Culture of South Korea

South Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. There is China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul.
Government：Just like many democracies, “South Korea's government is divided into three branches: executive, judicial, and legislative.” [1]

History：Korea was founded in 2333 BCE by Dangun. On Jun.25th 1950, North Korea tried to unify the country by military force which lead to the Korean War, and it was ended in 1953.

Foreign relationship: Historically, Korea used to have relatively close relations with the Republic of China. “Before the formation of South Korea, Korean independence fighters worked with Chinese soldiers during the Japanese occupation.” [2]

Geography and Climate: South Korea locates in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. It has a humid continental climate and a humid subtropical climate, and is affected by the East Asian monsoon

Economy: “South Korea had the world's second-fastest growing economy from 1960 to 1990.”[3] Korea's development during this time was called the Miracle on the Han River, and South Korea was also one of the Four Asian Tigers. “South Korea has a high-tech infrastructure, with the world's highest broadband internet access per capita, and the fastest average Internet connections.” [4]

Religion: Less than half of South Koreans have no religious beliefs. Those who do are mostly Christian or Buddhist. Other religions include Islam and various new religious movements such as Jeungism, Daesunism, Cheondoism and Wonbuddhism.

Culture: Besides domestic consumption, South Korean like televised drama, films, and popular music, also generates significant exports to various parts of the world. This phenomenon, often called "Hallyu" or the "Korean Wave", has influenced many countries in Asia and other parts of the world.
Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, noodles, tofu, vegetables, fish and meats. Traditional Korean meals usually include side dishes, banchan (반찬), which accompany steam-cooked short-grain rice. Every meal is accompanied by numerous banchan. Kimchi, a fermented, usually spicy vegetable dish is also commonly served at every meal and is one of the best known Korean dishes.

1. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Index of Democracy 2008
2. Asia Times – News and analysis from Korea; North and South
3. Pecotich, Anthony; Shultz, Clifford J. (2006). Handbook of Markets and Economies
4. http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2009/08/24/daily20.html U.S. is 15 years behind South Korea in Internet speed, San Francisco Business Times - by Steven E.F. Brown