Where Is Korea?
The modern term refers to two nations – North Korea and South Korea. The region is collectively known as the ‘Korean Peninsula’ and it borders China to the west and Russia to the north.
The Korean peninsula was a united nation before 1948. During the Second World War, the Soviet Union and the United States helped the Koreans gain their freedom from Japan but the two superpowers couldn’t agree on the conditions of Korean independence and both established their puppet governments – the Soviet Union-sponsored North Korea and the US-backed South Korea. What followed next is known as the Korean War. Although the United Nations helped bring about a ceasefire in 1953, three years after the outbreak of the war; the two nations haven’t signed any truce; they are still officially at war with each other.
North Korea calls itself a socialist state which is led by the workers. ‘Self reliance’ and ‘Korean Reunification’ is the central plank of the government policy. The official name of the country is Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The area of North Korea is 120,540 square kilometers and the capital is Pyongyang. The state is in charge of the economy and the country ranks 75th on ‘human development’ scale in a report published by the United Nations. Housing, health care and education are free and the economy is largely industrialized.
South Korea or the Republic of Korea is a multi-party democracy and an elected president leads the nation. The area is 100,032 square kilometers and Seoul is the capital. The state plays minimal role in the economy and the rich people usually send their children to expensive private schools. Despite its small geographical size the country is the fourth largest economy in Asia and the standards of living are high.
Category: Geography