- published: 20 Dec 2012
- views: 2285
- author: AlJazeeraEnglish
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![[Korea's Got Talent] tvN 코리아 갓 탤런트 Ep.1 Sung-bong Choi!!!.avi](http://web.archive.org./web/20121224153725im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BewknNW2b8Y/default.jpg "Now, Sung-bong Choi has his official website! Please check it out!! www.sungbongchoi.co.kr Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter: @choisungbong Paypal Account: sung-bongchoi@live.co.kr ________________________________________________________ I heard he went to Art High School, but he could barely graduate because of his financial problem. I bet he couldn't get private lessons or support for his vocal training.. I admire him even more!!!!!!!!!! I seriously cried when he started singing.. just wanna give him a Huge Hug!! Bring it on Sung-bong!!! :) **")
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Arirang Festival
The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang (Hangul: 아리랑 축제 Hanja: 아리랑 祝祭) are held in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea. The two-month gymnastics and artistic festival celebrates the birthday of Kim Il-sung (15 April).
The festival has been held from August until October since 2002-2005, and 2007 until the present.
The Mass Games possess an important ideological character praising the Workers Party of North Korea, its armed forces, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. These messages may not be clear to foreign spectators who are not aware of North Korean iconography: a rising sun symbolizes Kim Il Sung. When a gun is shown, it signifies the gun which Kim Il Sung gave to his son Kim Jong Il. The color red, particularly in flowers, stands for the working class. And the color purple and red flowers represent Kim Il Sung (as the flower 'Kimilsungia is a purple orchid and the flower 'Kimjongilia' is a red begonia). A snowy mountain with a lake represents Mount Paektu where Kim Jong Il is said to have been born in a log cabin.
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Australia
Australia (
/əˈstreɪljə/), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent as well as the island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area. Neighbouring countries include Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea to the north; the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east.
For at least 40,000 years before European settlement in the late 18th century, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians, who belonged to one or more of roughly 250 language groups. After discovery by Dutch explorers in 1606, Australia's eastern half was claimed by Great Britain in 1770 and settled through penal transportation to the colony of New South Wales from 26 January 1788. The population grew steadily in subsequent decades; the continent was explored and an additional five self-governing Crown Colonies were established.
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Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (Hangul: 백제; Hanja: 百濟, Korean pronunciation: [pɛk̚tɕ͈e]) (18 BCE – 660 CE) was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jumong and So Seo-no, at Wiryeseong (present-day southern Seoul). Baekje, like Goguryeo, claimed to succeed Buyeo, a state established in present-day Manchuria around the time of Gojoseon's fall.
Baekje alternately battled and allied with Goguryeo and Silla as the three kingdoms expanded control over the peninsula. At its peak in the 4th century, Baekje controlled most of the western Korean peninsula, as far north as Pyongyang, and may have even held territories in China, such as in Liaoxi, though this is controversial. It became a significant regional sea power, with political and trade relations with China and Japan.
In 660, it was defeated by an alliance of Silla and Chinese Tang Dynasty, submitting to Unified Silla.
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Balhae
Balhae (698 – 926) (Hangul:발해, Korean pronunciation: [paɾɦɛ], Bohai [渤海] in Chinese, Бохай in Russian) was a Korean kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo that existed during the North South states period of Korea along with Unified Silla. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a former Goguryeo general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin (振, Zhen in Chinese), later called Balhae. It was a successor state to Goguryeo.
Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria (Northeast China) and Primorsky Krai, and the northern part of the Korean peninsula. It was defeated by the Khitans in 926, and most of its northern territories were absorbed into the Liao Dynasty while the southern parts were absorbed into Goryeo.
The earliest extant recorded mention of Balhae come from the Old Book of Tang, which was compiled between 941 to 945. Southern Manchuria and northern Korea were previously the territory of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Goguryeo fell to the allied forces of Silla and the Tang Dynasty in 668. The Tang annexed much of western Manchuria, while Silla unified the Korean peninsula south of the Taedong River and became Unified Silla. In the New Book of Tang, it was recorded that the founder of Balhae, Dae Joyeong (大祚榮) was a former Goguryeo general.
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Busan
Busan (Officially Busan Metropolitan City), formerly spelled Pusan (Korean pronunciation: [pusan]) is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area (includes adjacent cities of Gimhae and Yangsan) population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the world's fifth busiest seaports by cargo tonnage. The city is located on the southeasternmost tip of the Korean peninsula. The most densely built up areas of the city are situated in a number of narrow valleys between the Nakdong River and Suyeong River, with mountains separating some of the districts. Administratively, it is designated as a Metropolitan City. The Busan metropolitan area is divided into 15 major administrative districts and a single county.
Busan was the host city of the 2002 Asian Games and APEC 2005 Korea. It was also one of the host cities for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and is a center for international conventions in Korea. On November 14, 2005, the city officially announced its bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics Games. After Pyeongchang's successful bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics, the city is considering its bid to host the 2024 or 2028 Summer Olympics.
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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km2 (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.
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Cheomseongdae
Coordinates: 35°50′11″N 129°13′18.4″E / 35.83639°N 129.221778°E / 35.83639; 129.221778
Cheomseongdae is an astronomical observatory in Gyeongju, South Korea. Cheomseongdae means star-gazing tower in Korean. Cheomseongdae is the oldest surviving observatory in East Asia, and one of the oldest scientific installations on Earth. It dates to the 7th century to the time of kingdom of Silla, which had its capital in Gyeongju. Cheomseongdae was designated as the country's 31st national treasure on December 20, 1962.
According to Samguk Yusa, Cheomseongdae was constructed under the reign of Queen Seondeok (632-647) near the capital of the kingdom. Cheomseongdae means "star gazing platform". The tower is built out of 362 pieces of cut granite which some claim represent the 362 days of the lunar year. Some surveys of the site have indicated that there are 366 blocks. It has 27 circular layers of stones (some associate it with the fact that Queen Seondeok was considered to be the 27th ruler of Silla or the constellation of stars) surmounted by a square structure. 12 of the layers are below the window level and 12 are above. There are 12 large base stones set in a square, with three stones on each side. These sets of 12 may symbolize the months of the year.
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China
China (
i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Gaema Heights
The Kaema Plateau is a highland in North Korea. It is surrounded by Rangrim Mountains, Macheollyeong Mountains and Bujeollyeong Mountains. It varies between 700 and 2,000 meters of altitude and at 40,000 square kilometers, sloping downward towards the northern border with People's Republic of China. It is largest tableland in Korea; it is often called "The roof of Korea". In North Korea, Kaema Plateau is divided into Kaema Plateau, Jagang Plateau, and Baekmu Plateu (in Musan). In this case, the area of Kaema Plateau reaches about 10,000 square kilometers. This Plateau was a flat plain before million years ago, an extension of plain in Northeastern China. Therefore, rivers like Hochon and Changjin were tributaries of Songhua River. However, the plain have uplifted to elevation of nowadays. Also, basalt from Baekdu Mountain accumulated in Changbai Korean Autonomous County, inducing the rivers into Yalu River. The valleys were formed afterward by the tributaries. Thus, flat terrain still remains in some part in southeastern part of the plateau.
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Gaya confederacy
Gaya was a confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period.
The traditional period used by historians for Gaya chronology is 42–532 CE. According to archaeological evidence in the third and fourth centuries some of the city-states of Byeonhan evolved into the Gaya confederacy, which was later annexed by Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. The individual polities that made up the Gaya confederacy have been characterized as small city-states. The material culture remains of Gaya culture mainly consist of burials and their contents of mortuary goods that have been excavated by archaeologists. Archaeologists interpret mounded burial cemeteries of the late third and early fourth centuries such as Daeseong-dong in Gimhae and Bokcheon-dong in Busan as the royal burial grounds of Gaya polities.
Although most commonly referred to as Gaya (가야; 加耶, 伽耶, 伽倻), probably due to the imprecision of transcribing Korean words into hanja, historical sources use a variety of names, including Kaya, Garak (가락; 駕洛, 迦落), Gara (가라; 加羅, 伽羅, 迦羅, 柯羅), Garyang (가량;加良), and Guya (구야; 狗耶). According to Christopher Beckwith, "The spelling Kaya is the modern Korean reading of the characters used to write the name; the pronunciation /kara/ (transcriptionally *kala) is certain.". (See Gaya language.) In Japanese, Gaya is referred to as Mimana (任那), a name with considerable political connotations (see below).
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Geum River
The Geum River is located in South Korea. It is a major river that originates in Jangsu-eub, North Jeolla Province. It flows northward through North Jeolla and North Chungcheong Provinces and then changes direction in the vicinity of Greater Daejeon and flows southwest through South Chungcheong Province before emptying into the Yellow Sea near Gunsan city.
The river is 401 kilometres (249 mi) long, making it the third longest in South Korea. The area of the Geum River Basin is 9,859 square kilometres (3,807 sq mi). The upper part of the river flows slowly through part of the Noryeong Mountains and is marked by extensive stream meandering. On the other hand, river curves on middle and lower parts of the river are more gradual and there is comparatively less stream meandering.
Tributary streams of the Geum include the Gap-cheon, Yugu-cheon, Miho-cheon, Unsan-cheon, Seokseong-cheon, and Nonsan-cheon. Several small alluvial plains including the Honam and Nonsan Plain have been formed by the flow of the Geum and its tributaries.
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Ghana
Ghana
i/ˈɡɑːnə/ is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The word Ghana means "Warrior King" and is derived from the ancient Ghana Empire.
Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number of ancient predominantly Akan kingdoms, including the inland Ashanti Empire, the Akwamu, the Akyem, the Bonoman, the Denkyira, and the Fante among others. Non-Akan states created by the Ga also existed as did states by the Dagomba. Prior to contact with Europeans trade between the Akan and various African states flourished due to Akan's gold wealth. Trade with European states began after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century, and the British established the Gold Coast Crown colony in 1874 over parts but not all of the country.
The Gold Coast achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1957, becoming the First sub-Saharan African nation to do so from European Colonialism. The name Ghana was chosen for the new nation to reflect the ancient Empire of Ghana, which once extended throughout much of west Africa.
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Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ (Hangul: 고려; Hanja: 高麗; 918–1392) was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. This kingdom later came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the leader of the Joseon dynasty in 1392. Goryeo expanded its borders to present-day Wonsan in the north-east (936–943) and the Amnok River (993) and finally almost the whole of the Korean peninsula (1374).
Two of this period's most notable products are Goryeo celadon pottery and the Tripitaka Koreana — the Buddhist scriptures (Tripitaka) carved onto roughly 80,000 woodblocks and stored, and still in, Haeinsa. Goryeo also created the world's first metal-based movable type in 1234 and the oldest surviving movable metal type book, the Jikji, was made in 1377.
In 668, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with alliance of Tang Dynasty, but by the late 9th century it was tottering, its monarchs being unimaginative and pressed by the power of powerful statesmen. Many robbers and outlaws agitated and in 900 Gyeon Hwon revolted from Silla control in the Jeolla region as Hubaekje and next year Gung Ye revolted from the northern regions as Hugoguryeo (Taebong). A son of a regional lord, Wang Geon went into Hugoguryeo as a general.
wn.com/Goryeo -
Goryeo Dynasty
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ (Hangul: 고려; Hanja: 高麗; 918–1392) was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. This kingdom later came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the leader of the Joseon dynasty in 1392. Goryeo expanded its borders to present-day Wonsan in the north-east (936–943) and the Amnok River (993) and finally almost the whole of the Korean peninsula (1374).
Two of this period's most notable products are Goryeo celadon pottery and the Tripitaka Koreana — the Buddhist scriptures (Tripitaka) carved onto roughly 80,000 woodblocks and stored, and still in, Haeinsa. Goryeo also created the world's first metal-based movable type in 1234 and the oldest surviving movable metal type book, the Jikji, was made in 1377.
In 668, Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo with alliance of Tang Dynasty, but by the late 9th century it was tottering, its monarchs being unimaginative and pressed by the power of powerful statesmen. Many robbers and outlaws agitated and in 900 Gyeon Hwon revolted from Silla control in the Jeolla region as Hubaekje and next year Gung Ye revolted from the northern regions as Hugoguryeo (Taebong). A son of a regional lord, Wang Geon went into Hugoguryeo as a general.
wn.com/Goryeo_Dynasty -
Gyeonggi
Coordinates: 37°30′N 127°15′E / 37.5°N 127.25°E / 37.5; 127.25
Gyeonggi-do (Korean pronunciation: [kjʌŋ.ɡi.do]) is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946. Incheon—South Korea's third largest city—is located on the coast of the province, but has been similarly administered as a provincial-level metropolitan city since 1981. The three administrations between them cover 11,730 km2, with a combined (census) population in 2005 of 22,766,850—amounting to over 48% of the entire population of South Korea.
Gyeonggi Province has been a politically important area ever since 18 B.C., when Korea was divided into three nations during the Period of the Three Kingdoms. Ever since King Onjo, the founder of Baekje (one of the three kingdoms), founded the government in Wirye Castle of Hanam, the Han River valley was absorbed into Goguryeo in the mid-fifth century, and became Silla's territory in the year 553 (the 14th year of King Jinheung). Afterward, the current location of Gyeonggi Province, one of the nine states of Unified Silla (nation unifying the three kingdoms), was called Hansanju.
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Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty (simplified Chinese: 汉朝; traditional Chinese: 漢朝; pinyin: Hàn Cháo; Wade–Giles: Han Ch'ao; IPA: [xân tʂʰɑ̌ʊ̯]) (206 BCE – 220 CE) was an imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BCE) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE). It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty (9–23 CE) of the former regent Wang Mang. This interregnum separates the Han into two periods: the Western Han (206 BCE – 9 CE) and Eastern Han (25–220 CE). Spanning over four centuries, the period of the Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history. To this day, China's majority ethnic group refers to itself as the "Han people" and Chinese characters are referred to as "Han characters".
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Han River (Korea)
The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River (South Han River), which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River (North Han River), which originates on the slopes of Mount Geumgang in North Korea. The River flows through Seoul and then merges with the Imjin River shortly before it flows into the Yellow Sea. The two major branches of the river, the Namhan River and the Bukhan River, come together at Yangsu-ri, Gyeonggi-do province, at which point it is referred to as the Han River. It then passes through Seoul and continues on to the Yellow Sea (or West Sea to Koreans). Broad tidal flats can be found at the mouth of the Han River, where it meets the sea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone that divides South and North Korea.
The total length of the Han River (to include its tributaries the Namhan and Bukhan Rivers) is approximately 514 kilometres (319 mi).
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Hanseong
Seoul (Korean pronunciation: [sʌ.ul] (
listen), English /soʊl/), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world. The Seoul National Capital Area is the world's second largest metropolitan area with over 25 million inhabitants, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Almost a quarter of South Koreans live in Seoul, half of South Koreans live in the metropolitan area, along with over 275,000 international residents.
Located in the Han River, Seoul has been a major settlement for over 2,000 years, with its foundation dating back to 18 B.C. when Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, established its capital in what is now south-east Seoul. It continued as the capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeokgung, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.
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Hubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province. Most of our information about the kingdom comes from the accounts found in the Samguk Yusa and Samguk Sagi, which largely coincide.
When it began with his attack on Mujinju in 892, Gyeon Hwon's was only one among numerous rebellions which sprouted up against the weak Silla rulers in late 9th century. Many of these rebellions were initially triggered by the Silla decision to use force to collect taxes on the peasantry in 889 (Lee, 1984, p. 98). At this time most of the power on the peninsula was held by local gentry, who lacked strong loyalty to the central government. It was thus fairly easy for rebellions led by disaffected military officials to gain steam.
In its name, Hubaekje sought to establish itself as the legitimate successor to the ancient kingdom of Baekje which had ruled the southwestern Korean peninsula until conquered by Silla in 660.
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Incheon
Coordinates: 37°29′N 126°38′E / 37.483°N 126.633°E / 37.483; 126.633
The Incheon Metropolitan City (인천, 仁川, literally 'wise river' - formerly Inchon; named Jinsen during the time of Japanese rule) is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City. While people have inhabited the area from the New Stone Age, the city’s growth was assured in modern times with the development of its port due to its natural advantages as a coastal city.
Incheon has since led the economic development of Korea by opening its port to the outside world, issuing in the modernization of Korea as a center of industrialization. In 2003, the city was designated as Korea’s first free economic zone. Since then, large local companies and global enterprises have increasingly invested in Incheon Free Economic Zone, including Samsung which chose Songdo International City as its new investment destination for its bio industry.
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Japan
Japani/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 
Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.
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Jeju Island
Jeju-do (transliterated Korean for Jeju Province, short form of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province or Cheju Island) is the special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is the city of Jeju.
The island contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.
According to legend, three demi-gods emerged from Samsung-hyeol which is said to have been on the northern slopes of Mt. Halla and became the progenitors of the Jeju people who founded the Kingdom of Tamna.
It has also been claimed that three brothers including Ko-hu who were the 15th descendants of Koulla, one of the Progenitors of the Jeju people, were received by the court of Silla at which time the name Tamna was officially recognized, while the official government posts of Commander, Prince and Governor were conferred by the court upon the three.
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Jeju-do
Jeju-do (transliterated Korean for Jeju Province, short form of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province or Cheju Island) is the special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946. Its capital is the city of Jeju.
The island contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.
According to legend, three demi-gods emerged from Samsung-hyeol which is said to have been on the northern slopes of Mt. Halla and became the progenitors of the Jeju people who founded the Kingdom of Tamna.
It has also been claimed that three brothers including Ko-hu who were the 15th descendants of Koulla, one of the Progenitors of the Jeju people, were received by the court of Silla at which time the name Tamna was officially recognized, while the official government posts of Commander, Prince and Governor were conferred by the court upon the three.
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Joseon
Joseon (Hangul: 조선; Hanja: 朝鮮; July 1392 – October 1897) (also Chosŏn, Choson, Chosun), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul. The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Amnok and Duman rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korean history and the longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.
During its reign, Joseon consolidated its absolute rule over Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.
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Joseon Dynasty
Joseon (Hangul: 조선; Hanja: 朝鮮; July 1392 – October 1897) (also Chosŏn, Choson, Chosun), was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul. The kingdom's northernmost borders were expanded to the natural boundaries at the Amnok and Duman rivers through the subjugation of the Jurchens. Joseon was the last dynasty of Korean history and the longest-ruling Confucian dynasty.
During its reign, Joseon consolidated its absolute rule over Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. However, the dynasty was severely weakened during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when invasions by the neighboring Japan and Qing nearly overran the peninsula, leading to an increasingly harsh isolationist policy for which the country became known as the Hermit Kingdom. After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace.
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Korea
Korea (/kəˈriːə/ kə-REE-ə; Korean: 한국 Hanguk [hanɡuːk] or 조선 Joseon [tɕosʌn] – (see etymology) is an East Asian region that is divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and separated from Taiwan to the south by the East China Sea.
Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people might have been Altaic language-speaking people from south-central Siberia,[dubious – discuss] who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
The Three Kingdoms of Korea was first united during the Silla dynasty under the king Munmu of Silla. The united Silla dynasty fell to Goryeo Dynasty in 935 at the end of Later Three Kingdoms of Korea era. Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in the 14th century, using the world's first movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed and Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388.
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Korea Strait
The Korea Strait is a sea passage between Japan and South Korea, connecting the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan in the northwest Pacific Ocean. The strait is split by the Tsushima Island into the western channel and the Tsushima Strait (eastern channel).
To the north it is bounded by the southern coast of the Korean peninsula, and to the south by the southwestern Japanese islands of Kyūshū and Honshū. It is about 200 km (120 mi) wide and averages about 90 to 100 meters (300 ft) deep.
Tsushima Island divides the Korea Strait into the western channel and the Tsushima Strait. The western channel is deeper (up to 227 meters) and narrower than the Tsushima Strait.
A branch of the Kuroshio Current passes through the strait. Its warm branch is sometimes called the Tsushima Current. Originating along the Japanese islands this current passes through the Sea of Japan then divides along either shore of Sakhalin Island, eventually flowing into the northern Pacific Ocean via the strait north of Hokkaidō and into the Sea of Okhotsk north of Sakhalin Island near Vladivostok. The water-mass characteristics vary widely because of the low-salinity waters of the southeast coasts of Korea and China.
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Korean Empire
The Korean Empire (Hangul: 대한제국; Hanja: 大韓帝國; Daehan Jeguk; literally Great Korean Empire) is the name of the state of Korea that existed from the Proclamation of the Korean Empire in October 1897 to the Annexation of Korea by Japan on August 20, 1910. It succeeded the Joseon Dynasty.
In October 1897, Emperor Gojong proclaimed the new entity at Gyeongungung Palace and oversaw the partially successful modernization of the military, economy, land system, education system, and various industries. Japan became terrified by the speed of the modernisation the Korean Empire was having and decided to speed up its plans for annexation. This was further speeded by the assassination of Ito Hirobumi. On August 22, 1910, Korea was annexed by Imperial Japan, which defeated the Russian Empire in 1905.
The Sino-Japanese War marked the rapid decline of any power the Joseon Dynasty of Korea had managed to hold against foreign interference, as the battles of the conflict itself had been fought on Korean soil and the surrounding seas. With its newfound preeminence over the waning and weak Qing Dynasty, Japan had delegates negotiate the Treaty of Shimonoseki with the Qing emissaries, through which Japan wrested control over the Liaodong Peninsula from the Qing (a move designed to prevent the southern expansion of Japan's new rival, Russia), and, more importantly over Korea. However, Russia recognized this agreement as an act against its interests in northeastern China and eventually brought France and Germany to its side in saying that the Liaodong Peninsula should be repatriated to the Qing China.
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Kumgangsan
Mount Kumgang (Korean pronunciation: [kɯmɡaŋsan]) is a 1,638 metres (5,374 ft)-high mountain in Kangwon-do, North Korea. Its name means "a firm heart in the face of truth".[citation needed] It is about 50 km away from South Korea's Sokcho in Gangwon-do. It is one of the best-known mountains in North Korea. It is located on the east coast of the country, in Mount Kumgang Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwŏn Province (38.58N, 128.17E). Mount Kumgang is part of the Taebaek mountain range which runs along the east of the Korean peninsula. The name means Vajra (or Diamond) Mountain.
Mount Kumgang has been known for its scenic beauty since ancient times and is the subject of many different works of art. Including its spring name, Kŭmgang (Hangul: 금강산; Hanja: 金剛), it has many different names for each season, but it is most widely known today in the Korean language as Kŭmgangsan. In summer it is called Pongraesan (봉래산, 蓬萊山: the place where a Spirit dwells); in autumn, Phung'aksan (풍악산, 楓岳山: hill of colored leaves, or 楓骨山: great mountain of colored leaves); in winter, Kaegolsan (개골산, 皆骨山: stone bone mountain).
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Liancourt Rocks
The Liancourt Rocks, also known as Dokdo or Tokto (독도/獨島, literally "solitary island") in Korean or Takeshima (たけしま/竹島?, literally "bamboo island") in Japanese, are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Sovereignty over the islets is disputed between Japan and South Korea. South Korea currently has its Coast Guard stationed there.
The Franco-English name of the islets derives from Le Liancourt, the name of a French whaling ship which came close to being wrecked on the rocks in 1849. Both the Korean and Japanese names have changed over time, a testament to the historical confusion over the subject which led to today's heated dispute.
The Liancourt Rocks consist of two main islets and 35 smaller rocks. The total surface area of the islets is 0.18745 square kilometres (46.32 acres), with the highest elevation of 169 metres (554 ft) found at an unnamed location on the west islet. Two Korean citizens—an octopus fisherman and his wife—are permanent residents on the islets. A small Korean police detachment, administrative personnel, and lighthouse staff are stationed in non-permanent supporting positions on the islets.
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Malaysia
Malaysia (i/məˈleɪʒə/ mə-LAY-zhə or i/məˈleɪsiə/ mə-LAY-see-ə) is a federal constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia. It consists of thirteen states and three federal territories and has a total landmass of 329,847 square kilometres (127,350 sq mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo. Land borders are shared with Thailand, Indonesia, and Brunei, and maritime borders exist with Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. In 2010 the population exceeded 27.5 million, with over 20 million living on the Peninsula.
Malaysia has its origins in the Malay Kingdoms present in the area which, from the 18th century, became subject to the British Empire. The first British territories were known as the Straits Settlements, whose establishment was followed by the Malay kingdoms becoming British protectorates. The territories on Peninsular Malaysia were first unified as the Malayan Union in 1946. Malaya was restructured as the Federation of Malaya in 1948, and achieved independence on 31 August 1957. Malaya united with Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore on 16 September 1963, with si being added to give the new country the name Malaysia. However, less than two years later in 1965, Singapore was expelled from the federation. Since independence, Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing an average 6.5% for almost 50 years. The economy has traditionally been fuelled by its natural resources, but is expanding in the sectors of science, tourism, commerce and medical tourism.
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Ming China
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China for 276 years (1368–1644) following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, described by some as "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic Han Chinese. Although the Ming capital Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the Shun Dynasty, soon replaced by the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty), regimes loyal to the Ming throne—collectively called the Southern Ming—survived until 1662.
Ming rule saw the construction of a vast navy and a standing army of one million troops. Although private maritime trade and official tribute missions from China had taken place in previous dynasties, the tributary fleet under the Muslim eunuch admiral Zheng He in the 15th century far surpassed all others in size. There were enormous construction projects, including the restoration of the Grand Canal and the Great Wall and the establishment of the Forbidden City in Beijing during the first quarter of the 15th century. Estimates for the late-Ming population vary from 160 to 200 million.
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Nakdong River
The Nakdong River (Rakdong in North Korean) is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan.
The Nakdong flows from the Taebaek Mountains to the South Sea or Korean Strait, that separates Korea from Japan. The river originates from the junction of the Cheolamcheon and Hwangjicheon streams in Dongjeom-dong, Taebaek city, Gangwon province. From there to its mouth it winds for about 506 kilometres (314 mi). The width of the river ranges from only a few metres in its upper reaches, to several hundred metres towards its estuary.
Major tributaries include the Yeong, Geumho, and Nam rivers. Together with its tributaries, the Nakdong drains most of North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang provinces, along with small portions of North Jeolla, South Jeolla, and Gangwon. The total watershed is 23,384 square kilometres (9,029 sq mi).
The Nakdong River has played an important role throughout Korean history. The river basin has been a favored dwelling-place for as long as people have inhabited the Korean peninsula. Numerous Neolithic remains have been found in the valley.
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North Korea
Coordinates: 40°00′N 127°00′E / 40°N 127°E / 40; 127 The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK; Chosŏn'gŭl: 조선민주주의인민공화국), commonly referred to as "North Korea" ( listen), is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. The Amnok, or Yalu, and the Tumen rivers form the border between North Korea and China. A section of the Tumen River in the far northeast is the border with Russia.
