South Korea

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early seventh century BC. From the mid first century BC, various polities consolidated into the rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. The lattermost eventually unified most of the peninsula for the first time in the late seventh century AD, while Balhae succeeded Goguryeo in the north. The Goryeo dynasty (918–1392) achieved lasting unification and established the basis for the modern Korean identity. The subsequent Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) generated cultural, economic, and scientific achievements but maintained an isolationist policy from the mid-17th century. The succeeding Korean Empire (1897–1910) sought modernization and reform but was annexed in 1910 into the Empire of Japan. Japanese rule ended following Japan's surrender in World War II, after which Korea was divided into two zones: the Soviet-occupied northern zone and the United States-occupied southern zone. After negotiations on reunification failed, the southern zone became the Republic of Korea in August 1948, while the northern zone became the Soviet-aligned Democratic People's Republic of Korea the following month. In 1950, a Soviet-backed North Korean invasion triggered the Korean War, one of the first major proxy conflicts of the Cold War, which saw extensive fighting involving the American-led United Nations Command and the People's Volunteer Army from China. The war ended in 1953 with an armistice and left three million Koreans dead and the economy in ruins; due to the lack of a peace treaty, the Korean conflict is still ongoing. South Korea endured a series of dictatorships punctuated by coups, revolutions, and violent uprisings, but also experienced a soaring economy and one of the fastest rises in average GDP per capita, leading to its emergence as one of the Four Asian Tigers. The June Democratic Struggle of 1987 ended authoritarian rule and led to the establishment of the current Sixth Republic.

In Their Own Story

In the first official census of 1949, South Korea's population was calculated at 20,188,641 people. By 1985, the census total was 40,466,577. Growth accelerated between 1955 and 1966 to an annual average of 2.8%, but declined significantly to 1.7% annually from 1966 to 1985. As of January 1, 1989, the population was estimated at approximately 42,200,000. The proportion of the population under fifteen years of age rose from 41.2% in 1955 to 43.5% in 1966, then fell to 29.9% in 1985. The median age rose from 18.7 years in 1960 to 21.8 years in 1980. The 1973 Maternal and Child Health Law legalized abortion. In 1984, 502,000 South Koreans were sterilized, compared with 426,000 the previous year. By early 2019, the TFR fell to 0.98. Statistics Korea projected in December 2023 that the total population reached 51.67 million in 2022, peaked at roughly 51.75 million in 2024, then declined to 50.06 million by 2040 and 36.22 million by 2072.

Reader's Guide

South Korea is now considered among the most advanced democracies in Asia. Under the 1987 constitution, it maintains a unitary presidential republic with a popularly elected unicameral legislature, the National Assembly. South Korea is a major non-NATO ally of the United States and regarded as a regional power in East Asia and an emerging power in global affairs; its conscription-based armed forces are ranked as one of the strongest in the world and have the second highest number of military and paramilitary personnel. A highly developed country, South Korea's economy ranks the 14th largest in the world by nominal GDP and PPP-adjusted GDP; it is the world's ninth-largest exporter and tenth-largest importer. The country performs well in metrics of education, human development, democratic governance, and innovation. It has one of the world's longest life expectances, though its population is aging rapidly and has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. South Korea has some of the fastest Internet connection speeds and densest high-speed railway networks. Since the turn of the 21st century, the country has been renowned for its globally influential pop culture, particularly in music, TV dramas, and cinema, a phenomenon referred to as the Korean Wave. South Korea is a member of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee, the G20, the IPEF, and the Paris Club.

Did You Know?

• The name Korea is an exonym derived from the historical Korean kingdom name Goryeo.
• South Korea claims to be the sole legitimate government of the entire Korean Peninsula and adjacent islands.
• The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, but due to the lack of a peace treaty, the Korean conflict is still ongoing.
• South Korea has one of the world's longest life expectances, though its population is aging rapidly and has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world.