Presented by: Yewon Bae

South Korea

GENERAL INFORMATION Official Name: Republic of Korea

Area: 99,392km squared

(Approximately the size of Illinois)  

Population: 50,000,000 (2013)

National Sport: Tae Kwon Do

National Flower: Rose of Sharon (Mugoonghwa)

Language: Korean

Capital: Seoul

GDP: $1.66 Trillion (12th)

HDI: 0.909 (12th)

GEOGRAPHY South Korea borders North Korea to its North, Japan to its south, China to its northwest

Because it is a peninsula it borders three bodies of water: Korea Strait, East Sea, and the Yellow Sea

Over 3,000 islands are under the control of the South Korean government: Jeju, Dokdo

BRIEF HISTORY Korea founded 2333 B.C Throughout history, maintained a monarchic society

Dynasty of the country changed many times through history: Joseon, Goguryeo, Koryo, etc.

During the Koryo Dynasty (936~1392) first westerners entered Korea; the word “Korea” is a result of westerners trying to pronounce Koryo

1945 – Split of North and South Korea 1950~1953 – the Korean War

ECONOMY OF SOUTH KOREA 12th in the world by GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) and 15th by nominal GDP

Member of the G20, Asian Tiger, Trillions Club, OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development)

High-Income developed country heavily dependent on international trade

World’s 6th largest exporter and 10th largest importer

Compared to 60 years ago (Right after the Korean War) South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world

ECONOMY OF SOUTH KOREA CONTINUED South Korea’s economy is based on capitalism, unlike the North which still

centers around the ideas of communism

There are many South Korean multi billion dollar corporations that are a big part of the South Korean economy

Samsung

Hyundai/ Kia

LG

SPORTS IN SOUTH KOREA

Aside from Tae Kwon Do, there are many sports popular in Korea

Soccer is one of the most famous ones K-League

Baseball has also gained popularity throughout the modern period KBO (Korean Baseball Organization)

Golf is a luxury sport enjoyed by Koreans by all age groups

KOREAN SPORTS STARSJi-Sung Park (Manchester United)

Yuna Kim (1st in Figure Skating)

Choo Shin Soo (Cincinnati Reds)

Ryu Hyun Jin (L.A.Dodgers)

K.J. Choi (Men’s Golf)

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN SOUTH KOREA Public Transportation in South Korea is ranked one of the best in the world

Subways, inner-city buses, outer city buses, etc. are all controlled by the government to maintain cheap prices or the companies who run public transportation are heavily maintained by the Korean government to always keep the price low while providing highest rate of service

Plus taxis roam around the streets of cities offering low price fares

All source of public transportation provide 4G Wi-Fi and DMB for users

SUBWAYS IN KOREA (SEOUL METROPOLITAN SUBWAY) Out of the public transportation

methods, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is the most outstanding

Number of daily commuters: 6.9 million people

Number of Stations: 607 (and increasing)

Number of Lines: 19

World’s most highly used subway & World’s 2nd Largest Subway by the number of stations

SUBWAY IN KOREA (SEOUL METROPOLITAN SUBWAY) All stations have installed LED screen TVs announcing the arrivals of the next subway

(Just like bus stations in Korea)

Pangyo Station

Sindap Station

Entrance to Gangnam Station

FOOD IN KOREA A Korean meal consists of a bowl of rice, soup, and several side dishes

In the old times, the number of side dishes had a positive correlation with your personal wealth

The meal is done not when you have finished all the side dishes but when you finish your bowl of rice

TABLE MANNERS IN SOUTH KOREA

Food is only eaten with a pair of chopsticks and a spoon

Within a group, the meal begins only when the eldest member starts eating first

Putting your chopsticks into your rice bowl is very disrespectful

Rice bowl should never be lifted, especially towards your face. The bowl must remain constant on the table

EXAMPLES OF KOREAN FOOD

Bulgogi

Kal-Bi (Korean BBQ) Bibimbap Gom Tang

Dduk Bok-E Dak Dori Tang

CONCLUSION South Korea carries a long history Over time it has become a modernized economic giant Yet it still holds true to its history, tradition, and culture