal by the
baseball team and 5 world records by Jang Mi-ran in the
women’s over-75 kilogram weightlifting event.
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan

The 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan ended its one-month
epic run on June 30, 2002. The first FIFA World Cup of the
21st century consisted of a total of 64 matches and was
Koreans still like to recall
the victorious moment of
the 2002 Korea-Japan FIFA
World Cup when the
Korean national team
advanced to the semifinal.
208
safely completed without any hooliganism or terrorist acts.
The national teams of Korea and Japan both cleared the
first round of competition, and played admirably, the Japanese
team advancing to the final 16, and the Korean team
astounding the world by advancing through to the semi-finals.
These successes were ones that until this tournament had
never been achieved by an Asian country in the World Cup.
The amazing performance of the Korean team improved
Korea’s national image dramatically, etching the brand
“Korea” among people around the world.
The soccer event provided a good opportunity to shed
Korea’s negative images, associated with war,
demonstrations and authoritarianism, as well as allowing A huge crowd cheers for
the country to join the ranks of advanced countries. the national football team
in front of Seoul’s City Hall
The performance of the indefatigable Korean players was during the 2002 World Cup
Korea/Japan.
more than enough to impress the global audience, and the
throngs of “Red Devils” coming out across the country to
support their team illustrated the potent cohesiveness of
the Korean people as a whole.
There were multiple sources of Korea’s dynamic
performance on and off the soccer field. Having struggled
through the 1997 financial crisis, it was an uplifting
accomplishment that still symbolizes the nation’s resiliency.
The Government as well as the private sector have
benefited from this hard-earned momentum.
Foreign media praised Korea as the biggest winner of the
2002 FIFA World Cup. Korean fans impressed onlookers with
their enthusiastic and orderly “street cheering.” Combined,
nearly 22 million took to the streets nationwide to cheer for
the Korean national soccer team. The numbers swelled to
4.2 million people for the final-16 match against Italy, 5
million for the quarterfinal against Spain and 6.5 million for
the semifinal against Germany. Even for the third-place
match against Turkey on June 29, 2.17 million people
209
Sports
showed up on the streets. In Seoul, over 10 million people

gathered in the streets during the seven games, which
accounts for 88 percent of the capital’s population.
Since 1971, the Republic of Korea has annually sponsored
an international soccer tournament, originally known as the
President’s Cup Football. The tournament, which has since
been renamed the Korea Cup, has greatly contributed to the
improvement of soccer skills in Asia and has promoted
understanding and friendship among the participants. The
tournament has drawn teams from Asia, Europe, Latin
America and Africa. In 1983, Korea became the first country
in Asia to field a professional soccer league. In 1994, the
professional league changed its name to the K-League.
Today, 14 teams compete in this league, which allowed
foreign players’ participation beginning in the 1996 season.
National Sports Events

The National Sports Festival is held every October featuring
competition in 39 different sports by participants from all over
the nation. The festival is held on a rotational basis in major
cities, including Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Incheon.
The Children’s National Sports Festival is also held
annually for primary and middle school students, drawing
The National Sports

Festival
210
over 10,000 boys and girls from across the country. The
National Winter Sports Festival, held every January, includes
speed skating, figure skating, skiing, ice hockey and biathlon.
Another annual event is the National Sports Festival for
People with Disabilities. Held each year since 1981, it brings
people together from all over the country and provides the
opportunity for these individuals to demonstrate their
sports skills.
Skiing and snowboarding have fast become popular
winter sports among Korea’s youth in recent years. The ski
season in Korea is rather short, from late December to early
March, during which shuttle buses and trains run between
outlying resorts and Seoul. Every February, the Foreigners’
Ski Festival is held at the YongPyong Ski Resort. Several
thousands of tourists from Southeast Asian countries visit
Korea in the winter to enjoy skiing, snowboarding and
skating at resorts scattered throughout the country.
Popular Sports
Koreans also competed well among the top athletes in the
Olympics as well as in other major international events, such
as baseball, golf, archery, shooting, table tennis, ski jump,
short-track speed skating, figure skating and swimming.
Choi Kyung-ju is looking

to build on his success.
211
Sports
Park Tae-hwan is about to

make his dynamic splash
at the World Swimming
Championships.
Recently, Korean baseball stars have begun to make a

name for themselves in American and Japanese leagues.
In golf, Korea has recently produced many world-class
players. In particular, professional female golfers such as
Michelle Wie, Pak Se-ri, and Kim Mi-hyun distinguished
themselves by winning several LPGA or Women’s U.S. Open
titles. Choi Kyung-ju charged his way to win two PGA titles
in 2002 alone.
In tennis, Lee Hyung-taik became the first Korean man
ever to win a major international event when he won the
Addidas International tournament held in Sydney, Australia,
in January 2003.
Two young Koreans have made names for themselves
and their country in swimming and figure skating. Park Tae-
hwan won three gold, one silver and three bronze medals at
the 2006 Asian Games in Doha where he set two new Asian
records. He also medaled twice in the 2007 World Aquatic
Championships in Sydney, taking gold in the 400m freestyle
and bronze in the 200m freestyle. In the 2008 Beijing
Olympics, Park won the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter
freestyle, becoming the first Korean gold medalist in
swimming. He also won silver in the men’s 200-meter
212
freestyle competition.
Kim Yu-Na, bronze medalist for 2007 and 2008 in the
World Figure Skating Championships, won the 2007 Cup of
Russia with the highest score ever awarded in the
International Skating Union judging system for long
program. The same year, she also won the Cup of China.
In addition, domestic sports leagues, such as the Korea
Professional Football League (K-League), Korea Baseball
Organization (KBO), Korean Basketball League (KBL) and
Korean Volleyball League (V-League), continue to entertain
fans, who flock to stadiums to watch their favorite teams.
Kim Yu-na of South Korea

