South Korea

South Korea is a country in East Asia that makes up the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and shares a land border with North Korea. Its western border forms the Yellow Sea, and its eastern border forms the Sea of ​​Japan. About 25 million people, about half of the country's 51 million population, live in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic. His first kingdom was recorded in Chinese records in the early 7th century BC. After the unification of the three Korean kingdoms at Silla and Balkhe at the end of the 7th century, Korea was ruled by the Goryeo Dynasty (918–1392) and the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897). The subsequent Korean Empire was annexed to the Japanese Empire in 1910. Japanese rule in Korea ended after the former capitulated during World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones; the northern zone, occupied by the Soviet Union; and the southern zone, occupied by the United States. After the failure of the reunification negotiations, the latter became the Republic of Korea in August 1948, and the former became North Korea.

In 1950, the North Korean invasion began the Korean War, in which the US-led United States actively intervened in support of the South, and China intervened to support the North with the help of the Soviet Union. After the war ended in 1953, the country's economy began to grow rapidly, recording the fastest growth in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990. The June struggles saw the end of authoritarian rule in 1987, and the country is now considered one of the first. the most advanced democracies in Asia with the highest levels of press freedom. However, in recent years, corruption and political scandals have become increasingly serious problems; all three living former South Korean presidents were sentenced to prison terms for crimes ranging from abuse of power to bribery and embezzlement; two of them are currently serving sentences.

South Korea is a developed country and ranks seventh on the Human Development Index (HDI) in the Asia and Oceania region. Its economy ranks tenth in the world in terms of nominal GDP. Its residents enjoy one of the world's fastest Internet connection speeds and the densest high-speed rail network. The country is the fifth largest exporter in the world and the eighth largest importer. South Korea was the seventh largest emitter of carbon in the world in 2017 and the fifth largest emitter per capita. Since the 21st century, South Korea has been known for its globally influential pop culture, especially in music (K-pop), television dramas and film, a phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. He is a member of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, the G20 and the Paris Club.