Korea (Korean: 한국, Hanguk in South Korea or 조선, Joseon in North Korea) is a peninsular region in East Asia.

Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, now known as the Korean Demilitarized Zone. In 1948,
two states declared independence, both claiming sovereignty over all of Korea: South Korea (Republic of Korea)
comprising its southern half and North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half.
The region consists of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and a number of minor islands near the peninsula. The
peninsula is bordered by China (Manchuria) to the north and Russia to the northeast, across
the Amnok and Duman rivers. It is separated from Japan to the southeast by the Korea Strait.

The earliest radiocarbon dates for the Paleolithic sites found in Korea indicate human presence goes back to
40,000 and 30,000 BC.[3] The first state to emerge was Gojoseon, which fell to the Han Dynasty in 108 BC. During
the first half of the 1st millennium, Korea was divided between three states, Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, together
known as the Three Kingdoms of Korea. In the late 7th century, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with the aid
of the Tang Dynasty, and drove the Tang out of Korea during the Silla-Tang War. Meanwhile, Balhae, formed by
Goguryeo remnants and Mohe people, succeeded Goguryeo in the north. Unified Silla eventually collapsed into
three separate states due to civil war, known as the Later Three Kingdoms.

Toward the end of the Later Three Kingdoms, Goguryeo was resurrected as Goryeo, which defeated the two other
states and unified Korea as a single sovereign state. Around this time, Balhae collapsed and its last crown prince
and much of its ruling class fled to Goryeo, unifying the two successor states of Goguryeo.[4] Goryeo (also spelled
as Koryŏ), whose name developed into the modern exonym "Korea", was a highly cultured state that created the
world's first metal movable type in 1234.[5][6][7][8][9][10] During the 13th century, the Mongol Empire made Goryeo its
vassal state after decades of war. Although Goryeo overthrew Mongol rule, it fell to a coup led by General Yi
Seong-gye, who established Joseon on 17 July 1392. The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by relative peace,
and during this time the Korean alphabet was created by Sejong the Great and Confucianism became increasingly
influential in the kingdom. However, this ended with the Japanese invasions of Korea and the 1636, which brought
great devastation to Joseon and lead to Korean isolationism. After the end of these invasions, Joseon experienced
a nearly 200-year period of peace and prosperity, along with cultural and technological development. In Joseon's
final years, it experienced turmoil such as the Gapsin Coup, Donghak Peasant Revolution, and the assassination of
Empress Myeongseong. In 1897, the Korean Empire was established to protect Korean independence. However,
following Japan's victories in the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, Japan annexed it altogether
in 1910.

In 1945, Japan relinquished control over Korea after formally surrendering to the Allies, in the aftermath of World
War II. The Soviet Union and the United States had agreed to partition Korea along the 38th parallel; these
circumstances became the basis for the division of Korea. Tensions between the two Koreas resulted in North
Korea invading South Korea and the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. With involvement by foreign troops, the
war ended in a stalemate in 1953, but without a formalised peace treaty. A demilitarized zone was created between
the two countries approximating the original partition.

This status contributes to the high tensions that continue to divide the peninsula, and both states continue to claim
to be the sole legitimate government of Korea. South Korea is a regional power and a developed country, with
its economy being ranked as the world's thirteenth-largest by nominal GDP and the fourteenth-largest by GDP
(PPP). Its armed forces are ranked as one of the world's strongest militaries, with the world's second-largest
standing army by military and paramilitary personnel. In the 21st century, South Korea has been renowned for its
globally influential pop culture, particularly in music (K-pop), TV dramas (K-dramas) and cinema, a phenomenon
referred to as the Korean Wave.

North Korea follows Songun, a "military first" policy which prioritizes the Korean People's Army in state affairs and
the allocation of resources. It possesses nuclear weapons, and is the country with the highest number of military
and paramilitary personnel, with a total of 7.77 million active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel, or
approximately 30% of its population. Its active duty army of 1.28 million soldiers is the fourth-largest in the world,
consisting of 4.9% of its population. North Korea is widely considered to have the worst human rights record in the
world.