Traditional Sports performs in the women’s
free skating at the World
Ancient Koreans are recorded to have engaged in numerous Figure Skating
Championships.
traditional sports and games, such as kite flying, tug-of-war,
geune, jegichagi, neolddwigi as well as taekwondo and
ssireum.
Among the traditional sports that have been revived in
modern times, the martial art of taekwondo is the best
known and the only officially acknowledged sport to have
originated in Korea and be practiced widely around the
world. Taekwondo uses the entire body, particularly the
hands and feet. It not only strengthens one’s physical
wellbeing, but also cultivates character via physical and
mental training, coupled with techniques for discipline. This
Kukkiwon
self-defense martial art has become a popular international
World Taekwondo
sport in the last quarter century with some 3,000 Korean Headquarters
instructors now teaching taekwondo in
more than 150 countries.
Evidence of taekwondo’s existence as a
systematic defense method using the
body’s instinctive reflexes can be traced
back to ceremonial games that were
213
Sports
Taekwondo is now firmly

established as an
international sports.
performed during religious events in the era of the ancient

tribal states.
During religious ceremonies such as Yeonggo,
Dongmaeng (a sort of Thanksgiving ceremony), or Mucheon
(Dance to Heaven), ancient Koreans performed a unique
exercise for physical training and this exercise led to the
development of taekwondo.
In Korea, the Taekwondo Association has a membership
of about 3.8 million, constituting the largest affiliate of the
Korea Sports Council. The World Taekwondo Federation
(WTF), with its headquarters in Seoul, was officially
approved as the governing body of the sport by the
International Olympic Committee in 1980. Taekwondo was a
demonstration sport in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, reflecting
its worldwide popularity. It became an official Olympic medal
event beginning in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Former
Olympic taekwondo champion Moon Dae-sung was elected
as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
athletes’ commission during the Beijing Olympics.
Ssireum, a Korean traditional form of wrestling, is a type of
folk competition in which two players, holding on to a satba (a
cloth-sash tied around the waist and thigh), use their strength
214
Ssireum, a form of
Korean traditional
wrestling
and various techniques to wrestle each other to the ground.

The history of ssireum began at the same time that
communities began to form. In primitive societies, people
inevitably had to fight against wild beasts, not only for self-
defense, but also for securing food. In addition, it was
impossible for these communities to avoid getting into
conflicts with other tribes. As a result, people ended up
practicing different forms of martial arts to protect themselves.
The ultimate winner of a ssireum tournament was
customarily awarded a bull, which was not only a symbol of
strength, but also a valuable asset in an agricultural society.
In Korea today, ssireum has emerged as a sport with a
large following, rather than a mere traditional folk
competition conducted only on holidays. The Korean Ssireum
Association has succeeded in generating a nationwide boom
in this traditional sport by sponsoring highly competitive
matches. Its popularity has grown to the point that matches
are regularly broadcast on TV. With the development of
consistent rules and guidelines, ssireum has continued to
progress from a traditional sport and self-defense method
into a well-loved folk competition and popular modern sport
that is a part of the lives of Koreans today.
215
Sports at a glance
Sports: A Form of Contact

the Whole World Can Follow
Traditionally, Korean people have enjoyed a variety of sporting activities and games.
The impressive economic advancement of recent years has drastically increased
interest in sport. More and more Koreans are now exercising and competing in
organized sport events.
ATHLETIC
TRIPLE CROWN
2002 FIFA Word Cup,

Korea / Japan
Korea became the
first Asian country to
advance to the
semifinals during the
1988 Olympics, 2002 World Cup. 2011 Daegu IAAF
the Seoul Games World
The 24th Summer Championships in
Olympic Games were Athletics
successfully Daegu selected as a
concluded after a 16- host city for the 2011
day run in Seoul, from IAAF World
September 17 to Championships in
October 2, 1988, Athletics.
under the theme:
Peace, Harmony and
Progress.
216
Yun Kyung-shin
Handball
Park Chan-ho
Baseball
KOREAN
SPORTS
Kim Yu-na
STARS
Figure Skating
Park Ji-sung
Soccer
Park Tae-hwan
Swimming
Golf
Choi Kyung-ju Pak Se-ri
217
TOURISM
12 Tourism
Travel Advice
Transportation
Accommodation
Exploring Korea
Shopping
Tourism
Tourism
With its scenic beauty and unique cultural and historical

heritage, Korea has a lot to offer visitors. A peninsular
country with four distinct seasons, Korea boasts picturesque
valleys, mountains, rivers and beaches. Throughout this
beautiful natural landscape, there are numerous ancient
temples and shrines, royal palaces, sculptures, pagodas,
archeological sites, fortresses, folk villages and museums.
Travel Advice
Visas: Most tourists can visit Korea for 15 days without a visa,
Inbound Visitors (Thousand people)
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
220
provided they have a return ticket upon entry. Many nationals
may stay for longer periods, one to six months, without visas
under reciprocity agreements between Korea and their Korea Travel Phone 1330
governments. Visitors planning to work or reside in Korea for Foreign tourists can get
instant assistance by
longer periods must have a visa before entry and obtain an dialing 1330 anywhere in
alien registration card from a local immigration office within Korea.
90 days of arrival. (The government-sponsored website

www.korea.net has links to more-detailed information.)
Currency: Korea’s currency is the won, which comes in 1,000

(US$1.05), 5,000 and 10,000 won bills, and 10, 50, 100 and
500 won coins. Generally, banks are open between 09:30-
10,000 won
16:30 Monday through Friday. Automated teller machines
are in operation 24 hours a day. Most larger stores, hotels
and restaurants in Korea will accept major international
credit cards. However, it is advisable to carry some cash,
5,000 won
since many smaller establishments and stores may not have
credit card processing equipment.
Animal and Plant Quarantine: All imported animals, plants

and their products are subject to quarantine at airports and 1,000 won
ports of arrival at the time of entry.
Inbound Visitors by Nationality
Source: Korea Tourism Organization
221
Tourism
Incheon International
Airport
Transportation
Getting to Korea
Arrival by Air: Korea is connected by air to every major
capital in the world, either through direct flights or by
connecting flights from major international airports in East
Asia. About 37 international airlines maintain regular
services, with over 1,500 flights into and out of Korea every
week. Korea has nine international airports: Incheon
International Airport, which opened in March 2001, and
Gimpo for Seoul; Gimhae for Busan; Jeju; Cheongju; Daegu;
Yangyang; Muan; and Gwangju. Gimhae and Jeju operate
Airport Railroad (AREX)
AREX Line Map (Phase 1)

n)
ctio
Incheon Int’l Airport

stru
Cargo Terminal Unseo Geomam Gyeyang

con
1
der
T
(un
IR
Lin in 5.
e9
L
Incheon Int’l Airport Gimpo Airport
AREX is the Republic of Korea's largest ever private investment project, and its first public
infrastructure private investment railway project. It is a response to both growing air traffic and a need
for more public transport options.
For more information about AREX, go to www.arex.or.kr.
222
direct flights to and from Tokyo,
Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka in Japan.
Special airport buses and city buses
leave from various points in Seoul every
15 minutes from 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
and are less expensive alternatives to
the KAL Limousine Bus line which
connects Incheon International Airport
with 19 major hotels in Seoul.
Arrival by Ferry: Various steamship lines Bugwan Ferry’s Seonghee

provide passenger service to Korea. Among those from the plies between Busan and
Japan’s Shimonoseki.
American West Coast are Waterman Steamship, American
Pioneer, Pacific Far East, Pacific Orient Express, State Marine
and United States Lines. Several companies, such as the
Bugwan Ferry, Korea Ferry and Korea Marine Express,
provide regular ferry services that link Busan and Jejudo
Island with the Japanese ports of Shimonoseki, Kobe and
Hakata. Another ferry service plies between Incheon and the
Chinese ports of Tianjin and Weihai.
Temporary entry for private cars is allowed for
passengers arriving by ferry, providing that drivers obtain
the proper documentation.
How to Travel Around Korea