The peninsula was governed by the Korean Empire until it was annexed by Japan after the Russo-Japanese War in 1910. It was divided into Soviet- and American-occupied zones in 1945, after the end of World War II. North Korea refused to participate in a United Nations–supervised election held in the south in 1948, which led to the creation of separate Korean governments for the two occupation zones. North and South Korea each claimed sovereignty over the whole Korean Peninsula, which led to the Korean War of 1950. The Armistice Agreement of 1953 ended the fighting; but the two countries are officially still at war against each other, for a peace treaty was never signed. Both states were accepted into the United Nations in 1991.
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Pyongyang
Pyongyang (평양, Korean pronunciation: [pʰjɔŋjaŋ], literally: "Flat Land") is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was split from the South P'yŏngan province in 1946. It is administered as a directly governed city (chikhalsi), on the same level as provincial governments, not a special city (teukbyeolsi) as Seoul is in South Korea.
One of Pyongyang's many historic names is Ryugyong (류경; 柳京), or "capital of willows", as willow trees have always been numerous throughout the city's history, and many poems have been written about these willows. Even today, the city has numerous willow trees, with many buildings and places having "Ryugyŏng" in their names. The most notable of these is the uncompleted Ryugyong Hotel. The city's other historic names include Kisong, Hwangsong, Rakrang, Sŏgyong, Sodo, Hogyong, and Changan.[citation needed] During the colonial period (1910–1945), Pyongyang was named Puto ".
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Republic of Korea
South Korea ( listen), officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國; Daehan Minguk listen), is a sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages (an initial "G" in Korean is pronounced like an English "K").
Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the Korea Strait to the south. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of almost 50 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 9,794,304.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period.Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.
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Russia
Russiai/ˈrʌʃə/ or /ˈrʊʃə/ (Russian: Россия, tr. Rossiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijə] ( listen)), also officially known as the Russian Federation (Russian: Российская Федерация, tr. Rossiyskaya Federatsiya; IPA: [rɐˈsʲijskəjə fʲɪdʲɪˈratsɨjə] ( listen)), is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects. From northwest to southeast, Russia shares borders with Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland (both via Kaliningrad Oblast), Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, and North Korea. It also has maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, and the US state of Alaska by the Bering Strait. At 17,075,400 square kilometres (6,592,800 sq mi), Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more than one eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the eighth most populous nation with 143 million people. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and 40% of Europe, spanning nine time zones and incorporating a wide range of environments and landforms. Russia has the world's largest reserves of mineral and energy resources and is the largest producer of oil and natural gas globally. Russia has the world's largest forest reserves and its lakes contain approximately one-quarter of the world's fresh water.
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Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean, between the Asian mainland, the Japanese archipelago and Sakhalin. It is bordered by Japan, North Korea, Russia and South Korea. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it has almost no tides due to its nearly complete enclosure from the Pacific Ocean. This isolation also reflects in the fauna species and in the water salinity, which is lower than in the ocean. The sea has no large islands, bays or capes. Its water balance is mostly determined by the inflow and outflow through the straits connecting it to the neighboring seas and Pacific Ocean. Few rivers discharge into the sea and their total contribution to the water exchange is within 1%.
The seawater is characterized by the elevated concentration of dissolved oxygen that results in high biological productivity. Therefore, fishing is the dominant economic activity in the region. The intensity of shipments across the sea has been moderate owing to political issues, but it is steadily increasing as a result of the growth of East Asian economies. A controversy exists about the sea name, with South Korea promoting the appellation East Sea.
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Seomjin River
The Seomjin River is a river in South Korea. It drains southeastern Jeollabuk-do as well as eastern Jeollanam-do and western Gyeongsangnam-do provinces, and flows into the Korea Strait. The Seomjin rises from Palgongsan and flows for 212.3 kilometers before reaching its final destination in Gwangyang, where it enters Gwangyang Bay.
The Seomjin watershed comprises some 4,896.5 km². This area includes both farmland and a great deal of pristine mountain country, including the Jirisan area. A wide variety of animals are found along the river, including the European otter, Lutra lutra. Principal tributaries include the Boseong River and Yocheon stream.
The name "Seomjin" literally means "toad ferry." This name is believed to date from Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea in the 1590s. According to legend, a swarm of toads blocked the Japanese army from crossing the Seomjin into northern Jeolla.
Coordinates: 34°57′49″N 127°45′38″E / 34.96361°N 127.76056°E / 34.96361; 127.76056
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Seoul
Seoul (Korean pronunciation: [sʌ.ul] ( listen), English /soʊl/), officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world. The Seoul National Capital Area is the world's second largest metropolitan area with over 25 million inhabitants, which includes the surrounding Incheon metropolis and Gyeonggi province. Almost a quarter of South Koreans live in Seoul, half of South Koreans live in the metropolitan area, along with over 275,000 international residents.
Located in the Han River, Seoul has been a major settlement for over 2,000 years, with its foundation dating back to 18 B.C. when Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, established its capital in what is now south-east Seoul. It continued as the capital of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty and the Korean Empire. The Seoul National Capital Area is home to four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeokgung, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine and the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty.
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Siberia
Coordinates: 60°0′N 105°0′E / 60°N 105°E / 60; 105
Siberia (/saɪˈbɪəriə/; Russian: Сиби́рь, tr. Sibir'; IPA: [sʲɪˈbʲirʲ] ( listen)) is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union (USSR) from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th to 19th centuries.
Encompassing much of the Eurasian Steppe, the territory of Siberia extends eastward from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between the Pacific and Arctic drainage basins, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the national borders of Mongolia and China. Siberia makes up about 77% of Russia's territory (13.1 million square kilometres), but has only 28% (40 million people) of Russia's population.
Some sources say that the word Siberia originates from the Turkic for "sleeping land". Another version is that this name was the ancient tribal name of the Sabirs, Turkic nomads later assimilated to Siberian Tatars. The modern usage of the name appeared in the Russian language after the conquest of the Siberian Khanate.
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Silla
Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) (Korean pronunciation: [ɕilːa]) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park (박, 朴), the dynasty was to see the Gyeongju Kim (김, 金) clan hold rule for most of its 992-year history. What began as a chiefdom in the Samhan confederacies, once allied with China, Silla eventually conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla or Later Silla, as it is often referred to, occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms, handing over power to its successor dynasty Goryeo in 935.
From its founding until its growth into a full-fledged kingdom, Silla was recorded with various hanja phonetically approximating its native Korean name: 斯盧 (사로, Saro), 斯羅 (사라, Sara), 徐那(伐) (서나[벌], Seona[beol]), 徐耶(伐) (서야[벌], Seoya[beol]), 徐羅(伐) (서라[벌], Seora[beol]), and 徐伐 (서벌, Seobeol). In 503, King Jijeung standardized on the characters 新羅(신라), which in Modern Korean is pronounced "Shilla".
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Sobaeksan
Sobaeksan (Sobaek Mountain) is a mountain of the Sobaek Mountains, in South Korea. It lies between Danyang County in the province of Chungcheongbuk-do and the city of Yeongju in the province of Gyeongsangbuk-do. It has an elevation of 1,439 m (4,721 ft).
Coordinates: 36°57′36″N 128°29′05″E / 36.96°N 128.48472°E / 36.96; 128.48472
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South Korea
South Korea ( listen), officially the Republic of Korea (Hangul: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國; Daehan Minguk listen), is a sovereign state in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo, a dynasty which ruled in the Middle Ages (an initial "G" in Korean is pronounced like an English "K").
Its neighbors are China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the Korea Strait to the south. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone with a predominantly mountainous terrain. It covers a total area of 99,392 square kilometers and has a population of almost 50 million. The capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of 9,794,304.
Archaeological findings show that the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the Lower Paleolithic period.Korean history begins with the founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by the legendary Dan-gun. Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea under Silla 668 AD, Korea went through the Goryeo Dynasty and Joseon Dynasty as one nation until the end of the Korean Empire in 1910, when it was annexed by Japan. After liberation and occupation by Soviet and U.S. forces at the end of World War II, the nation was divided into North and South Korea. The latter was established in 1948 as a democracy, though political turmoil and times of military rule and martial law characterized much of the period until the foundation of the Sixth Republic in 1987.
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Soviet Union
The Soviet Union (Russian: Советский Союз, tr. Sovetsky Soyuz), officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR; Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик, tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik; IPA: [sɐˈjus sɐˈvʲetskʲɪx sətsɨəlʲɪˈstʲitɕɪskʲɪx rʲɪsˈpublʲɪk] ( listen); abbreviated СССР, SSSR), was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.
The Soviet Union was a single-party state ruled by the Communist Party from its foundation until 1990. A union of 15 subnational Soviet republics, the Soviet state was structured under a highly centralized government and economy.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused the downfall of the Russian Empire. Following the Russian Revolution, there was a struggle for power between the Bolshevik party, led by Vladimir Lenin, and the anti-communist White movement. In December 1922, the Bolsheviks won the civil war, and the Soviet Union was formed with the merger of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic.
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Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo (Hugoguryeo) was a state established by Gung Ye (궁예, 弓裔) on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.
Gung Ye was known as a son of King Heonan or King Gyeongmun. A soothsayer prophesied that the new-born baby would bring disaster to Silla, so the King ordered his servants to kill him. However, his nurse hid Gung Ye and raised him secretly. He joined Yang Gil's rebellion force in 892. Silla, after nearly a millennium as a centralized kingdom, was quickly declining, and Gung Ye instigated his own rebellion and absorbed Wang Geon's force in Songak. In 898, He set up the capital in Songak. He eventually defeated Yang Gil and other local lords in central Korea to proclaim himself king of Later Goguryeo in 901.
He changed the state's name to Majin in 904, and eventually to Taebong in 911. Gung Ye transferred the capital from Songak to Cheorwon in 905. Taebong at its peak consisted of territory in the present-day provinces North Hwanghae and South Hwanghae, Gyeonggi, Gangwon-do (South Korea)/Kangwon-do (North Korea), Pyongyang, North Chungcheong and southern part of South Jeolla.
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Taiwan
Taiwan (i/ˌtaɪˈwɑːn/ TY-WAHN; Chinese: 臺灣 or 台灣; pinyin: Táiwān; see below), officially the Republic of China (ROC; Chinese: 中華民國; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó), is a state in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China now governs the island of Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa), which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other minor islands. Neighboring states include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east and northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Taipei is the capital city and economic and cultural centre of the country, and New Taipei is the most populous city.
The earliest evidence of inhabitation of Taiwan dates back to the late Paleolithic era. The island of Taiwan was mainly inhabited by Taiwanese aborigines before being colonized in the 17th century by the Dutch and the Spanish Empire. The first Han Chinese polity on Taiwan began when Koxinga's troops defeated Dutch forces and established the Kingdom of Tungning. The island was subsequently ruled by the Qing Dynasty after the kingdom's defeat in the Battle of Penghu in 1683, a period that lasted for over 200 years. Following Japan's victory over the Qing Dynasty in the first Sino-Japanese war, Taiwan was ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895.
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Tripitaka Koreana
The Tripitaka Koreana (lit. Goryeo Tripitaka) or Palman Daejanggyeong ("Eighty-Thousand Tripitaka") is a Korean collection of the Tripitaka (Buddhist scriptures, and the Sanskrit word for "three baskets"), carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. It is the world's most comprehensive and oldest intact version of Buddhist canon in Hanja script, with no known errors or errata in the 52,382,960 characters which are organized in over 1496 titles and 6568 volumes. Each wood block measures 70 centimeters in width and 24 centimeters in length. The thickness of the blocks range from 2.6 to 4 centimeters and each weighs about three to four kilograms. The work is stored in Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple in South Gyeongsang province, in South Korea.
The name "Goryeo Tripitaka" comes from "Goryeo", the name of Korea from the 10th to the 14th centuries. It served as reference for the edition of the Chinese Buddhist canon.
The Tripitaka Koreana was first carved in 1087 during the Third Goryeo-Khitan War. The act of carving the woodblocks was considered to be a way of bringing about a change in fortune by invoking the Buddha's help.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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Yellow Sea
Coordinates: 35°0′N 123°0′E / 35°N 123°E / 35; 123
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden yellow.
The innermost bay of the Yellow Sea is called the Bohai Sea (previously Pechihli Bay or Chihli Bay). Into it flow both the Yellow River (through Shandong province and its capital Jinan) and Hai He (through Beijing and Tianjin). Deposits of sand and silt from those rivers contribute to the sea color.
The Yellow Sea is one of four seas named in English after common color terms — the others being the Black Sea, the Red Sea and the White Sea.
The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Yellow Sea (which it also names as "Hwang Hai") as follows:
On the South. The parallel of 33°17' North from Saisyu To (Quelpart) [now known as Jeju-do] to the mainland [of China].
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Yeongsan River
The Yeongsan River is a river in south-western South Korea. It has a length of 115.5 km, and covers an area of 3,371 km2. Yeongsan River starts from the Yongchubong Peak (龍湫峰:560 m) located in Yong-myeon, Damyang County, South Jeolla Province. It runs through Damyang, Naju, Yeongam and other regions and eventually flows into the Yellow Sea at Mokpo through the estuary bank.
Coordinates: 34°46′N 126°21′E / 34.767°N 126.35°E / 34.767; 126.35
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Yeonpyeong
Coordinates: 37°40′0″N 125°41′47″E / 37.666667°N 125.69639°E / 37.666667; 125.69639
Yeonpyeong Island or Yeonpyeongdo (hanja: 延坪島) (Korean pronunciation: [jʌnpçʌŋdo]) (referred to by the DPRK as Yŏnphyŏng Islet) is a group of South Korean islands in the Yellow Sea, located about 80 km (50 mi) west of Incheon and 12 km (7.5 mi) south of the coast of Hwanghae Province, North Korea. The main island of the group is Daeyeonpyeongdo ("Big Yeonpyeong Island"), also referred to simply as Yeonpyeong Island, with an area of 7.01 km2 (2.71 sq mi) and a population of around 1,300.
The principal population centre is Yeonpyeong-ri, where the island's ferry port is located. The other inhabited island is Soyeonpyeongdo ("Small Yeonpyeong Island") with a small population and an area of 0.24 km2 (0.093 sq mi). Several other small islands comprise the rest of the group.
The island group constitutes Yeonpyeong-myeon, one of the subdivisions of Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea.
Yeonpyeong Island is renowned for its kumouuri, a specialty spiced crab.
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An Jung-geun
An Jung-geun or Ahn Jung-geun (September 2, 1879 – March 26, 1910) (안중근; 安重根; Baptismal name: Thomas) was a Korean independence activist,nationalist, and pan-Asianist.
On October 26, 1909, he assassinated Itō Hirobumi (伊藤博文), the first Prime Minister of Japan and then-Japanese Resident-General of Korea, following the signing of the Eulsa Treaty, with Korea on the verge of annexation by Japan.
An was born on September 2, 1879, in Haeju, Hwanghae-do, the first son of An Tae-hun (안태훈; 安泰勳) and Baek Cheon-jo (백천조; 白川趙), of the family of the Sunheung An (순흥안씨; 順興安氏) lineage. His childhood name was An Eung-chil (안응칠; 安應七). As a boy, he learned Chinese literature and Western sciences, but was more interested in martial arts and marksmanship. Kim Gu (김구; 金九), future leader of the Korean independence movement who had taken refuge in An Tae-hun's house at the time, wrote that young An Jung-geun was an excellent marksman, liked to read books, and had strong charisma.
At the age of 25, he started a coal business, but devoted himself to education of Korean people after the Eulsa Treaty by establishing private schools in northwestern regions of Korea. In 1907 he exiled himself to Vladivostok to join in with the armed resistance against the Japanese colonial rulers. He was appointed a lieutenant general of an armed Korean resistance group and led several attacks against Japanese forces before his eventual defeat.
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Baekje
Baekje or Paekche (Hangul: 백제; Hanja: 百濟, Korean pronunciation: [pɛk̚tɕ͈e]) (18 BCE – 660 CE) was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla.
Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jumong and So Seo-no, at Wiryeseong (present-day southern Seoul). Baekje, like Goguryeo, claimed to succeed Buyeo, a state established in present-day Manchuria around the time of Gojoseon's fall.
Baekje alternately battled and allied with Goguryeo and Silla as the three kingdoms expanded control over the peninsula. At its peak in the 4th century, Baekje controlled most of the western Korean peninsula, as far north as Pyongyang, and may have even held territories in China, such as in Liaoxi, though this is controversial. It became a significant regional sea power, with political and trade relations with China and Japan.
In 660, it was defeated by an alliance of Silla and Chinese Tang Dynasty, submitting to Unified Silla.
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Bruce Cumings
Bruce Cumings (born 1943) is an American academic and author. He is the Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in History and the chair of the history department at the University of Chicago. He specializes in modern Korean history and contemporary international relations in East Asia.
Bruce Cumings was born in Rochester, New York on 5 September 1943. He grew up in Iowa and Ohio, where his father was a college administrator before joining the Central Intelligence Agency. He worked summers for five years, three of them at the Republic Steel plant in Cleveland, to put himself through Denison University, with further help from a baseball scholarship. He graduated with a degree in Psychology in 1965, then served in the Peace Corps in Korea in 1967-68 before taking an MA at Indiana University. He then earned a PhD in Political Science from Columbia University in 1975. He taught at Swarthmore College, University of Washington, Northwestern University, and University of Chicago. In 1999 he was elected Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
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Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy indigenous to the Indian subcontinent and encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs, and practices largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, who is commonly known as the Buddha (meaning "the awakened one" in Sanskrit and Pāli). The Buddha lived and taught in the eastern part of Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. He is recognized by Buddhists as an awakened or enlightened teacher who shared his insights to help sentient beings end ignorance (avidyā), craving (taṇhā), and suffering (dukkha), by recognizing dependent origination and sunyata, and attain Nirvana.
Two major branches of Buddhism are recognized: Theravada ("The School of the Elders") and Mahayana ("The Great Vehicle"). Theravada has a widespread following in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. Mahayana is found throughout East Asia and includes the traditions of Pure Land, Zen, Nichiren Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Shingon, Tiantai (Tendai) and Shinnyo-en. In some classifications, Vajrayana—practiced mainly in Tibet and Mongolia, and adjacent parts of China and Russia—is recognized as a third branch, while others classify it as a part of Mahayana. There are other categorisations of these three Vehicles or Yanas.
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Buyeo kingdom
Buyeo or Puyŏ (Korean pronunciation: [pujʌ]), Fuyu in Chinese, was an ancient Korean kingdom located from today's Manchuria to northern North Korea, from around the 2nd century BC to 494. Its remnants were absorbed by the neighboring and brotherhood kingdom of Goguryeo in 494. Both Goguryeo and Baekje, two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, considered themselves its successor nation.
Although records are sparse and contradictory, it is speculated that in 86 BCE, Dongbuyeo (Eastern Buyeo) branched out, after which the original Buyeo is sometimes referred to as Bukbuyeo (Northern Buyeo). Jolbon Buyeo was a small tribal state situated in north of the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. According to Samguk Sagi, in 504, the tribute emissary Yesilbu mentions that the gold of Buyeo can no longer be obtainable for tribute as Buyeo has been driven out by the Malgal and the Somna and absorbed into Baekje. It is also shown that the Emperor Shizong wished that Buyeo would regain its former glory. In 538, long after the fall of Buyeo, Baekje renamed itself Nambuyeo (Southern Buyeo).
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Buyeo Kingdom
Buyeo or Puyŏ (Korean pronunciation: [pujʌ]), Fuyu in Chinese, was an ancient Korean kingdom located from today's Manchuria to northern North Korea, from around the 2nd century BC to 494. Its remnants were absorbed by the neighboring and brotherhood kingdom of Goguryeo in 494. Both Goguryeo and Baekje, two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, considered themselves its successor nation.
Although records are sparse and contradictory, it is speculated that in 86 BCE, Dongbuyeo (Eastern Buyeo) branched out, after which the original Buyeo is sometimes referred to as Bukbuyeo (Northern Buyeo). Jolbon Buyeo was a small tribal state situated in north of the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. According to Samguk Sagi, in 504, the tribute emissary Yesilbu mentions that the gold of Buyeo can no longer be obtainable for tribute as Buyeo has been driven out by the Malgal and the Somna and absorbed into Baekje. It is also shown that the Emperor Shizong wished that Buyeo would regain its former glory. In 538, long after the fall of Buyeo, Baekje renamed itself Nambuyeo (Southern Buyeo).
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China
China (i/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.
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Dongye
Dongye, which means the Eastern Ye, was a Korean chiefdom which occupied portions of the northeastern Korean peninsula from roughly 3rd-century BCE to around early 5th-century. It bordered Goguryeo and Okjeo to the north, Jinhan to the south, and China's Lelang Commandery to the west. Today, this territory consists of the provinces of South Hamgyŏng and Kangwon in North Korea, and Gangwon in South Korea.
Dongye appears in history as a vassal state of Goguryeo. In early 5th-century, however, King Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo annexed Dongye, leading to Goguryeo's domination of the entire northern portion of the Korean peninsula and most of Manchuria. A small part of Dongye in the south was absorbed into Silla.
Dongye considered itself the same people as Goguryeo, and shared the language and ethnic origins of the people of Okjeo and Goguryeo. This may indicate that Dongye also shared a common origin with Buyeo and Gojoseon. The population was recorded to be 20,000 families.
Very little information about Dongye has survived; most of the extant information comes from the discussion of the Eastern barbarians in the Chinese Records of Three Kingdoms. The custom of "Mucheon" (무천, 舞天), a festival of worshipping heaven through song and dance in the 10th month, is mentioned in some records. This appears to have been closely related to the Goguryeo festival of Dongmaeng, held at the same time of year, which also incorporated martial displays. The people worshiped the tiger as a deity.
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Empress Myeongseong
Empress Myeongseong (19 October 1851 – 8 October 1895), also known as Queen Min, was the first official wife of King Gojong, the twenty-sixth king of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. In 1902 she received the posthumous name Hyoja Wonseong Jeonghwa Hapcheon Honggong Seongdeok Myeongseong Taehwanghu (Korean Hangul: 효자원성정화합천홍공성덕명성태황후, Hanja: 孝慈元聖正化合天洪功誠德明成太皇后), often abbreviated as Myeongseong Hwanghu (Hangul: 명성황후, Hanja: 明成皇后), meaning Empress Myeongseong.
The Japanese considered her an obstacle to their overseas expansion. Efforts to remove her from the political arena, orchestrated through failed rebellions at times prompted by the father of King Gojong, Heungseon Daewongun (the powerful regent who opposed any change in Korea's isolation and was at times accused of working with the Japanese), compelled the Empress to take a strong stand against Japanese influence.
After Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, Queen Min advocated stronger ties between Korea and Russia in an attempt to counter Japanese influence in Korea. Miura Gorō, the Japanese Minister to Korea at that time and a retired army lieutenant-general, supported the faction headed by the Daewongun, whom he considered to be more sympathetic to Japanese interests.
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Gongmin of Goryeo
King Gongmin (1330–1374) ruled Goryeo Dynasty Korea from 1351 until 1374. he was the second son of King Chungsuk. In addition to his various Korean names (see right), he bore the Mongolian name Bayàn Temür (伯顔帖木兒).
Goryeo had been a dependency of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty since Mongol invasion of Korea. Starting with King Chungnyeol, prospective rulers of Korea married Mongol princesses and were customarily sent to the Yuan Court, in effect, as hostages. As per this custom, King Gongmin spent many years in the Yuan court, being sent there in 1341, before ascending the Korean throne. He married the Mongol princess Queen Noguk. But in the mid-14th century Yuan was beginning to crumble, soon to be replaced by the Ming dynasty in 1368.
With the disintegration of Yuan, which had influenced the Korean peninsula since the Mongol invasions of Korea of 1238, Gongmin began efforts to reform Goryeo government. His first act was to remove all pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers from their positions. These deposed people formed a dissident faction which plotted an unsuccessful coup against the king. High official Jo Il-sin even tried to take over the government, but this rebellion was put down by general Choe Yeong.
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Itō Hirobumi
Prince Itō Hirobumi, GCB(伊藤 博文?, 16 October 1841 – 26 October 1909, also called Hirofumi/Hakubun and Shunsuke in his youth) was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan (the 1st, 5th, 7th and 10th), genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by Korean nationalist An Jung-geun. The politician, intellectual, and author Suematsu Kenchō was Itō’s son-in-law, having married his second daughter, Ikuko.
Itō was born as the son of Hayashi Jūzō. He was originally named Hayashi Risuke. His father Hayashi Jūzō was the adopted son of Mizui Buhei who was an adopted son of Itō Yaemon's family, a lower class samurai from Hagi, Chōshū domain (present-day Yamaguchi prefecture). Mizui Buhei was renamed to Itō Naoemon. Mizui Jūzō took the name Itō Jūzō, and Hayashi Risuke was renamed to Itō Shunsuke at first, then Itō Hirobumi. He was a student of Yoshida Shōin at the Shōka Sonjuku and later joined the Sonnō jōi movement (“to revere the Emperor and expel the barbarians”), together with Kido Takayoshi. Itō was chosen to be one of the Chōshū Five who studied at University College London in 1863, and the experience in Great Britain convinced him of the necessity of Japan adopting Western ways.
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Jeongjo of Joseon
King Jeongjo (22 September 1752 – 28 June 1800) was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. He made various attempts to reform and improve the nation of Joseon. He was preceded by his grandfather King Yeongjo (1724–1776) and succeeded by his son King Sunjo (r. 1800–1834). He is widely regarded as one of the most successful and visionary rulers of Joseon along with King Sejong.
He was the son of Crown Prince Sado, who was put to death by his own father, King Yeongjo. His mother, Lady Hyegyeong, wrote an autobiography, The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong (한중록, 閑中錄), detailing her life as the ill-fated Crown Princess of Korea. This collection of memoirs serves as an invaluable source of historical information on the political happenings during the reigns of King Yeongjo, King Jeongjo and King Sunjo.
When he was the Crown Prince, King Jeongjo met Hong Guk-yeong (홍국영, 洪國榮), a controversial politician who first strongly supported Jeongjo's accession and toiled to improve the king's power, but ended up being expelled because of his desire for power.
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Jinhan confederacy
Jinhan was a loose confederacy of chiefdoms that existed from around the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula, to the east of the Nakdong River valley, Gyeongsang Province. Jinhan was one of the Samhan (or "Three Hans"), along with Byeonhan and Mahan. Apparently descending from the Jin state of southern Korea, Jinhan was absorbed by the later Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Jinhan, like the other Samhan confederacies, arose out of the confusion and migration following the fall of Gojoseon in 108 BC.
Its relation to the earlier state of Jin is not clear, although the contemporary Chinese chronicle San Guo Zhi alleges that Jinhan was identical with Jin (while another record describes Jin as the predecessor of the Samhan as a whole). Jinhan and Byeonhan shared essentially the same culture, with varying religious customs, and apparently were not separated by a clear boundary.
