Republic of Korea 대한민국 Timeline: Nihon no heiwa | ||||||
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Motto: 대한독립만세 (Korean) "Long live Korean independence" |
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Anthem: 애국가 "The Patriotic Song" |
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Korea (green)
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Capital | Seoul | |||||
Official languages | Korean | |||||
Demonym | Korean | |||||
Government | Unitary semi-presidential republic | |||||
- | President | Park Sang-hak | ||||
- | Prime Minister | Hong Seok-hyun | ||||
Legislature | National Assembly | |||||
Formation | ||||||
- | First Korean kingdom | c. 2333 BCE | ||||
- | Independence declared | 1 March 1919 | ||||
- | Indepence granted | 18 June 1919 | ||||
- | Constitution | 15 July 1920 | ||||
Population | ||||||
- | 2022 estimate | 77,829,690 | ||||
Currency | Korean Republic won (KRW ) |
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Drives on the | right |
Korea (Korean: 한국), officially the Republic of Korea (Korean: 대한민국), is a country in East Asia. It borders Manchuria and the Soviet Union to the north; it also shares overseas borders with Japan to the east. Seoul is the nation's capital and largest city, and is known for its modern infrastructure and culture.
The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BCE. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897). The succeeding Korean Empire was annexed in 1910 into Japan, although it would later be granted independence again in 1919 after the March 1st Movement, and became a republic. From 1949 to 1964, it was lead by a fierce anti-communist military dictatorship, which was eventually overthrown in the Flower Revolution and the democratic system was reinstated.
Korea is a developed country and is ranked as the seventh-highest country on the Human Development Index (HDI) in the Asia and Oceania region. Korea has the third-highest life expectancy in the world. In recent years, the country has been facing an aging population and the lowest fertility rate in the world. Its economy ranks as the world's twelfth-largest by nominal GDP. Its citizens enjoy one of the world's fastest Internet connection speeds and the densest high-speed railway network.