Domestic flights: Most domestic destinations are within an
hour’s flight from Seoul. Located between the western area
of Seoul and the newer Incheon International Airport, Gimpo
Airport, is primarily used for domestic travel and short
flights to Japan and China. Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and a
few domestic discount carriers handle all flights within the
country.
223
Tourism
Railway services: The Korea Railroad (KORAIL) operates

three types of trains — high-speed (KTX), express
(Saemaeul), and local (Mugunhwa) — along an extensive
nationwide network. The KTX trains link Seoul with Busan,
Mokpo, East Daegu, Gwangju and Iksan. Since even the
KTX longest KTX trip is under three hours, there are no dining
cars, but passengers can purchase snacks and beverages
from service carts provided. Express trains usually have
dining cars. Most popular destinations in the nation can be
reached via direct line or a single transfer. Check Korea Rail’s
website (www.korail.go.kr) for information about
combination train-ferry tickets and rail passes available.
(Note: Rail passes are only available to inbound tourists and
must be purchased from certified Korail vendors overseas.)
Local and city bus services: Regular intercity and long-

distance express bus networks connect virtually all cities and
towns in the country. Regular intercity buses are the least
expensive way to travel around the country but make
frequent stops. Bus fares range from 700 to 1,800 won
(US$0.74~$1.91). The website “www.visitkorea.or.kr” has
detailed information. Click on “Transportation.”
Seoul City Bus System Long distance express buses: Long distance express buses
All city buses are classified go directly to their destinations, stopping only at expressway
by one of four colors: Blue,
Green, Red and Yellow.
rest areas every few hours. Two types of buses link every
Blue buses serve major major city in the country. Regular buses have four seats per
trunk roads. Green buses
serve the routes between
row. The more-expensive deluxe buses have only three seats
subway stations and per row and offer amenities such as phones and movies.
nearby residential areas.
Red buses serve the routes
Some lines run late-night deluxe express buses as well.
between downtown and Seoul has three intercity terminals providing service to
major sub centers of the
city. Circular belt roads in
different parts of the country — the main Express Bus
downtown or sub centers Terminal and Nambu Bus Terminal on Subway Line 3 in
are served by Yellow
buses.
Gangnam and the Dong (East) Seoul Bus Terminal near
224
Gangbyeon Station on Line 2. Busan’s
Express Bus Terminal is in its eastern
downtown area.
Subway services: The subway is the most

efficient and convenient way to get around
Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Incheon
Subway
and Daejeon. Subways have developed into these cities’
main transportation systems and provide fast, safe, and
comfortable rides. The Seoul Metro links all neighborhoods
with the outlying areas and satellite cities. Fares vary
according to destination, the basic fare being 1,000 won
(US$ 1.06). Passengers can easily pay bus and subway fares Taxis
Regular Taxis: Fares are
and receive free transfers by using a debit card, known as T- 1,900 won for the first 2 km
money. and 100 won for each
additional 144 meters.
Taxi services: There are two kinds of taxis — regular and

deluxe. Fares are based on distance and time. The black
deluxe taxis are more comfortable, provide better service
Brand Taxis: People can
and, therefore, charge more than the regular gray taxis. call taxis from anywhere in
the city and be picked up
Nearly all taxis are equipped with a free third-party
within five minutes.
interpretation system that can be accessed by cell phone if
Deluxe Taxis: Deluxe taxis
passenger and driver have difficulty communicating. are black with a yellow
sign on the top. They offer
a higher quality of service
Car rental: Driving can be an exciting and effective way of and charge 4,500 won for
the first 3 km and 200 won
getting around Korea. Extensive road and expressway
for each additional 164
networks are available, which means you can visit every meters.
corner of the country easily.
Drivers must meet the following requirements:
Have more than one year’s driving experience.
Taxi Vans: Eight-
Have an International Driver’s License.
passenger van taxis are
Be over 21 years of age. also available.
Possess a valid passport.
Rental fees vary from 68,000 to 265,000 won (US$ 71.5 -
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Tourism
$278.9) per day, depending upon the type of car. The speed
limit is 60km/hr for most roads in the city and 80-100km/hr
on expressways. Driving under the influence of alcohol or
drugs is a felony that may result in a heavy penalty.
Ferry services: One of the most pleasant ways to see Korea,

popular mainland to island ferry routes are Busan to Jejudo,
Mokpo to Hongdo, and Pohang to Ulleungdo. There are
ships making runs between Busan and Yeosu, with many in-
between stops possible at ports along the south coast and
Hallyeo Maritime National Park. Click “Transportation” on
the website “www.visitkorea.or.kr” for more information
about transportation and many other tourist-related
information.
Accommodations
Visitors to Korea can choose from a wide range of quality
Templestay
Currently there are 43 temples participating in
the program nationwide. Basic overnight
programs can be simplified to a half-day
program (3.5 hours), or extended to 3- and 4-day
experiences. Six temples are always open to
individual participants while groups may make
reservations at any temple all year long.
Most temples participating in the program are
located in well-preserved national or provincial
Modern life is fast paced and stressful. Living in parks. Thus, the program provides participants
a hectic world, we are always in a hurry to get with a magnificent chance to relax, reflect and
someplace. Temple stay programs like the one revitalize themselves in the tranquility of nature.
at Samhwasa Temple give modern people a For more information about temple stay
break from busy routines, an opportunity to programs, go to http://www.templestay.com.
concentrate on stillness and contemplation
without all the accoutrements we carry
throughout our urban lives.
226
accommodations, including hotels, inns, hostels, homestays
and condominiums.
There is an extensive choice of hotels. At the lower end,
rates start at about 46,000 won (US$48.4) per night, and in
the case of deluxe hotels, room charges go up from about
170,000 won. An increasing number of hotels offer
recreation facilities such as swimming pools, saunas, indoor
driving ranges, bowling alleys and health clubs for their
guests. There are also dance clubs, karaoke bars, casinos
and recreation rooms, providing nighttime as well as
daytime entertainment. In addition, exciting and fun-filled
special seasonal events and packages are available The Shilla Hotel in Seoul
throughout the year.
Inns (yeogwan) and hostels are inexpensive types of
accommodation. They offer simple, clean rooms. Rates vary
with the services and facilities provided. Staying at hostels
can cost as little as 6,000~22,000 won (US$6.3 - $23.1) per
night and inns range from 30,000 won to 60,000 won
(US$31.5 - $63.1).
Condominiums are apartment-style lodgings which
provide convenience and comfort because of their private
cooking facilities and seminar rooms, swimming pools,
recreational facilities and nearby restaurants and
supermarkets. They are usually located near ski resorts,
famous mountains, parks, and beaches and are quite
spacious. Although condominiums are exclusively rented to
members during peak seasons, they can be rented to
nonmembers during the low season. The cost differs
significantly according to facilities, but it typically costs
around 30,000 to 100,000 won per night. However, there
are luxury condominiums that can cost upwards of 200,000
per night.
Pensions are a new type of lodging that have recently
appeared in Korea. Pensions are usually located in tourist
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Tourism
areas filled with natural scenery and

