At a glance

Official Name:
Republic of Korea (ROK)

Capital: Seoul

Population: 49,024,737 (2007 est.)

Languages: Korean

Religion: Buddhist 51%, Christian 14%, Not religious 35%

Life Expectancy:
Male: 74 Female: 81

Currency: South Korean Won

GDP (Purchasing Power Parity):
$1.169 trillion

National Holidays:
Korean New Year (First day of first month of lunar calendar), Independence Movement Day- celebration of protest against Japan’s Colonization (March 1)

Industries: Electronics, Automobile production, Chemicals, Shipbuilding, Steel, Textiles, Clothing, Footwear, Food Processing

South Korea
South Korean history can be traced back to 2333 b.c., and has been very turbulent, fighting many wars with the Japanese and Chinese. The modern Republic of Korea was first established in 1948. The Korean War (1950-1953) permanently divided the peninsula into two separate states: the communist north and the capitalist south. Since then, South Korea’s economy has been steadily growing, making it the twelfth largest in the world, and the third largest in Asia, behind only China and Japan. It is also one of the most technologically advanced countries, as it is home to many different technology companies and is the most wireless-Internet connected country in the world.