South Korea

South Korea is a country situated in East Asia, it shares its borders with North Korea and has access to the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. It is a pretty well known Countryhumans character. South Korea is famous for Kpop, their history and culture, popular food and tourism.

Appearance
Normally they are drawn male with a white k-pop hoodie with blue and red galaxy-looking sleeves, with a red T-shirt underneath. Also commonly found as a girl character but generally in a male form. Sometimes depicted with animal attributes, the same as that of Japan.

Personality
South Korea like most Asian countries are very polite. They can be a dramatic due to their acting skills and overall outlook on things. Everything has to be perfect and up to standard or else they'll start freaking out a bit which probably stems for their school years. Anything less than an A is a fail in their eyes. Their perfectionist nature doesn't stop them from being hardworking. They can also obsess over things very easily and can become easily addicted to things (such as alcohol) and are very dedicated, when they were younger, they practically took the equivalent of two school days in one day, so that they stopped at 11 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. To the U.S. political spectrum they can be seen as a progressive conservative, with their tech moving forward but keep their traditions strong.

Interests

 * E-sports (Gaming in general and games such as Minecraft and PUBG)

The E-Sports culture in South Korea is huge! South Korean's in E-sports can earn million of dollars, There have even been several reports of South Koreans getting arrested for child neglect due to South Koreans opting to game instead of taking care of their own children.


 * Music (Especially their own K-pop, K-rap but they have a high interest in J-pop)
 * K-drama
 * Watching Mukbang
 * Makeup
 * Plastic Surgery
 * Taekwondo
 * Tech

Flag meaning
The flag of South Korea features four colors: white, black, red and blue. The white background is a traditional color in Korean culture that symbolizes purity and peace. The color of black is used for the four trigrams, each representing a different virtue.

Others symbols
The hibiscus and the Siberian tiger are symbols of South Korea.

Nicknames

 * S.K
 * Pepsi Flag
 * Cocoa/Kakao (because KakaoTalk is a popular text-type app generated from Korea)
 * ROK

Etymology
The word Korea derives from the name Goryeo. The name Goryeo was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a shortened form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, which was pronounced by the visiting Persian merchants as "Corea". This was later written as Korea. South Korea's official name is in fact not South Korea, but the Republic of Korea. This is because South Korea does not recognise North Korea as a country, and they claim the entire Korean peninsula as theirs. The only other country to do this is Japan. North Korea also does not recognise South Korea. This happened after the Korean war. Both South and North Koreans don't see themselves as South or North Koreans, rather they see themselves as just Korean.

Origin of languages
The Korean language is sometimes classified as a part of a northern Asian language group known as Altaic, that includes Turkish, Mongolian and Japanese, suggesting early Northern migrations and trade. However, most people say that the similarities are most likely coincidental, and classify Korean as a stand-alone language. Korean was also heavily influenced by Chinese, but had adopted its own writing system by the 16th century.

History
At the World War I, Japan invaded Korea and had taken control of Korea. After the 2 atomic bombs were dropped in Japan, Japan retreated back to their lands leaving South Korea alone. USSR took North Korea making them part of their communist, on the other hand, America had supported South Korea. The Korean War occurred and nearly when all South Koreans were defeated by North Koreans, America and the UN came to the rescue fighting back at the communist. The fight was brutal until the border was made right in the middle of Korea.

South Korea is an East Asian nation of some 51 million people located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula, which borders the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and the Yellow Sea. The United States and Soviet Union divided control over the peninsula after World War II, and in 1948 the U.S.-supported Republic of Korea (or South Korea) was established in the capital city of Seoul.

Beginnings
Around A.D. 668, several competing kingdoms were unified into a single dominion on the Korean Peninsula. Successive regimes maintained Korean political and cultural independence for more than a thousand years; the last of these ruling kingdoms would be the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910).

After surviving invasions by Japan at the end of the 16th century and the Manchus of East Asia in the early 17th, Korea chose to limit its contact with the outside world. A 250-year-long period of peace followed, with few Koreans traveling outside their isolated country.

This began to change in the late 19th century, when Western powers like Britain, France and the United States made efforts to open trade and diplomatic relations with Korea, with little success.

Colonial period
At the outset of the 20th century, Japan, China and Russia vied for control over the Korean Peninsula. Japan emerged the victor, occupying the peninsula in 1905, at the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War and formally annexing it five years later.

Over 35 years of colonial rule, Korea became an industrialized country, but its people suffered brutal repression at the hands of the Japanese, who tried to wipe out its distinctive language and cultural identity and make Koreans culturally Japanese.