The people claimed they were descendants of Qin dynasty migrants, fleeing Qin's force labor policies moved to the Mahan confederacy which give them the east land. The confederacy was also called Qinhan (秦韓). As immigrants, the kings have to be Mahan people. But there is no further archeleogical evidences to prove this is true.
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Khitan people
The Khitan people (Chinese: 契丹; pinyin: Qìdān; Persian: ختن, Khitan), or Khitai, Kitan, or Kidan, were a nomadic Mongolic people, originally from Mongolia and Manchuria (the northeastern region of modern day China) from the 4th century. As the Liao Dynasty they dominated a vast area north of, and including parts of, China; but have left few relics that have survived until today. After the fall of Liao in 1125, many Khitans moved further west and established the state of Kara Khitai, which was finally destroyed by the Mongol Empire in 1218.
There is no consensus on the etymology of the name of Khitan. There are basically three speculations. Feng Jiasheng argues that it comes from the Yuwen chieftains' names. Zhao Zhenji thinks that the term originated from Xianbei and means "a place where Xianbei had resided". Japanese scholar Otagi Matuo considers Khitan's original name is "Xidan", which means "the people who are similar to the Xi people" or "the people who inhabit among the Xi people".
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Kim Yu-shin
Kim Yushin (595 – 1 July 673) was a general in 7th-century Silla. He led the unification of the Korean peninsula by Silla under the reign of King Muyeol of Silla and King Munmu of Silla. He is said to have been the great-grandchild of King Guhae of Geumgwan Gaya, the last ruler of the Geumgwan Gaya state. This would have given him a very high position in the Silla bone rank system, which governed the political and military status that a person could attain.
Much of what we know about Kim's life comes from the detailed account in the Samguk Sagi, Yeoljeon 1-3, and the much briefer record in the Samguk Yusa, vol. 1.
Kim Yushin was the son of General Kim Seohyeon and Lady Manmyeong, who was a daughter of King Jinheung of Silla. He was born in Gyeyang, Jincheon County in 595, became a Hwarang warrior at just 15 and was an accomplished swordsman and a Gukseon (국선, 國仙; Hwarang leader) by the time he was 18 years old. By the age of 34 (in 629) he had been given total command of the Silla armed forces. Three years after Princess Deokman became Queen Seondeok of Silla, who kept Kim Yushin as commander in chief of the royal army.
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Korean War
The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁 or 조선전쟁, Hanja: 韓國戰爭 or 朝鮮戰爭; 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was a war between the Republic of Korea (supported primarily by the United States of America, with contributions from allied nations under the aegis of the United Nations) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (supported by the People's Republic of China, with military and material aid from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics). The Korean War was primarily the result of the political division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II. The Korean Peninsula was ruled by the Empire of Japan from 1910 until the end of World War II. Following the surrender of the Empire of Japan in September 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th parallel, with U.S. military forces occupying the southern half and Soviet military forces occupying the northern half.
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Koreans
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula.
South Koreans call Koreans Hanguk-in (한국인; 韓國人)—or simply 한인/Han-in for South Koreans living abroad—or informally Hanguk saram (한국 사람; 韓國 사람), while North Koreans call Koreans Chosŏnin (조선인; 朝鮮人) or Chosŏn saram (조선 사람; 朝鮮 사람). See Names of Korea, Korean romanization, Hangul (한글) and Hanja (한자).
Koreans are believed[by whom?] to be descendants of peoples of Manchuria, often said to be Altaic- or proto-Altaic-speaking tribes, linking them with Mongols, Turkic and Tungusic peoples. Archaeological evidence suggests proto-Koreans were migrants from south-central Siberia, who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age. The same tomb style is an indication telling who lived there. The largest concentration of dolmen in the world is found on the Korean peninsula. In fact, with an estimated 35,000 dolmen Korea counts for nearly 40% of the world’s total. Similar dolmens can be found outside of Korea, in Manchuria, Shandong, and Kyushu. Yet it is unclear why this culture only flourished so extensively on the Korean peninsula in the area of Northeastern Asia.
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Lee Wan-Yong
Lee Wan-Yong (17 July 1858 – 12 February 1926) was a pro-Japanese minister of Korea, who signed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, which placed Korea under Japanese rule in 1910.
Born to a prominent family in Gyeonggi-do province, Lee spent three years in the United States from 1887–1891. Lee was a founding member of the Independence Club established in 1896 and belonged to the ‘reform faction’ which wanted to westernize Korea and to open the country to foreign trade[citation needed]. Lee was a prominent government minister at the time of Eulsa Treaty of 1905, and was the most outspoken supporter of the pact which made the Korean Empire a protectorate of the Empire of Japan, thus stripping it of its diplomatic sovereignty. The treaty was signed in defiance of Korean Emperor Gojong, and he is thus accounted to be the chief of five ministers (including Park Jae-soon, Lee Ji-yong, Lee Geun-taek, Gwon Joong-hyun) who were later denounced as Five Eulsa Traitors in Korea.
Under Japanese Resident-General Ito Hirobumi, Lee was promoted to the post of prime minister from 1906-1910. Lee was instrumental in forcing Emperor Gojong to abdicate in 1907, after Emperor Gojong tried to publicly denounce the Eulsa Treaty at the second international Hague Peace Convention.
wn.com/Lee_Wan-Yong -
Mahan confederacy
Mahan was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Arising out of the confluence of Gojoseon migration and the Jin state federation, Mahan was one of the Samhan ("Three Hans"), along with Byeonhan and Jinhan. Baekje began as a member statelet, but later overtook all of Mahan and became one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
Mahan probably developed from the existing bronze society of 3rd to 2nd centuries BCE, continuing to absorb migration from the north in subsequent centuries. King Jun of the kingdom of Gojoseon in northern Korea, having lost the throne to Wiman, fled to the state of Jin state in southern Korea around 194 BCE-180 BCE. He and his followers are thought to have established a base within Jin territory. It is not certain whether Mahan conquered or arose out of this entity, but Mahan was certainly influenced by this influx of northern culture.
Further migration followed the fall of Gojoseon and establishment of the Chinese commanderies in the Liaoning region in 108 BC. It is described in the Chinese chronicle San Guo Zhi and the much later Korean chronicles Samguk Yusa and Samguk Sagi.
wn.com/Mahan_confederacy -
Okjeo
Okjeo was Korean tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE.
Dong-okjeo (Eastern Okjeo) occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo (Northern Okjeo) occupied the Duman River region.
Dong-okjeo was often simply called Okjeo, while Buk-okjeo was also sometimes referred to as Chiguru (置溝婁, 치구루) or Guru (구루)[citation needed], the latter name being also applied to Goguryeo. Okjeo bordered the other minor state of Dongye on the south, and shared a similar fate.
Olgi means Mineral spring in Ewenki language.
In its early history, Okjeo oscillated between domination by the Chinese commanderies and by Goguryeo. From the 3rd century BCE to 108 BCE, it was controlled by Gojoseon due to the constant interference of its neighbors, Okjeo never grew into a fully centralized kingdom.
In the 1st or 2nd century CE, King Taejo of Goguryeo reduced Okjeo to a tributary, which delivered local products to Goguryeo. During the 244 Wei Invasion of Goguryeo, Goguryeo’s King Dongcheon briefly retreated to North Okjeo, and in 285, the Buyeo court also temporarily escaped to Okjeo under northern nomadic attacks.
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Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians. The synonymous usage of Iranian and Persian has persisted over the centuries although some modern Western sources use Iranic/Iranian as a wider term that includes the term Persian as well as related Iranian languages and ethnic groups. However, these terms have been used both synonymously as well as in a complementary fashion since ancient times; as the Ancient Iranian peoples such as the Old Persians, Medes, Bactrians, Parthians and Avesta peoples considered themselves to be part of the greater Iranian ethnic stock.
The term Persian translates to "from or of Persis" which is a region north of the Persian Gulf located in Pars, Iran. It was from this region that Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Achaemenid empire, united all other Iranian empires (such as the Medes and the Elamites), and expanded the Persian cultural and social influences by incorporating the Babylonian empire, and the Lydian empire. Although not the first Iranian empire, the Achaemenid empire is the first Persian empire well recognized by Greek and Persian historians for its massive cultural, military and social influences going as far as Athens, Egypt, and Libya.
wn.com/Persian_people -
Samhan
The Samhan period of Korean history (also Proto–Three Kingdoms Period) comprises confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan in central and southern Korean peninsula, during the final century BCE and the early centuries CE. These confederacies were eventually absorbed into two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea by the 4th century CE. The Samhan period is generally considered a subdivision of the Three Kingdoms Period.
Sam (三) means "three", and Han is a Korean word meaning "great" or "leader" (cognate with "khan" used in inner Asia for leaders). Han was transliterated into Chinese characters 韓, 幹, or 刊, but is unrelated with the Han in Han Chinese and the Chinese kingdoms and dynasties also called Han (漢, 韓). Ma means south, Byeon means shining and Jin means east. The names of these confederacies are reflected in the current name of South Korea, Daehan Minguk (literally, "Great Han People's Nation"). See Names of Korea.
The Samhan are thought to have formed around the time of the fall of Gojoseon in northern Korea in 108 BC, around when the state of Jin in southern Korea also disappears from written records. By the 4th century, Mahan was fully absorbed into the Baekje kingdom, Jinhan into the Silla kingdom, and Byeonhan into the Gaya confederacy, which was later annexed by Silla.
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Silla
Silla (57 BC – 935 AD) (Korean pronunciation: [ɕilːa]) was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in Asian history. Although it was founded by King Park Hyeokgeose, who is also known to be the originator of the Korean family name Park (박, 朴), the dynasty was to see the Gyeongju Kim (김, 金) clan hold rule for most of its 992-year history. What began as a chiefdom in the Samhan confederacies, once allied with China, Silla eventually conquered the other two kingdoms, Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668. Thereafter, Unified Silla or Later Silla, as it is often referred to, occupied most of the Korean Peninsula, while the northern part re-emerged as Balhae, a successor-state of Goguryeo. After nearly 1000 years of rule, Silla fragmented into the brief Later Three Kingdoms, handing over power to its successor dynasty Goryeo in 935.
From its founding until its growth into a full-fledged kingdom, Silla was recorded with various hanja phonetically approximating its native Korean name: 斯盧 (사로, Saro), 斯羅 (사라, Sara), 徐那(伐) (서나[벌], Seona[beol]), 徐耶(伐) (서야[벌], Seoya[beol]), 徐羅(伐) (서라[벌], Seora[beol]), and 徐伐 (서벌, Seobeol). In 503, King Jijeung standardized on the characters 新羅(신라), which in Modern Korean is pronounced "Shilla".
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Taejo of Joseon
Taejo of Joseon (October 11, 1335 – May 24, 1408; r. 1392–1398), born Yi Seong-gye, whose changed name is Yi Dan, was the founder and the first king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea, and the main figure in overthrowing the Goryeo Dynasty. He was posthumously raised to the rank of Emperor in 1899 by Gojong, the Gwangmu Emperor, who had proclaimed the Korean Empire in 1897.
Taejo's father Yi Ja-chun was a minor Mongol official, but his ethnicity was Korean. Taejo joined the Goryeo army and rose through the ranks, seizing the throne in 1392. He abdicated in 1398 during the strife between his sons and died in 1408.
By the late 14th century, the 400 year-old Goryeo Dynasty established by Wang Geon in 918 was tottering, its foundations collapsing from years of war and de facto occupation by the disintegrating Mongol Empire. The legitimacy of Goryeo itself was also becoming an increasingly disputed issue within the court, as the ruling house failed not only to govern the kingdom effectively, but was also tarnished by generations of forced intermarriage with members of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty imperial family and by rivalry amongst the various Goryeo royal family branches (even King U's mother was a known commoner, thus leading to rumors disputing his descent from King Gongmin).
wn.com/Taejo_of_Joseon -
Taiwan
Taiwan (i/ˌtaɪˈwɑːn/ TY-WAHN; Chinese: 臺灣 or 台灣; pinyin: Táiwān; see below), officially the Republic of China (ROC; Chinese: 中華民國; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó), is a state in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China now governs the island of Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa), which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu, and other minor islands. Neighboring states include the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east and northeast, and the Philippines to the south. Taipei is the capital city and economic and cultural centre of the country, and New Taipei is the most populous city.
The earliest evidence of inhabitation of Taiwan dates back to the late Paleolithic era. The island of Taiwan was mainly inhabited by Taiwanese aborigines before being colonized in the 17th century by the Dutch and the Spanish Empire. The first Han Chinese polity on Taiwan began when Koxinga's troops defeated Dutch forces and established the Kingdom of Tungning. The island was subsequently ruled by the Qing Dynasty after the kingdom's defeat in the Battle of Penghu in 1683, a period that lasted for over 200 years. Following Japan's victory over the Qing Dynasty in the first Sino-Japanese war, Taiwan was ceded to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895.
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉?, February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598) was a daimyo, warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle. He is noted for a number of cultural legacies, including the restriction that only members of the samurai class could bear arms. Hideyoshi is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier".
Very little is known for certain about Hideyoshi before 1570, when he begins to appear in surviving documents and letters. His autobiography starts in 1577 but in it Hideyoshi spoke very little about his past. By tradition, he was born in what is now Nakamura-ku, Nagoya (situated in contemporary Aichi District, Owari Province), the home of the Oda clan. He was born of no traceable samurai lineage, being the son of a peasant-ashigaru (foot soldier) named Yaemon. He had no surname, and his childhood given name was Hiyoshi-maru (日吉丸?) ("Bounty of the Sun") although variations exist.
wn.com/Toyotomi_Hideyoshi -
Yeongjo of Joseon
Yeongjo (13 September 1694 – 5 March 1776, r. 30 August 1724 – 5 March 1776) was the twenty-first king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the second son of Sukjong by Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choi clan, succeeded his older brother Gyeongjong.
King Yeongjo was a deeply Confucian monarch, and is said to have had a greater knowledge of the classics than his officials.[citation needed] During the reign of Yeongjo and his grandson Jeongjo, Confucianization was at its height, as was economic recovery from the wars of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.
The king is also famous for having treasured Park Mun-su, who was appointed as Amhaeng-eosa (암행어사) or a secret governmental inspector. Park, who had earned great merit in putting down Yi In-ja's rebellion, went around the nation arresting corrupt local officers in the name of the king.
The only significantly dismal incident during Yeongjo's reign was the death of his son, Crown Prince Sado. Sado most likely suffered from mental illness. He was accused of randomly killing people in the palace and being a sexual deviant. Yeongjo could not by court rules kill his son by his own hand and on a hot August day in 1762, Sado was ordered to climb into a large wooden rice chest. After eight days, Sado died of suffocation.
wn.com/Yeongjo_of_Joseon -
Yi Sun-sin
Yi Sun-shin (April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598, Korean: 이순신, Hanja: 李舜臣) was a Korean naval commander, famed for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin war in the Joseon Dynasty, and is well-respected for his exemplary conduct on and off the battlefield not only by Koreans, but by Japanese Admirals as well. Military historians have compared his naval genius to that of Admiral Horatio Nelson. His title of Samdo Sugun Tongjesa (Hangul : 삼도수군통제사, Hanja :三道水軍統制使), literally meaning "Naval Commander of the Three Provinces," was the title for the commander of the Korean navy until 1896.
Perhaps his most remarkable military achievement occurred at the Battle of Myeongnyang. Outnumbered 333 ships to 13, and forced into a last stand with only his minimal fleet standing between the Japanese Army and Seoul, Yi delivered one of the most astonishing defeats in military history.
Despite never having received naval training or participating in naval combat prior to the war, and constantly being outnumbered and outsupplied, he went to his grave as one of few admirals in world history who remained undefeated after commanding as many naval battles as he did (at least 23).
wn.com/Yi_Sun-sin -
Yohei Kono
Yōhei Kōno (河野 洋平, Kōno Yōhei?, born 15 January 1937 in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa) is a Japanese politician and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2003 until August 2009, when the LDP lost its majority in the 2009 election. Kōno served as speaker for the longest length since the set up of House of Representatives in 1890.
Kōno is the eldest son of Ichirō Kōno, a former minister dealing with the Tokyo Olympic Games. Kenzō Kōno, the chairman of the House of Councillors is his younger uncle.
After graduating from Waseda University, Kōno worked with the Marubeni company. In 1967, Kono's political career began due to the death of his father.
He was Deputy Prime Minister from 1994–95. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs under Prime Minister Yoshirō Mori. He is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). He was once President of the LDP from 1993 to 1995, and to date is the only LDP leader to have never served as Prime Minister of Japan. As he is one of the pro-Chinese members of the LDP, he came under pressure domestically in the spring of 2005 when anti-Japanese movements in China became intense.
wn.com/Yohei_Kono
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S Korea's Park vows more diplomacy with North
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:11
- Updated: 22 Dec 2012
South Korea's first female president-elect is promising a new era for the Korean peninsula. Conservative Park Geun-hye also says that North Korea's recent rocket launch shows the grave security situation in the area. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.
http://wn.com/S_Korea's_Park_vows_more_diplomacy_with_North
South Korea's first female president-elect is promising a new era for the Korean peninsula. Conservative Park Geun-hye also says that North Korea's recent rocket launch shows the grave security situation in the area. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.
Economy key issue in South Korea elections
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:24
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
South Koreans will vote in a new president on Wednesday. It will be the economy that takes centre stage as polls show growing opposition to the business elite. The presidential candidates - both liberal and conservative - are talking about explanding South Korea's comparatively small welfare system. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul, South Korea.
http://wn.com/Economy_key_issue_in_South_Korea_elections
South Koreans will vote in a new president on Wednesday. It will be the economy that takes centre stage as polls show growing opposition to the business elite. The presidential candidates - both liberal and conservative - are talking about explanding South Korea's comparatively small welfare system. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul, South Korea.
- published: 18 Dec 2012
- views: 1161
- author: AlJazeeraEnglish
Park Geun-hye is S Korea's woman at the top
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 0:52
- Updated: 22 Dec 2012
www.euronews.com South Korea has its first ever woman in the top job. The electoral commission has confirmed that the conservative Park Geun-hye has won the presidential election. The 60-year-old will return to the presidential palace in Seoul where she was effectively the first lady in the 1970s. Her father was the military ruler at the time and she stepped in when her mother was assassinated. There was little to choose between Park and her left-wing opponent Moon Jae-in: 51.6 per cent against 48 per cent. Both had made campaign promises to re-engage with North Korea after increasingly hostile relations in recent years. With nearly 90 per cent of votes counted, it was clear Park had an unassailable lead and Moon conceded defeat. A priority in her single five-year term will be the economy, which has seen growth slow to about two per cent. Find us on: Youtube bit.ly Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter twitter.com
http://wn.com/Park_Geun-hye_is_S_Korea's_woman_at_the_top
www.euronews.com South Korea has its first ever woman in the top job. The electoral commission has confirmed that the conservative Park Geun-hye has won the presidential election. The 60-year-old will return to the presidential palace in Seoul where she was effectively the first lady in the 1970s. Her father was the military ruler at the time and she stepped in when her mother was assassinated. There was little to choose between Park and her left-wing opponent Moon Jae-in: 51.6 per cent against 48 per cent. Both had made campaign promises to re-engage with North Korea after increasingly hostile relations in recent years. With nearly 90 per cent of votes counted, it was clear Park had an unassailable lead and Moon conceded defeat. A priority in her single five-year term will be the economy, which has seen growth slow to about two per cent. Find us on: Youtube bit.ly Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter twitter.com
- published: 19 Dec 2012
- views: 1268
- author: Euronews
S. Korea's first woman president?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:45
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
Park Geun-Hye is seeking to become the first-ever female president in a nation where women are notoriously invisible in the top echelons of public and private sectors alike. Duration: 02:44
http://wn.com/S_Korea's_first_woman_president?
Park Geun-Hye is seeking to become the first-ever female president in a nation where women are notoriously invisible in the top echelons of public and private sectors alike. Duration: 02:44
- published: 17 Dec 2012
- views: 633
- author: AFP
[Korea's Got Talent] tvN 코리아 갓 탤런트 Ep.1 Sung-bong Choi!!!.avi
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:02
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Now, Sung-bong Choi has his official website! Please check it out!! www.sungbongchoi.co.kr Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter: @choisungbong Paypal Account: sung-bongchoi@live.co.kr ________________________________________________________ I heard he went to Art High School, but he could barely graduate because of his financial problem. I bet he couldn't get private lessons or support for his vocal training.. I admire him even more!!!!!!!!!! I seriously cried when he started singing.. just wanna give him a Huge Hug!! Bring it on Sung-bong!!! :) ** "Manual Worker": People laugh when Sung-bong said "manual worker" because the way he said was kinda slang.. (I couldn't find the right slang in English for that word) People were not laughing at him being a manual worker, but because of his word choice. I hope there's no misunderstanding here :) Here's one way you can support Sung-bong!! :) www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/_Korea's_Got_Talent_tvN_코리아_갓_탤런트_Ep1_Sung-bong_Choi!!!avi
Now, Sung-bong Choi has his official website! Please check it out!! www.sungbongchoi.co.kr Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter: @choisungbong Paypal Account: sung-bongchoi@live.co.kr ________________________________________________________ I heard he went to Art High School, but he could barely graduate because of his financial problem. I bet he couldn't get private lessons or support for his vocal training.. I admire him even more!!!!!!!!!! I seriously cried when he started singing.. just wanna give him a Huge Hug!! Bring it on Sung-bong!!! :) ** "Manual Worker": People laugh when Sung-bong said "manual worker" because the way he said was kinda slang.. (I couldn't find the right slang in English for that word) People were not laughing at him being a manual worker, but because of his word choice. I hope there's no misunderstanding here :) Here's one way you can support Sung-bong!! :) www.facebook.com
- published: 04 Jun 2011
- views: 18606176
- author: gmldnjsroEl
South Korea elects first female president
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:32
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
The daughter of South Korea's former military ruler has won the country's presidential election, promising in a speech to her supporters to heal a "divided society". The win over her liberal rival Moon Jae-in on Wednesday makes Park Geun-hye the country's first female head of state. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.
http://wn.com/South_Korea_elects_first_female_president
The daughter of South Korea's former military ruler has won the country's presidential election, promising in a speech to her supporters to heal a "divided society". The win over her liberal rival Moon Jae-in on Wednesday makes Park Geun-hye the country's first female head of state. Al Jazeera's Harry Fawcett reports from Seoul.
- published: 19 Dec 2012
- views: 6724
- author: AlJazeeraEnglish
South Korea's hopes for new president
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:35
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
South Koreans step up to CNN's Open Mic and tell us what they think of their new female president, Park Geun-hye. For more videos, visit CNN International's website edition.cnn.com Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com & twitter.com
http://wn.com/South_Korea's_hopes_for_new_president
South Koreans step up to CNN's Open Mic and tell us what they think of their new female president, Park Geun-hye. For more videos, visit CNN International's website edition.cnn.com Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com & twitter.com
- published: 20 Dec 2012
- views: 97
- author: CNNInternational
Sneaking Into North Korea
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:27
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Sneaking into North Korea was one of the hardest and weirdest processes VICE has ever dealt with. In North Korea, if you get caught being a journalist when you're supposed to be a tourist, you go to jail, or worse. Our rare footage is some of the craziest ever captured, providing an honest look inside the hermit nation. Hosted by Shane Smith | Originally released in 2008 at vice.com Continue where this left off here bit.ly Part 2: www.youtube.com Part 3: www.youtube.com Watch Shane go to North Korean slave labor camps in Siberia: bit.ly Subscribe to VICE on YouTube to stay updated on our daily releases: youtube.com Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com Like VICE on Facebook fb.com Follow VICE on Twitter: twitter.com Read our tumblr: vicemag.tumblr.com
http://wn.com/Sneaking_Into_North_Korea
Sneaking into North Korea was one of the hardest and weirdest processes VICE has ever dealt with. In North Korea, if you get caught being a journalist when you're supposed to be a tourist, you go to jail, or worse. Our rare footage is some of the craziest ever captured, providing an honest look inside the hermit nation. Hosted by Shane Smith | Originally released in 2008 at vice.com Continue where this left off here bit.ly Part 2: www.youtube.com Part 3: www.youtube.com Watch Shane go to North Korean slave labor camps in Siberia: bit.ly Subscribe to VICE on YouTube to stay updated on our daily releases: youtube.com Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com Like VICE on Facebook fb.com Follow VICE on Twitter: twitter.com Read our tumblr: vicemag.tumblr.com
- published: 16 Apr 2012
- views: 379379
- author: vice
Korea Got Talent 2 - The Little Boy in Gangnam Style (Hwang Min-Woo)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:20
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Credits to the Owner. ~Enjoy!
http://wn.com/Korea_Got_Talent_2_The_Little_Boy_in_Gangnam_Style_Hwang_Min-Woo
101 East - South Korea's Pop Wave
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 25:11
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
South Korean pop music known as 'K-Pop', is flourishing around the world, finding new fans across Asia, Europe and the US. This film reveals the dark side of the increasingly popular industry.
http://wn.com/101_East_South_Korea's_Pop_Wave
South Korean pop music known as 'K-Pop', is flourishing around the world, finding new fans across Asia, Europe and the US. This film reveals the dark side of the increasingly popular industry.
- published: 27 Jan 2012
- views: 108004
- author: AlJazeeraEnglish
Tesco Homeplus Virtual Subway Store in South Korea
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:31
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
When grocery chain Tesco wanted to expand their market share in South Korea, they came up with a brilliant idea. Because the people in South Korea work long hours they thought of an efficient way to sell their products. The Korean subsidiary Home Plus put up billboards in subway stations with their range of products, accompanied by QR, or Quick Response codes. All people had to do now is scan the QR codes with their cell phone and the groceries were delivered to their doorsteps.
http://wn.com/Tesco_Homeplus_Virtual_Subway_Store_in_South_Korea
When grocery chain Tesco wanted to expand their market share in South Korea, they came up with a brilliant idea. Because the people in South Korea work long hours they thought of an efficient way to sell their products. The Korean subsidiary Home Plus put up billboards in subway stations with their range of products, accompanied by QR, or Quick Response codes. All people had to do now is scan the QR codes with their cell phone and the groceries were delivered to their doorsteps.
