Portal:South Korea
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대한민국 포털
The South Korea Portal
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and the Sea of Japan to the east. Like North Korea, South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire peninsula and adjacent islands. It has a population of about 52 million, of which half live in the Seoul metropolitan area, the ninth most populous metropolitan area in the world; other major cities include Busan, Daegu, and Incheon.
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early seventh century BC. From the mid first century BC, various polities consolidated into the rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. The lattermost eventually unified most of the peninsula for the first time in the late seventh century AD, while Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) achieved lasting unification and established the basis for the modern Korean identity. The subsequent Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) generated cultural, economic, and scientific achievements and also established isolationism starting from the mid-17th century. The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) sought modernization and reform but was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. Japanese rule ended following Japan's surrender in World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones: the Soviet-occupied northern zone and the United States-occupied southern zone. After negotiations on reunification failed, the southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948, while the northern zone became the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea the following month.
In 1950, a North Korean invasion triggered the Korean War, one of the first major proxy conflicts of the Cold War, which saw extensive fighting involving the American-led United Nations Command and the Soviet-backed People's Volunteer Army from China. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice and left three million Koreans dead and the economy in ruins; due to the lack of a peace treaty, the Korean conflict is still ongoing. South Korea endured a series of dictatorships punctuated by coups, revolutions, and violent uprisings, but also experienced a soaring economy and one of the fastest rises in average GDP per capita, leading to its emergence as one of the Four Asian Tigers. The June Democratic Struggle of 1987 ended authoritarian rule and led to the establishment of the current Sixth Republic. (Full article...)
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About 49 million people in South Korea (or 97.0% of the population) use the Internet. The country has the world's fastest average internet connection speed. South Korea has consistently ranked first in the UN ICT Development Index since the index's launch. The government established policies and programs that facilitated the rapid expansion and use of broadband. The country has 97.6% of the population owning a smartphone, which is the highest in the world.
It is recorded that Kilnam Chon played a major role in the introduction of the Internet to South Korea. Kilnam Chon said in an interview that in 1982 he started a South Korean network development project. The first Internet message sent from South Korea to the world was done by Hyunje Park in 1990. It is recorded that the e-mail—"I am Hyunje Park from Korea. Anyone who sees this e-mail, please reply."—sent by Hyunje Park received a reply—"I am Torben at the University of Hawaiʻi, United States. Congratulations. You are now connected to the Internet."—soon after. (Full article...)
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The 2010 G-20 Seoul summit was the fifth meeting of the G-20 heads of government to discuss the global financial system and the world economy. It was held in Seoul, South Korea.
More did you know -
- ...that the fish Coreoleuciscus splendidus had a movie named after in 1999?
- ...that South Korean screenwriter and director Byeon Seung-wook spent five years working on the scenario for his 2006 directorial debut film, Solace?
- ...that the South Korean film The Host was recognized as Best Picture at the 1st Asian Film Awards, held in 2007?
In the news
- 23 November 2025 – International Paderewski Piano Competition
- South Korean pianist Roh Hyunjin wins the 13th International Piano Competition held at the Pomeranian Philharmonic in Bydgoszcz, Kuyavia–Pomerania, Poland. (Portal Kujawski)
- 13 November 2025 –
- A truck crashes into pedestrians at an outdoor market in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, killing two people and injuring 18 others. (AP)
- 11 November 2025 – 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
- A high court in Seoul, South Korea, issues an arrest warrant for former National Intelligence Service director Cho Tae-yong for allegedly tampering with evidence regarding former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law, among other charges. (Reuters)
- 10 November 2025 – 2024 South Korean martial law crisis
- Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol, former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, and former Defense Counterintelligence Command leader Yeo In-hyung are indicted on additional charges related to Yoon's attempt to invoke martial law last December alleging that they ordered surveillance drones to be sent into North Korea to stoke tensions and justify their plans. (DW) (The Chosun Ilbo)
- 9 November 2025 – 2025 League of Legends World Championship
- In League of Legends esports, T1 of the League of Legends Champions Korea become the first team to win three consecutive world titles after defeating fellow South Korean representatives KT Rolster, 3–2, in the final in Chengdu, China. T1's Gumayusi is named the most valuable player. (AFP via France 24)
- 6 November 2025 –
- At least three people are killed, two others are missing and two are presumed dead when a large structure being prepared for demolition at a power plant collapses in Ulsan, South Korea. (Reuters)
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The Battle of Kapyong (Korean: 가평전투; 22–27 April 1951), also known as the Battle of Jiaping (Chinese: 加平战斗; pinyin: Jiāpíng Zhàn Dòu), was fought during the Korean War between United Nations Command (UN) forces—primarily Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand—and the 118th and 60th Divisions of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army (PVA). The fighting occurred during the Chinese Spring Offensive and saw the 27th British Commonwealth Brigade (27th Brigade) establish blocking positions in the Kapyong Valley, on a key route south to the capital, Seoul. The two forward battalions—the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) and 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (2 PPCLI) were supported by guns from the 16th Field Regiment (16 NZFR) of the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery along with two companies of US mortars, fifteen Sherman tanks from US 72nd Heavy Tank Battalion, two companies of the US 74th Engineer Combat Battalion and 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment. These forces occupied positions astride the valley with hastily developed defences. As thousands of soldiers from the Republic of Korea Army (ROK) began to withdraw through the valley, the PVA infiltrated the brigade position under the cover of darkness, and assaulted the 3 RAR on Hill 504 during the evening and into the following day. Five companies of the US and UK forces attached to 27th Brigade fled the battlefield without orders, expecting an imminent PVA breakthrough at the Kapyong Valley.