During World War II, many Korean men were compelled to serve in Japan’s army or work in wartime factories, while thousands of Korean women were forced into providing sexual services for Japanese soldiers, becoming known as “comfort women.”

Korea divided
After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Union divided the peninsula into two zones of influence. By August 1948, the pro-U.S. Republic of Korea (or South Korea) was established in Seoul, led by the strongly anti-communist Syngman Rhee.

In the north, the Soviets installed Kim Il Sung as the first premier of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), better known as North Korea, with its capital at Pyongyang.

Korean
South Korea’s declaration of independence in 1950 led North Korea, backed by China and the Soviet Union, to invade its neighbor in an effort to regain control of the entire peninsula.

U.S. and United Nations troops fought alongside South Korean forces in the Korean War, which would cost some 2 million lives before it ended in 1953.

The armistice agreement left the Korean Peninsula divided much as before, with a demilitarized zone (DMZ) running along latitude 38 degrees North, or the 38th parallel.

Park chung-hee
Over the decades to come, South Korea maintained a continued close relationship with the United States, which included military, economic and political support.

Though ostensibly a republic, its citizens initially enjoyed limited political freedom, and in 1961 a military coup put General Park Chung-hee into power.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, under Park’s regime, South Korea enjoyed a period of rapid industrial development and economic growth (achieving a per capita income some 17 times that of North Korea).

From military rule to democracy
Park was assassinated in 1979, and another general, Chun Doo-hwan took power, putting the country under strict military rule. An armed uprising by students and others to restore democratic rule led to many civilian deaths at the army’s hands.

Martial law was lifted in 1981, and Chun was (indirectly) elected president under a new constitution, which established the Fifth Republic.

By 1987, popular dissatisfaction with the government and mounting international pressure pushed Chun from office in advance of another revised constitution, which allowed direct election of the president for the first time.

Roh Tae-woo, a former army general who won the country’s first free presidential election in 1987, further liberalized the political system and tackled corruption within the government.

Seoul Olympics
The reforms of the Sixth Republic came just in time for South Korea to host a successful Summer Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, despite continued student protests and a boycott by North Korea.

The 1980s also saw South Korea increasingly shift its economy toward high-tech and computer industries, and improve its relations with the Soviet Union and China. Continuing the transition away from military rule and toward democracy, South Korea elected Kim Young-sam, its first civilian president in more than 30 years, in 1993.

Kim Dae-Jung
Kim Young-sam’s successor, Kim Dae-jung (who took office in 1998) would win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to democracy in South Korea, as well as his so-called “sunshine” policy of economic and humanitarian aid to North Korea.

That same year, Kim Dae-jung and his northern counterpart, Kim Jong Il, held an historic summit in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea.

Despite that brief period of relatively sunny relations, however, things soon deteriorated between the two countries, largely due to the North’s continued development of nuclear weapons.

The rise to power in 2011 of a volatile new North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and his regime’s repeated tests of nuclear missiles only exacerbated the problems.

Park Geun-Hye
Meanwhile, South Korea elected its first female leader, Park Geun-hye (the daughter of Park Chung-hee), in 2013.

But in late 2016, she was implicated in a scandal involving corruption, bribery and influence peddling, and the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against her that December.

After her impeachment was upheld in March 2017, the center-left candidate Moon Jae-in won a special presidential election in a landslide, pledging to solve the crisis with North Korea using diplomatic means.

South Korea today
Today, South Korea is one of East Asia’s most affluent countries, with an economy ranking just behind Japan and China. With most of the country covered by mountains, a majority of its population is clustered around the urban centers.

The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is home to more than 25 million people, or about 50 percent of the country’s population.

In early 2018, South Korea welcomed athletes from around the world to the Winter Olympic Games.

The month before the games began, North and South Korea agreed to march under the same flag at the Olympics, the latest sign of a partial thaw in relations between the two countries.

Government
South Korea is a democracy, having the system of a presidential representative democratic republic. It is a Unitary State. The president is head of state, as well as a multi-party system. The president rules for 5 years, and there is not a possibility to renew their reign or attempt to run again. The government's Executive and Legislative power is vested in both the President and National Assembly. There are 300 seats in the National Assembly.

Diplomacy
South Korea has diplomatic relationships with every UN recognised country except Cuba, North Korea, and Syria. It also doesn't have diplomatic relations with some unrecognised countries, such as Kosovo, Taiwan, Palestine, the Western Sahara, and more.