- published: 25 Jun 2011
- views: 1091614
- author: Recklessnutter
North Korea Party Rock Anthem ft. Kim Jong Il
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:24
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Ain't no party like a Pyongyang party, 'cause a Pyongyang party is ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY
http://wn.com/North_Korea_Party_Rock_Anthem_ft_Kim_Jong_Il
Ain't no party like a Pyongyang party, 'cause a Pyongyang party is ABSOLUTELY MANDATORY
- published: 16 Sep 2011
- views: 3768781
- author: error606
Korea's Got Talent Sung Bong Choi in (El Homiguero)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:31
- Updated: 22 Dec 2012
Thank you all for the many views and I Like Childhood Abandoned in an orphanage at the age of three, Choi claims that he ran away from the institution when he was 5 years old because of having been beaten. He lived in stairwells and public washrooms and sold chewing gum and energy drinks to survive. He also delivered milk and newspapers in addition to working as a laborer, beginning at age eight. Choi said that very bad things happened to him as a child and that he was sold to someone. However, he met a woman who ran a food cart outside a night club. She gave him the name "Ji-Sung". She also encouraged Choi to take the Korean equivalent of a GED (General Educational Development) exam so that he could complete his elementary and junior high curricula in order to enter high school. He graduated from Daejeon Arts High School. Choi stated during the audition that he had attended the high school. He also mentioned that there were no teachers to give him vocal training at the school since he did not have the financial resources to pay for master classes. He work at a delivery service to earn tuition and money for lessons, but it resulted in a traumatic fall during his 8:00 pm to 7:00 am shift. Choi subsequently received medical treatment at Kun Yang University Hospital. Prior to the fall, as a child, Choi had two car accidents for which he did not receive proper medical treatment for many years. When Choi got admitted at Kun Yang University Hospital due to other medical issues ...
http://wn.com/Korea's_Got_Talent_Sung_Bong_Choi_in_El_Homiguero
Thank you all for the many views and I Like Childhood Abandoned in an orphanage at the age of three, Choi claims that he ran away from the institution when he was 5 years old because of having been beaten. He lived in stairwells and public washrooms and sold chewing gum and energy drinks to survive. He also delivered milk and newspapers in addition to working as a laborer, beginning at age eight. Choi said that very bad things happened to him as a child and that he was sold to someone. However, he met a woman who ran a food cart outside a night club. She gave him the name "Ji-Sung". She also encouraged Choi to take the Korean equivalent of a GED (General Educational Development) exam so that he could complete his elementary and junior high curricula in order to enter high school. He graduated from Daejeon Arts High School. Choi stated during the audition that he had attended the high school. He also mentioned that there were no teachers to give him vocal training at the school since he did not have the financial resources to pay for master classes. He work at a delivery service to earn tuition and money for lessons, but it resulted in a traumatic fall during his 8:00 pm to 7:00 am shift. Choi subsequently received medical treatment at Kun Yang University Hospital. Prior to the fall, as a child, Choi had two car accidents for which he did not receive proper medical treatment for many years. When Choi got admitted at Kun Yang University Hospital due to other medical issues ...
- published: 29 May 2012
- views: 446829
- author: MegaFocsisProduction
Inside North Korea by an American Tourist - Part 1 of 4 HD (TRAIN PORTION)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 82:35
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Train travel from China to Cult Korea: Beijing-Pyongyang. May 2010. See Videos 2, 3 and 4 for the walking tour of the DPRK. This was a propaganda tour that brings tourists to the country's showcase cities and most fertile regions. These videos will give people who are thinking about visiting North Korea an overview of what they will likely see there (A variety of tours are offered but in general the itineraries are similar). These videos are not truncated or narrated and are often boring. This footage is not representative of most of N. Korea. Read interviews and look for footage by aid agencies and hidden videos smuggled out to see how the majority of N. Koreans live, with oppression, famine, lack of human rights and medical care, or the most unfortunate 200000 political victims living in Gulag/Concentration camps. Unfortunately you'll likely have many more years to plan a trip to N. Korea, as S. Korea, China and the USA are all content with N. Korea's existence and continue subsidizing the regime with money and food aid. S. Korea's disturbing indifference and passivity to the atrocities occurring in the North makes the entire peninsula complicit in the crimes. S. Korea has many military and non-military options if it wanted the Northern regime to collapse. However S.Korea is content with maintaining two separate countries because they don't want to be burdened with the financial costs of rebuilding the North and rehabilitating a mentally and physically stunted ...
http://wn.com/Inside_North_Korea_by_an_American_Tourist_Part_1_of_4_HD_TRAIN_PORTION
Train travel from China to Cult Korea: Beijing-Pyongyang. May 2010. See Videos 2, 3 and 4 for the walking tour of the DPRK. This was a propaganda tour that brings tourists to the country's showcase cities and most fertile regions. These videos will give people who are thinking about visiting North Korea an overview of what they will likely see there (A variety of tours are offered but in general the itineraries are similar). These videos are not truncated or narrated and are often boring. This footage is not representative of most of N. Korea. Read interviews and look for footage by aid agencies and hidden videos smuggled out to see how the majority of N. Koreans live, with oppression, famine, lack of human rights and medical care, or the most unfortunate 200000 political victims living in Gulag/Concentration camps. Unfortunately you'll likely have many more years to plan a trip to N. Korea, as S. Korea, China and the USA are all content with N. Korea's existence and continue subsidizing the regime with money and food aid. S. Korea's disturbing indifference and passivity to the atrocities occurring in the North makes the entire peninsula complicit in the crimes. S. Korea has many military and non-military options if it wanted the Northern regime to collapse. However S.Korea is content with maintaining two separate countries because they don't want to be burdened with the financial costs of rebuilding the North and rehabilitating a mentally and physically stunted ...
- published: 18 Mar 2012
- views: 392781
- author: peronk1
Inside North Korea - VICE Travel - Part 1 of 3
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 20:52
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Vice founder Shane Smith managed to get into North Korea after a year and half of trying and is witness to the craziness of this hermit nation. Crazy is actually kind of an understatement.
http://wn.com/Inside_North_Korea_VICE_Travel_Part_1_of_3
Vice founder Shane Smith managed to get into North Korea after a year and half of trying and is witness to the craziness of this hermit nation. Crazy is actually kind of an understatement.
- published: 19 Dec 2011
- views: 681005
- author: vice
North Korea Rocket Launch (Control Room Footage)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:29
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
12/12/2012 Control Room footage of North Korea's rocket launch. N. Korea media reports the rocket launch successfully placed a satellite in orbit. LeakSource.wordpress.com http
http://wn.com/North_Korea_Rocket_Launch_Control_Room_Footage
12/12/2012 Control Room footage of North Korea's rocket launch. N. Korea media reports the rocket launch successfully placed a satellite in orbit. LeakSource.wordpress.com http
- published: 12 Dec 2012
- views: 20705
- author: LeakSourceNews
North Korea goes CraZy!?
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:43
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
Order your SourceFed Posters here: dft.ba North Korea's brutal prison camps are being compared to the Soviet Union's gulag during the Cold War! Also, their rocket is ready for launch... Sources: bit.ly huff.to Go to SourceFed.com for our 5 daily videos or anything else we've ever done. youtube.com Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com Like us on Facebook: on.fb.me Philly D OFFICIAL APP for instant updates: bit.ly Remember to "Write In" Vote for Lee Newton to be on Maxim's 2012 Hot 100 List: bit.ly Hosts: @elliottcmorgan @joebereta Music: @hagemeister
http://wn.com/North_Korea_goes_CraZy!?
Order your SourceFed Posters here: dft.ba North Korea's brutal prison camps are being compared to the Soviet Union's gulag during the Cold War! Also, their rocket is ready for launch... Sources: bit.ly huff.to Go to SourceFed.com for our 5 daily videos or anything else we've ever done. youtube.com Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com Like us on Facebook: on.fb.me Philly D OFFICIAL APP for instant updates: bit.ly Remember to "Write In" Vote for Lee Newton to be on Maxim's 2012 Hot 100 List: bit.ly Hosts: @elliottcmorgan @joebereta Music: @hagemeister
- published: 11 Apr 2012
- views: 303740
- author: SourceFed
101 East - North Korea's cinema of dreams
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 25:23
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's love of film is well-documented, but few outsiders know that he is revered as a genius of cinema by his own people. On this episode of 101 East we gain a rare insight into the beating heart of North Korea's film industry.
http://wn.com/101_East_North_Korea's_cinema_of_dreams
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's love of film is well-documented, but few outsiders know that he is revered as a genius of cinema by his own people. On this episode of 101 East we gain a rare insight into the beating heart of North Korea's film industry.
- published: 18 Feb 2011
- views: 131706
- author: AlJazeeraEnglish
North Korea - Children of The Secret State
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 44:44
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
Directed by Carla Garapedian and made by Hardcash Productions. Narrated by Joe Layburn and filmed by Anna Roberts, the documentary also features covertly filmed images taken by North Korean Ahn Chol. The film highlights the terrible plight of North Korean orphans who desperately try to eke out a living in a country which seems not to care.
http://wn.com/North_Korea_Children_of_The_Secret_State
Directed by Carla Garapedian and made by Hardcash Productions. Narrated by Joe Layburn and filmed by Anna Roberts, the documentary also features covertly filmed images taken by North Korean Ahn Chol. The film highlights the terrible plight of North Korean orphans who desperately try to eke out a living in a country which seems not to care.
- published: 10 Apr 2012
- views: 101932
- author: borntoshake
Korea's Got Talent Sung-Bong Choi
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:02
- Updated: 24 Dec 2012
Check out another talent competition video here bit.ly
http://wn.com/Korea's_Got_Talent_Sung-Bong_Choi
Check out another talent competition video here bit.ly
- published: 06 Jun 2011
- views: 1386061
- author: suprflyification
TL;DR - Homosexuality in Korea
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:17
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
For more, go to www.eatyourkimchi.com On Facebook: www.facebook.com On Twitter: www.twitter.com Also, to those of you who question Simon's sexual orientation, we address this here: tr.eatyourkimchi.com We talk about homosexuality in Korea, different perceptions of and attitudes towards homosexuality, and different LGBT friendly parts of Korea. Thanks to B1A4 Chile for the Spanish subs! Woot! -- www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/TL;DR_Homosexuality_in_Korea
For more, go to www.eatyourkimchi.com On Facebook: www.facebook.com On Twitter: www.twitter.com Also, to those of you who question Simon's sexual orientation, we address this here: tr.eatyourkimchi.com We talk about homosexuality in Korea, different perceptions of and attitudes towards homosexuality, and different LGBT friendly parts of Korea. Thanks to B1A4 Chile for the Spanish subs! Woot! -- www.facebook.com
- published: 12 Jan 2012
- views: 253129
- author: simonandmartinabonus
South Korea's 2012 Presidential Elections: Continuity Over Change
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:53
- Updated: 23 Dec 2012
South Korea has elected its first female president. A conservative, Park Guen-hye is the daughter of Park Chue-hee, the dictator who led the nation from 1961 until 1979. Park defeated liberal rival Moon Jae-in and will be tasked with leading the country through a number of significant issues including a slowing economy, an aging population and the dicey relationship with their northern neighbor, North Korea. Park, says Richard Bush, senior fellow and director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, has a bumpy road ahead.
http://wn.com/South_Korea's_2012_Presidential_Elections_Continuity_Over_Change
South Korea has elected its first female president. A conservative, Park Guen-hye is the daughter of Park Chue-hee, the dictator who led the nation from 1961 until 1979. Park defeated liberal rival Moon Jae-in and will be tasked with leading the country through a number of significant issues including a slowing economy, an aging population and the dicey relationship with their northern neighbor, North Korea. Park, says Richard Bush, senior fellow and director of the Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, has a bumpy road ahead.
- published: 19 Dec 2012
- views: 215
- author: BrookingsInstitution
China News - December 12, 2012: China Reacts to N. Korea Rocket Launch
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:33
- Updated: 21 Dec 2012
In today's NTD China News, China joins in international criticism of North Korea's rocket launch, but has indicated it would not back a UN Security Council push for sanctions. Since Monday, users of China's Sina Weibo have been able to search and comment on leaders like Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang. But analysts say this doesn't mean broader change is about to come. The Committee to Protect Journalist says China ranks 3rd in the world in the number of jailed reporters. Overall, the CPJ says the jailing of journalists has worsened around the world. China's state-run Church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, has stripped the title off a Vatican-approved Bishop, Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who quit form organization in July at his ordination in Shanghai. A major Chinese charity, the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, says numerical errors are to blame, not money laundering, for an item in its 2011 account showing 4.84 billion yuan for "cash spent in other services", while donation for the year was only around 80 million yuan. 12 couples wed together in Hong Kong, on this 12th day of December, 2012. Residents in Shanghai on Monday posted pictures of what some say look like three Suns in the sky. It's actually an atmospheric phenomenon called "Sundog", but had many observers whether it was an omen for the December 21st "End of the World" theory. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me
http://wn.com/China_News_December_12,_2012_China_Reacts_to_N_Korea_Rocket_Launch
In today's NTD China News, China joins in international criticism of North Korea's rocket launch, but has indicated it would not back a UN Security Council push for sanctions. Since Monday, users of China's Sina Weibo have been able to search and comment on leaders like Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang. But analysts say this doesn't mean broader change is about to come. The Committee to Protect Journalist says China ranks 3rd in the world in the number of jailed reporters. Overall, the CPJ says the jailing of journalists has worsened around the world. China's state-run Church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, has stripped the title off a Vatican-approved Bishop, Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who quit form organization in July at his ordination in Shanghai. A major Chinese charity, the China Charities Aid Foundation for Children, says numerical errors are to blame, not money laundering, for an item in its 2011 account showing 4.84 billion yuan for "cash spent in other services", while donation for the year was only around 80 million yuan. 12 couples wed together in Hong Kong, on this 12th day of December, 2012. Residents in Shanghai on Monday posted pictures of what some say look like three Suns in the sky. It's actually an atmospheric phenomenon called "Sundog", but had many observers whether it was an omen for the December 21st "End of the World" theory. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me
- published: 12 Dec 2012
- views: 694
- author: NTDonChina
photo: AP / Aijaz Rahi
22 Dec 2012
Tweet. 0 Email. Report. Photo 1 of 18. In 2009, ELLE Magazine named Mrs Assad the most stylish woman in world politics. She is an icon of fashion in her country. Credit. Aimee Kligman. In 2009, ELLE Magazine named Mrs Assad the most stylish woman in world politics. She is an icon of fashion in her country.In 2009, ELLE Magazine named Mrs Assad the most stylish woman in world politics ... Syrians detained by the Assad regime. 13 Photos ... 10 Photos ... ....(size: 6.3Kb)
photo: AP / Eranga Jayawardena
22 Dec 2012
Salman Khan's Dabangg 2 has broken the record for the biggest non-holiday opener ... "Biggest opener [holiday] #EkThaTiger 32.92 cr ... Biggest opener [non-holiday] #RowdyRathore 15.1 cr ... ....(size: 0.9Kb)
photo: AP / Virginie Nguyen Huang
23 Dec 2012
Tweet. Moscow, Dec 23 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Chemical weapons in Syria are under the control of the government, which has consolidated them in one or two locations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "As of right now, the (Syrian) government is doing all it can to safeguard those weapons," he said. "We are following all leads concerning chemical weapons," Lavrov said ... "My answer is very simple. Why use us as a postman ... pm/ ... ) .. ). ... . ....(size: 3.2Kb)
photo: AP / Altaf Qadri
23 Dec 2012
A commission will be set up to probe the gang-rape and torture of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi and measures to ensure such crimes do not recur while laws will be amended to enhance punishment for rape, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said . He also appealed the thousands of protesters on the capital’s streets, demanding justice for the victim, to withdraw ... “The government is serious on the issue. ... . . ....(size: 2.4Kb)
photo: AP
23 Dec 2012
North Korea's launching of a rocket into space last week amounted to the test of a ballistic missile capable of carrying a half-ton payload over 10,000km, the South Korean defence ministry says ... South Korea's estimate of the rocket's range was based on analysis of an oxidizer container, which stored nitric acid to fuel the vehicle's first-stage propellant ... North Korea confirms arrest of US citizen....(size: 18.8Kb)
Huffington Post
24 Dec 2012
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea is accusing rival South Korea of using an illuminated frontline Christmas tower to engage in psychological warfare ... North Korea allows sanctioned churches but many associate Christianity with foreign interference ... This image taken from KRT video shows an anchorwoman announcing the country's successful rocket launch in a TV program in Pyongyang, North Korea Wednesday, Dec....(size: 5.0Kb)
CNBC
24 Dec 2012
North Korea's Rocket Launch a Test for Asia's Leaders) ... "North Korea this time proved the capability of their ICBM." ... North Korea's Nuclear Threat) ... Kim, who worked for many years as a senior North Korea analyst at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, says the success of North Korean scientists and engineers in launching the rocket "does not mean an immediate threat." ... "North Korea definitely wants to test Mr....(size: 4.9Kb)
my SA
24 Dec 2012
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — North Korea said Friday that an American citizen has been detained after confessing to unspecified crimes, confirming news reports about his arrest at a time when Pyongyang is facing criticism from Washington for launching a long-range rocket last week ... and South Korea said Pae is known in his home state of Washington as Kenneth Bae, a 44-year-old tour operator of Korean descent....(size: 5.5Kb)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
24 Dec 2012
SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean technicians scrutinizing the debris of the North Korean rocket launched this month have found evidence suggesting the rocket's military purposes and the North's technological ties with Iran in its efforts to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile, South Korean officials said Sunday. North Korea insists that its Unha-3 rocket, launched Dec....(size: 4.3Kb)
noodls
24 Dec 2012
Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Korea) ... The Korean government is taking these changes into account as it thoroughly prepares to formulate plans for 2013.' The Minister emphasized that, in this new economic paradigm, Korea must actively and flexibly respond to these changes in order to take its place as a world leader ... Korea has become the ......(size: 6.0Kb)
Chosunilbo
24 Dec 2012
The South Korean Defense Ministry says analysis of debris from the rocket North Korea launched on Dec ... North Korea's Scud and Rodong missiles also use RFNA as oxidizing agents ... That is what North Korea has been so lavishly celebrating ... Then North Korea would be capable of a nuclear attack on the western part of the continental U.S. South Korea and the U.S....(size: 2.4Kb)
Newstrack India
24 Dec 2012
A recent rocket launch by North Korea shows the country has the ability to fire a rocket over 10,000 kilo meter ... According to the BBC, experts believe North Korea is also years away from gaining the ability to ... North Korea launched the Unha-3 rocket on 12 December, in defiance of sanctions and international warnings ... North Korea . South Korea ... Korea ....(size: 2.4Kb)
CNN
24 Dec 2012
This photo from South Korea's Defence Ministry Sunday shows debris from North Korea's December 12 rocket launch. Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- The rocket launched earlier this month by North Korea had the capability to travel more than 6,000 miles, meaning this type of rocket could strike the United States, South Korean defense officials said ... mainland from North Korea....(size: 5.1Kb)
Newstrack India
24 Dec 2012
Tokyo, Dec 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) North Korea announced Monday that it would set up an international award to honour its late leader Kim Jong-il ... The date is a public holiday in North Korea, known as the Day of the Shining Star ... North Korea . South Korea ......(size: 2.4Kb)
Fox News
24 Dec 2012
... mountain peak, known as Aegibong, in Gimpo, South Korea, Saturday, Dec ... The Christmas tree would be visible by North Koreans living near the Demilitarized Zone that divided the two Koreas ... SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea is accusing rival South Korea of using an illuminated frontline Christmas tower to engage in psychological warfare....(size: 2.0Kb)
Irish Times
24 Dec 2012
This month’s rocket launch by reclusive North Korea shows it has likely developed the technology to fire a warhead more than 10,000km, South Korean officials said yesterday ... North Korea said the launch on December 12th put a weather satellite in orbit but critics say it was aimed at nurturing the kind of technology needed to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile....(size: 2.3Kb)
noodls
24 Dec 2012
Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Korea) ... Korea is in good fiscal health with a debt-to-GDP ratio of only 37.9% compared to the major OECD countries such as the USA (102.2%), Japan (205.3%) and Germany (86.4%) ... Korea ... government is now able to objectively compare itself to other countries and more accurately grasp Korea's fiscal situation....(size: 3.8Kb)
noodls
24 Dec 2012
Prime Minister’s Office of the Republic of Korea). One out of every ten smartphone users in Korea is an AniPang fanatic ... In 20 days, the number of people simultaneously connect the game recorded one million, and now more than 20million of the 30 million smartphone users in Korea have downloaded the game app. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that half of Korea is in an AniPang frenzy ... *Article from Korea Magazine (December 2012)....(size: 5.0Kb)
 |
This article's introduction may be too long for its overall length. Please help by moving some material from it into the body of the article. For more information please read the layout guide and Wikipedia's lead section guidelines. (February 2012) |
This article is about the territory and civilization. For other uses, see Korea (disambiguation).
| Korea | ||
|---|---|---|
.svg) |
||
| Capitals | Pyongyang, Seoul | |
| Official language(s) | Korean | |
| Area | ||
| - | Total | 219,140 km2 [1][2](84th if reunified) 84,610 sq mi |
| - | Water (%) | 2.8 |
| Population | ||
| - | 2010 estimate | 73,000,000[3] (18th if reunified) |
| - | Density | 328.48/km2 850.7/sq mi |
| Currency | Won (₩) (N/S) | |
| Time zone | KST (UTC+9) | |
| ISO 3166 code | KR/KP | |
 |
This article contains Korean text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Hangul or Hanja. |
Korea (/kəˈriːə/ kə-REE-ə; Korean: 한국 Hanguk [hanɡuːk] or 조선 Joseon [tɕosʌn] – (see etymology) is an East Asian region that is divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and separated from Taiwan to the south by the East China Sea.
Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people might have been Altaic language-speaking people from south-central Siberia,[dubious – discuss][4] who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age.[5] The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
The Three Kingdoms of Korea was first united during the Silla dynasty under the king Munmu of Silla. The united Silla dynasty fell to Goryeo Dynasty in 935 at the end of Later Three Kingdoms of Korea era. Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in the 14th century, using the world's first movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed and Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388.
The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of the Korean alphabet Hangul by King Sejong the Great in the 14th century and the rise in influence of Confucianism in the country. During the latter part of the dynasty, however, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan. In 1910, Korea was invaded by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.
In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender of Japanese forces in Korea and Soviet troops occupied north of the 38th parallel, while U.S. troops took surrender south of it. This decision by allied armies soon became the basis for the division of Korea by the two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea. The ensuing conflict between the two was largely a proxy war.
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a single-party state with a centrally planned industrial economy. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a free market, democratic, and developed country with membership in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Group of Twenty.
Contents |
Etymology[link]
Main article: Names of Korea
See also: Korean romanisation
"Korea" derives from the Goryeo period of Korean history, which in turn referred to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo, the first Korean dynasty visited by Persian merchants who referred to Koryŏ (Goryeo) (고려) as Korea.[6] Koryŏ (Goryeo) is also the name of Goguryeo, which changed its name to Koryŏ (Goryeo) in the 5th century (during the reign of King Jangsu of Goguryeo). Korea is now commonly used in English contexts by both North and South Korea. In the Korean language, Korea as a whole is referred to as Han-guk (한국) in South Korea, and Chosŏn (조선) in North Korea. The latter name, also Romanised Joseon, is from the Joseon Dynasty and the earlier Gojoseon. "The Land of the Morning Calm" is an English language title for the country loosely derived from the hanja characters for Joseon.
History[link]
Main article: History of Korea
See also: History of North Korea and History of South Korea
| History of Korea | |
|---|---|
 This article is part of a series |
|
| Prehistory | |
| Jeulmun period | |
| Mumun period | |
| Gojoseon ?–108 BC | |
| Wiman Joseon 194 BC–108 BC | |
| Proto–Three Kingdoms 300–57 BC | |
| Buyeo, Goguryeo, Okjeo, Dongye | |
| Jin state, Samhan (Ma, Byeon, Jin) | |
| Four Commanderies of Han | |
| Three Kingdoms 57 BC–668 | |
| Goguryeo 37 BC–668 | |
| Baekje 18 BC–660 | |
| Silla 57 BC–935 | |
| Gaya 42–562 | |
| North and South States 698–926 | |
| Unified Silla 668–935 | |
| Balhae 698–926 | |
| Later Three Kingdoms 892–936 | |
| Taebong, Hubaekje, Silla | |
| Goryeo 918–1392 | |
| Joseon 1392–1897 | |
| Korean Empire 1897–1910 | |
| Colonial Korea 1910–1945 | |
| Provisional Gov't 1919–1948 | |
| Division of Korea 1945–present | |
| North Korea 1948–present | |
| South Korea 1948–present | |
| By topic | |
| Timeline | |
| List of monarchs | |
| Linguistic history | |
| Science and technology history | |
| Art history | |
| Military history | |
| Naval history | |
|
Korea Portal |
Prehistory and Gojoseon[link]
Main articles: Prehistoric Korea and Gojoseon
The Korean Academy of North America discovered ancient hominid fossils originating from about 100,000 BC in the lava at a stone city site in Korea. Fluorescent and high-magnetic analyses indicate the volcanic fossils may be from as early as 300,000 BC.[7] The best preserved Korean pottery goes back to the paleolithic times around 10,000 BC, and the Neolithic period begins around 6000 BC.
Gojoseon's founding legend describes Dangun, a descendent of heaven, as establishing the kingdom in 2333 BC[8] until the fall in 108 BC, although no evidence has been found that supports whatever facts may lie beneath this myth.[9]
The original capital may have been at the Manchuria-Korea border,[10] but was later moved to what is today Pyongyang, North Korea. In 108 BC, the Chinese Han Dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and installed the Four Commanderies of Han in the area of the northwestern Korean Peninsula and part of the Liaodong Peninsula,[11] leaving many smaller kingdoms and confederacies in the southern and eastern parts of the peninsula. By 75 BC, three of those commanderies had fallen, but the Lelang Commandery remained as a center of cultural and economic exchange with successive Chinese dynasties until 313, when it fell to Goguryeo.
Proto–Three Kingdoms[link]
Main article: Proto–Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Proto–Three Kingdoms period, sometimes called the Several States Period, is the earlier part of what is commonly called the Three Kingdoms Period, following the fall of Gojoseon but before Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla fully developed into kingdoms.
This time period saw numerous states spring up from the former territories of Gojoseon. Buyeo arose in today's North Korea and southern Manchuria, from about the 2nd century BC to 494. Its remnants were absorbed by Goguryeo in 494, and both Goguryeo and Baekje, two of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, considered themselves its successor. Okjeo and Dongye of northern Korea were eventually absorbed into the growing Goguryeo.
Located in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, Samhan refers to the three confederacies of Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan. Mahan was the largest and consisted of 54 states. Byeonhan and Jinhan both consisted of twelve states, bringing a total of 78 states within the Samhan. These three confederacies eventually developed into Baekje, Silla, and Gaya.
Three Kingdoms[link]
Main article: Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje) dominated the peninsula and parts of Manchuria at beginning of the 1st century AD. They competed with each other both economically and militarily.
Goguryeo united Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye and other states in the former Gojoseon territory.[12] Goguryeo was the most dominant power; it reached its zenith in the 5th century, when reign of the Gwanggaeto the Great and his son, Jangsu expanded territory into almost all of Manchuria and part of inner Mongolia, and took the Seoul region from Baekje. Gwanggaeto and Jangsu subdued Baekje and Silla during their times. After the 7th century, Goguryeo was constantly at war with the Sui and Tang dynasties of China.