landscapes. They are European-style
houses or cottages and provide an
excellent place for rest and recreation
in a natural setting. There are many
forms of pensions from villas to
simple log cabins. They are becoming
extremely popular with couples and
families.
Pension in Gangwon-do Some Korean families offer homestays at a very
reasonable rate or even for free to make friends from other
countries. This is a good opportunity to make Korean
friends and experience Korean family life firsthand.
In the countryside, some families rent rooms to travelers
at very inexpensive rates, around 15,000 to 30,000 won
depending on the season and the quality of the room. Since
these “minbak” are often in humble private homes, the
rooms do not come with private baths, and guests usually
sleep and eat on the floor in the traditional Korean way. But
a wholesome breakfast is often part of the arrangement,
which is particularly nice if visiting small towns with no
restaurants.
Exploring Korea
Seoul
Located along the Hangang River, Seoul has grown into a
teeming metropolis with a population of more than 10 million.
Over the years, the capital city has greatly expanded in the
process of urbanization and industrialization and continues
to grow as the thriving center of the country’s political,
economic, cultural and educational activities.
Seoul is the world’s 10th-largest city. Its past and present
coexist in a fascinating way: centuries-old palaces, city
228
gates, shrines, gardens and priceless art collections attest to Yeouido high-rises along
the Hangang in Seoul
the city’s illustrious past, while the glistening facades of
soaring skyscrapers and the bustling traffic represent its
vibrant present.
The old city was encircled by four inner mountains and
four outer mountains. Bugaksan in the north, Naksan in the
east, Inwangsan in the west, and Namsan in the south are
“the inner mountains” as all were originally inside the old
city walls of the Joseon capital. The four outer mountains are
Bukhansan in the north, Yongmasan in the east,
Deogyangsan in the west, and Gwanaksan in the south. Each
mountain has a unique beauty of its own while boasting
Ssamziegil in Insa-dong,
downtown Seoul
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Tourism
natural scenic landscapes and spectacular views overlooking

the city of Seoul. There are also numerous mountain springs
that freely provide clean, clear water to refresh weary hikers.
In Seoul, the must-see attractions are the ancient royal
palaces of the Joseon Dynasty: Gyeongbokgung, Deoksugung,
Changdeokgung, and Changgyeonggung. Jongmyo, the royal
Seoul City Bus Tour ancestral shrine of the Joseon Dynasty, and Changdeokgung’s
The Seoul City Bus Tour adjacent Huwon (Rear Garden also known as the Secret
links most of the city’s
major sightseeing and Garden) are noted for their beautifully landscaped gardens
shopping areas, including and classical structures.
Gyeongbokgung and
Changgyeonggung palaces, One of the most popular areas for tourists in the old
Namdaemun and center of Seoul is Insa-dong. A place that beckons both
Dongdaemun markets and
Seoul Tower. casual shoppers and serious collectors, it is lined with
antique shops, art galleries, traditional teahouses, and
restaurants as well as bookstores.
Other attractions highly recommended for visitors include
the National Museum, the National Center for Korean
Traditional Performing Arts, the Sejong Center for the
Performing Arts, the Ho-Am Art Hall and Korea House. The
National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, a
southern satellite town, also deserves a visit.
At Namsan Park, in the heart of Seoul, visitors can enjoy a
panoramic view of the entire city from Seoul Tower and look
Bukhansan is a national
park that sits on the Seoul
Metro line.
230
around a reconstructed Hanok village below.
Visitors can relax, walk, or rent bicycles in numerous
Seoul parks, such as Olympic Park, Seoul Grand Park, Seoul
Forest, and the Hangang River Trail. These parks are among
the hidden treasures of Seoul, enjoyed by residents but
often missed by tourists.
Of course, Korean cuisine is also a must during a trip to
the peninsula, either at a modern or traditional restaurant.
Excellent Chinese and Japanese food is also available, as
well as French, Italian, Thai, Pakistani and many other ethnic
cuisines.
Seoul has an active nightlife with clubs, cafes, and roof-
top lounges. A fantastic view of the city at night can be seen
from the Seoul City Tour Bus or from along the Hangang
River as a cruise boat slowly meanders through a valley
flanked by high-rises.
Seoul Vicinity & Gyeonggi-do Province

Gyeonggido Province is located in the western central
region of the Korean Peninsula, with the Hangang running
through its center. The river divides the province into a
mountainous northern area and open fields to the south.
Yongin Everland
Everland, located in
Yongin, is a big theme
park, which also includes a
zoo, sledding hill, and
botanical garden.
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Tourism
Korean Folk Village in

Yongin
Set among approximately
243 acres, visitors can
experience over 270
traditional houses from
different regions in a
natural atmosphere.
While Seoul keeps its visitors busy with so many intriguing

and enticing things to see and do, this area outside of Seoul
can provide a refreshing and invigorating break.
The shoreline of coastal regions juts in and out along the
beaches and includes countless bays and coves, capes and
islands. The bays of Namyangman and Asanman, Gimpo
and Hwaseong peninsula, Ganghwado and Yeongjongdo
islands are all attractions worth a trip outside of Seoul. The
golden bell, the provincial flower, symbolizes prosperity and
flourishes widely throughout the region.
Within a 30-minute drive to the south of Seoul is the
Korean Folk Village. In this traditional village everyday
Korean life of days gone by is reenacted. The Korean Folk
Village opened in 1973 and now includes aspects of almost
everything traditionally Korean. Homes typical of the
various provinces are on display, and there are regular
performances of tightrope walking, wedding and funeral
processions, kite-flying contests and folk dancing in the
village square. Blacksmiths, carpenters, potters and
craftsmen can also be seen at work in their shops. In
Suwon, adjacent to this traditional village is Hwaseong
Fortress, a walled city of the Joseon Dynasty that was
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The Garden of Morning
Calm
An arboretum in the
foothills of
Chongnyeongsan,
Gapyeong-gun,
Gyeonggi-do
recently included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Yongin Everland, a comprehensive leisure complex,
consists of state-of-the-art amusement park facilities,
including a water park and spas, ideal for summer
recreation for all age groups.
The distinguished Ho-Am Art Museum displays over
5,000 pieces of art. About 80 kilns are concentrated in the
area of the Icheon Ceramic Festival which is held in
September each year. Bigger still, the World Ceramic
Biennale spreads out over Incheon, Gwangju and Yeoju on
odd-numbered years, Here you can savor the mysterious
color of Goryeo celadon and the white purity of Korean
porcelain.
Ganghwado is situated in the estuary of the Hangang
River north of Incheon Port. This island, Korea’s fifth-
largest, is rich in history and natural beauty. Major historic
monuments here include an altar said to have been erected
by Dangun, the legendary founder of Korea, along with
fortresses, ancient walls, a celadon kiln dating back to the
13th century Goryeo Kingdom, and Jeondeungsa Temple.
Just a 56-km bus trip north of Seoul is Panmunjeom, the
truce village where the Korean Armistice was signed on July
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Tourism
Winter's Best Offering:

Skiing in Korea
Ski resorts have fine snow
conditions and are
equipped with advanced
facilities for ski
enthusiasts.
27, 1953, ending the fierce fighting of the Korean War. It is

now a joint security area managed by the UN Command and
North Korean guards. Visitors are escorted and briefed by
military guides.
Eastern Region
Gangwon-do Province is located in the central eastern region
of the Korean Peninsula. Most of the land is covered with thick
forests, providing an abundance of scenic vistas with fewer
residential areas than in other provinces. Both its remote
wooded mountains and ravines as well as small coastal towns
North Korea Tours
The Geumgangsan (Diamond Mountains), 12,000 pinnacles

with 12,000 miracles
The Geumgangsan Range stretches out over 40 kilometers and
reaches a height of 1,639 meters at its highest peek. The total
12,000 pinnacles offer spectacular views of the marvelous rock
formations, valleys, and waterfalls. This breathtakingly scenic
spot is one of a kind and is considered the most beautiful
mountain range on the Korean Peninsula.
Hyundai Asan offers overland package tours from the South:
1-day; overnight and two-night trips.
234
are rich in scenic splendor.
With these natural conditions,
Gangwon-do served as an ideal site for
the 4th Asian Winter Games in January
1999. The International Travel
Exposition (ITE) ‘99 was also held here
from September 11 through October
30, 1999. Over 2 million visitors from
overseas and around the country Panmunjeom
participated in these events. Under the theme, “Man,

Nature and Life of the Future,” the ITE offered an array of
performances and events in addition to a number of
fascinating exhibitions and useful information to visitors.
The eastern coastline, stretching 390 kilometers (234
miles) from Hwajinpo to Busan, is rugged and mountainous
with some of the most breathtaking scenery in Korea. Skiing
and other winter sports help make the area a year-round
resort destination. To meet the needs of the more than one
million skiers per year, several resorts are now equipped
with snow-making machines, which have extended the
season from December to March. Other popular recreational
activities in the region include swimming in summer and
One-day Tour to Gaeseong

The one-day overland tour of Gaeseong, a
90-minute drive from Seoul, offers an
unusual glimpse of the reclusive North.
Tourists take in historical Buddhist temples,
scenic waterfalls and other parts of this
historic city, capital of the Goryeo Dynasty
that ruled the peninsula between 918 and
1392.
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Tourism
mountain climbing in autumn. The beaches here are

perhaps the finest in Korea, gently sloping into shallow
water and mild currents.
Seoraksan Mountain, part of the Geumgangsan Mountain
Range, draws visitors with its magnificent splendor. It is
impressive and colorful all year round and is home to the
Asiatic black bear, the symbol of Gangwon-do Province and
one of the most endangered species in the world.
Other popular sites include the Cheoksan, Osaek and
Sorak Waterpia hot springs in and around Seoraksan
National Park and the unification observatories abutting the
DMZ that offer excellent views of North Korean territory. And
every August, puppet theater groups from around the world
converge on the capital of Gangwon-do for the Chuncheon
Puppet Festival.
Ulleungdo, lying 217 kilometers (134.8 miles) northeast of
Pohang, is an extinct volcano rising prominently from the
East Sea. Dokdo, the easternmost point of Korea, lies 87.4
kilometers (54.3miles) to the southeast of Ulleungdo.
Geumgangsan is considered one of the world’s most
spectacular natural wonders. It is located in North Korea near
the eastern end of the Demilitarized Zone. Tourists can travel
overland to Geumgangsan by signing up with an authorized
Seoraksan National Park in
Gangwon-do South Korean travel agency for a guided tour.
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Central Region
Chungcheongbuk-do and Chungcheongnam-do provinces
lie in the western center of the peninsula. Chungcheongbuk-
do is the country’s only landlocked province, but with the
completion of the Government Complex in its capital
Daejeon and the newly opened international airport in
Chungcheongbuk-do’s capital Cheongju, the two provinces
are being turned into a strategic heartland for the domestic
economy.
Daejeon is about two hours south of Seoul by car and is
a major train junction for the Seoul-Busan and Seoul-
Gwangju-Mokpo lines. It is rapidly developing into one of
Korea’s major science and technology centers. Expo Park,
the site of the International Daejeon Expo ‘93, has been
renovated and converted into a public science park.
Buyeo, the last capital of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-
A.D. 660), features the Buyeo National Museum which
houses a comprehensive collection of about 7,000 relics
Bird Watching
from the Baekje period.
Seosan City is located a
The Geumgang River flows alongside Gyeryongsan, one little southwest from Seoul
of the region’s most popular mountains. As the original and East Asia's best
birding areas, Cheonsu Bay
center of Baekje culture, the area abounds with unique and the Seosan
cultural artifacts and historic relics. reclamation lakes and
rice-fields.
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Tourism
Dotted between the many peaks and saddlebacks along

