South Korea is located in the southern half of the Northeast Korean Peninsula of the Asian continent. It is surrounded by sea on three sides to the east, south and west, covering an area of ​​99,600 square kilometers. The peninsula’s coastline is about 17,000 kilometers long. The terrain is high in the northeast and low in the southwest. The mountain area accounts for about 70%. It has a temperate monsoon climate and the average temperature in winter is below zero. South Korea has a strong economy. Steel, automobiles, shipbuilding, electronics, and textiles have become South Korea’s pillar industries. Among them, shipbuilding and automobile manufacturing are world-renowned.

Overview

South Korea, the full name of the Republic of Korea, is located in the northeast of the Asian continent, the south of the Korean Peninsula, the Sea of ​​Japan to the east and China to the west Shandong Province faces each other across the sea, and the North is adjacent to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by a military boundary. With an area of ​​99,600 square kilometers, the peninsula’s coastline is about 17,000 kilometers long (including island coastlines). South Korea has many hills and plains, about 70% of which is mountainous, and the terrain is lower than the northern part of the peninsula. The hills are mostly located in the south and west. The western and southern continental slopes are gentle, the eastern continental slopes are steep, and there are vast plains along the west coast rivers. South Korea has a temperate East Asian monsoon climate, with 70% of the annual rainfall from June to September. The average annual precipitation is about 1500 mm, and the precipitation gradually decreases from south to north. It is vulnerable to typhoons in March, April and early summer.

South Korea has 1 special city: Seoul (the old translation "Seoul") special city; 9 provinces: Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, Chungcheongbuk Province, Chungcheong Namdo, Jeollabukdo, Jeollanamdo, Gyeongsangbukdo, Gyeongsangnamdo, Jejudo; 6 metropolitan cities: Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan.

After the 1st century AD, the three ancient kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla were formed on the Korean Peninsula. In the middle of the seventh century, Silla ruled the peninsula. At the beginning of the 10th century, Goryeo replaced Silla. At the end of the 14th century, the Lee dynasty replaced Goryeo and designated the country as North Korea. It became a Japanese colony in August 1910. It was liberated on August 15, 1945. At the same time, the Soviet and American armies stationed in the northern half and the southern half respectively on the 38th parallel north. On August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was proclaimed and Lee Seungman was elected its first president. South Korea joined the United Nations with North Korea on September 17, 1991.

The national flag: Tai Chi Flag, which was first drawn on board by the envoys Park Young Hyo and Jin Yu both sent to Japan in August 1882. It was painted in 1883. Emperor Gojong officially adopted it as the national flag of the Joseon Dynasty. On March 25, 1949, the Korean Ministry of Culture and Education's deliberation committee made a clear explanation when determining it as the national flag of the Republic of Korea: the horizontal and vertical ratio of the Tai Chi flag is 3:2, the white ground represents the land, the two Tai Chi instruments are in the middle, and the four corners have black four hexagrams. The circle of Tai Chi represents the people. Inside the circle, there are two fish-shaped objects curved up and down. The upper part is red and the lower part is blue, representing Yang and Yin respectively, symbolizing the universe. In the four hexagrams, the stem in the upper left corner is the three yang lines representing heaven, spring, east, and bene; the kun in the lower right corner is the six yin lines representing land, summer, west, and righteousness; the ridge in the upper right corner is the four yin lines and one yang line. Represents water, autumn, south, and ritual; the "li" in the lower left corner means that two yang lines and two yin lines represent fire, winter, north, and wisdom. The overall pattern means that everything is eternally moving, balanced and coordinated within an infinite range, symbolizing Eastern thought, philosophy and mystery.

South Korea has a population of 47.254 million. The whole country is a single ethnic group and the Korean language is spoken. The religion is mainly Buddhism and Christianity.

Since the 1960s, the Korean government has successfully implemented a growth-oriented economic policy. After the 1970s, it has officially embarked on the track of economic development, creating The world-famous "Han River Miracle". By the 1980s, Korea had changed its appearance of poverty and backwardness, showing prosperity and prosperity, and became a competitive country in the international market. Today, South Korea has a strong economy. In 2006, its GDP reached 768.458 billion U.S. dollars, or 15,731 U.S. dollars per capita.