Founded around modern day Seoul, the southwestern kingdom Baekje expanded far beyond Pyongyang during the peak of its powers in the 4th century. It had absorbed all of the Mahan states and subjugated most of the western Korean peninsula (including the modern provinces of Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Jeolla, as well as part of Hwanghae and Gangwon) to a centralised government. Baekje acquired Chinese culture and technology through contacts with the Southern Dynasties during the expansion of its territory. Historic evidence suggests that Japanese culture, art, and language was strongly influenced by the kingdom of Baekje and Korea itself.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][21][22]
Although later records claim that Silla, in the southeast, was the oldest of the three kingdoms, it is now believed to have been the last kingdom to develop. By the 2nd century, Silla existed as a large state, occupying and influencing nearby city states. Silla began to gain power when it annexed the Gaya confederacy in AD 562. The Gaya confederacy was located between Baekje and Silla. The three kingdoms of Korea often warred with each other and Silla often faced pressure from Baekje and Goguryeo but at various times Silla also allied with Baekje and Goguryeo in order to gain dominance over the peninsula.
In 660, King Muyeol of Silla ordered his armies to attack Baekje. General Kim Yu-shin (Gim Yu-sin), aided by Tang forces, conquered Baekje. In 661, Silla and Tang moved on Goguryeo but were repelled. King Munmu, son of Muyeol and nephew of General Kim launched another campaign in 667 and Goguryeo fell in the following year.
North-South States Period[link]
In the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries, Silla's power gradually extended across the Korean Peninsula. Silla first annexed the adjacent Gaya confederacy. By the 660s, Silla formed an alliance with the Tang Dynasty of China to conquer Baekje and later Goguryeo. After repelling Chinese forces, Silla partially unified the Peninsula, beginning a period often called Unified Silla.
In the north, former Goguryeo General Dae Joyeong led a group of Goguryeo refugees to the Jilin area in Manchuria and founded Balhae (698 - 926) as the successor to Goguryeo. At its height, Balhae's territory extended from northern Manchuria down to the northern provinces of modern-day Korea. Balhae was destroyed by the Khitans in 926.
Unified Silla fell apart in the late 9th century, giving way to the tumultuous Later Three Kingdoms period (892-935). Goryeo unified the Later Three Kingdoms and absorbed Balhae refugees.
Goryeo[link]
Main article: Goryeo
The country Goryeo was founded in 918 and replaced Silla as the ruling dynasty of Korea. ("Goryeo" is a short form of "Goguryeo" and the source of the English name "Korea".) The dynasty lasted until 1392.
During this period laws were codified, and a civil service system was introduced. Buddhism flourished, and spread throughout the peninsula. The development of celadon industry flourished in 12th and 13th century. The publication of Tripitaka Koreana onto 80,000 wooden blocks and the invention of the world's first movable-metal-type printing press in 13th century attest to Goryeo's cultural achievements.
Their dynasty was threatened by Mongol invasions from the 1230s into the 1270s, but the dynastic line continued to survive until 1392 since they negotiated a treaty with the Mongols that kept its sovereign power.
In 1350s, King Gongmin was free at last to reform a Goryeo government. Gongmin had various problems that needed to be dealt with, which included the removal of pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officials, the question of land holding, and quelling the growing animosity between the Buddhists and Confucian scholars.
Joseon Dynasty[link]
Main article: Joseon
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In 1392, the general Yi Seong-gye established the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) with a largely bloodless coup. He named it the Joseon Dynasty in honor of the previous Joseon before (Gojoseon is the first Joseon. "Go", meaning "old", was added to distinguish between the two).
King Taejo moved the capital to Hanseong (formerly Hanyang; modern-day Seoul) and built the Gyeongbokgung palace. In 1394 he adopted Confucianism as the country's official religion, resulting in much loss of power and wealth by the Buddhists. The prevailing philosophy was Neo-Confucianism.
Joseon experienced advances in science and culture. King Sejong the Great (1418–1450) promulgated hangul, the Korean alphabet. The period saw various other cultural and technological advances as well as the dominance of neo-Confucianism over the entire peninsula. Slaves, nobi, are estimated to have accounted for about one third of the population of Joseon Korea.[23]
Between 1592 and 1598, the Japanese invaded Korea. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered the forces and tried to invade the Asian continent through Korea, but was completely defeated by a Righteous army, Admiral Yi Sun-sin and assistance from Ming China. This war also saw the rise of the career of Admiral Yi Sun-sin with the "turtle ship". In the 1620s and 1630s Joseon suffered invasions by the Manchu.
After invasions from Manchuria, Joseon experienced a nearly 200-year period of peace. King Yeongjo and King Jeongjo led a new renaissance of the Joseon dynasty.
However, during the last years of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the name the "Hermit Kingdom", primarily for protection against Western imperialism before it was forced to open trade beginning an era leading into Japanese colonial rule.
Korean Empire[link]
Main article: Korean Empire
Further information: Gwangmu Reform
Beginning in the 1870s, Japan began to force Korea out of the Manchu Qing Dynasty's traditional sphere of influence into its own. As a result of the Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), the Qing Dynasty had to give up such a position according to Article 1 of the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which was concluded between China and Japan in 1895. That same year, Empress Myeongseong was assassinated by Japanese agents.[24]
In 1897, the Joseon dynasty proclaimed the Korean Empire (1897–1910), and King Gojong became Emperor Gojong. This brief period saw the partially successful modernisation of the military, economy, real property laws, education system, and various industries, influenced by the political encroachment into Korea of Russia, Japan, France, and the United States.
In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War pushed the Russians out of the fight for Korea. In Manchuria on October 26, 1909, An Jung-geun assassinated the former Resident-General of Korea, Itō Hirobumi for his role in trying to force Korea into occupation.
Japanese occupation[link]
Main article: Korea under Japanese rule
See also: Japanese war crimes
In 1910, an already militarily occupied Korea was a forced party to the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty. The treaty was signed by Lee Wan-Yong, who was given the General Power of Attorney by the Emperor. However, the Emperor is said to have not actually ratified the treaty according to Yi Tae-jin.[25] There is a long dispute whether this treaty was legal or illegal due to its signing under duress, threat of force and bribes.
Korean resistance to the brutal Japanese occupation[26][27][28] was manifested in the nonviolent March 1st Movement of 1919, where 7,000 demonstrators were killed by Japanese police and military.[29] The Korean liberation movement also spread to neighbouring Manchuria and Siberia.
Over five million Koreans were conscripted for labour beginning in 1939,[30] and tens of thousands of men were forced into Japan's military.[31] Close to 400,000 Korean labourers lost their lives due to the war.[32] Approximately 200,000 girls and women,[33] mostly from China and Korea, were forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military.[34] In 1993, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono acknowledged the terrible injustices faced by these euphemistically named "comfort women".[35][36]
During the Japanese Colonial rule, the Korean language was suppressed in an effort to eradicate Korean national identity. Koreans were forced to take Japanese surnames, known as Sōshi-kaimei.[37] Traditional Korean culture suffered heavy losses, as numerous Korean cultural artifacts were destroyed[38] or taken to Japan.[39] To this day, valuable Korean artifacts can often be found in Japanese museums or among private collections.[40] One investigation by the South Korean government identified 75,311 cultural assets that were taken from Korea, 34,369 in Japan and 17,803 in the United States. However, experts estimate that over 100,000 artifacts actually remain in Japan.[39][41] Japanese officials considered returning Korean cultural properties, but to date[39] this has not occurred.[41] Korea and Japan still dispute the ownership of the Liancourt Rocks, islets located east of the Korean Peninsula.[42]
There was a significant level of emigration to the overseas territories of the Empire of Japan during the Japanese colonial period, including Korea.[43] By the end of World War II, there were over 850,000 Japanese settlers in Korea.[44] After World War II, most of these overseas Japanese repatriated to Japan.
Korean War[link]
Main article: Korean War
With the surrender of Japan in 1945 the United Nations developed plans for a trusteeship administration, the Soviet Union administering the peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the United States administering the south. The politics of the Cold War resulted in the 1948 establishment of two separate governments, North Korea and South Korea.
In June 1950 North Korea invaded the South, using Soviet tanks and weaponry. During the Korean War (1950–1953) millions of civilians died and the three years of fighting throughout the nation effectively destroyed most cities.[45] Around 125,000 POWs were captured and held by the Americans and South Koreans on Geojedo (an island in the south).[46] The war ended in an Armistice Agreement at approximately the Military Demarcation Line.
Division of Korea[link]
Main articles: Division of Korea and Korean reunification
The aftermath of World War II left Korea partitioned along the 38th parallel, with the north under Soviet occupation and the south under the occupation of other allied countries. Consequently, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, a Soviet-style socialist regime, was established in the north while the Republic of Korea, a Western-style republic, was established in the south.[47] The Korean War broke out when Soviet-backed North Korea invaded South Korea, though neither side gained much territory as a result. The Korean Peninsula remains divided, the Korean Demilitarized Zone being the de facto border between the two states.
Since the 1960s, the South Korean economy has grown enormously and the economic structure was radically transformed. In 1957 South Korea had a lower per capita GDP than Ghana,[48] and by 2008 it was 17 times as high as Ghana's.[49]
The North Korean famine began in 1995 and peaked in 1997. According to South Korea intelligence agency, an internal report by North Korea's Public Security Ministry estimates North Korea lost 2.5 million to 3 million lives from 1995 to March 1998.[50]
Tensions continue to this day, but the political arena is a far more complicated one. Recently both China and Russia have expressed concerns over South Korea's provocation of North Korea by carrying out military drills on the island of Yeonpyeong, which itself lies on a disputed sea border between the two countries.[51][52][53]
Geography[link]
Main article: Korean Peninsula
Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula in North-East Asia. To the northwest, the Amnok River (Yalu River) separates Korea from China and to the northeast, the Duman River (Tumen River) separates Korea from China and Russia. The Yellow Sea is to the west, the East China Sea and Korea Strait is to the south, and the Sea of Japan is to the east.[54] Notable islands include Jeju Island (Jejudo), Ulleung Island (Ulleungdo), and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo).
The southern and western parts of the peninsula have well-developed plains, while the eastern and northern parts are mountainous. The highest mountain in Korea is Mount Paektu or Paektusan (2,744 m), through which runs the border with China. The southern extension of Mount Paektu is a highland called Gaema Heights. This highland was mainly raised during the Cenozoic orogeny and partly covered by volcanic matter. To the south of Gaema Gowon, successive high mountains are located along the eastern coast of the peninsula. This mountain range is named Baekdudaegan. Some significant mountains include Mount Sobaek or Sobaeksan (1,439 m), Mount Kumgang or Kumgangsan (1,638 m), Mount Seorak or Seoraksan (1,708 m), Mount Taebaek or Taebaeksan (1,567 m), and Mount Jiri or Jirisan (1,915 m). There are several lower, secondary mountain series whose direction is almost perpendicular to that of Baekdudaegan. They are developed along the tectonic line of Mesozoic orogeny and their directions are basically northwest.
Unlike most ancient mountains on the mainland, many important islands in Korea were formed by volcanic activity in the Cenozoic orogeny. Jeju Island, situated off the southern coast, is a large volcanic island whose main mountain Mount Halla or Hallasan (1950 m) is the highest in South Korea. Ulleung Island is a volcanic island in the Sea of Japan, whose composition is more felsic than Jeju-do. The volcanic islands tend to be younger, the more westward.
Because the mountainous region is mostly on the eastern part of the peninsula, the main rivers tend to flow westwards. Two exceptions are the southward-flowing Nakdong River (Nakdonggang) and Seomjin River (Seomjingang). Important rivers running westward include the Amnok River, the Chongchon River (Chongchongang), the Taedong River (Taedonggang), the Han River (Hangang), the Geum River (Geumgang), and the Yeongsan River (Yeongsangang). These rivers have vast flood plains and provide an ideal environment for wet-rice cultivation.
The southern and southwestern coastlines of Korea form a well-developed ria coastline, known as Dadohae-jin in Korean. Its convoluted coastline provides mild seas, and the resulting calm environment allows for safe navigation, fishing, and seaweed farming. In addition to the complex coastline, the western coast of the Korean Peninsula has an extremely high tidal amplitude (at Incheon, around the middle of the western coast. It can get as high as 9 m). Vast tidal flats have been developing on the south and west coastlines.
Demographics[link]
The combined population of the Koreans is about 73 million (North Korea: 23 million, South Korea: 50 million). Korea is chiefly populated by a highly homogeneous ethnic group, the Koreans, who speak the Korean language.[55] The number of foreigners living in Korea has also steadily increased since the late 20th century, particularly in South Korea, where more than 1 million foreigners currently reside.[56] It is estimated that only 26,700 of the old Chinese community now remain in South Korea.[57] However, in recent years, immigration from mainland China has increased; 624,994 persons of Chinese nationality have immigrated to South Korea, including 443,566 of ethnic Korean descent.[58] Small communities of ethnic Chinese and Japanese are also found in North Korea.[59]
Language[link]
Main articles: Korean language and Hangul
Korean is the official language of both North and South Korea, and (along with Mandarin) of Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Manchuria area of China. Worldwide, there are up to 80 million speakers of the Korean language. South Korea has around 50 million speakers while North Korea around 23 million. Other large groups of Korean speakers are found in China (around 1.8 million speakers), the United States (around 900,000 speakers), the former Soviet Union (around 350,000), Japan (around 700,000), Canada (100,000), Malaysia (70,000) and Australia (150,000). It is estimated that there are around 700,000 people scattered across the world who are able to speak Korean because of job requirements (for example, salespersons or businessmen with Korean contacts), marriages to Koreans or out of pure interest in the language.[citation needed]
The genealogical classification of Korean is debated. Some linguists place it in the Altaic language family; others consider it to be a language isolate. Korean is agglutinative in its morphology and SOV in its syntax. Like Japanese and Vietnamese, Korean has borrowed much vocabulary from the Chinese or created vocabulary on Chinese models.
Modern Korean is written almost exclusively in the Hangul script, which was invented in the 15th century. While Hangul may appear logographic, it is actually a phonemic alphabet organised into syllabic blocks. Each block consists of at least two of the 24 hangul letters (jamo): at least one each of the 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Historically, the alphabet had several additional letters (see obsolete jamo). For a phonological description of the letters, see Korean phonology. Hanja (Chinese characters) and Latin alphabets are sometimes included within Hangul texts, particularly in South Korea.
Culture and arts[link]
Main articles: Culture of Korea, Korean art, Korean pottery and porcelain, Korean martial arts, Korean dance, Korean bow, and Korean architecture
In ancient Chinese texts, Korea is referred to as "Rivers and Mountains Embroidered on Silk" (금수강산, 錦繡江山) and "Eastern Nation of Decorum" (동방예의지국, 東方禮儀之國).[60] Individuals are regarded as one year old when they are born, as Koreans reckon the pregnancy period as one year of life for infants, and age increments increase on New Year's Day rather than on the anniversary of birthdays. Thus, one born immediately before New Year's Day may only be a few days old in western reckoning, but two years old in Korea. Accordingly, a Korean person's stated age (at least among fellow Koreans) will be one or two years more than their age according to western reckoning. However, western reckoning is sometimes applied with regard to the concept of legal age; for example, the legal age for purchasing alcohol or cigarettes in the Republic of Korea is 19, which is measured according to western reckoning.
Literature[link]
Main article: Korean literature
Korean literature written before the end of the Joseon Dynasty is called "Classical" or "Traditional." Literature, written in Chinese characters (hanja), was established at the same time as the Chinese script arrived on the peninsula. Korean scholars were writing poetry in the classical Korean style as early as the 2nd century BC, reflecting Korean thoughts and experiences of that time. Classical Korean literature has its roots in traditional folk beliefs and folk tales of the peninsula, strongly influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
Modern literature is often linked with the development of hangul, which helped spread literacy from the aristocracy to the common people and women. Hangul, however, only reached a dominant position in Korean literature in the second half of the 19th century, resulting in a major growth in Korean literature. Sinsoseol, for instance, are novels written in hangul.
The Korean War led to the development of literature centered on the wounds and chaos of war. Much of the post-war literature in South Korea deals with the daily lives of ordinary people, and their struggles with national pain. The collapse of the traditional Korean value system is another common theme of the time.
Religion[link]
See also: Korean shamanism, Korean Confucianism, Korean Buddhism, Taoism in Korea, Christianity in Korea, and Islam in Korea
Confucian tradition has dominated Korean thought, along with contributions by Buddhism, Taoism, and Korean Shamanism. Since the middle of the 20th century, however, Christianity has competed with Buddhism in South Korea, while religious practice has been suppressed in North Korea. Throughout Korean history and culture, regardless of separation; the influence of traditional beliefs of Korean Shamanism, Mahayana Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism have remained an underlying religion of the Korean people as well as a vital aspect of their culture; all these traditions have coexisted peacefully for hundreds of years up to today despite strong Westernisation from Christian missionary conversions in the South[61][62][63] or the pressure from Communism's Juche government in the North.[64][65]
According to 2005 statistics compiled by the South Korean government, about 46% of citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Christians account for 29.2% of the population (of which are Protestants 18.3% and Catholics 10.9%) and Buddhists 22.8%.[66]
Islam in South Korea is practiced by about 45,000 natives (about 0.09% of the population) in addition to some 100,000 foreign workers from Muslim countries.[67]
Cuisine[link]
Main article: Korean cuisine
See also: Korean tea ceremony and Korean royal court cuisine
Korean cuisine is probably best known for kimchi, a side dish which uses a distinctive fermentation process of preserving vegetables, most commonly cabbage. Kimchi is said to relieve the pores on the skin, thereby reducing wrinkles and providing nutrients to the skin naturally. It is also healthy, as it provides necessary vitamins and nutrients. Gochujang (Korean traditional sauce made of red pepper) is also commonly used, often as pepper (chilli) paste, earning the cuisine a reputation for being spicy.
| Korea | |
|---|---|
 Platter of sliced gimbap |
|
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김밥 |
| Revised Romanization | gimbap |
| McCune–Reischauer | kimbap |
Bulgogi (roasted marinated meat, usually beef), galbi (marinated grilled short ribs), and samgyeopsal (pork belly) are popular meat entrees. Fish is also a popular commodity, as it is the traditional meat that Koreans eat. Meals are usually accompanied by a soup or stew, such as galbitang (stewed ribs) and doenjang jjigae (fermented bean paste soup). The center of the table is filled with a shared collection of sidedishes called banchan.
Other popular dishes include bibimbap which literally means "mixed rice" (rice mixed with meat, vegetables, and red pepper paste) and naengmyeon (cold noodles).
A popular Korean dish[68] is gimbab (also kimbap), made from steamed white rice (bap) and various other ingredients including meat and vegetables. This is rolled in gim (sheets of dried laver seaweed) and served in bite-size slices.[69] Gimbap is often eaten during picnics or outdoor events, or as a light lunch, served with danmuji or kimchi.[70] While an increasingly wide variety of ingredients are used in gimbap, fish (raw or cooked) is rarely used, perhaps due to gimbap's origin as a portable, packable snack, as fish could quickly spoil if not refrigerated.
Instant noodles are also a very popular snack food. Koreans also enjoy food from pojangmachas (street vendors), where one can buy tteokbokki (rice cake and fish cake with a spicy gochujang sauce), fried squid and glazed sweet potato. Soondae, a sausage made of cellophane noodles and pork blood, is widely eaten. There is also an instant noodle called "Ramyun" which is spicy for non-Koreans.
Additionally, some of other common snacks includes "Choco Pie", shrimp cracker, "bbungtigi" (fried rice cracker), and "nu lung ji" (slightly burnt rice). Nu lung ji can be eaten as it is or boiled with water to make a soup. Nu lung ji can be eaten as a snack or a dessert.
Education[link]
Main articles: Education in North Korea and Education in South Korea
The modern Korean school system consists of six years in elementary school, three years in middle school, and three years in high school. Students are required to go to elementary and middle school, and do not have to pay for their education, except for a small fee called a "School Operation Support Fee" that differs from school to school. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks South Korea's science education as the third best in the world and being significantly higher than the OECD average.[71]
Korea also ranks second on math and literature and first in problem solving. Although South Korean students often rank high on international comparative tests, the education system is sometimes criticised for its emphasis on passive learning and memorization. The Korean education system is much more strict and structured than the education systems of most Western societies. Also, high cost and dependence on non-school private institutions (Hagwon (학원)), a for-profit private institute, academy or cram-school prevalent in South Korea, is criticised as a major social problem. After students enter university, however, the situation is markedly reversed.
Science and technology[link]
Main article: History of science and technology in Korea
File:SelectedTeachingsofBuddhistSagesandSonMasters1377.jpg
Jikji, Selected Teachings of Buddhist Sages and Seon Masters, the earliest known book printed with movable metal type, 1377. Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris.
One of the best known artifacts of Korea's history of science and technology is Cheomseongdae (첨성대, 瞻星臺), a 9.4-meter high observatory built in 634.
The earliest known surviving Korean example of woodblock printing is the Mugujeonggwang Great Dharani Sutra.[72] It is believed to have been printed in Korea in 750-751 AD which, if correct, would make it older than the Diamond Sutra. Goryeo silk was highly regarded by Westerners and Korean pottery made with blue-green celadon was of the highest quality and sought after by even Arabian merchants. Goryeo had a bustling economy with a capital that was frequented by merchants from all over the known world.
During the Joseon period the Geobukseon (turtle Ship) was invented, which were covered by a wooden deck and iron with thorns,[73][74][75] as well as other weapons such as the bigyeokjincheolloe cannon (비격진천뢰, 飛擊震天雷) and the hwacha.
The Korean alphabet hangul was also invented during this time by King Sejong the Great.
Sport[link]
Main articles: Sport in South Korea and Sport in North Korea
While association football remains one of the most popular sports in Korea, the martial art of taekwondo is still considered to be the national traditional sport. Baseball is also increasing in popularity.
Taekwondo[link]
Main article: Taekwondo
Taekwondo is the national sport of Korea and one of the country's most famous sports. According to ancient Korean history, soldiers learned taekwondo as a principal source of physical training. It combines combat techniques, self-defense, sport, exercise and in some cases meditation and philosophy. Taekwondo has become an official Olympic sport, starting as a demonstration event in 1988 and becoming an official medal event in 2000.
Hapkido[link]
Main article: Hapkido
Hapkido is a Korean martial art similar to Jujutsu that employs joint locks, throws, kicks, punches and other striking attacks like attacks against pressure points. Hapkido emphasizes circular motion, non-resisting movements and control of the opponent. Practitioners seek to gain advantage through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the pure use of strength against strength.
Ssireum[link]
Main article: Ssireum
Ssireum is a form of wrestling that has been practiced in Korea for thousands of years, with evidence discovered from the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BC to 688). Ssireum is the traditional national sport of Korea. During a match, opponents grip each other by sash belts wrapped around the waist and the thigh, attempting to throw their competitor to the sandy ground of the ring. The first opponent to touch the ground with any body part above the knee or to lose hold of their opponent loses the round.
Ssireum competitions are traditionally held twice a year, during the Tano Festival (the 5th day of the fifth lunar month) and Chuseok (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month). Competitions are also held throughout the year as a part of festivals and other events.
See also[link]
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- Index of Korea-related articles
- Inter-Korean Summit
- Korean name
- List of people of Korean descent
- National Treasures of North Korea
- National Treasures of South Korea
- Wikipedia books: Korea
Notes[link]
- ^ "North Korea". World Reference Atlas (2nd American ed.). New York: Dorling Kindersley. 1996. p. 413. ISBN 0-7894-1085-0.
- ^ "South Korea". World Reference Atlas (2nd American ed.). New York: Dorling Kindersley. 1996. p. 498. ISBN 0-7894-1085-0.
- ^ "거주인구 5000만명 돌파...세계 24위". Mt.co.kr. http://www.mt.co.kr/view/mtview.php?type=1&no=2007111812563466492&outlink=1. Retrieved 2012-05-22.
- ^ The Rise of Civilization in East Asia: the Archaeology of Korea, pp. 165
- ^ 뿌리 깊은 한국사, 샘이 깊은 이야기: 고조선, 삼국, pp. 44–45
- ^ Yunn Seung-Yong, 1996, Religious culture of Korea, Muslims earlier contact with Korea, Elizabeth NJ, Hollym International Corp, 99
- ^ Author: Li Jie (2002-08-21). "Some Discoveries of Fossils and Relics of Prehistoric Civilizations From Around the World". Pureinsight. http://www.pureinsight.org/node/1065. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Go-Choson". Asianinfo.org. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/history.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Mary E. Connor, "The Korea, A global studies handbook", 2002, pp. 10
- ^ Kim Djun-Kil, 2005, The Greenwood histories of Modern nations; History of Korea, Westport CT, Greenwood publishing company, 15-16.
- ^ "Contested Domains". China Heritage Quarterly. 2011-04-21. http://www.chinaheritagequarterly.org/scholarship.php?searchterm=011_contested_domains.inc&issue=011. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Koguryo". Asianinfo.org. http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/history.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Metropolitan Museum of Art [1] "Metallurgy was also introduced from the Asian mainland during this time. Bronze and iron were used to make weapons, armor, tools, and ritual implements such as bells (dotaku)"
- ^ Choson Sinbo "Kitora Tomb Originates in Koguryo Murals" By Chon Ho Chon [2]
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ "Japanese history: Jomon, Yayoi, Kofun". Japan-guide.com. 2002-06-09. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2131.html. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Asia Society: The Collection In Context". Asiasocietymuseum.com. http://www.asiasocietymuseum.com/. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Pottery - MSN Encarta". Pottery - MSN Encarta. Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/query?id=1257012851343397.
- ^ "Kanji". Japan-guide.com. 2010-11-25. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2046.html. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ Noma, Seiroku. "The Arts of Japan: Late Medieval to Modern". Books.google.com. http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN4770029780&id=hhOj8JrLQBMC&pg=PA218&lpg=PA218&q=korean&vq=korean&dq=japanese+pottery+sue&sig=qwA36UHFscvAvtia-F0_-RYycW8#PPA219,M1. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ a b "Japanese Art and Its Korean Secret". .kenyon.edu. 2003-04-06. http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln275/Jap-Kor-art.htm. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Japanese Royal Tomb Opened to Scholars for First Time". News.nationalgeographic.com. 2010-10-28. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080428-ancient-tomb.html. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Encyclopædia Britannica — Slavery". Britannica.com. http://www.britannica.com/blackhistory/article-24156. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Murder of Empress Myeongseong
- ^ "서울대이태진교수의동경대생들에게들려준한국사 : 메이지일본의한국침략사", Yi Tae-jin (2005) ISBN 89-7626-999-3
- ^ 4. Korea, 1910–1945. 2001. The Encyclopedia of World History[dead link]
- ^ "Korea — MSN Encarta". Archived from the original on 2009-10-31. http://www.webcitation.org/5kwsOHE78.
