I.

INTRODUCTION

Culture, language, food, travel destination, economic growth and world-wide K-Pop
(Korean pop culture) phenomenon, name it and they have it, South Korea. Unlike its neighboring
country, South Korea is very open to the world wherein their inhabitants, the South Korean, have
the freedom to enjoy their life since they are enjoying the democratic form of government,
influenced by the United States of America. This country, just like any other country, is a
product of dynastic ruling wherein they considered their emperor as an equivalent of king.
Before Korean Peninsula was divided into North and South, three great kingdoms holds the
power of control to the peninsula; Baekjie, Goguryeo and Silla. South Korea is also a product of
colonial ruling and they experienced tragic treatment in the hands of their colonizers; China and
Japan and not until Korea was freed by the Allies during World War II. South Korea became a
trend and it is rocket-boosted by the popularity of different K-Pop groups that became a world-
wide phenomenon wherein fans are even studying Korean language due to its popularity, that’s
why the researcher became interested due to the fame of Korea, particularly South Korea, in the
global stage.

A. Geographical Background
 The image shows the geographical map of South Korea

According to Britannica, South Korea is a country in East Asia. It occupies the southern

portion of the Korean peninsula wherein the peninsula is divided after the World War 11. After
the Japanese occupation in the Korean Peninsula ended by the defeat of Japanese Empire to the
Allies especially to the United States of America, the Soviet Union or USSR want to take some
part of the peninsula. USA takes responsibility to all the colonized nation of Japan except for
Korea and due to the fear that the USSR might conquer the whole Korean peninsula, USA sent
their two young general who established a border in the peninsula. The Northern part is
influenced by Communism brought by USSR, while the Southern part depicts democracy
brought by the USA. The country is bordered by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
(North Korea) to the north, the East Sea (Sea of Japan) to the east, the East China Sea to the
south, and the Yellow Sea to the west; to the southeast it is separated from the Japanese island
of Tsushima by the Korea Strait. South Korea makes up about 45 percent of the peninsula’s land
area. The capital is Seoul (Sŏul). The 100, 032 square kilometers or 38, 623 square miles
geographical area of South Korea became a home for almost 51,966,000 inhabitants. The
greatest influence on the climate of the Korean peninsula is its proximity to the main Asian
landmass. South Korea’s climate is characterized by a cold, relatively dry winter and a hot,
humid summer. The coldest average monthly temperatures in winter drop below freezing except
along the southern coast. The population of South Korea is highly homogeneous; almost the
entire population is ethnically Korean, and there is a small minority of ethnic Chinese permanent
residents. Freedom of religion is constitutionally guaranteed in South Korea, and there is no
national religion and several religions prevailed successively: shamanism (the religious belief in
gods, demons, and ancestral spirits responsive to a priest, or shaman), Buddhism, Daoism,
and Confucianism. None of these religions was abandoned, however, when one supplanted
another in dominance, and all have had a role in the country’s sociocultural development.