Steel, automobiles, shipbuilding, electronics, and textiles are South Korea’s pillar industries, and industries such as shipbuilding and automobile manufacturing are world-renowned. Pohang Iron and Steel Plant is the second largest steel conglomerate in the world. In 2002, the output of automobiles was 3.2 million, ranking 6th in the world. Shipbuilding orders for standard cargo ships with a tonnage of 7.59 million tons have become the world's number one again. South Korea’s electronics industry has developed rapidly and is one of the top ten electronics industries in the world. In recent years, South Korea has attached great importance to the IT industry and has continuously increased its investment, with its IT technology level and output ranking among the top in the world. South Korea was once a traditional agricultural country. With the process of industrialization, the proportion of agriculture in the Korean economy is getting smaller and smaller, and its status is declining. South Korea is a major importer of agricultural products, and imports tend to increase. South Korea is short of natural resources and relies on imports for major industrial raw materials.

South Korea is a country with a long history and splendid culture. Each has its own characteristics. Korean art mainly includes painting, calligraphy, printmaking, crafts, decoration, etc. It not only inherits national traditions, but also absorbs the specialties of foreign art. Korean paintings are divided into Oriental paintings and Western paintings. Oriental paintings are similar to Chinese traditional paintings, using pen, ink, paper, and ink to express various topics. There are also various gorgeous genre paintings. Like China and Japan, calligraphy is an elegant art form in Korea. Koreans are known for their love of music and dance. Korean modern music can be roughly divided into "ethnic music" and "western music". Folk music can be divided into two types, "gaga music" and "folk music". Gaga music is music played by professional bands during various ceremonies such as sacrificial ceremonies and banquets held in the court of the feudal dynasties of Korea. It is commonly known as "zheng music" or "court music". Folk music includes miscellaneous songs, folk songs, and farm music. Musical instruments are commonly used Xuanqin, Gayaqin, rod drum, flute, etc. One of the characteristics of Korean folk music is dance. Korean dance attaches great importance to the rhythm of the dancer's shoulders and arms. The Tao has fans, corollas, and drums. Korean dance centers on folk dances and court dances, which are colorful. Korean drama originated from religious rituals in the prehistoric period, and mainly includes five categories: masks, puppet shows, folk art, singing opera, and drama. Among them, the mask, also known as "Masque Dance", is a symbol of Korean culture, and it occupies an extremely important position in Korean traditional drama.

The Korean people like sports very much, and especially like participating in folk games. The main folk games include swinging, seesaw, kite flying, and god of stepping. There are many types of folk sports in South Korea, including Go, chess, chess, wrestling, taekwondo, skiing, etc. Korean food is characterized by kimchi culture, and kimchi is indispensable for three meals a day. Korean traditional famous dishes such as barbecue, kimchi, and cold noodles have become world famous dishes.

South Korea has beautiful scenery and many cultural and historical heritages. The tourism industry is relatively developed. The main tourist spots are Seoul Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Changgyeong Palace, Changdeok Palace, National Museum, National Gugak Center, Sejong Culture Hall, Hoam Art Museum, Namsan Tower, National Museum of Modern Art, Ganghwa Island, Folklore Village, Panmunjom, Gyeongju, Jeju Island, Seorak Mountain, etc.

Gyongbokkung (Gyongbokkung): Located in the Jongno district of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, it is a famous ancient palace. It was the first ancestor of the Li Dynasty, Li Chenggui, in 1394. It was built in The ancient Chinese "Book of Songs" once had a verse of "A gentleman for thousands of years, Jieer Jingfu", and this hall was named after this. The main hall of the palace garden is the Geumjeongjeon Hall, which is the central building of Gyeongbokgung Palace, where all kings of the Li Dynasty handled state affairs. In addition, there are Sizheng Hall, Qianqing Hall, Kangning Hall, Jiaotai Hall and so on. Part of the northern corner of the palace was destroyed by a fire in 1553, and most of the palace’s buildings were destroyed during the Japanese invasion. By the time of the reconstruction in 1865, only 10 palaces remained intact.

Kwanghanrn Tower (Kwanghanrn): located in Namwon-gun, Jeollabuk-do Chuanqu is a famous historical site in Korea. Legend has it that it was built by Huang Xi, the prime minister of the early Li Dynasty, and was originally named Guangtong Building. It was renamed its current name only after the reconstruction in 1434 (16th year of King Sejong of the Li Dynasty). North Korea was burned down during the Imjin War. In 1635 AD (the 13th year of Renzong of the Li Dynasty), it was rebuilt as it was. The carved beams and painted buildings and the gorgeously shaped Guanghan Building are representative of Korean courtyards, including three small islands, stone statues, and magpie bridge. Its overall structure symbolizes the universe.

