On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea
The war left almost three million Koreans dead or wounded and millions of others
homeless and separated from their families.
The Second Republic under the leadership of Chang Myon ended after only one
year, when Major General Park Chung-hee led a military coup. Park's rule, which
resulted in tremendous economic growth and development but increasingly
restricted political freedoms, ended with his assassination in 1979
. Subsequently, a powerful group of military officers, led by Lieutenant General
Chun Doo Hwan, declared martial law and took power.
throughout the Park and Chun eras, there were many strong protests against the authorities, led by students and labor union activists
movements reached a climax after Chun's 1979 coup and declaration of martial
law.
Former business executive and Mayor of Seoul Lee Myung-bak's 5-year term begins
with his inauguration on February 25, 2008.
In 1987, Roh Tae-woo, a former general, was elected president
1992 election of a long-time pro-democracy activist, Kim Young-sam. Kim became
Korea's first civilian elected president in 32 years.
Thereafter, pro-democracy activities intensified even more, ultimately forcing
political concessions by the government in 1987, including the restoration of
direct presidential elections.
Natural resources: Limited coal, iron ore, limestone, kaolinite, and
graphite.Agriculture, including forestry and fisheries:
Products--rice, vegetables, fruit, root crops, barley; cattle, pigs,
chickens, milk, eggs, fish. Arable land--17% of land area
PeopleNationality: Noun and
adjective--Korean(s).Population (2006): 48,846,823.Population annual
growth rate (2006): 0.42%.Ethnic groups: Korean; small Chinese
minority.Religions: Christianity, Buddhism, Shamanism, Confucianism,
Chondogyo.Language: Korean.Education: Years compulsory--9.
Enrollment--11.5 million. Attendance--middle school 99%, high
school 95%. Literacy--98%.Health (2006): Infant mortality
rate--6.16/1,000. Life expectancy--77.0 yrs (men 73.6 yrs.; women
80.8 yrs).Work force (2005): 23.53 million. Services--67.2%;
mining and manufacturing--26.4%; agriculture--6.4%.
South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons
Winters are usually long, cold, and dry, whereas summers are short, hot, and
humid. Spring and autumn are pleasant but short in duration. Seoul's mean
temperature in January is -5° C to - 2.5° C; in July the mean temperature is
about 22.5° C to 25° C.
When the war ended in 1945, the great majority of the people living in the
southern half of the Korean Peninsula were poor peasants.
Japanese colonial regime from 1910 to 1945 had promoted modernization of the
economy and society
By 1990 educational and public health standards were high, most people lived in
urban areas, and a complex structure of social classes had emerged that
resembled the social structures of developed Western countries or Japan. The
country also was making substantial progress in its evolution from a military
dictatorship similar to that of many Third World regimes to a democratic,
pluralistic political system.
South Korea did create some important government enterprises; i.e., Pohang
Iron and Steel Company, Korea Telecommunications Authority, Korea Electric Power
Corporation, the Office of the Railroad, and Korea Monopoly Corporation (for
tobacco and ginseng products). The public sector provided 80-90 percent of the
financial services, two thirds of the gas, electricity and water supplies, 30
percent of transportation and communications, 30 percent of mining, and 15
percent of manufacturing.