- ^ Mar 10, 2005 (2005-03-10). "Asia Times Online :: Japan News and Japanese Business and Economy". Atimes.com. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/GC10Dh01.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "March 1st Movement". Britannica.com. 1919-03-01. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9050797?query=march%20first%20movement&ct=. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Statistics Of Japanese Genocide And Mass Murder". Hawaii.edu. http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.CHAP3.HTM. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ 山脇 啓造 Yamawaki, Keizo. 近代日本と外国人労働者―1890年代後半と1920年代前半における中国人・朝鮮人労働者問題 Modern Japan and Foreign Laborers: Chinese and Korean Labourers in the late 1890s and early 1920s, 明石書店 Akashi-shoten, 1994, et al. ISBN 978-4-7503-0568-4
- ^ Werner Gruhl, Imperial Japan's World War Two, 1931-1945 Transaction Publishers, 2007 ISBN 978-0-7658-0352-8
- ^ Yoshimi Yoshiaki, Comfort Women. Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military During World War II. Translated by Suzanne O'Brien. Columbia University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-231-12032-X, originally published by 岩波書店, 1995. ISBN 978-4-00-430384-8
- ^ "Japanese comfort women ruling overturned". CNN. March 29, 2001. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/03/29/japan.comfort.women.02/. [dead link]
- ^ "Comfort-Women.org". Comfort-Women.org. http://www.comfort-women.org/. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the result of the study on the issue of "comfort women"". MOFA. 1993-08-04. http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/women/fund/state9308.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Koreans in Japan: Past and Present". HAN. http://www.han.org/a/fukuoka96a.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Gyeongbok Palace | Seoul City | South Korea". Lifeinkorea.com. http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/66. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ a b c Kay Itoi; B. J. Lee (2007-10-17). "Korea: A tussle over treasures — Who rightfully owns Korean artifacts looted by Japan?". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/48765/output/print. Retrieved 2008-06-06.
- ^ Newsweek.com. Who rightfully owns Korean artifacts looted by Japan?[dead link]
- ^ a b http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mode=LSD&office_id=001&article_id=0001429084
- ^ "日독도 영유권 교육강화 방침, 2005년에 이미 발표 :: 한국의 대표 진보언론 민중의소리". Vop.co.kr. http://www.vop.co.kr/A00000206601.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Japanese Periodicals in Colonial Korea". Columbia.edu. http://www.columbia.edu/~hds2/BIB95/00korea_cohen.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "The Life Instability of Intermarried Japanese Women in Korea". Usc.edu. http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/CMTS/MonoPaper3-13.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Korean War (1950–53)
- ^ (Cumings 1997: 298)
- ^ "Division of Korea — Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia". En.wikipedia.org. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_of_Korea. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Leading article: Africa has to spend carefully
- ^ Data refer to the year 2008. $26,341 GDP for Korea, $1513 for Ghana. World Economic Outlook Database-October 2008[dead link], International Monetary Fund. Accessed on February 14, 2009.
- ^ "North Korea 'loses 3 million to famine'". CNN. February 17, 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/281132.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-05
- ^ "South Korea to go ahead with sensitive military drill". BBC News. 2010-12-19. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12029875.
- ^ "Report: Kim Jong Il meets Hyundai official". CNN. 2009-08-16. http://articles.cnn.com/2010-11-23/world/koreas.clash.explainer_1_korean-tension-maritime-border-north-korea?_s=PM:WORLD.
- ^ "Focus shifts to China as North Korea tensions escalate". Reuters. 2010-11-23. http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/23/us-north-korea-nuclear-idUSTRE6AM0RK20101123.
- ^ Korean Map, The People's Korea, 1998.
- ^ "Korea's ethnic nationalism is a source of both pride and prejudice, according to Gi-Wook Shin". Aparc.stanford.edu. http://aparc.stanford.edu/news/koreas_ethnic_nationalism_is_a_source_of_both_pride_and_prejudice_according_to_giwook_shin_20060802/. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Trying to teach South Korea about discrimination
- ^ Kim, Hyung-jin (2006-08-29). "No 'real' Chinatown in S. Korea, the result of xenophobic attitudes". Yonhap News. http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/152641.html. Retrieved 2006-12-08.
- ^ "More Than 1 Million Foreigners Live in Korea". Chosun Ilbo. 2009-08-06. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/08/06/2009080600243.html. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ "CIA — The World Factbook — Korea, North". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "대한민국의 국호". Naver Encyclope]. http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=714173.
- ^ "About Korea — Religion". Korea.net. Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080731234901/http://www.korea.net/korea/kor_loca.asp?code=U05. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "South Koreans". Every Culture. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Japan-to-Mali/South-Koreans.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Culture of South Korea". Every Culture. http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/South-Korea.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "Culture of North Korea". Every Culture. http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/North-Korea.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "CIA The World Factbook — North Korea". Cia.gov. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html#People. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "International Religious Freedom Report 2008 - Korea, Republic of". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108411.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ "The Korea Times:Islam takes root and blooms". Islamawareness.net. 2002-11-22. http://www.islamawareness.net/Asia/KoreaSouth/ks_news002.html. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ Kimbap, excerpt from Andrew J. Luxner's American English: A Teachers's Journey in Seoul, South Korea. Golden Hill Books, San Diego. ISBN 0-9760748-1-8
- ^ (Korean) Gimbap at Doosan Encyclopedia
- ^ (Korean) Gimbap at Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
- ^ "OECD.org" (PDF). http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/42/8/39700724.pdf. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
- ^ "Cultural Heritage, the source for Koreans' Strength and Dream". Cha.go.kr. http://www.cha.go.kr/english/search_plaza/ECulresult_Db_View.jsp?VdkVgwKey=11,01260000,37. Retrieved 2009-11-03. [dead link]
- ^ Hawley, Samuel (2005). The Imjin War. Japan's Sixteenth-Century Invasion of Korea and Attempt to Conquer China. Seoul: The Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch. pp. 195f. ISBN 89-954424-2-5.
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2002). Samurai Invasion. Japan’s Korean War 1592-98. London: Cassell & Co. p. 244. ISBN 0-304-35948-3.
- ^ Roh, Young-koo (2004). "Yi Sun-shin, an Admiral Who Became a Myth". The Review of Korean Studies 7 (3): 15–36. http://review.aks.ac.kr/AttachedFiles/7-3-1-Yi%20Sun-shin,%20an%20Admiral%20Who%20Became%20a%20Myth.pdf.
References[link]
- Cumings, Bruce. Korea's Place in the Sun, Norton, 1997. ISBN 0-393-31681-5
- Kim, et al. Women of Korea: A History from Ancient Times to 1945, Ewha Women's University Press, 1976. ISBN 89-7300-116-7.
- Asian Info website
- STJI.edu.cn
- UMSL.edu
- Diamond-dilemma.com
- Korea Expat Community WorknPlay's Korea information page
- Mitchell, Richard H; Hicks, George (April 1997). "George Hicks. The Comfort Women: Japan's Brutal Regime of Enforced Prostitution in the Second World War". The American Historical Review (American Historical Association) 102 (2): 503. DOI:10.2307/2170934. JSTOR 2170934 (Review of Hicks 1997).
Further reading[link]
- Chun, Tuk Chu. "Korea in the Pacific Community". Social Education 52 (March 1988), 182. EJ 368 177.
- Cumings, Bruce. The Two Koreas. New York: Foreign Policy Association, 1984.
- Focus On Asian Studies. Special Issue: "Korea: A Teacher's Guide". No. 1, Fall 1986.
- Gi-Wook Shin/Michael Robinson (Ed.). Colonial modernity in Korea, Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.]: Harvard University, Asia Center; Distributed by Harvard Univ. Press 1999. ISBN 0-674-14255-1.
- Hart, Dennis. From Tradition to Consumption: Construction of a Capitalist Culture in South Korea. Seoul: Jimoondang Pub., 2003.
- Joe, W.J. & Choe, H.A. Traditional Korea: A Cultural History, Seoul: Hollym, 1997.
- Joungwon, A.K. Divided Korea: The Politics of Development, Harvard University Press, 1975.
- Lee Ki-baik. A New History of Korea. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1984.
- Lee Sang-sup. "The Arts and Literature of Korea". The Social Studies 79 (July–August 1988): 153–60. EJ 376 894.
- Tae-Jin, Y. "The Illegality of the Forced Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of the Great Han Empire", In the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, Vol. 36, No. 4, 1996.
- The Gloucestershire Regiment and The Battle of the Imjin River, Korean War
- Briefing note for OECD Health Data 2009: How Does Korea Compare: Organisation For Economic Co-operation and Development. (2009).
External links[link]
 |
Look up Korea in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- The official website of the Republic of Korea (Korea.net)
- Korea, an external wiki
- North Korea travel guide from Wikitravel
- South Korea travel guide from Wikitravel
- Korea at the Open Directory Project
Texts on Wikisource:
- "Korea". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921.
- "Korea". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.
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Coordinates: 38°19′N 127°14′E / 38.317°N 127.233°E / 38.317; 127.233
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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Park Geun-hye 박근혜 朴槿惠 |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader of the Saenuri Party | |
| In office 17 December 2011 – 15 May 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Hong Jun-pyo |
| Succeeded by | Hwang Woo-yea[1] |
| In office 23 March 2004 – 10 July 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Choi Byeong-ryeol |
| Succeeded by | Kang Jae-sup |
| First Lady of South Korea Acting |
|
| In office 16 August 1974 – 26 October 1979 |
|
| President | Park Chung-hee |
| Preceded by | Yuk Young-soo |
| Succeeded by | Hong Gi |
| Member of the National Assembly for Dalseong |
|
| In office 3 April 1998 – 29 May 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | Kim Suk-won |
| Succeeded by | Lee Jong-jin |
| Member of the National Assembly Proportional Representation |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 30 May 2012 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1952-02-02) 2 February 1952 (age 60) Daegu, South Korea |
| Political party | Saenuri Party |
| Alma mater | Sogang University |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Official website Cyworld |
| Park Geun-hye | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 박근혜 |
| Hanja | 朴槿惠 |
| Revised Romanization | Bak Geunhye |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pak Kŭnhye |
| Dharma name | |
| Hangul | 선덕화 |
| Hanja | 善德華 |
| Revised Romanization | Seondeokhwa |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏndŏkhwa |
Park Geun-hye (Hangul: 박근혜; Hanja: 朴槿惠; born 2 February 1952) is a South Korean politician. She was the chairwoman of the conservative Grand National Party (GNP) between 2004 and 2006 and between 2011 and 2012 (The GNP changed its name to Saenuri Party in February 2012). Park is a member of the Korean National Assembly who had served four consecutive parliamentary terms as a constituency representative between 1998 and 2012, and will start her fifth term as a proportional representative from May 2012. Her father was Park Chung-hee, president of South Korea from 1963 to 1979. She is considered the most influential politician in Korea since the three Kims (Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil)[2] and the top candidate to be the next president of South Korea, with a 42.1% approval rating as of April 2012.[3]
Contents |
Biography[link]
Early life and education[link]
Park was born on February 2, 1952 in Samdeok-dong of Jung-gu, Daegu, as the first child of Park Chung-hee and Yuk Young-soo. She has a younger brother, Park Ji-man, and a younger sister, Park Seo-yeong.
Park graduated from Seoul's Seongsim High School in 1970, going on to receive a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Sogang University in 1974. She received an honorary doctoral degree from Chinese Culture University in Taiwan in 1987, Pukyong National University and KAIST in 2008, and Sogang University in 2010.
First Lady (as the president's daughter)[link]
Park lost her mother to Mun Se-gwang, a Japanese-born Korean assassin, a member of General Association of Korean Residents in Japan under the command of the North Korean government in the National Theater of Korea, Seoul on 15 August 1974.[4] Since then, she was regarded as first lady until 1979 when her father was also assassinated by his own intelligence chief, Kim Jae-gyu, on 26 October 1979. During this time, activists who were political opponents of her father were claimed to be subject to arbitrary detention, and human rights were considered subordinate to economic development.[5] In 2007 Park Geun-hye has expressed regret at the treatment of activists during this period.[6]
Political career[link]
Assemblywoman[link]
Park was elected a Grand National Party (GNP) assemblywoman for Dalseong, Daegu in 1998 by-election, and elected three more times in the same electoral district between 1998 and 2008, being the incumbent assemblywoman as of April 2012. In 2012, Park announced that she would not run for a constituency representative seat for the 19th election in Dalseong or anywhere else, but for a proportional representative position for the Saenuri Party, instead, in order to lead the party's election campaign. She was elected as a proportional representative in the April 2012 election.
GNP chairwoman and "Queen of Elections"[link]
Due to the failed attempt of impeaching President Roh Mu Hyun and the bribery scandal of its 2002 presidential candidate Lee Hoi Chang revealed in 2004, the GNP was facing a severe defeat in 2004 general election. Park was appointed as the chairwoman of the party and led the election efforts. In the election, the GNP lost its majority position, but managed to gain 121 seats, which is largely considered a great achievement under such inhospitable circumstances for the party.[7][8] As the chairwoman of the GNP, Park helped her party make significant gains in local elections and actually obtain a majority in 2006.
During the campaign on May 20, 2006, Ji Chung-ho, a 50-year old criminal with 8 previous convictions slashed Park's face with a utility knife, causing a 11-centimeter wound on her face, requiring 60 stitches and hours of surgery.[9][10] A famous anecdote from this incident occurred when Park was hospitalized after the attack. The first word that she said to her secretary after her recovery from her wound was "How is Daejon?" After this, the candidate from the Grand National Party won the election for the mayor of city of Daejon despite trailing by more than 20 percentage points in opinion polls up to the point. In addition, during Park's term as the GNP chairwoman between 2004 and 2006, the party won all 40 reelections and by-elections held, which was largely credited to Park's influence and efforts.[11][12] This feat gave Park a nickname "Queen of Elections".
On February 12, 2007, Park made a much-publicized visit to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the United States. Her visit culminated in an address to a packed audience at the Kennedy School of Government, where she said she wanted to "save" Korea and advocated a stronger relationship between South Korea and the US.[13][14]
2008 Presidential bid[link]
Park hoped to emulate her father's success by becoming the presidential nominee of the Grand National Party.[citation needed] She eventually lost to Lee Myung-bak by a narrow margin. Lee had a commanding lead at the beginning of the primary season, but Park was able to narrow the gap through allegations of Lee's corruption. Park won the "party member's bid", but she lost the "national bid" which is a larger percentage of the total presidential bid.
2008 General Election[link]
After the 2007 presidential election, President Lee Myung-bak formed a government mostly of his close supporters.[citation needed] Park's supporters argued that this was a kind of political reprisal, and that they should secede the Grand National Party.[citation needed] Eventually, they formed parties named Pro-Park Coalition and Solidarity for Pro-Park Independents (친박 무소속 연대; Chinbak Musosok Yeondae). Park herself did not join them, but indirectly supported them by announcing "I hope these people to come back alive". After the mass secession, the rebels announced that they would rejoin GNP after the general election but GNP prohibited it.
In the following 2008 general election, the rebels won 26 seats: 14 from the Pro-Park Coalition and 12 as independents. Together, they played a pivotal role in the GNP's narrow majority. Park continually insisted that GNP should allow the return of her supporters. As of 2011, most of these rebels had returned to the GNP, resulting in approximately 50–60 assembly members who supports Park out of 171 in the GNP.
Head of Saenuri Party[link]
As a response of dwindling approval rating of the GNP, the party formed an emergency committee and changed the name of the political party from the Grand National Party to the Saenuri Party, meaning "New Frontier Party". On December 19, 2011, Park was appointed as the chairwoman of GNP's Emergency Committee, the de facto leader of the party.
2012 General Election[link]
Saenuri Party claimed a surprise win against the opposing Democratic United Party in 2012 General Election, winning 152 seats and retaining its majority position. Because of corruption scandals of the Lee Administration revealed before the election, Saenuri Party was widely expected to win no more than 100 seats.[15] During the 13-day campaign period, Park traveled about 7200 km around South Korea, visiting more than 100 constituencies.[16] It is the consensus of Korean news media and political experts that the most important factor which led to Saenuri Party's victory was Park's leadership. For this reason, the 2012 election was often dubbed "the return of the Queen of Election".[15][17] Saenuri's defeat in the populous Seoul metropolitan area in this election, however, revealed the limitation of Park's political influence.[15]
Potential 2012 presidential candidate[link]
Park has been the leading candidate for the 2012 presidential election in every national-level poll in South Korea between 2008, when Lee Myung-bak administration began, and September 2011, with an approval rating of about 25%–45%, more than twice that of the second candidate. Park's approval rating was highest when 2008 National Assembly election showed her strong influence and lowest in early 2010 as a result of her political stance against Lee administration in Sejong City issue.[18]
In September 2011, Ahn Cheol-Soo, a former venture IT businessman and the Dean of Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, emerged as a strong independent candidate for presidency. In national-level presidential polls in September 2011, Ahn and Park Geun Hye closely competed for the status of front-runner, with Park losing the top seat in some polls for first time since 2008[19] (which, however, were not conducted according to established polling methods).[citation needed][19]
After her victory in 2012 General Election, Park's approval rating significantly increased. In a survey by Korean Gallup in April 2012,[20] Park was the top presidential candidate with the approval rating of 37.0% when competing with all potential candidates, and had a higher approval rating (45.1%) than Ahn (35.9%) in a two-way competition with Ahn.
Criticism[link]
Park had been often criticized for being the "daughter of a dictator" mainly by left-wing Korean politicians[21][22] and for not actively supporting the Lee administration by supporters of Lee Myung-Bak. One of degrading nicknames for her is "Notebook Princess" (수첩공주; Sucheop gongju), as she grew up as a privileged child in the "royal" presidential family[citation needed] and has been very taciturn, usually only speaking publicly from prepared manuscripts.
Park has faced much scrutiny over an educational foundation, formerly known as Bu-il (after the stock it controls in the newspaper Busan Ilbo), which her father and later she headed. Its original owners claimed in court they were forced to turn it over to her father.[citation needed]
Electoral history[link]
National Assembly races (1998 to present)[link]
1998[link]
| 15th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 1998 by-election, Dalseong, Daegu [23] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Grand National | Park Geun-hye | 28,937 | 51.5% | |
| Democratic | Eum Sam-tak | 16,355 | 29.1% | |
| Totals | 45,292 | 100.0% | ||
| Grand National hold | ||||
2000[link]
| 16th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2000, Dalseong, Daegu [24] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Grand National | Park Geun-hye | 37,805 | 61.4% | |
| Democratic | Eum Sam-tak | 23,744 | 37.8% | |
| Totals | 62,738 | 100.0% | ||
| Grand National hold | ||||
2004[link]
| 17th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2004, Dalseong, Daegu[24] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Grand National | Park Geun-hye | 45,298 | 70.0% | |
| Uri | Yoon Yong-hui | 15,014 | 22.9% | |
| Democratic Labor | Heo Kyoung Do | 4,367 | 6.6% | |
| Totals | 65,633 | 100.0% | ||
| Grand National hold | ||||
2008[link]
| 18th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2008, Dalseong, Daegu[25] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Grand National | Park Geun-hye | 50,149 | 88.57% | |
| Democratic Labor | Noh Yoon-jo | 5,080 | 8.97% | |
| PUFP | Lim Jung-heon | 1,386 | 2.44% | |
| Totals | 57,416 | 100.0% | ||
| Grand National hold | ||||
2012[link]
| 19th National Assembly of the Republic of Korea elections, 2012, Proportional Representative[26][27] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |
| Saenuri | Park Geun-hye (List #11.) | 9,324,911 | 42.8% | |
| Saenuri hold | ||||
Essay[link]
- "Despair trains me and Hope moves me" (in Korean: 절망은 나를 단련시키고 희망은 나를 움직인다), Wisdom House, July 2007, ISBN 89-6086-033-6
- "My mother, Yuk Young-soo" (in Korean: 나의 어머니 육영수), People&People, January 2001, ISBN 89-85541-54-4
- "In the end only a fistful, one speck" (in Korean: 결국 한 줌, 결국 한 점), Busan Ilbo books, October 1998, ISBN 89-87236-25-0
- "Befriending adversities, Truth as the guiding light" (in Korean: 고난을 벗삼아 진실을 등대삼아), Busan Ilbo books, October 1998, ISBN 89-87236-24-2
- "Journey of my mind" (in Korean: 내 마음의 여정), Hansol Media, May 1995, ISBN 89-85656-50-3
- "If I were born in an ordinary family" (in Korean: 평범한 가정에 태어났더라면), Nam Song, November 1993, ISBN 2001044000207
See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ Lee Eun-joo (16 May 2012). "Saenuri elects new leaders: Hwang Woo-yea of Park faction becomes its chairman". JoongAng Ilbo. http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2952930&cloc=joongangdaily. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Shin Soo-jeong(신수정) (14 July 2009). "역시 박근혜! 지지율 29% 1위…5월보다 다소 하락 [Park Geun-hye topped with 29% approval rate.. slightly declined from May]" (in Korea). Herald Business(헤럴드 경제). http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=016&aid=0000311268. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ Sohn Bong-seok (손봉석) (23 April 2012). "여론지지율 박근혜 42.1%·안철수 23.9%·문재인 13.5% [Multi-candidate poll result: Park Geun-hye 42.1%, Ahn Cheol-soo 23.9%, Moon Jae-in 13.5%]" (in Korean). Kyunghyang Shinmun. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=032&aid=0002212264. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ "8·15대통령저격사건 (八一五大統領狙擊事件) [August 15 President assassination-attempt incident]" (in Korean). Doopedia (두산백과). http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=180730. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
- ^ C.I. Eugene Kim (April 1978). "Emergency, Development, and Human Rights: South Korea". Asian Survey (University of California Press) 18 (4): 363–378. http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/2643400?uid=3739536&uid=2129&uid=2134&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=21100798234751.
- ^ "Park Calls 1961 Coup 'Revolution' to Save Nation". KBS news. 19 July 2009. http://english.kbs.co.kr/news/newsview_sub.php?menu=2&key=2007071913. Retrieved 13 May 2012. "She apologized, however, for the sufferings and sacrifices of pro-democracy activists under the constitutional system, which was effective between 1972 and 1979."
- ^ 2012 Yeonhap News article
- ^ 2012 Chosun Biz article
- ^ "Joint Probe into Attack on GNP Chairwoman". Arirang News. 22 May 2006. http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2006/05/22/2006052261007.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Kim Yi-sak(김이삭); Chung Min-seung(정민승) (21 May 2006). "박근혜대표 유세장서 피습 중상 [GNP leader Park Geun-hye attacked during campaign]" (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=038&aid=0000330425. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Kim Nam-kwon(김남권) (4 October 2011). "박근혜, 野시절 `40대 0 신화'.이번엔? [Park Geun-hye scored 40 to 0 as the opposition. How about this time?]" (in Korean). Yonhap News. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=001&aid=0005298622. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Kim Min-ja(김민자) (29 March 2012). "'선거의 여왕' 박근혜, 총선에서 뒷심 발휘할까? ['Queen of elections' Park Geun-hye, Could she wield her magic again in April?]" (in Korean). NewsIs. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=003&aid=0004415188. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Politician Wants To ‘Save’ Korea: South Korean National Assembly member advocates alliance with United States". The Harvard Crimson. 13 February 2007. http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=516993. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "The Republic of Korea and the United States:Our Future Together". Institute for Corean-American Studies, Inc.. 21 February 2007. http://www.icasinc.org/2007/2007l/2007lghp.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012. "An Address Delivered at the ARCO (John F. Kennedy Jr.) Forum, John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University"
- ^ a b c Sung Yeon-chul(성연철) (12 April 2012). "‘선거의 여왕’ 화려한 귀환…수도권·젊은층에선 한계 [Return of Queen of election. Park also showed her limit among capital area voters and the youth]" (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/politics/politics_general/527972.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Kim Jeong-ha(김정하); Hur Jin(허진); Sohn Guk-hee(손국희) (14 April 2012). "'청바지 유세' 고개 흔들던 박근혜, 30분 뒤 [Park Geun-hye shook head for wearing jeans, but after 30 minutes changed her mind]" (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. http://article.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.asp?total_id=7895558&ctg=1000. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Kim Sung-gon(김성곤) (15 December 2011). "'여왕의 화려한 귀환' 박근혜가 돌아왔다 [Return of Queen of election, Park Geun-hye returned as GNP leader]" (in Korean). Edaily News. http://www.edaily.co.kr/news/NewsRead.edy?SCD=DA32&newsid=01787606596478848&DCD=A01503&OutLnkChk=Y. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Kim Hwa-young(김화영) (8 September 2011). "박근혜 대세론 `휘청'..스타일 변화 모색 [Park Geun-hye's top candidate position is challenged. needs to change her style]" (in Korean). Yonhap News. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=001&aid=0005258502. Retrieved 16 May 2012. "Faced with rising Ahn Cheol-soo's approval rate, Park Geun-hye's leadership is in question. Sending messages wouldn't be enough, and she must increase her appearance in public. Park will try to tackle the center. [安風에 대세론 제동 걸려..정치적 시험대 올라. `메시지 정치'서 `현장정치'로..중도층 공략 본격화 예상]"
- ^ a b Kim Nam-kwon(김남권) (10 September 2011). "박근혜-안철수, 여론조사 `엎치락뒤치락' [Poll: Park Geun-hye and Ahn Cheol-soo are in fierce competition]" (in Korean). Yonhap News. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=001&aid=0005260480. Retrieved 16 May 2012. "All eyes on public opinion after Chuseok holiday. [추석 연휴 직후 `민심 향배'에 이목 집중]"
- ^ Ser Myo-ja (13 April 2012). "Park basks in ruling party’s election win". JoongAng Ilbo. http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2951404. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Chang Jin-bok(장진복) (24 March 2011). "이해찬 "野 총선승리 시 박근혜 별명은 '독재자의 딸'" [Lee Hae-chan, "If the oppositions win the legislative election, Park Geun-hye's nickname will change (from Queen of election) to daughter of a dictator"]" (in Korean). NewsIs. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=003&aid=0003762812. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Ko Dong-seok(고동석) (10 January 2011). "손학규 "누가 뭐래도 박근혜는 박정희의 딸" [Sohn Hak-kyu, "No one can't deny Park Geun-hye is the daughter of dictator Park Chung-hee"]" (in Korean). News Hankook. http://www.newshankuk.com/news/content.asp?news_idx=2011011017184489054. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ Ahn Jae-seung(안재승); Choi Ick-rim(최익림); Hong Dae-sun(홍대선); Shin Seung-geun(신승근) (3 April 1998). "한나라 재보선 4곳 석권 [GNP won all four seats of by-election]" (in Korean). The Hankyoreh. http://newslibrary.naver.com/viewer/index.nhn?articleId=1998040300289101004&edtNo=5&printCount=1&publishDate=1998-04-03&officeId=00028&pageNo=1&printNo=3157&publishType=00010. Retrieved 16 May 2012. "대구 달성에선 이날 자정 현재 82%개표 상황에서 박근혜 후보가 2만8937표(51.5%)를 얻어 1만 6355표(29.1%)를 얻은 엄삼탁 국민회의 후보를 크게 앞지르며 당선됐다. [In Dalseong Daegu, 82% votes were counted by 12 am. And Park Geun-hye got 28,937(51.5%) votes, compared to 16,355 (29.1%) votes for Eum Sam-tak of Democratic Party. Park has been elected by wide margin."