the ridgeline of the Sobaeksan Mountains are a wealth of
national treasures and historical places. These include the
seven-story stone pagoda of Yongdusa, the Palsangjeon
wooden pagoda, Sangdangsanseong Fortress, and Admiral
Yi Sun-sin’s Chungnyeolsa Shrine.
Many other celebrated temples, hot springs, national
parks and natural wonders are also waiting to be discovered
here. Chungjuho Lake offers a variety of delightful water
sports in central Korea. Cruise boats ply its waters between
Chungju and Danyang, giving passengers stunning views of
the surrounding mountains. Gosudonggul Cave captivates
visitors with its glistening stalactites in all shapes and sizes.
Chungju orchards are one of the country’s main sources of
delicious apples. Yellow tobacco is also a specialty of this
region, and the area's ginseng has gained a worldwide
reputation.
Southwestern Region
Korea’s southwestern region encompasses Jeollabuk-do and
Jeollanam-do provinces. The region is relatively flat,
containing broad stretches of rice paddies, and its jagged
coastline creates many small harbors. It is a fertile and warm
region sheltered by high mountains on the east and north and
Wondrous parting of the
sea near Jindo Island,
Jeollanam-do
238
The green tea fields at
Boseong are among the
most famous in Korea. The
tea trees blanket the
landscape like a soft green
carpet.
calm seas and many islands on the west and south. Because
of the influence of both continental and ocean climates, the
provinces exhibit a wide variety of weather conditions.
Jeonju is famous for its traditional mixed vegetable rice
dish, bibimbap, and for Hanji, traditional mulberry paper. The
provincial bird is the magpie, which is related to a poignant
legend. According to this legend, on the night of the seventh
day of the seventh lunar month, magpies build a bridge above
the Milky Way by carrying twigs and pebbles in their beaks,
allowing two lovers, Gyeonu and Jingnyeo, who are destined
to meet only once a year to see each other again.
Namwon is the gateway to Jirisan National Park, as well as
the famed home of Chunhyang, one of Korea’s legendary
heroines. Chunhyangga, a narrative epic song (pansori) about
Jeonju Bibimbap
Bibimbap is warm rice served under minced raw beef, bean

sprouts, spinach, crown daisies, bracken, roots of Chinese
bellflower, watercress, a raw egg and shiitake mushrooms. The
contents are mixed with gochujang (hot pepper and soybean
paste). This popular dish represents the cuisine of Jeolla-do with
magnificent taste and color.
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Tourism
the faithfulness of her love, is one of the most favored

performances in Korea. Mt. Jirisan contains the second highest
mountain peak in South Korea. The sub-range is vast and
stretches across three provinces, Jeollanam-do, Jeollabuk-do
and Gyeongsangnam-do.
Deogyusan National Park commands superb views of the 30
kilometer-long Mujugucheondong Valley. The valley
encompasses Muju Ski Resort, the largest skiing area in Korea.
The Gwangju National Museum is home to a collection of
Chinese ceramics recovered from a 600-year-old Chinese
merchant ship that was wrecked in the seas off Sinan.
Damyang, 22 kilometers north of Gwangju, is the center of
bamboo cultivation and craftsmanship. The Damyang Bamboo
Museum is the world’s first museum devoted exclusively to
bamboo.
Other tourist’s sites and museums such as Hwangtohyeon
Victory Field, Gochang-eupseong Fortress, the dolmen sites in
Gochang and Hwasun counties and the Gangam Calligraphy
Museum add historic and literary character to the province.
On Jindo Island, which is some 350 kilometers south of
Seoul, visitors can see the Korean version of the Moses Miracle.
The sea between the coastal village of Hoedong-ri on Jindo and
Jindogae, indigenous dog
nearby Modo Islet actually parts for about an hour twice a year
breed
in early May, and again in the middle of July, leaving a
walkable path, 2.8 kilometers long and 40 meters
wide. Jindo is also renowned for the indigenous
Korean dog breed, Jindogae, which is designated as
Natural Monument No. 53.
Southeastern Region
Korea’s southeastern region, encompassing Gyeong-
sangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do provinces, is an
area rich in tourist attractions, cultural assets and
historical places. The Hallyeosudo Waterway and the
240
mountains of Jirisan and Gayasan are among this region’s
most outstanding natural resources. In addition, the entire
city of Gyeongju, ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom (57
B.C.-A.D. 935), is now an exceptional open-air museum.
Royal tombs, temple sites with weathered stone pagodas
and fortress ruins are scattered all around the city and have
yielded many ancient treasures.
Gyeongju’s main architectural sites are Bulguksa Temple
and the nearby Seokguram Grotto. Both were completed in
the eighth century and are representative of highly refined
Buddhist art. They were included on UNESCO’s World
Heritage List in 1995. Other important historic sites include
Dumuli Park, Oreung (Five Tombs), Cheomseongdae
Observatory, General Kim Yu-sin’s Tomb, and Mt. Namsan,
which is dotted with numerous Buddhist images, pagodas
and temple remains. The Gyeongju National Museum houses
antique treasures recovered from Gyeongju and its vicinity.
Bomun Lake Resort, six kilometers from downtown on
the eastern outskirts of the city, is an integrated tourist
destination with several first-class hotels and various
recreational facilities. Haeinsa Temple is famous for
A legion of guardian
housing the 80,000 wooden printing blocks used to print deities in bas relief
the Tripitaka Koreana, which were carved in the 13th decorates the walls of the
Seokguram Grotto
century. The Tripitaka Koreana is acknowledged as the most antechamber
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Tourism
Seokgatap
The three-story Seokgatap
Pagoda has two stereo
bates and is in traditional
Korean style.
complete compilation of Buddhist scripture in East Asia.

Not far from historic Gyeongju are the growing industrial
cities of Pohang and Ulsan. Pohang is home to the POSCO
steel mills, while Ulsan is the industrial base for Hyundai,
one of Korea’s leading conglomerates.
Further to the south is Busan, Korea’s principal port and
second-largest city. The Jagalchi Fish Market, one of Korea’s
most famous markets, is right next to the piers where
fishing boats unload their daily hauls. The market offers
tourists a great early morning attraction as buyers and
Hahoe Mask sellers haggle over the catch of the day.
Andong is one of the last living vestiges of old
Korea, a treasure-trove of Confucian tradition.
Hahoe, a small village near Andong, is famous
for its unique traditional masks and the mask
dance-drama, Hahoe-talchum. Dosanseowon, a
Confucian academy founded in the 16th century
by one of Korea’s most well-known scholars, Yi
Hwang, is also nearby. Massive international tour
and resort complexes were opened in 2006 in the
western and northern areas, featuring ultramodern
recreation and leisure facilities.
242
Hahoe Village in Andong
Hahoe Village, a clan
village of the Pungsan Ryu
family, preserves the
traditional Korean way of
life. The Andong area
gained popularity with
Queen Elizabeth II’s 1999
visit on her birthday.
Jejudo Island and Southern Coastal Regions

