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View on hike to Munjangdae. Photo courtesy
of Brian Flynn.
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The Korean peninsula is located in Northeast
Asia, where it is bordered on the north by China
and Russia and faces Japan to the southeast across
the Sea of Japan. Since 1948 the country has been
divided along the 38th parallel, with the Republic
of Korea to the south and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea to the north. The Republic of
Korea, the subject of this country page, is made
up of nine provinces with Seoul, in the northern
part of the country, as the capital city. Other
major cities include Pusan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju
and Daejeon.
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Dragon on drum. Photo courtesy of Brian
Flynn.
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Much of the country is extremely mountainous
with a temperate climate. The alpine environment
in the north includes many fir and beech trees.
There are cultivated plains along the coast and
several major rivers. The vegetation is especially
lush along the south coast, where Korea grows
its ginseng supplies. There are twenty national
parks in Korea, including the popular Seoraksan,
Hallasan and Jirisan parks.
It is believed that Korea was first inhabited during
the Neolithic Age (c. 5,000-1,000 B.C.), when tribes
from central and northern Asia came to the peninsula.
From 18 B.C. to A.D. 668, three highly centralized
kingdoms thrived. The Koryo Dynasty that followed
saw a flourishing of Buddhism. The Choson Dynasty
(1392-1910) later took power and adopted Confucianism
as the state ideology, which resulted in a very
structured, hierarchical social system. Choson instituted
political and economic reforms and pursued a rigorous
isolationist policy until the late 19th century,
which earned the country the nickname of "the
Hermit Kingdom."
Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and liberated
at the end of World War II, only to become involved
in the Cold War struggle that resulted in the formation
of the two separate states and the Korean War, lasting
from 1950-53.
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Pilbong dancers. Photo courtesy of Brian
Flynn.
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Korea's two principal religions today are Christianity
and Buddhism. Only three percent of the population
identifies itself as Confucian, though Confucian
beliefs and values, such as respect for family
and elders, as well as for authority in general,
remain a strong influence in Korean society.
Korea's population is one of the most ethnically
and linguistically homogenous in the world. Except
for a small Chinese community, most Koreans share
a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Korea
also has one of the world's highest population
densities. Major population centers are located
in the northwest and southeast and in the plains
south of Seoul-Incheon.
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Bulguksa. Photo courtesy of Brian Flynn.
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The Fulbright Program in Korea includes awards
for distinguished lecturing, lecturing, lecturing/research
and research in a wide variety of fields in the
humanities, fine arts and the social sciences.
Lecturers who can offer courses on the study of
the United States are especially in demand. Fulbright
grantees to Korea report very positive experiences
there and praise the seriousness, politeness and
dedication of their Korean students.
CIES encourages interested applicants to make
use of the following links to complement their
research into potential opportunities in Korea.
The Korean-American Educational Commission (KAEC)
www.fulbright.or.kr/
Information on the Fulbright Program in Korea
U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea
http://usembassy.state.gov/seoul
Official site of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, containing
general information about the embassy, press releases
and other information
Embassy of Korea, Washington, DC
www.embassy.org/embassies/kr.html
Contains contact information for the Embassy of
Korea in Washington, DC, along with a country
profile
Asia on Demand
www.asiaondemand.com/asianmaps/asianmaps.htm
Contains various maps of Asia
Embassy World Web site
www.embassyworld.com/maps/Maps_Of_South_Korea.html
Links to a variety of interactive maps of Korea
Braintrack University Index
www.braintrack.com/
Links to the Web pages of colleges and universities
worldwide
www.gksoft.com/govt/en/my.html
Links to various government departments, political
parties, human rights organizations, etc.
Korean Newspapers and Journals
www.lib.monash.edu.au/subjects/korean/kornews.html
A site organized by Monash University in Australia
with extensive links to Korean newspapers, many
in English.
Online Korean Newspapers and Magazines
www.lib.duke.edu/ias/eac/kornsp.htm
Another site, this one from Duke University, with
links to Korean newspapers and magazines.
Korean Newspapers, Magazines, Radios, and TV's
http://angli02.kgw.tu-berlin.de/korea/
A site with links to Korean newspapers, magazines,
radio and TV stations.
South Korean Newspapers and News Sites in English
www.world-newspapers.com/southkorea.html
Another useful site for accessing Korean news.
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General Country
Information
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Korea National Tourism Organization
www.knto.or.kr/eng
A site with extensive information on Korea
Lonely Planet
www.gksoft.com/govt/en/kr.html
Traveler's information on Korea, including sections
on events, activities, culture, and history
U.S. Department of State
www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2800.htm
Background information on Korea, including political
conditions, foreign relations, relations with
the United States, history, people, government,
economy, and business
Columbus Travel Guides
www.columbusguides.com/data/kor/kor.asp
Travel information including information on sports,
climate, business, health, and good regional and
city information.
Library of Congress Portals to the World
www.loc.gov/rr/international/asian/korea/korea.html
Contains information on Korean business, culture,
geography, history, government, education, etc.
The World Fact book 2002
www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ks.html
A useful site provided by the CIA, with maps and
information on geography, people, economy, etc.
One World - Nations online
www.netscout.net/oneworld/
Links to government departments and newspapers,
plus information on education, arts and culture,
etc.
Country Reports
www.countryreports.org/koreasouth.htm
General information on Korea
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