- ^ a b "중앙선거관리위원회, 역대 선거정보 시스템 [NEC, past election result]". http://www.nec.go.kr/sinfo/. Retrieved 16 May 2012. [dead link]
- ^ "중앙선거관리위원회, 18대 국회의원 선거관리 시스템 [National Election Committee, 18th legislative election information]". http://www.nec.go.kr:7070/abextern/Tgm/tgm_map.jsp. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Voting figures for proportional representation by parties (in Korean)". National Election Commission. http://info.nec.go.kr/electioninfo/electionInfo_report.xhtml?electionId=0020120411&requestURI=%2Felectioninfo%2F0020120411%2Fvc%2Fvccp09.jsp&topMenuId=VC&secondMenuId=VCCP&menuId=VCCP09&statementId=VCCP09_%237&electionCode=7&cityCode=0&sggCityCode=0&x=45&y=1. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "새누리당 비례대표 당선자 박근혜 [Saenuri Proportional Representation-elect, Park Geun-hye]" (in Korean). Yonhap News. 12 April 2012. http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=100&oid=001&aid=0005581817. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
External links[link]
- Park Geun-hye addresses "US–Korea Relations in a Changing World" at Stanford University, 6 May 2009
- Park Geun-hye's speech at the JFK Jr. Forum, Harvard University, 12 February 2007
- "Star Rises for Daughter of South Korea", The Washington Post, 15 March 2005.
| National Assembly of South Korea | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kim Suk-won |
Member of the National Assembly for Dalseong 1998–2012 |
Succeeded by Lee Jong-jin |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Choi Byeong-ryeol |
Leader of the Grand National Party 2004–2006 |
Succeeded by Kang Jae-sup |
| Preceded by Hong Jun-pyo as Leader of the Grand National Party |
Leader of the Saenuri Party 2011–2012 |
Succeeded by Hwang Woo-yea |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Yuk Young-soo |
First Lady of South Korea Acting 1974–1979 |
Succeeded by Hong Gi |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Park, Geun-hye |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 2 February 1952 |
| Place of birth | Daegu |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Park_Geun-hye
Related pages:
http://nl.wn.com/Park Geun-hye
http://de.wn.com/Park Geun-hye
http://fr.wn.com/Park Geun-hye
http://pl.wn.com/Park Geun-hye
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_Geun-hye
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Choi Sung-Bong | |
|---|---|
| Choi Sung-Bong at the Korea's Got Talent in South Korea. Choi Sung-Bong at the Korea's Got Talent in South Korea. |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Choi Sungbong |
| Born | (1990-02-18) February 18, 1990 (age 22) South Korea |
| Origin | South Korea |
| Genres | Opera |
| Occupations | Classical Vocalist |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2011–present |
|
This article contains Korean text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Hangul or Hanja. |
Choi Sungbong (최성봉; Hanja: 崔聖奉, born 18 February 1990) is a South Korean vocalist who became famous after his appearance on Korea's Got Talent was picked up by the worldwide news media. He finished second in the competition.
Contents |
Background[link]
Childhood[link]
Abandoned in an orphanage at three years old, Choi ran away from the abusive institution when he was five years old, because he was beaten. Choi sold chewing gum and energy drinks from five years of age. He delivered milk and newspapers in addition to working as a laborer to survive, beginning at age eight. Choi later met a woman who ran the food cart outside of night clubs, who gave him the name Ji-Sung. Choi did not have a name prior to their encounter. She also encouraged Choi to take the Korean equivalent of a GED to complete his elementary and junior high curricula in order to enter high school. Choi tracked his official record with the name Sungbong Choi at the orphanage; however, this was not his given name by his parents. Instead, it was the name given to him at the orphanage; as a result, Choi preferred the name Ji-Sung over Sungbong.
He graduated from Daejeon Arts High School. Choi stated during the audition that he attended the high school. Choi also mentioned that there were not any teachers to give him vocal training at the school since he did not usually have the financial resources to pay for master classes.
He also had to work at a delivery service to earn tuition and lessons, but it resulted in a traumatic fall during his 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift. Choi subsequently received medical treatment at Kun Yang University Hospital. Prior to the fall, Choi also had two car accidents as a child without proper medical treatment for many years. When Choi got admitted at Kun Yang University Hospital due to other medical issues related to the earlier car accidents, he voluntarily performed a recital for four students who needed the financial aid for schools during his in-patient stay. Choi initially considered dropping out of high school, but he later found master classes and practiced on his own. Nonetheless, his high school music teacher noted that Choi was often absent from classes due to his difficult situation. Choi could not continue with post-secondary education then due to his limited financial resources.[1] Instead, he worked as a construction worker with the type of work similar to that of a day laborer. Due to his immense TV exposure and popularity, Choi's background has been intensely searched and verified by Netizens and South Korean media.
Musical background[link]
Choi was inspired to pursue a career in music when he was 14 years old, after listening to a classical vocalist at the nightclub where he sold chewing gum. Choi mentioned during the Korea's Got Talent audition that he was particularly fascinated by the sincerity of the vocalist. He became a musical autodidact and later pursued classical vocal training at the musical department of Daejeon Arts High School.[2][3] Choi stated that his favorite vocalist is Andrea Bocelli.
[edit] Korea's Got Talent
Appearance and Performance[link]
On 6 June 2011, Choi's performance of "Nella Fantasia" moved judges and audience members to tears. He introduced himself as a manual laborer who had made a living selling gum and energy drinks for ten years.[1]
All the judges, including Kolleen Park, were impressed with his vocal talent. Choi advanced to the finals of the competition, finishing second by 280 votes.[4]
During his first appearance in replying to a judge's question on whether he had vocal training, Choi said he studied on his own, but took master classes whenever he had opportunities.[5]
YouTube sensation[link]
Choi's performance clip made it to YouTube and triggered a worldwide Internet sensation. One version[6] with English subtitles has triggered international press interest and a worldwide view that Choi was "the next Susan Boyle".[7] The video itself has more than 46 million views.[8][9]
See also[link]
- List of YouTube personalities
- List of South Korean television series
- List of South Korean musicians
- Television in South Korea
References[link]
- ^ a b "The Next Susan Boyle? South Korean Singer is Latest Internet Sensation". ABC News. June 7, 2011. http://abcnews.go.com/International/susan-boyle-south-korean-singer-latest-internet-sensation/story?id=13779754. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ^ "'Korea's Got Talent': orphan, Sungbong Choi makes judges cry". International Business Times. 2011-05-31. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/158315/20110606/korea-s-got-talent-sung-bong-choi-brings-tears-to-judges-eyes-italian-opera.htm. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- ^ "Choi Sungbong’s moving rendition on Korea’s Got Talent induces tears and controversy". Allkpop. June 6, 2011. http://www.allkpop.com/2011/06/choi-sung-bongs-moving-rendition-on-koreas-got-talent-induces-tears-and-controversy. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
- ^ "Korea's 'Susan Boyle' Choi Sung-Bong's Overcomes Troubled Past". ABC. 2011-08-21. http://abcnews.go.com/International/koreas-susan-boyle-choi-sung-bongs-overcomes-troubled/story?id=14348183. Retrieved 2011-09-16.
- ^ "Korean Susan Boyle: 22-Year-Old Sung-Bong Choi Sings on Korea's Got Talent". TIME. 2011-05-27. http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/06/07/the-new-susan-boyle-koreas-got-talent-singer-puts-judges-in-tears/. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- ^ "Korea's Got Talent. tvN 코리아 갓 탤런트 Ep.1 Sung-bong Choi!!!.avi". YouTube. 2011-06-04. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BewknNW2b8Y. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- ^ Usigan, Ysolt (2011-06-07). "The next Susan Boyle? Sung-bong Choi on "Korea's Got Talent"". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504784_162-20069637-10391705.html. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ46Ot4_lLo
- ^ Anna Park (June 8, 2011). "Homeless Orphan Becomes Overnight Star of Korea's Got Talent". MTV Korea. http://mtvk.com/2011/06/08/homeless-orphan-becomes-overnight-star-of-koreas-got-talent/. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
External links[link]
- Sungbong Choi's official page
- Sungbong Choi's facebook page
- Korea's Got Talent
- Sung-bong Choi Fan Page
- [1] Fan Page
- [2] twitter
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sung-Bong, Choi |
| Alternative names | |
| Short description | |
| Date of birth | 1990-02-18 |
| Place of birth | South Korea |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
http://wn.com/Choi_Sung-Bong
Related pages:
http://nl.wn.com/Choi Sung-Bong
http://pt.wn.com/Sung-bong Choi
http://it.wn.com/Choi Sung-Bong
http://es.wn.com/Choi Sung-Bong
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_Sung-Bong
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
| Kim Jong-il 김정일 |
|
|---|---|
| File:Portrait of Kim Jong Il released by state media.jpg | |
| Official portrait | |
| Supreme Leader of North Korea | |
| In office 8 July 1994 – 17 December 2011[1] |
|
| Premier | Hong Song-nam Pak Pong-ju Kim Yong-il Choe Yong-rim |
| Preceded by | Kim Il-sung (as President) |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jong-un |
| General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea | |
| In office 8 July 1994 – 17 December 2011 (Eternal General Secretary since 11 April 2012) |
|
| Deputy | Kim Yong-nam Choe Yong-rim Jo Myong-rok Ri Yong-ho |
| Preceded by | Kim Il-sung |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jong-un (as First Secretary) (Position abolished as Kim Jong-il was declared as the Eternal General Secretary on 11 April 2012.) |
| Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea | |
| In office 9 April 1993 – 17 December 2011 (Eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission since 13 April 2012) |
|
| Deputy | Jo Myong-rok |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jong-un (as First Chairman) (Position abolished as Kim Jong-il was declared as the Eternal Chairman on 13 April 2012) |
| Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army | |
| In office 24 December 1991 – 17 December 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Kim Il-sung |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jong-un[2] |
| Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party | |
| In office 8 October 1997 – 17 December 2011 |
|
| Deputy | Kim Jong-un Ri Yong-ho |
| Preceded by | Kim Il-sung |
| Succeeded by | Kim Jong-un |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yuri Irsenovich Kim (1941-02-16)16 February 1941 Vyatskoye, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (Soviet records) (1942-02-16)16 February 1942 Baekdu Mountain, Japanese Korea (North Korean biography) Disputed, see section Birth. |
| Died | 17 December 2011(2011-12-17) (aged 70) (suspected heart attack) Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Resting place | Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| Political party | Workers' Party of Korea |
| Spouse(s) | Kim Young-sook (1974–2011) |
| Domestic partner | Song Hye-rim (1968–2002) Ko Young-hee (1977–2004) Kim Ok (2004–2011) |
| Children | Kim Sul-song Kim Jong-nam Kim Jong-chul Kim Jong-un |
| Alma mater | Kim Il-sung University |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  North Korea |
| Service/branch | Korean People's Army |
| Years of service | 1991–2011 |
| Rank | Wonsu (Marshal) |
| Commands | Supreme Commander |
|
This article contains Korean text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Hangul or Hanja. |
| Kim Jong-il | |
|---|---|
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 김정일 |
| Hancha | 金正日 |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Chŏngil |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Jeong(-)il |
Kim Jong-il (born Yuri Irsenovich Kim;[3] 16 February 1941; official biography claims 1942[4] – 17 December 2011[5]) was the supreme leader of North Korea (DPRK) from 1994 to 2011. He succeeded his father and founder of the DPRK Kim Il-sung following the elder Kim's death in 1994. Kim Jong-il was the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, Chairman of the National Defence Commission of North Korea, and the supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, the fourth-largest standing army in the world.
In April 2009, North Korea's constitution was amended to refer to him as the "supreme leader".[6] He was also referred to as the "Dear Leader", "our Father", and "the General", among others.[7] His son Kim Jong-un was promoted to a senior position in the ruling Workers' Party and is his successor.[8] In 2010, he was ranked 31st in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's Most Powerful People.[9] The North Korean government announced his death on 19 December 2011.[5]
Following his demise, he was succeeded by his third son Kim Jong-un. He was proclaimed the Eternal General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Eternal Chairman of the National Defence Commission in 2012. His birthday is a public holiday in the country.
Contents |
Childhood[link]
Birth[link]
Soviet records show that Kim was born in the village of Vyatskoye, near Khabarovsk, in 1941,[10] where his father, Kim Il-sung, commanded the 1st Battalion of the Soviet 88th Brigade, made up of Chinese and Korean exiles. Kim Jong-il's mother, Kim Jong-suk, was Kim Il-sung's first wife.
However, Kim Jong-il's official biography[11] states he was born in a secret military camp on Baekdu Mountain (Korean: 백두산밀영고향집) in Japanese-occupied Korea on 16 February 1942.[12] Official biographers claim that his birth at Baekdu Mountain was foretold by a swallow, and heralded by the appearance of a double rainbow across the sky over the mountain and a new star in the heavens.[13]
In 1945, Kim was four years old when World War II ended and Korea regained independence from Japan. His father returned to Pyongyang that September, and in late November Kim returned to Korea via a Soviet ship, landing at Sonbong (선봉군, also Unggi). The family moved into a former Japanese officer's mansion in Pyongyang, with a garden and pool. Kim Jong-il's brother, "Shura" Kim (the first Kim Pyong-il, but known by his Russian nickname), drowned there in 1948. Unconfirmed reports suggest that five-year-old Kim Jong-il might have caused the accident.[14]
In 1949, his mother died in childbirth.[15] Unconfirmed reports suggest that his mother might have been shot and left to bleed to death.[14]
Education[link]
According to his official biography, Kim completed the course of general education between September 1950 and August 1960. He attended Primary School No. 4 and Middle School No. 1 (Namsan Higher Middle School) in Pyongyang.[citation needed] This is contested by foreign academics, who believe he is more likely to have received his early education in the People's Republic of China as a precaution to ensure his safety during the Korean War.[16]
Throughout his schooling, Kim was involved in politics. He was active in the Children's Union[17] and the Democratic Youth League (DYL), taking part in study groups of Marxist political theory and other literature. In September 1957 he became vice-chairman of his middle school's DYL branch. He pursued a programme of anti-factionalism and attempted to encourage greater ideological education among his classmates.
Kim is also said to have received English language education at the University of Malta in the early 1970s,[18] on his infrequent holidays in Malta as guest of Prime Minister Dom Mintoff.[19]
The elder Kim had meanwhile remarried and had another son, Kim Pyong-il (named after Kim Jong-il's drowned brother). Since 1988, Kim Pyong-il has served in a series of North Korean embassies in Europe and is the North Korean ambassador to Poland. Foreign commentators suspect that Kim Pyong-il was sent to these distant posts by his father in order to avoid a power struggle between his two sons.[20]
Presidium member and party secretary (1980–1994)[link]
By the time of the Sixth Party Congress in October 1980, Kim Jong-il's control of the Party operation was complete. He was given senior posts in the Politburo, the Military Commission and the party Secretariat. When he was made a member of the Seventh Supreme People's Assembly in February 1982, international observers deemed him the heir apparent of North Korea.
At this time Kim assumed the title "Dear Leader" (친애하는 지도자, ch'inaehanŭn jidoja)[21] the government began building a personality cult around him patterned after that of his father, the "Great Leader". Kim Jong-il was regularly hailed by the media as the "fearless leader" and "the great successor to the revolutionary cause". He emerged as the most powerful figure behind his father in North Korea.
On 24 December 1991, Kim was also named supreme commander of the North Korean armed forces. Since the Army is the real foundation of power in North Korea, this was a vital step. Defence Minister Oh Jin-wu, one of Kim Il-sung's most loyal subordinates, engineered Kim Jong-il's acceptance by the Army as the next leader of North Korea, despite his lack of military service. The only other possible leadership candidate, Prime Minister Kim Il (no relation), was removed from his posts in 1976. In 1992, Kim Il-sung publicly stated that his son was in charge of all internal affairs in the Democratic People's Republic.
In 1992, radio broadcasts started referring to him as the "Dear Father", instead of the "Dear Leader", suggesting a promotion. His 50th birthday in February was the occasion for massive celebrations, exceeded only by those for the 80th birthday of Kim Il Sung himself on 15 April that same year.
According to defector Hwang Jang-yop, the North Korean government system became even more centralized and autocratic during the 1980s and 1990s under Kim Jong-il than it had been under his father. In one example explained by Hwang, although Kim Il-sung required his ministers to be loyal to him, he nonetheless and frequently sought their advice during decision-making. In contrast, Kim Jong-il demanded absolute obedience and agreement from his ministers and party officials with no advice or compromise, and he viewed any slight deviation from his thinking as a sign of disloyalty. According to Hwang, Kim Jong-il personally directed even minor details of state affairs, such as the size of houses for party secretaries and the delivery of gifts to his subordinates.[22]
By the 1980s, North Korea began to experience severe economic stagnation. Kim Il-sung's policy of juche (self-reliance) cut the country off from almost all external trade, even with its traditional partners, the Soviet Union and China.
South Korea accused Kim of ordering the 1983 bombing in Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar), which killed 17 visiting South Korean officials, including four cabinet members, and another in 1987 which killed all 115 on board Korean Air Flight 858.[23] A North Korean agent, Kim Hyon Hui, confessed to planting a bomb in the case of the second, saying the operation was ordered by Kim Jong-il personally.[24]
In 1992, Kim Jong-il's voice was broadcast within North Korea for the first time during a military parade for the KPA's 60th year anniversary in Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square, in which Kim Il-sung attended with Kim Jong-il by his side. After Kim Il-sung's speech, and the parade inspection his son approached the microphone at the grandstand in response to the report of the parade inspector and simply said: "Glory to the heroic soldiers of the Korean People's Army!" Everyone in the audience applauded and the parade participants at the square grounds (which included veteran soldiers and officers of the KPA) shouted "ten thousand years" three times after that.
Ruler of North Korea[link]
On 8 July 1994, Kim Jong-il's father, Kim Il-sung, died at the age of 82 from a heart attack. However, it took three years for Kim Jong-il to consolidate his power. On 1 January 1995, Kim Jong Il inspected a unit of the Korean People’s Army, which was his first official action as the supreme leader of the DPRK in the first year after the President died. It was also an official act done amid various conjectures on the future of the DPRK and his political direction.[25] On 10 Oct Kim reviewed a massive military parade and a procession of 1 million people in Pyongyang, marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the country's ruling Workers' Party of Korea in what was his first major public appearance after his father's death.
He officially took the titles of General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea on 8 October 1997 and Chairman of the National Defence Commission on 9 April 1993. In 1998, his Defence Commission chairmanship was declared to be "the highest post of the state", so Kim may be regarded as North Korea's head of state from that date. Also in 1998, the Supreme People's Assembly wrote the president's post out of the constitution in memory of Kim Il-Sung, who was designated the country's "Eternal President". It can be argued, though, that he became the country's leader when he became leader of the Workers' Party; in most Communist countries the party leader is the most powerful person in the country.
Officially, Kim was part of a triumvirate heading the executive branch of the North Korean government along with Premier Choe Yong-rim and parliament chairman Kim Yong-nam (no relations). Each nominally held powers equivalent to a third of a president's powers in most other presidential systems. Kim Jong-il was commander of the armed forces, Choe Yong-rim headed the government and Kim Yong-nam handled foreign relations. In practice, however, Kim Jong-il exercised absolute control over the government and the country. Although not required to stand for popular election to his key offices, he was unanimously elected to the Supreme People's Assembly every five years, representing a military constituency, due to his concurrent capacities as KPA Supreme Commander and Chairman of the DPRK NDC.[citation needed]
Economic policies[link]
The state-controlled economy of North Korea struggled throughout the 1990s, primarily due to mismanagement. In addition, North Korea experienced severe floods in the mid-1990s, exacerbated by poor land management.[26][27][28] This, compounded with only 18% arable land[29] and an inability to import the goods necessary to sustain industry,[30] led to an immense famine and left North Korea in economic shambles. Faced with a country in decay, Kim adopted a "Military-First" policy (선군정치, Sŏn'gun chŏngch'i) to strengthen the country and reinforce the regime.[31] On the national scale, a North Korean spokesman has claimed that this has resulted in a positive growth rate for the country since 1996, with the implementation of "landmark socialist-type market economic practices" in 2002 keeping the North afloat despite a continued dependency on foreign aid for food.[32]
In the wake of the devastation of the 1990s, the government began formally approving some activity of small-scale bartering and trade. As observed by Daniel Sneider, associate director for research at the Stanford University Asia-Pacific Research Center, this flirtation with capitalism was "fairly limited, but — especially compared to the past — there are now remarkable markets that create the semblance of a free market system."[33]
In 2002, Kim Jong-il declared that "money should be capable of measuring the worth of all commodities."[34] These gestures toward economic reform mirror similar actions taken by China's Deng Xiaoping in the late 1980s and early 90s. During a rare visit in 2006, Kim expressed admiration for China's rapid economic progress.[35]
Foreign relations[link]
In 1998, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung implemented the "Sunshine Policy" to improve North-South relations and to allow South Korean companies to start projects in the North. Kim Jong-il announced plans to import and develop new technologies to develop North Korea's fledgling software industry. As a result of the new policy, the Kaesong Industrial Park was constructed in 2003 just north of the de-militarized zone, with the planned participation of 250 South Korean companies, employing 100,000 North Koreans, by 2007.[36] However, by March 2007, the Park contained only 21 companies — employing 12,000 North Korean workers.[37] As of May 2010 the park employs over 40,000 North Korean workers.[38]
In 1994, North Korea and the United States signed an Agreed Framework which was designed to freeze and eventually dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for aid in producing two power-generating nuclear reactors.[39] In 2002, Kim Jong-il's government admitted to having produced nuclear weapons since the 1994 agreement. Kim's regime argued the secret production was necessary for security purposes — citing the presence of United States-owned nuclear weapons in South Korea and the new tensions with the United States under President George W. Bush.[40] On 9 October 2006, North Korea's Korean Central News Agency announced that it had successfully conducted an underground nuclear test.
Cult of personality[link]
Kim Jong-il was the centre of an elaborate personality cult inherited from his father and founder of the DPRK, Kim Il-sung. Defectors have been quoted as saying that North Korean schools deify both father and son.[41][page needed] He was often the centre of attention throughout ordinary life in the DPRK. On his 60th birthday (based on his official date of birth), mass celebrations occurred throughout the country on the occasion of his Hwangab.[42] Many North Koreans believed that he had the "magical" ability to "control the weather" based on his mood.[41] In 2010, the North Korean media reported that Kim's distinctive clothing had set worldwide fashion trends.[43]
One point of view is that Kim Jong Il's cult of personality was solely out of respect for Kim Il-sung or out of fear of punishment for failure to pay homage.[44] Media and government sources from outside of North Korea generally support this view,[45][46][47][48][49] while North Korean government sources aver it was a genuine hero worship.[50] The song "No Motherland Without You", sung by the KPA State Merited Choir, was created especially for Kim in 1992 and is frequently broadcast on the radio and from loudspeakers on the streets of Pyongyang.[51]
Human rights record[link]
See also: Human rights in North Korea
According to a 2004 Human Rights Watch report, the North Korean government under Kim was "among the world's most repressive governments", having up to 200,000 political prisoners according to U.S. and South Korean officials,[52] and no freedom of the press or religion, political opposition or equal education:[53] "Virtually every aspect of political, social, and economic life is controlled by the government."
2008 health and waning power rumors[link]
In an August 2008 issue of the Japanese newsweekly Shūkan Gendai, Waseda University professor Toshimitsu Shigemura, an authority on the Korean Peninsula,[54] claimed that Kim Jong-il died of diabetes in late 2003 and had been replaced in public appearances by one or more stand-ins previously employed to protect him from assassination attempts.[55] In a subsequent best-selling book, The True Character of Kim Jong-il, Shigemura cited apparently unnamed people close to Kim's family along with Japanese and South Korean intelligence sources, claiming they confirmed Kim's diabetes took a turn for the worse early in 2000 and from then until his supposed death three and a half years later he was using a wheelchair. Shigemura moreover claimed a voiceprint analysis of Kim speaking in 2004 did not match a known earlier recording. It was also noted that Kim Jong-il did not appear in public for the Olympic torch relay in Pyongyang on 28 April 2008. The question had reportedly "baffled foreign intelligence agencies for years."[56]
On 9 September 2008, various sources reported that after he did not show up that day for a military parade celebrating North Korea's 60th anniversary, United States intelligence agencies believed Kim might be "gravely ill" after having suffered a stroke. He had last been seen in public a month earlier.[57]
A former CIA official said earlier reports of a health crisis were likely accurate. North Korean media remained silent on the issue. An Associated Press report said analysts believed Kim had been supporting moderates in the foreign ministry, while North Korea's powerful military was against so-called "Six-Party" negotiations with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States aimed towards ridding North Korea of nuclear weapons. Some United States officials noted that soon after rumours about Kim's health were publicized a month before, North Korea had taken a "tougher line in nuclear negotiations." In late August North Korea's official news agency reported the government would "consider soon a step to restore the nuclear facilities in Nyongbyon to their original state as strongly requested by its relevant institutions." Analysts said this meant "the military may have taken the upper hand and that Kim might no longer be wielding absolute authority." By 10 September, there were conflicting reports. Unidentified South Korean government officials said Kim had undergone surgery after suffering a minor stroke and had apparently "intended to attend 9 September event in the afternoon but decided not to because of the aftermath of the surgery." High ranking North Korean official Kim Yong-nam said, "While we wanted to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the country with General Secretary Kim Jong-Il, we celebrated on our own." Song Il-Ho, North Korea's ambassador said, "We see such reports as not only worthless, but rather as a conspiracy plot." Seoul's Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported that "the South Korean embassy in Beijing had received an intelligence report that Kim collapsed on 22 August."[58] The New York Times reported Kim was "very ill and most likely suffered a stroke a few weeks ago,[when?] but United States intelligence authorities do not think his death is imminent."[59] The BBC noted that the North Korean government denied these reports, stating that Kim's health problems were "not serious enough to threaten his life",[60][61] although they did confirm that he had suffered a stroke on 15 August.[62]
Japan's Kyodo News agency reported on 14 September, that "Kim collapsed on 14 August due to stroke or a cerebral hemorrhage, and that Beijing dispatched five military doctors at the request of Pyongyang. Kim will require a long period of rest and rehabilitation before he fully recovers and has complete command of his limbs again, as with typical stroke victims." Japan's Mainichi Shimbun claimed Kim had occasionally lost consciousness since April.[63] Japan's Tokyo Shimbun on 15 September, added that Kim was staying at the Bongwha State Guest House. He was apparently conscious "but he needs some time to recuperate from the recent stroke, with some parts of his hands and feet paralyzed". It cited Chinese sources which claimed that one cause for the stroke could have been stress brought about by the United States delay to remove North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.[64]
On 19 October, North Korea reportedly ordered its diplomats to stay near their embassies to await "an important message", according to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun,[65] setting off renewed speculation about the health of the ailing leader.