Jeju Island (Chejudao): South Korea’s largest island, also known as Tamra Island, Honeymoon Island, and Romantic Island, is located at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. Across the Jeju Strait and the peninsula, it is more than 90 kilometers away from the southern coast of South Korea in the north. Jeju Island has a total area of ​​1826 square kilometers, including Udo Island, Wodo Island, Brother Island, Jegwi Island, Mosquito Island, Tiger Island and other 34 islands. It is 100 kilometers northeast of Jeollanam-do and is an ideal tourist and fishing destination. Here you can see historical sites and natural landscapes. The highest mountain in Korea, Halla Mountain, at 1,950 meters above sea level, stands on the island. You can also go hiking, horse riding, driving, hunting, surfing and golfing. It is sparsely populated and the land is vast. It is not mountain forests or farmland cottages. The farms mainly grow rice, vegetables, and fruits. The most spectacular ones are rape blossoms. In spring, the land is golden and very beautiful.

Main cities

Seoul: Seoul, the capital of South Korea (Seoul, formerly translated "Seoul") It is the center of South Korea's politics, economy, culture and education, as well as the nation's land, sea, and air transportation hub. Located in the middle of the Korean peninsula and in a basin, the Han River loops through the city, about 30 kilometers from the west coast of the peninsula, about 185 kilometers from the east coast, and about 260 kilometers from Pyongyang to the north. The longest point from north to south is 30.3 kilometers, and the longest point from east to west is 36.78 kilometers, with a total area of ​​605.5 square kilometers and a population of 9.796 million (2005).

Seoul has a long history. In ancient times, it was named "Hanyang" because it was located on the north of the Han River. After the Joseon Dynasty established the capital of Hanyang at the end of the 14th century, it was renamed "Seoul". During the modern Korean peninsula under Japanese colonial rule, Seoul was renamed "the capital". After the Korean peninsula was recovered in 1945, it was renamed as a native Korean word, marked with "SEOUL" in Roman letters, which means "capital". In January 2005, "Seoul" was officially renamed "Seoul".

Seoul’s economy has developed rapidly since the 1960s. In the early 1960s, South Korea implemented an export-oriented economic development strategy, supported large enterprises, and vigorously developed export processing industries. , Achieved economic take-off. In addition, Seoul is also vigorously developing its tourism industry. Seoul is connected to Japan, Southeast Asia, and European and American countries by air routes. Tourists from all countries can easily travel between Seoul and European and American countries. In the country, Seoul is also connected with major cities such as Busan and Incheon by expressways, and the transportation is very convenient. The Seoul-Incheon line is the first modern expressway in Korea. The Seoul-Busan Expressway passes through industrial centers such as Suwon, Cheonan, Daejeon, Gumi, Daegu, and Gyeongju, marking an important step in South Korea’s efforts to expand and modernize its transportation network. The Seoul Underground Railway has 5 lines and the total length of the railway system is 125.7 kilometers, ranking 7th in the world.

Seoul is also the cultural and educational center of South Korea, with 34 colleges and universities including Seoul University and Korea University. There are many historical sites in the city, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, Changgyeonggung Palace, Deoksugung Palace and Biwon (Imperial Garden). In the dense shade of the urban area, ancient palaces and temples, as well as modern buildings straight into the sky, reflect each other, showing Seoul's ancient and modern history and era.

Busan: Busan is a port city in the southeast of Korea. It is located 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on the southeast of the Korean Strait, facing Tsushima Island in Japan, and facing the Nakdong River in the west. Towering mountains in the northwest and an island barrier to the south, it is a well-known deep-water port and the southern gateway of the Korean Peninsula. The total area of ​​Busan is 758,21 square kilometers, divided into 1 county and 15 districts. Busan has many beaches, hot springs, etc., and many tourists come here for vacations in the middle of the year.

Busan, which can be called the second capital, has been inhabited since the Paleolithic 15,000 years ago and is a city with a long history. There are not only important cultural relics such as Beomeosa Temple and Martyrs’ Shrine, but also scenic spots such as Gimjeongsan Fortress. It is also the number one port city in South Korea and one of the world’s five largest port cities. It is a place where overseas trade is active. Busan was originally a fishing village, opened as a port in 1441 and opened as a trading port in 1876. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Gyeongbu and Gyeongui lines developed rapidly after they were opened to traffic. It was designated as the capital of South Gyeongsang Province in 1929. Busan's industry is dominated by textile, food, chemical, shipbuilding, electronics, and building materials industries. There are many orchards, vegetable gardens, pig and chicken farms in the suburbs, and rice is abundant nearby. Busan is also a base for offshore fishing, and Westport is a famous fishing port. There are tourist attractions such as Dongnae Castle, hot springs, and Haeundae.