Within an hour’s flight from Seoul, Busan or Daegu,
travelers in Korea can reach a land of a completely different
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II
character. Recognized as the best-preserved area in the
nation, Jejudo is Korea’s only island province.
The island is Korea’s most popular honeymoon
destination. Known as “Little Hawaii” for its volcanic
landscape, picturesque subtropical scenery, sandy beaches,
waterfalls and hiking trails, it is one of the world’s top ten
tourist attractions with over four million visitors a year.
Jejudo enjoys a semitropical climate, with its plants and
landscape being remarkably different from those of the
mainland. It is also the natural habitat of over 2,000
species. Its principal mountain is the 1,950-meter Hallasan,
a dormant volcano crowned with a large crater. Many
centuries ago, lava flows from this volcano created tunnels,
pillars and other unusual features formed by the quickly-
cooled basalt. Favorite destinations include the Jeju
Folkcraft and Natural History Museum, Jungmun Resort,
Cheonjiyeon Falls, and Jeju Fantasy Gardens.
Jejudo’s old thatched cottages with walls made from lava
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Tourism
Hyeopjae Beach rock offer visitors a great chance to glimpse the island’s
The beautiful beach unique folk culture. They reflect both the island’s natural
lies between evergreen
forests and environment, characterized by strong winds, and the hearty
a cobalt-colored sea. lifestyle of its people.
Closer to the mainland, more than 3,000 smaller islands line
the winding southern and western coastlines. The completion
of the Honam and Namhae expressways in 1973 made these
picturesque coasts more accessible. The areas around Jinhae,
Tongyeong, Jinju and Namhae are recommended highlights.
The southern boundary of the Korean Peninsula is a jagged
coastline which has created an irregular pattern of bays and
inlets dotted with large and small islands. For those preferring
waterways to expressways, a hydrofoil skims over the water
between Busan and Yeosu. The boat stops at Seongpo,
Dangcheomuldonggul Lava Tongyeong, Samcheonpo and Namhae.
Tube
Shopping
South Korea is known as a shoppers’ paradise, offering a great
variety of items at reasonable prices. Tourists may purchase
many necessities and souvenir items at any of the hundreds of
shops in department stores and shopping arcades in Seoul as
well as major cities throughout the country.
244
Popular shopping items include jewelry, ginseng, furs, silk, Hallasan stands tall in the
middle of Jeju-do.
antique chests, ceramics, lacquer ware, brassware, embroidery
and many more unique Korean products.
Wholesale Clothing Markets (Clothing Shopping Mall)

When it comes to buying clothes in Korea, the wholesale
clothing markets concentrated in Dongdaemun are
becoming Korea’s leading shopping centers. Thousands of
small shops set in modern facilities open until daybreak
attracting many fashionable night shoppers.
Traditional Markets
Traditional markets are where you can experience customary
The Hongdae Free Market

opens at 1 p.m. every
Saturday from March to
November and offers a
variety of items
handcrafted by college-age
artists.
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Tourism
Korean shopping culture. At these markets, you

will only find one-story buildings and small
handcarts full of interesting goods. When you
shop at one of these traditional markets, it is a
good idea to shop at a comfortable pace, eating
snacks at a street cart, and absorbing the culture.
Carry Korean currency because it is unlikely that
these shops accept foreign currency or credit
cards. Gyeongdong, Gwangjang and Namdaemun
are among Seoul’s most popular markets.
Department Stores
Korean department stores usually have sales in
each of the four seasons. Generally, each
department store has a two-week long sale period
Itaewon Street in January, April, July and October. It is a good idea to check out
Itaewon is the most
the advertisements and details of these sales on the Internet.
culturally mixed spot in
Seoul. It is full of You can also contact the KTO Korea Travel Phone (+82-2) 1330
restaurants, shops and
to learn the exact date for the sale periods.
bars.
Large Discount Marts

These marts offer a similar variety of goods as department
stores in Korea, but at discounted prices. One difference is that
these marts typically don’t carry luxury brands of clothing.
Some of the largest discount marts in Korea include E-mart,
Homever (formly Carrefour), Lotte Mart, and Kim's Club.
Duty Free Shops

Incheon Airport Duty Free Korea covers a large area and has
a theme for each store. It is subdivided by product and the
interior has been designed for efficient shopping.
Duty Free Korea carries liquor, cigarettes, famous
electronic products, cashmere and wool garments, golf wear,
leather goods and souvenirs. Dried seaweed, kimchi and
246
traditional snacks are also big sellers. A
fast shopping corner takes care of
travelers who only have enough time to
pick up liquor, cigarettes, insam (ginseng)
or small presents.
Duty Free Korea also has outlet stores
for even more discounts.
Duty free shops
For more information http://www.visitkorea.or.kr
Seoul Help Center for Forigners:

82-2-731-6800
http://shc.seoul.go.kr
Seoul Express Bus Terminal:

82-2-535-4151
Korea Railroad Information Center:

82-1544-7788
Incheon International Airport:

82-1577-2600
This mega-site run by the Korea
Korea City Air Terminal: Tourism Organization provides
82-2-551-0077~8 information in eight languages. It gives
Korean Air: 82-1588-2001 travelers one-stop service – complete
information about local tourism,
Asiana Airlines:
culture, shopping, festivals and events,
82-1588-8000, 82-2-2669-8000
including reservations.
Tourist Complaint Center:
82-2-735-0101
247
Tourism at a glance
Korean Festivals
Out of the thousands of festivals celebrated throughout
Korea, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism short-
listed some of the best festivals, based on their
popularity and unique experience.
In the category of the Signatory festivals in Korea, both 1
the ‘Andong Mask Dance Festival’ and ‘Boryeong Mud
Festival’ topped the list.
Seoul Vicinity & Gyeonggi-do Province

1 Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Performance
Date: October1 - October 6, 2008
2
Venue: Leports Park (Complex Stadium),
Anseong-si
Chungcheongnam-do Province 3
2 Boryeong Mud Festival
Boryeong mud is rich in minerals and good for
one’s skin.
The high-quality sea mud is famous enough to
have been made into cosmetics such as
mudpacks, and mud soaps. The festival gives
visitors the chance to have fun while enjoying 4
mud massages with quality mud powder from
Daecheon Beach and a nearby tidal flat. Various
programs are available such as a mega mud tub,
mud wrestling, mud sliding, a mud prison, mud
military training and so on.
Date: July 12 - July 20, 2008
Venue: Daecheon beach, Boryeong-si 10
3 Geumsan Insam Festival

(Geumsan Ginseng Festival)
9
Date: August 29 - September 7, 2008
Venue: Geumsan Ginseng and Herb Street and
Ginseng Expo Square
Jeollabuk-do Province
4 Gimje Horizon Festival
Date: October 1 - October 5, 2008
Venue: Byeokgolje Gwangjang (Plaza), Kimje-si
248
For more information about Korean festivals,
go to http://www.visitkorea.or.kr
Gangwon-do Province
5 Chuncheon International Mime Festival
Date: May 23-June 1, 2008
Venue: Chuncheon
6 Yangyang Pine Mushroom Festival