Geography
With a total land area is 100,032 square kilometres, South Korea takes the bottom half of the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea taking the upper part in East Asia. The boarder also known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is controlled by over 2 million people at any given moment. The boarder also has 4 known tunnels that have been built underground the boarder, which the third is called the "Third Tunnel of Aggression". The tunnel was discovered in 1978, following the detection of an underground explosion in June 1978, apparently caused by the tunnellers who had progressed 435 metres (1,427 feet) under the south side of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). It took four months to locate the tunnel precisely and dig an intercept tunnel. When discovered the United Nations Command  accused North Korea of threatening the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement signed at the end of the Korean War. Its description as a "tunnel of aggression" was given by South Korea, who considered it an act of aggression on the part of North Korea. North Korea denied the claims calling it a coal mine, when there was no signs of coal in the site. From the pictures of tourist after it was made into a tourist attraction, the walls of the tunnel where tourists are taken are observably granite, a stone of igneous origin, whereas coal would be found in stone of sedimentary origin. There are around 20 theorized tunnels but info is classified.

They are squished between the Yellow Sea, Gyeonggi Bay, Jeju Strait, Korea Strait and the East Sea/Sea of Japan. The country is divided into 8 provinces, 6 metropolitan cities, one special self-governing province (Jeju Island), and their capital, Seoul has the title of "Special City". Their is also the Autonomous city of Sejong. In 2007, the government of South Korea had a problem with too many people living in Seoul with have the country's entire population living in the city. So they made the citizens "move out" by moving the governmental buildings, by making a second capital, and promoted moving in Sejong and to the country of Brazil. South Korea controls 3,500 islands off their coast, the biggest being Deju (Cheju-do). And has a majority temperate deciduous forest climate.

Cradled by the gentle Amurian plate, Japan and China take most of the heavy Earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons. The country is 80% mountainous, sharing the Taebaek mountain chain with North Korea, with the longest river, the Nakdong River, flowing all the way from the mountain chain to the East sea near the city of Busan. The highest point in the country is on the island of Jeju which is shield volcano named Mt. Hallasan.

Family

 * Korean Empire - parent
 * Turkey - stepparent or stepsibling (depends on the person)
 * Mongolia - stepparent
 * United States- adoptive parent (depends on the person)
 * Japan - adoptive parent (depends on the person)
 * North Korea - twin

Friends

 * United States - “Thank you for helping me during the Korean War!”
 * Canada - “You helped my people to find a better and safe place to live! You’re also my trading partner!”
 * Malaysia - “Even though you consider yourself neutral. You’re my trading partner and a good friend!”
 * Spain - ”An Ally during the Korean War”
 * France - ”Same goes as Spain”
 * Germany - ”I’m glad you finally came to your sense on changing sides! You’ve helped my people although your other self was not very friendly.”
 * Philippines - “You are an amazing close friend of mine! Without you pushing those communist off my land I wouldn’t know what to do! Words can’t describe how much I’m thankful of your help!”
 * Taiwan - “You did once ally with China until you’ve changed your mind to side with me. Thank you a lot!”
 * European Union, NATO - “You guys are the best!”
 * Mongolia - “They was neutral around the war time but they are my trading partner and a friend!”
 * Turkey - "I always help my relatives even if you’re my stepsibling [or] stepfather I will help you no matter what!"

Neutral

 * Japan - ”I don’t really know anymore. My people like your culture and anime but our presidents have a very weird tension between them”
 * Vietnam - “I supported the South but after the war our relations were warming but they would rather keep it neutral“
 * Angola
 * Mexico
 * Syria - "Thanks for Enjoying my K-pop and K-dramas"
 * Iran

Enemies

 * Japanese Empire
 * North Korea - "I am the one true Korea, give up your silly ways at once!"
 * USSR

Past versions

 * Korean Empire (alternate personality/father - depends on the person)
 * People's Republic of Korea
 * United States Army Military Government In Korea
 * Supreme Council for National Reconstruction

USA
"United States has helped me in the Korean War between me and North brother. I show great respect to them and I think of them as one of my best friends."

Japan
"Japan is alright, we have our ups and downs but we're not at each other's throats. (most of the time) We sometimes hate each other but we get along pretty well. Even though we have some political issues going on, I hate their old self."

North Korea
"How do I explain how our relations are...?

It's very complicated. But I still love him because...he is my brother. I know he misses me too, he is just too shy to say that. But I still don't get it, why would you bomb the Inter-Korean Liaisons office? Why can't you just get along with me, I'm trying my best!"

China
"China? They're okay. I'm annoyed at them cause they didn't help me at all at the Korean war."

Australia
"A friend of mine! They had helped me several times at wars, I am grateful for their help. They can be wild- but they're funny as well."

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