Chaebol (from chae: wealth or property + pŏl: faction or clan) refers to a South Korean form of business conglomerate. They are global multinationals owning numerous international enterprises. The term is often used in a context similar to that of the English word "conglomerate". The term was first used in 1984.

There are several dozen large Korean family-controlled corporate groups which fall under this definition. Through aggressive governmental support and finance^{[citation needed]}, some have become well-known international brand names, such as Samsung, Hyundai and LG.

The chaebol has also played a significant role in South Korean politics. In 1988 a member of a chaebol family, Chung Mong-jun, president of Hyundai Heavy Industries, successfully ran for the National Assembly. Other business leaders also were chosen to be members of the National Assembly through proportional representation. Since 2000, Hyundai has played a role in the thawing of North Korean and South Korean relations.^{[citation needed]}

Park Chung-hee (September 30, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was a Republic of Korea Army general and the President of South Korea from 1961 to 1979.

Park seized power in a military-led coup d'état and ruled as an unelected military strongman until his formal election as president in 1963, a post he held for 16 years until his assassination on October 26, 1979.

Park has been credited with the industrialization and rapid economic growth of South Korea through export-oriented industrialization. Despite this, Park remains a controversial figure in South Korean history due to his authoritarian way of ruling the country, particularly after 1971.

In 1999, Park was named by Time magazine as being one of the top ten "Asians of the Century".

Today, Park's legacy is split between those who credit his role in rebuilding war-ravaged South Korea after the devastating Korean War, to those who fervidly condemn his authoritarian policies, particularly those implemented after 1971.

Park Chung-hee was born on September 30, 1917, in Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do during a time when Korea was under Japanese rule. His father was Park Seong-bin (age 46 at the time) and his mother was Baek Nam-hui (age 45). His eldest brother was Park Dong-hee (age 22); second brother was Park Mu-hee (age 19); eldest sister was Park Gwi-hee (age 15); third brother was Park Sang-hee (age 11); fourth brother was Park Han-saeng (age 7); and his youngest sister was Park Jae-hee (age 5).

Go Soo (born October 4, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He has appeared in SBS television series Piano, Green Rose and Will It Snow On Christmas?. He has also starred in the 2004 Some and 2009 White Night. He recently started Front Line with Shin Ha Kyun

Go Soo first appeared in a soft drink TV advertisement wherein he waits for his girlfriend in a curfew and, in 1998, appeared as an extra in a music video, the band Position’s "Last Promise". He made his first step onto television in 1999 through MBC sitcom Jump, where his handsome appearance and cute smile reminded the audience of Cho Hyeon Jae and Ji Sung. He also drew critical praise when he appeared in the drama series Piano in 2001. One review described him as an "actor with precision." Piano was his first drama series produced by SBS, where he was asked to sign a contract; after this, all of his dramas have been SBS-produced.

Go had his first movie hit in 2004 as a drug crime officer in Some, the first film in which he performed his own stunts. In 2005, he starred in action-packed TV series Green Rose, playing a simple man who fell in love with a rich woman and was accused of a crime he did not commit. Green Rose was shot in both China and South Korea, next to KBS television series Full House and Beijing My Love.

Lee Yo-won (born April 9, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Seondeok in the eponymous hit period drama, as well as for her work in Surgeon Bong Dal-hee, Fashion 70's and 49 Days.

Lee Yo-won began her career as a fashion magazine model in 1997 when she was still in high school, which led to commercials, then to minor roles in TV dramas and movies. Though she started getting recognized by the public after the box-office success of anarchic comedy Attack the Gas Station, her first notable acting role was TV series Blue Mist, in which she played a young woman in love with a married man. Critical darling Take Care of My Cat followed shortly, for which she received several newcomer awards. After starring in a number of big-screen star vehicles that weren't received well by audiences and critics, Lee felt mentally and physically exhausted. After finishing the historical drama Daemang, she announced her temporary retirement from the entertainment scene. She married professional golfer Park Jin-woo in 2003 and after giving birth to a daughter the following year, the family lived a quiet life in the United States for two years.