Venue: Yangyang-gun Marketplace
Gyeongsangbuk-do Province
7
7 Andong International Mask Dance Festival
Andong has the largest number of recognized
and preserved tangible and intangible cultural
properties in Korea. The Andong International
Mask Dance Festival aims to promote the city’s
tradition and culture through various programs,
mask dance performances and folk customs,
including Chajeon-nori (a ramming game played
by male villagers), Notdari bapgi (a game played
by female villagers. Someone bends over to
make a bridge so another person can cross her
body), and Hwajeon-nori (a fire game).
8
Date: September 26-October 5, 2008
Venue: Hahoe Village in Andong-si
Gyeongsangnam-do Province
8 Jinju Namgang Lantern Festival
Venue: Namgang waterfront, Jinju-si
Jeollanam-do Province
9 Gangjin Celadon Festival
Date: August 9 - August 17, 2008
Venue: Goryo Celadon Doyoji Area
10 Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

Date: April 18 - June 1, 2008
Venue: Hampyeong Cheonsubyeon Park
249
250
Internet Links
Gateway to Korea
Korean Cultural Center, Argentina
http://argentina.korean-culture.org
http://www.korea.net
Cultural Heritage Administration
Korea Tourism Organization
http://www.cha.go.kr
http://www.visitkorea.or.kr
National Center for Korean Traditional
Korea Trade-Investment Promotion
Performing Arts
Agency
http://www.ncktpa.go.kr
http://www.kotra.or.kr
National Institute of the Korean
Language
http://www.korean.go.kr
Korean Cultural Information
National Folk Museum of Korea
Korean Cultural Center, China http://www.nfm.go.kr
http://china.korean-culture.org National Library of Korea
Korean Cultural Center, Shanghai http://www.nl.go.kr
http://shanghai.korean-culture.org National Museum of Korea
Korean Cultural Center, Osaka http://www.museum.go.kr
http://osaka.korean-culture.org National Museum of Contemporary
Korean Cultural Center, Tokyo Art, Korea
http://www.koreanculture.jp http://www.moca.go.kr
Korean Cultural Center, Vietnam

http://vietnam.korean-culture.org
Executive Branch
Korean Cultural Center, New York
http://www.koreanculture.org
Office of the President
Korean Cultural Center, L.A. http://www.president.go.kr
http://www.kccla.org
Office of the Prime Minister
Korean Cultural Center, Russia http://www.opm.go.kr
http://russia.korean-culture.org
Board of Audit and Inspection
Korean Cultural Center, UK http://www.bai.go.kr
http://london.korean-culture.org
National Intelligence Service
Korean Cultural Center, Germany http://whois.nis.go.kr
http://germany.korean-culture.org
Korea Communications Commission
Korean Cultural Center, Paris http://www.kcc.go.kr
http://www.coree-culture.org
250
Ministry of Government Legislation Ministry of Knowledge Economy
http://www.moleg.go.kr http://www.mke.go.kr
Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Ministry for Health, Welfare and
Affairs Family Affairs
http://www.mpva.go.kr/ http://www.mw.go.kr
Korea Fair Trade Commission Ministry of Environment
http://www.ftc.go.kr http://www.me.go.kr
Financial Services Commission Ministry of Labor
http://www.fsc.go.kr http://www.molab.go.kr
Civil Rights Commission Ministry of Gender Equality
http://www.acrc.go.kr http://www.mogef.go.kr
Ministry of Strategy and Finance Ministry of Land, Transport and
http://mosf.go.kr/ Maritime Affairs
http://www.mltm.go.kr
Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology
http://www.mest.go.kr
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Independent Organizations
http://www.mofat.go.kr
Constitutional Court
Ministry of Unification http://www.ccourt.go.kr
http://www.unikorea.go.kr
National Election Commission
Ministry of Justice http://www.nec.go.kr
http://www.moj.go.kr
National Human Rights Commission
Ministry of National Defense http://www.humanrights.go.kr
http://www.mnd.go.kr
Ministry of Public Administration and
Security Legislature
http://www.mopas.go.kr
The National Assembly
Ministry of Culture, Sports and
http://www.assembly.go.kr
Tourism
http://www.mcst.go.kr
Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Judiciary
Forestry and Fisheries
http://www.maf.go.kr Supreme Court
http://www.scourt.go.kr
251

Facts About Korea (2008) (English)

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Facts about Korea

15, Hyojaro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Korean Culture and Information Service

Facts and Figures 6

Korea and Its People 12

Constitution and Government 36

Korea in the World 70

Culture and the Arts 138

Korean Life 176

Longest rivers: Amnokgang River 790km,

Country Name: Republic of Korea (South Korea)

Population: 48.46 million (South Korea, 2007)

Geography Population increase rate: 0.33% (2007)

National Anthem (Aegukga)

Dong hae mul gwa Baek du sa ni Ma reugo dal to rok

Ha neu ni mi bo u-- ha sa u ri na raman se

Mu - gung hwa sam - cheol li hwa reo gang - san

Dae - hansa ram Dae han - eu ro gi ri bojeonha se

Visit korea.net, the official website of the

Korea and Its People

The Borders of Korean Territory

Extreme points Places Coordinates

Source: National Geographic Information Institute

The Floating Island will be

In early spring, Siberian winds pick up “yellow dust”

Monthly Mean Temperature and Precipitation in Seoul

Source: Korea Meteorological Administration

percent during the 1960s, but growth slowed to 2 percent over

Male Female (persons)

Source: Korea National Statistical Office

expectancy. Those aged 15 and younger will make up a

the standard variety used in Seoul. Only the dialect of Jeju-

Korean language courses

population was literate; few could master the difficult

The Korean Alphabet

Hangeul consists of ten vowels and fourteen consonants.

Useful Korean Phrases

Pre-historic Period on the Korean Peninsula

Paleolithic Age Neolithic Age Bronze Age

Three Kingdoms and Gaya

corner of the peninsula and was initially the weakest and

Unified Silla and Balhae Unified Silla and Balhae

Dynasty could not reclaim lost lands, it achieved a

significant was the invention of the world’s first movable

Joseon Dynasty Joseon

but few of their ideas were adopted by the government.

Japanese Occupation and Independence Movement

supporters, slaughtering thousands.

Founding of the Republic of Korea

modern technologies. In the 1950s, Korea ranked among the

Hunting Scene in Dancing Figure Tomb

Gojoseon Iron Age Gaya Kingdom

Julius Caesar Anglo-Saxons

Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)

2002 FIFA World Cup

Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392)

Tang Dynasties Song Dynasty Yuan Qing Dynasty Establishment of

Wu Dai Dynasties Ming Dynasty Establishment of

World War I (1914-18)

President Lee Myung-bak

additional terms being allowed. This single-term provision

The Central Government