Korea
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Korea was an independent kingdom for much of the past
millennium. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese
War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it
formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II,
a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern
half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style
government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During
the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces
fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South
Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the
Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting
the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the
38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid
economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly
14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM
Yo'ng-sam became South Korea's first civilian president
following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a
fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a
historic first North-South summit took place between the
South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader
KIM Jong Il.
millennium. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese
War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it
formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II,
a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern
half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style
government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During
the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces
fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South
Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the
Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting
the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the
38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid
economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly
14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM
Yo'ng-sam became South Korea's first civilian president
following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a
fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a
historic first North-South summit took place between the
South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader
KIM Jong Il.