Although heavily outnumbered, the 3 RAR and U.S. tanks held their positions into the afternoon of April 24 before they retreated from the battlefield to a reserve position near brigade headquarters, with both sides having suffered heavy casualties. The PVA then turned their attention to the surrounded 2 PPCLI on Hill 677, whose encirclement prevented any resupply or reinforcements from entering. The 2 PPCLI were ordered to make a last stand on Hill 677. During a fierce night battle on 24/25 April the PVA forces were unable to dislodge the 2 PPCLI and sustained enormous losses. The next day, the PVA largely withdrew back up the valley in order to regroup. The US 5th Cavalry Regiment and the 2 PPCLI subsequently launched counter-offensives to recover Hill 504 and the northern parts of Hill 677. The 2 PPCLI were relieved late on 26 April.
The fighting helped blunt the PVA Spring Offensive and the actions of the 2 PPCLI and 3 RAR at Kapyong were critical in preventing a breakthrough against the UN central front, the encirclement of US forces in Korea, which were at that point in general retreat, and ultimately, the capture of Seoul. The 2 PPCLI and 3 RAR battalions, consisting of about 700 men each, bore the brunt of the assault and stopped PVA divisional forces estimated at 20,000 in strength during the hard-fought defensive battle. Today, the battle is regarded as the most famous and significant action fought by the Canadian and Australian armies in Korea, and the most famous battle fought by the Canadian Armed Forces since WWII. (Full article...)
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An Internet cafe in Seoul (from Culture of South Korea) -
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Fireworks during the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Summer Olympics (from History of South Korea) -
Sinchon movie theatre (from Culture of South Korea) -
South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Seoul, November 1983 (from History of South Korea) -
Inauguration of the 21st President of South Korea Lee Jae-myung. (from History of South Korea) -
Syngman Rhee, the 1st President of South Korea (from History of South Korea) -
Samsung Galaxy Tab (from Culture of South Korea) -
A card portrait of Park Chung Hee during a military parade on Armed Forces Day, 1 October 1973 (from History of South Korea) -
Korean newspapers (from Culture of South Korea) -
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President Park Chung Hee, who ruled South Korea from 1961 to 1979 (from History of South Korea) -
Burial grounds of the victims of the Gwangju Uprising at Mangwol-dong cemetery (from History of South Korea) -
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President Park Geun-hye with chaebol business magnates Lee Kun-hee and Chung Mong-koo, May 2013 (from History of South Korea) -
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shaking hands inside the Peace House on 27 April 2018 (from History of South Korea) -
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Lee Myung-bak, President of South Korea from 2008 to 2013 (from History of South Korea) -
Yoon takes the presidential oath of office outside the National Assembly, 10 May 2022. (from History of South Korea) -
President Kim Dae-jung, the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for advancing democracy and human rights in South Korea and East Asia and for reconciliation with North Korea, was sometimes called the "Nelson Mandela of Asia." (from History of South Korea)
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Did you know (auto-generated)
- ... that Herky and Timmy's Racing Coaster is the first roller coaster in South Korea to go backwards?
- ... that Nam Su-hyeon, Jeon Hun-young, and Lim Si-hyeon's gold medal in the women's team archery event at the 2024 Olympics marked South Korea's tenth victory in a row?
- ... that a 700-year-old fortification in present-day South Korea was mostly destroyed during the construction of a coastal road?
- ... that South Korea has censored military-affiliated golf courses?
- ... that the Indonesia–Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement covered access to South Korean online video games in Indonesia?
- ... that the DJ NewJeansNim has been credited with reviving interest in Buddhism among South Korean youths?
WikiProjects
See WikiProject Korea for collaborating on South Korea topics, and more broadly, on all things Korea-related.
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Wiktionary
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Web resources
- The official website of the Republic of Korea (Korea.net)
- The Official Korea Tourism Guide Site
- Korea National Statistical Office
- Video on South Korea-US Relations from the Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital Archives
- "South Korea". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
- A Country Study: South Korea in the Library of Congress
- South Korea from UCB Libraries GovPubs
- Korea OECD
- South Korea profile from the BBC News
- South Korea Encyclopædia Britannica entry
- The War Memorial of Korea
- Key Development Forecasts for South Korea from International Futures
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