South

Korea
South Korea ,
officially the Republic
of Korea

 (Hangul: 대한민국)
Daehan Minguk , "The
Republic of Great Han")

 commonly referred
to as Korea

The name Korea is

derived from
the Kingdom of Goryeo,
also spelled as Koryŏ
 Korea

• Located between China and Japan

• Continuous cultural and geo-politcal
interactions with China and Japan
• Korean language is considered “language
isolate”
Ancient Korea
Stone age farmers

Bronze

Iron
 Silla Kingdom (57 BC)
---- Bak Hyeokgeose

Goguryeo
Kingdom (37 BC)
---- Jumong

 Baekje Kingdom
(18 BC)
---- Onjo
 Joseon Dynasty
 People moved to
Hanseong (Seoul)
 Confucianism – official
religion
 Scholar – officials
(Yangban)
 Japan invaded Korea
twice
 Trade and commerce
flourished

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 Europeans in Korea
Isolationist policy
United States
King Gojong (1880) “Eastern ethics, Western
Technology”
Yangban abolished, exams are now based on
modern subjects, new curriculum installed,
first textile, first railway from Seoul to Incheon
 The Colonial Period in Korea
o Japanese made Korea their supplier of
foods
o Built bridges, railways and roads as well
as factories.
o Newspapers and meetings
o Religious freedom and respect to Korean
custom
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 However… Japanese tried to
assimilate Korea.

• Adopt Japanese names.

• From 1938 education was only in
Japanese. Schoolchildren were
forbidden to speak Korean.
• Shinto

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 Korean War
• Americans allied with South Korea

• Russia allied with North Korea

• On 27 July 1953 a cease-fire was signed.

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 South Korean Economic Miracle
Martial Law

Gen. Park (who was assassinated) built roads

and bridges and expanded education
Chaebol
Gen. Chun-Doo Hwan
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Present Days

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