By 29 October 2008, reports stated Kim suffered a serious setback and had been taken back to hospital.[66] The New York Times reported that Taro Aso, on 28 October 2008, stated in a parliamentary session that Kim had been hospitalized: "His condition is not so good. However, I don't think he is totally incapable of making decisions." Aso further said a French neurosurgeon was aboard a plane for Beijing, en route to North Korea. Further, Kim Sung-ho, director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed parliamentary session in Seoul that "Kim appeared to be recovering quickly enough to start performing his daily duties."[67] The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper reported "a serious problem" with Kim's health. Japan's Fuji Television network reported that Kim's eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, traveled to Paris to hire a neurosurgeon for his father, and showed footage where the surgeon boarded flight CA121 bound for Pyongyang from Beijing on 24 October. The French weekly Le Point identified him as Francois-Xavier Roux, neurosurgery director of Paris' Sainte-Anne Hospital, but Roux himself stated he was in Beijing for several days and not North Korea.[68] On 19 December 2011 Roux confirmed that Kim suffered a debilitating stroke in 2008 and was treated by himself and other French doctors at Pyongyang's Red Cross Hospital. Roux said Kim suffered few lasting effects.[69]
On 5 November 2008, the North's Korean Central News Agency published 2 photos showing Kim posing with dozens of Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers on a visit to military Unit 2200 and sub-unit of Unit 534. Shown with his usual bouffant hairstyle, with his trademark sunglasses and a white winter parka, Kim stood in front of trees with autumn foliage and a red-and-white banner.[70][71][72][73][74] The Times questioned the authenticity of at least one of these photos.[75]
In November 2008, Japan's TBS TV network reported that Kim had suffered a second stroke in October, which "affected the movement of his left arm and leg and also his ability to speak."[76][77] However, South Korea's intelligence agency rejected this report.[77]
In response to the rumors regarding Kim's health and supposed loss of power, in April 2009, North Korea released a video showing Kim visiting factories and other places around the country between November and December 2008.[78] In 2010, documents released by WikiLeaks purportedly attested that Kim suffered from epilepsy.[79]
According to The Daily Telegraph, Kim was a chain-smoker.[80]
Successor[link]
Kim's three sons and his brother-in-law, along with O Kuk-ryol, an army general, had been noted as possible successors, but the North Korean government had for a time been wholly silent on this matter.[81]
Kim Yong Hyun, a political expert at the Institute for North Korean Studies at Seoul's Dongguk University, has said, "Even the North Korean establishment would not advocate a continuation of the family dynasty at this point."[82] Kim's eldest son Kim Jong-nam was earlier believed to be the designated heir but he appears to have fallen out of favor after being arrested at Narita International Airport near Tokyo in 2001 while traveling on a forged passport.[83]
On 2 June 2009, it was reported that Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, was to be North Korea's next leader.[84] Like his father and grandfather, he has also been given an official sobriquet, The Brilliant Comrade.[85] Prior to his death, it had been reported that Kim Jong Il was expected to officially designate the son as his successor in 2012. However, there are reports that if leadership passes to one of the sons, Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law, Jang Sung-taek, could attempt to seize power.[citation needed]
Re-election as DPRK leader[link]
On 9 April 2009, Kim was re-elected as chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission,[86] and made an appearance at the Supreme People's Assembly. This was the first time Kim was seen in public since August 2008. He was unanimously re-elected and given a standing ovation.[87]
On 28 September 2010, Kim was re-elected as General secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea.
2010 and 2011 foreign visits[link]
Kim reportedly visited the People's Republic of China in May 2010. He entered the country via his personal train on 3 May, and stayed in a hotel in Dalian.[88] In May 2010, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell told South Korean officials that Kim had only three years to live.[89] Kim travelled to China again in August 2010, this time with his son, fueling speculation that he is ready to hand over power to his son, Kim Jong-un.[90]
He returned to China again in May 2011, marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between China and the DPRK.[91] In late August 2011, he traveled by train to the Russian Far East to meet with President Dmitry Medvedev for unspecified talks.[92]
Personal life[link]
Family[link]
There is no official information available about Kim Jong-il's marital history, but he is believed to have been officially married once and to have had three mistresses.[93] He has four known children:
- Kim Jong-nam (son)
- Kim Sul-song (daughter)
- Kim Jong-chul (son)
- Kim Jong-un (son)[94]
Kim's first mistress, Song Hye-rim, was a star of North Korean films. She was already married to another man and with a child when they met;[95] Kim is reported to have forced her husband to divorce her. This relationship, started in 1970, was not officially recognized. They had one son, Kim Jong-nam (born 1971) who is Kim Jong-il's eldest son. Kim kept both the relationship and the child a secret (even from his father Kim Il Sung) until Kim ascended to power in 1994.[95][96] However, after years of estrangement, Song is believed to have died in Moscow in the Central Clinical Hospital in 2002.[97]
Kim's official wife, Kim Young-sook, was the daughter of a high-ranking military official. His father Kim Il-Sung handpicked her to marry his son.[93] The two have been estranged for some years. Kim has a daughter from this marriage, Kim Sul-song (born 1974).[94]
His second mistress, Ko Young-hee, was a Japanese-born ethnic Korean and a dancer. She had taken over the role of First Lady until her death — reportedly of cancer — in 2004. They had two sons, Kim Jong-chul, in 1981, and Kim Jong-un (also "Jong Woon" or "Jong Woong"), in 1983.[96][98]
After Ko's death, Kim lived with Kim Ok, his third mistress, who had served as his personal secretary since the 1980s. She "virtually acts as North Korea's first lady" and frequently accompanied Kim on his visits to military bases and in meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries. She traveled with Kim Jong Il on a secretive trip to China in January 2006, where she was received by Chinese officials as Kim's wife.[99]
He reportedly had a younger sister, Kim Kyong-hui (김경희).[100]
Personality[link]
Like his father, Kim had a pteromerhanophobia (fear of flying),[101] and always traveled by private armored train for state visits to Russia and China. The BBC reported that Konstantin Pulikovsky, a Russian emissary who traveled with Kim across Russia by train, told reporters that Kim had live lobsters air-lifted to the train every day.[102]
Kim was said to be a huge film fan, owning a collection of more than 20,000 video tapes and DVDs.[103] His reported favorite movie franchises included Friday the 13th, Rambo, Godzilla, and Hong Kong action cinema,[104] and any movie starring Elizabeth Taylor.[105] He authored On the Art of the Cinema. In 1978, on Kim's orders, South Korean film director Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife Choi Eun-hee were kidnapped in order to build a North Korean film industry.[106] In 2006 he was involved in the production of the Juche-based movie, Diary of a Girl Student, which depicted the life of a young girl whose parents are scientists, with a KCNA news report stating that Kim "improved its script and guided its production".[107]
In a 2011 news story, The Sun reported, "Kim Jong-il was obsessed with Elvis Presley. His mansion was crammed with his idol's records and his collection of 20,000 Hollywood movies included Presley's titles — along with Rambo and Godzilla. He even copied the King's Vegas-era look of giant shades, jumpsuits and bouffant hairstyle. It was reported in 2003 that Kim Jong-il had a huge porn film collection."[108]
Although Kim enjoyed many foreign forms of entertainment, according to former bodyguard Lee Young Kuk, he refused to consume any food or drink not produced in North Korea, with the exception of wine from France.[109] His former chef Kenji Fujimoto, however, has stated that Kim sometimes sent him around the world to purchase a variety of foreign delicacies.[110]
Kim reportedly enjoyed basketball. Former United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ended her summit with Kim by presenting him with a basketball signed by NBA legend Michael Jordan.[111] Also an apparent golfer, North Korean state media reports that Kim routinely shot three or four holes-in-one per round.[112] His official biography also claims that Kim composed six operas and enjoys staging elaborate musicals.[113] Kim referred to himself as an Internet expert.[114]
United States Special Envoy for the Korean Peace Talks, Charles Kartman, who was involved in the 2000 Madeleine Albright summit with Kim, characterised Kim as a reasonable man in negotiations, to the point, but with a sense of humor and personally attentive to the people he was hosting.[115] However, psychological evaluations conclude that Kim Jong-il's antisocial features, such as his fearlessness in the face of sanctions and punishment, served to make negotiations extraordinarily difficult.[116]
The field of psychology has long been fascinated with the personality assessment of dictators, a notion that resulted in an extensive personality evaluation of Kim Jong-il. The report, compiled by Frederick L. Coolidge and Daniel L. Segal (with the assistance of a South Korean psychiatrist considered an expert on Kim Jong-il's behavior), concluded that the "big six" group of personality disorders shared by dictators Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Saddam Hussein (sadistic, paranoid, antisocial, narcissistic, schizoid and schizotypal) were also shared by Kim Jong-il — coinciding primarily with the profile of Saddam Hussein.[116]
The evaluation found Kim Jong-il appeared to pride himself on North Korea's independence, despite the extreme hardships it appears to place on the North Korean people — an attribute appearing to emanate from his antisocial personality pattern.[116] This notion also encourages other cognitive issues, such as self-deception, as subsidiary components to Kim Jong-il's personality.
Defectors claimed that Kim had 17 different palaces and residences all over North Korea, including a private resort near Baekdu Mountain, a seaside lodge in the city of Wonsan, and a palace complex northeast of Pyongyang surrounded with multiple fence lines, bunkers and anti-aircraft batteries.[117]
Finances[link]
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Kim had US$4 billion on deposit in European banks in case he ever needed to flee North Korea. The Sunday Telegraph reported that most of the money was in banks in Luxembourg.[118]
Death[link]
Main article: Death and funeral of Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il died of a suspected heart attack on 17 December 2011 at 08:30 while travelling by train to an area outside Pyongyang.[5][119] He was succeeded by his youngest son Kim Jong-un, who was hailed by the Korean Central News Agency as the "Great Successor".[120][121][122][123] The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) report that during his death, a fierce snowstorm paused and the sky glowed red above the sacred Mount Paektu. The ice on a famous lake also cracked so loud, it seemed to shake the Heavens and the Earth.[124]
Kim Jong-il's funeral took place on 28 December in Pyongyang, with a mourning period lasting until the following day. South Korea's military was immediately put on alert after the announcement and its National Security Council convened for an emergency meeting, out of concern that political jockeying in North Korea could destabilise the region. Asian stock markets fell soon after the announcement, due to similar concerns.[5]
On 12 January 2012 North Korea called Kim Jong-il the "eternal leader" and announced that his body will be preserved and displayed at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Memorial Palace. Officials will also install statues, portraits, and "towers to his immortality" across the country.[125][126] His birthday of 16 February has been declared "the greatest auspicious holiday of the nation", and has been named the Day of the Shining Star.[127]
Official titles[link]
Main article: List of Kim Jong-il's titles
- Party Center of the WPK and Member, Central Committee of the WPK (1970s)
- Dear Leader (Chinaehaneun Jidoja) (late 1970s–1994)
- Member, Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK
- Secretary, Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (1974–1997)
- Presidium Member of the Politburo, WPK Central Committee (1980–2011)
- Supreme Commander, Korean People's Army (25 December 1991 – 17 December 2011)
- Marshal of the DPRK (1993–2011)
- Chairman, National Defence Commission of North Korea (1993–2011)
- Great Leader (Widehan Ryongdoja) (July 1994 – December 2011)
- General Secretary, Workers' Party of Korea (October 1997 – December 2011)
- Chairman, Central Military Commission (DPRK) (October 1997 – December 2011)
- Eternal Leader (posthumous) (January 2012 – present)
- Grand Marshal of the DPRK (posthumous) (January 2012 – present)
- Eternal General Secretary, Worker's Party of Korea (posthumous) (11 April 2012 – present)
- Eternal Chairman of the National Defence of Commission (posthumous) (13 April 2012 - present)
See also[link]
Notes and references[link]
- ^ "North Korea backs son after Kim Jong-Il death". Agence France-Presse. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ggTRbHnVT9qA8_cbG0p5dkbChBvA?docId=CNG.f422d650d5b8ced9ed3fbdc8e3558b87.e1. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ "North Korea: Kim Jong-un hailed 'supreme commander'". BBC News. 24 December 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16325390. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
- ^ Chung, Byoung-sun (22 August 2002). "Sergeyevna Remembers Kim Jong Il". The Chosun Ilbo. http://nk.chosun.com/english/news/news.html?ACT=detail&res_id=7283. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
Sheets, Lawrence (12 February 2004). "A Visit to Kim Jong Il's Russian Birthplace". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1671983. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0607/05/i_ins.01.html
"Kim Jong-Il, Kim Il-Sung – In the Family Business – North Korea: Secrets and Lies – Photo Gallery". LIFE. http://www.life.com/gallery/26532/image/51407067/north-korea-secrets-and-lies#index/7. Retrieved 19 December 2011. - ^ North Korean biographies give his birth as 16 February 1942, but are generally not considered to be factually reliable. See http://slide.news.sina.com.cn/w/slide_1_27293_20570.html#p=8 with Kim Jong-il lying in state, where the podium reads 1942–2011
- ^ a b c d "N Korean leader Kim Jong-il dies". BBC News. 19 December 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16239693. Retrieved 19 December 2011. "died on Saturday"
- ^ McGivering, Jill (29 September 2009). "N Korea constitution bolsters Kim". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8279830.stm. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ A State of Mind at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ "NKorea prints photos of heir apparent Kim Jong Un". AP News. 30 September 2010. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA_SUCCESSION?SITE=CAVEN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
- ^ The 100 Most Powerful People in the World, Forbes Magazine
- ^ "Profile: Kim Jong-il". BBC News. 16 January 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1907197.stm. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Biography of the Dear Leader Kim Jong Il". Korea-dpr.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080612161628/http://www.korea-dpr.com/articles-ng/biography-kimjongil.htm. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
- ^ Kim Jong Il – Short Biography. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Press, 1998, p. 1.
- ^ Korea North General Secretary Kim Jong Il. USA International Business Publications. 2002. p. 37. ISBN 0-7397-1197-0.
- ^ a b Post, Jerrold M.; Alexander George (2004). Leaders and their followers in a dangerous world: the psychology of political behavior. Cornell University Press. pp. 243–244. ISBN 978-0-8014-4169-1.
- ^ "The Kims' North Korea". Atimes.com. 4 June 2005. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GF04Dg03.html. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ Martin, Bradley K. (2004). Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-32221-6.
- ^ Kim Jong Il – Short Biography. Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Press, 1998, p. 4.
- ^ Calleja, Stephen (7 February 2010). "1982 Labour government "secret" agreement with North Korea – 'Times change' – Alex Sceberras Trigona". The Malta Independent. http://www.independent.com.mt/news2.asp?artid=101298. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
- ^ Preston, Peter (30 December 2002). "Kim is a baby rattling the sides of a cot". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,866479,00.html. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Happy Birthday, Dear Leader – who's next in line?". Atimes.com. 14 February 2004. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/FB14Dg04.html. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "North Korea's dear leader less dear", Fairfax Digital, 19 November 2004.
- ^ "Testimony of Hwang Jang-yop". http://www.fas.org/irp/world/rok/nis-docs/hwang2.htm.
- ^ "North Korea: Nuclear Standoff", The Online NewsHour, PBS, 19 October 2006.
- ^ Fake ashes, very real North Korean sanctions, Asia Times Online, 16 December 2004.
- ^ http://ndfsk.dyndns.org/kuguk8/pym/Nr0904/Nr0904-1/def.htm
- ^ Noland, Marcus (2004). "Famine and Reform in North Korea". Asian Economic Papers 3 (2): 1–40. DOI:10.1162/1535351044193411?journalCode=asep.
- ^ Haggard, Nolan, Sen (2009). Famine in North Korea: Markets, Aid, and Reform. p. 209. ISBN 978-0-231-14001-0. "This tragedy was the result of a misguided strategy of self-reliance that only served to increase the country's vulnerability to both economic and natural shocks ... The state's culpability in this vast misery elevates the North Korean famine to a crime against humanity"
- ^ "North Korea: A terrible truth". The Economist. 17 April 1997. http://www.economist.com/node/147613. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
- ^ "North Korea Agriculture", Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress. Retrieved 11 March 2007.
- ^ "Other Industry – North Korean Targets" Federation of American Scientists, 15 June 2000.
- ^ "North Korea's Military Strategy", Parameters, U.S. Army War College Quarterly, 2003.
- ^ "Kim Jong-il's military-first policy a silver bullet", Asia Times Online, 4 January 2007.
- ^ "North Korea's Capitalist Experiment", Council on Foreign Relations, 8 June 2006.
- ^ "On North Korea's streets, pink and tangerine buses", Christian Science Monitor, 2 June 2005.
- ^ "Inside North Korea: A Joint U.S.-Chinese Dialogue", United States Institute of Peace, January 2007.
- ^ "Asan, KOLAND Permitted to Develop Kaesong Complex", The Korea Times, 23 April 2004.
- ^ "S. Korea denies U.S. trade pact will exclude N. Korean industrial park", Yonhap News, 7 March 2007.
- ^ "South Korea dials back tough talk over Cheonan sinking", Christian Science Monitor, 31 May 2010.
- ^ "History of the 'Agreed Framework' and how it was broken", About: U.S. Gov Info/Resources, 12 March 2007.
- ^ "Motivation Behind North Korea's Nuclear Confession", GLOCOM Platform, 28 October 2002.
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- ^ French doctor confirms Kim had stroke in 2008 (Associated Press, 19 December 2011)
- ^ http://afp.google.com/media/ALeqM5ikrDW2BrCj5Y3MTang70ZE_smGwQ?size=s
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- ^ http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/04/nkorea.kim.ap/art.korea.ap.jpg
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- ^ Shears, Richard (11 November 2008). "North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il 'suffers second stroke'". Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1084685/North-Korean-leader-Kim-Jong-Il-suffers-second-stroke.html.
- ^ a b "Kim Jong-il had possible second stroke". Reuters. 11 November 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4AA0GS20081111.
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- ^ "Possible successors to North Korea's Kim". Reuters. 10 September 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSEO30011320080910.
- ^ "North Korea silent over Kim Jong Il successor". Indiaenews.com. 14 February 2007. http://www.indiaenews.com/asia/20070214/39480.htm. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Japan deports man claiming to be Kim Jong-Nam", ABC News: The World Today, 4 May 2001 (see Family tree)
- ^ Associated Press (2 June 2009). "North Korean leader Kim Jong-il 'names youngest son as successor'". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/02/kim-jong-il-names-son-successor. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "North Korea: A 'Brilliant Comrade'". The New York Times. 12 June 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/world/asia/13briefs-NKOREAKIM.html. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^ "KCNA.co.jp". KCNA.co.jp. 9 April 2009. http://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2009/200904/news09/20090409-04ee.html. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
- ^ "N. Korea leader appears in public". BBC News. 9 April 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7991151.stm. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "North Korea's Kim 'visits China'". BBC News. 3 May 2010. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8657688.stm. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
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- ^ McCurry, Justin; Watts, Jonathan (26 August 2010). "North Korean leader Kim Jong-il 'visiting China with his son'". London: BBC News. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/26/north-korean-leader-china. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
- ^ 颜筱箐 (27 May 2011). "DPRK leader Kim Jong-Il visits China". China.org.cn. http://www.china.org.cn/video/2011-05/27/content_22651894.htm. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ Schwirtz, M. "Kim Il-Jong Visits Russia to Meet with President Medvedev", The New York Times. 21 August 2011
- ^ a b The Women in Kim's Life[dead link]
- ^ a b "Kim Jong-Il's Daughter Serves as His Secretary". Theseoultimes.com. http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=3052. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
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- ^ a b "Kim's Secret Family", Time Asia, 23 June 2003 (archive).
- ^ Martin, Bradley K. (2004). Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty. New York, NY: Thomas Dunne Books. pp. 693–694. ISBN 0-312-32322-0. "Although a flurry of press dispatches at the time her sister defected claimed that Hye-rim had gone with Hye-rang, in fact, [Hye-rim] continued to live in Moscow until she died in May 2002."
- ^ "N. Korea Heir Apparent 'Given More Auspicious Birthday". The Chosun Ilbo. 11 December 2009.
- ^ "Report: Kim Jong Il Living With Former Secretary". Fox News. 24 July 2006. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,205287,00.html. Retrieved 28 December 2011. [dead link]
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- ^ Thomson, Mike (5 March 2003). "Kidnapped by North Korea". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2821221.stm. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
- ^ "Film 'Diary of a Girl Student', Close Companion of Life", Korea News Service, 10 August 2006.
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- ^ "Kim Jong-il Satisfies his Gourmet Appetite while his People Starve". The Chosun Ilbo. 27 June 2004.
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- ^ "North Korea Kim Jong Il an Internet Expert", FOX News, 5 October 2007.
- ^ "Interview: Charles Kartman". Frontline (Public Broadcasting Service). 20 February 2003. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kim/interviews/kartman.html. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
- ^ a b c "Is Kim Jong-il like Saddam Hussein and Adolf Hitler? A personality disorder evaluation" by Frederick L. Coolidge and Daniel L. Segal, 2008.
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- ^ "North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dead". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 19 December 2011. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-12-19/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-il-dead/3738526?WT.svl=news0. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
- ^ "Kim Jong Il's youngest son dubbed 'great successor'". msnbc.com. 19 December 2011
- ^ Thomas Durante; Jennifer Madison; Lee Moran (20 December 2011). "U.S. senator says the world is better off without Kim Jong Il, North Korea's Dear Leader, who 'is joining Gaddafi, Bin Laden and Hitler in hell'". Mail Online. Daily Mail (London). http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075987/Kim-Jong-Il-dead-North-Korea-mourn-West-fear-rogue-nuclear-state.html. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
- ^ "Kim Jong-il's son Kim Jong-un poised to lead North Korea". National Post (Canada). 10 October 2010. http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/12/18/kim-jong-ils-son-kim-jong-un-poised-to-lead-north-korea. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
- ^ Demick, Barbara (19 December 2011). "Kim Jong Il death: Powerful uncle could overshadow Kim's son". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2011/12/kim-jong-un-overshadow-uncle-kim-jong-il-dead.html.
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- ^ Kim Jong Il to be enshrined as "eternal leader" (CBS News, 12 January 2012)
- ^ North Korea to Display Dead Leader’s Body (New York Times, 12 January 2012)
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Further reading[link]
- Jasper Becker, "Rogue Regime: Kim John Il and the Looming Threat of North Korea", Oxford University Press (October 2006), Softcover, 328 pages, ISBN 0-19-530891-3
- Michael Breen, Kim Jong-il: North Korea's Dear Leader, John Wiley and Sons (January 2004), hardcover, 228 pages, ISBN 0-470-82131-0
- Bradley Martin, Under The Loving Care Of The Fatherly Leader: North Korea And The Kim Dynasty, St. Martins (October 2004), hardcover, 868 pages, ISBN 0-312-32221-6
- Kim Chol U, Army-Centred Politics Of Kim Jong Il, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2002, Softcover, 98 pages
- Kim Jong Il Brief History, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1998, Hardcover, 149 pages
- Kim Jong Il Short Biography, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2001, Hardcover, 215 pages
- Pae Kyong Su, Kim Jong Il The Individual Thoughts And Leadership Vol. 1, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1993, Softcover, 225 pages
- Pae Kyong Su, Kim Jong Il The Individual Thoughts And Leadership Vol. 2, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1995, Softcover, 164 pages
- Nada Takashi, Korea In Kim Jong Il's Era, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 2000, Softcover, 163 pages
- Li Il Bok, The Great Man Kim Jong Il, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1989, Softcover, 167 pages
- Ri Il Bok, The Great Man Kim Jong Il Vol. 2, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1995, Softcover, 84 pages
- Jo Song Baek, The Leadership Philosophy Of Kim Jong Il, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1999, Softcover, 261 pages
- Guiding Light General Kim Jong Il, Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang, North Korea, 1997, Softcover, 357 pages
External links[link]
| Find more about Kim Jong-il on Wikipedia's sister projects: | |
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Textbooks from Wikibooks |
- Kim Jong-il collected news and commentary at The New York Times
- Works by or about Kim Jong-il in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
- Kim Jong Il: Brief HistoryPDF (893 KB) – Foreign Languages Publishing House, Pyongyang DPR Korea (1998)
- Born in the USSR – Kim Jong-il's childhood.
- The many family secrets of Kim Jong Il
- "Hidden Daughter" Visits Kim Jong-il Every Year (also includes photos of Kim during his youth)
- Kim's family tree (Korean)
- BBC, North Korea's secretive 'first family'
- Obituary: Kim Jong-il, BBC News, 19 December 2011
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kim Yong-ju |
Head of the Organisation and Guidance Department 1974–2011 |
Succeeded by TBD |
| Vacant
Title last held by
Kim Il-sung |
General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (Eternal General Secretary since 11 April 2012) 1997–2011 |
Succeeded by Kim Jong-un as First Secretary |
| Chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission 1997–2011 |
Succeeded by Kim Jong-un |
|
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by |
First Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission 1990–1993 |
Vacant
Title next held by
Jo Myong-rok |
| New office | Chairman of the National Defence Commission (Eternal Chairman since 13 April 2012) 1993–2011 |
Succeeded by Kim Jong-un as First Chairman |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by Kim Il-sung |
Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army 1991–2011 |
Succeeded by Kim Jong-un |
|
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![[2]](http://web.archive.org./web/20121224153725/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/05/xin_472110505145550016711.jpg){kind=link}
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| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kim Jong-il |
| Alternative names | Yuri Irsenovich Kim |
| Short description | Leader of Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) |
| Date of birth | 16 February 1941 (or 1942) |
| Place of birth | Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk Krai, Soviet Union (present-day Vyatskoye, Khabarovsk, Russia) |
| Date of death | 2011-12-17 |
| Place of death | near Pyongyang, North Korea |
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Wiki Summary
Korea (/kəˈriːə/ kə-REE-ə; Korean: 한국 Hanguk [hanɡuːk] or 조선 Joseon [tɕosʌn] – (see etymology) is an East Asian region that is divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and separated from Taiwan to the south by the East China Sea.
Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggest the origins of the Korean people might have been Altaic language-speaking people from south-central Siberia,[dubious – discuss] who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("Hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
The Three Kingdoms of Korea was first united during the Silla dynasty under the king Munmu of Silla. The united Silla dynasty fell to Goryeo Dynasty in 935 at the end of Later Three Kingdoms of Korea era. Goryeo was a highly cultural state and created the Jikji in the 14th century, using the world's first movable metal type printing press. The Mongol invasions in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation which was forced to become a tributary state. After the Mongol Empire's collapse, severe political strife followed and Goryeo was replaced by the Joseon Dynasty in 1388.
