South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK) (Korean: 대한민국, pronounced [tɛːhanminɡuk̚] ( listen)) and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest metropolitan city in the world^[5] and a major global city.^[6] South Korea lies in a temperate climate region with a predominantly mountainous terrain. Its territory covers a total area of 100,032 square kilometers and has a population of over 48 million, making it the third most densely populated (significantly sized) country in the world (after Bangladesh and Taiwan).^[7]

Additional info

151 Incheon Tower

The 151 Incheon Tower is a twin tower complex under construction in Songdo International City, Incheon, South Korea. The complex will consist of two 151-floor, 610 m (2,001 ft) supertall skyscrapers connected by three skybridges.^[3] Construction started with groundbreaking on 25 June 2008 and the towers are scheduled to become the tallest twin towers in the world when they are completed in 2014.^[4]

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. They were also the fourth Olympic Games to be held in Autumn; the Games were not held in Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere again until the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

1997 Asian Financial Crisis

The Asian Financial Crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of Asia beginning in July 1997, and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion.

1 E10 m²

To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions , areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km² are listed here. See also areas of other orders of magnitude.

2002 FIFA World Cup

The 2002 FIFA World Cup, the 17th staging of the World Cup, was held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. The two countries were chosen as hosts by FIFA in May 1996 and was the first tournament in its history to be hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0 in the final. Turkey had beaten South Korea with 2-3 in the third place match and ended as the third best team of the tournament.

2006 World Baseball Classic

The 2006 World Baseball Classic was the inaugural tournament between national baseball teams that included players from Major League Baseball. It was held from March 3 - March 20 in stadiums that are in and around Tokyo, Japan, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Phoenix, Arizona, Scottsdale, Arizona, Anaheim, California and San Diego, California). Japan, led by Sadaharu Oh, became the first champions.

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008.^[a] A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one event more than was on the schedule of the 2004 Games. Three nations participated in the Olympics for the first time. China became the 22nd nation to host the Olympic Games and the 18th to hold a Summer Olympic Games. It was the third time that the Summer Olympic Games were held in Asia, after Tokyo, Japan in 1964 and Seoul, South Korea in 1988. These Games were the third time that Olympic events have been held in the territories of two different NOCs, as the equestrian events were held in Hong Kong.^[b]

2009 World Baseball Classic

The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.

International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000), better known as 3G or 3rd Generation, is a family of standards for mobile telecommunications defined by the International Telecommunication Union,^[1] which includes GSM EDGE, UMTS, and CDMA2000 as well as DECT and WiMAX. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephone, video calls, and wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Compared to 2G and 2.5G services, 3G allows simultaneous use of speech and data services and higher data rates (up to 14.0 Mbit/s on the downlink and 5.8 Mbit/s on the uplink with HSPA+). Thus, 3G networks enable network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency.

APEC

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries (styled 'member economies') to cooperate on regional trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation. APEC's objective is to enhance economic growth and prosperity in the region and to strengthen the Asia-Pacific community. Members account for approximately 40% of the world's population, approximately 54% of world GDP and about 44% of world trade.^[1]

Administrative divisions of North Korea

The administrative divisions of North Korea are organized into three hierarchical levels. Many of the units have equivalents in the system of South Korea. At the highest level are nine provinces, two directly-governed cities, and three special administrative divisions. The second-level divisions are cities, counties, wards, and districts. These are further subdivided into third-level entities: towns, neighborhoods, villages, and workers' districts.

Aegis combat system

The Aegis Combat System is an integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and now produced by Lockheed Martin. It uses powerful computers and radars to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets.

Aegukga

Aegukga is the national anthem of South Korea, though it is not legally recognized as such. The title literally means "The Song of Love for the Country," or "The Patriotic Song."

Aerospace

Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space. Aerospace is a very diverse field, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications.

Afforestation

Afforestation is planting seeds or trees to make a forest on land which has not been a forest recently, or which has never been a forest. Reforestation is the reestablishment of a forest after removal, for example from a timber harvest. Many countries have experienced centuries of deforestation, and some governments and non-governmental organisations directly engage in programs of afforestation to restore forests and assist in preservation of biodiversity. (In the UK afforestation may mean legally converting land into a royal forest.)

Afghanistan

The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in South-Central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia,^[5]^[6] South Asia,^[7]^[8] or the Middle East.^[9] It is bordered by Iran in the west, Pakistan in the south and east, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the north, and China in the far northeast.

Africa

Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² (11.7 million sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area.^[2] With a billion people (as of 2009, see table) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.72% of the World's human population. The continent is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, both the Suez Canal and the Red Sea along the Sinai Peninsula to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Not counting the disputed territory of Western Sahara, there are 53 countries, including Madagascar and various island groups, associated with the continent.

Agence France-Presse

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Pierre Louette and editor-in-chief Nicolas Miletitch.

Airports Council International

Airports Council International (ACI), based in Geneva, Switzerland, is a non profit organisation, whose prime purpose is to advance the interests of airports and to promote professional excellence in airport management and operations. By fostering cooperation amongst airports, world aviation organisations and business partners, ACI seeks to providing the travelling public a safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible air transport system.

All About Eve (TV series)

All About Eve or 이브의 모든것 in Korean is a South Korean television drama which was aired on 2000 on MBC that focused on two beautiful, young TV news reporters (portrayed by Kim So-Yeon and Park Chae-rim) competing for the top position at the network they work for.

Android

An android is a robot^[1] or synthetic organism^[2] designed to look and act like a human. Thus far, androids have largely remained within the domain of science fiction, frequently seen in film and television. However, some humanoid robots do now exist.

Ansan

Ansan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies south of Seoul, and is part of the Seoul National Capital Area. It is connected to Seoul by rail via Seoul Subway Line 4.

Antarctic Treaty System

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively called the Antarctic Treaty System or ATS, regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a native human population. For the purposes of the treaty system, Antarctica is defined as all land and ice shelves south of 60°S latitude. The treaty has now been signed by 47 countries, and set aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, established freedom of scientific investigation and banned military activity on that continent. This was the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War.

Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea

The Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea is complex and multi-faceted. Anti-Japanese sentiment attitudes in the Korea can be traced back to the effects of Japanese pirate raids and the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), such as dismembering more than 20,000 noses and ears from Koreans and bringing them back to Japan to create nose tombs, but are largely a product of the period of Japanese rule in Korea from 1910-1945 and subsequent education. This sentiment may also be at least to some extent influenced by issues related to Koreans in Japan.

Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic (from the Ancient Greek: ἀντί – anti, "against", and βίος – bios, "life") is a substance or compound that kills, or inhibits the growth of, bacteria.^[1] Antibiotics belong to the broader group of antimicrobial compounds, used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungi and protozoa.^{[citation needed]}

Anyang, Gyeonggi

Anyang is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It is located approximately 20 km south of Seoul and is connected to Seoul Subway Line 1 and Line 4. Other nearby cities include Ansan, Incheon and Gwangmyeong to the west, Suwon to the south-east, and Gwacheon due north-east. Anyang is generally divided into two sections: the older downtown section centered at Anyang Station in the north of Anyang, a shopping area with outdoor markets, and Pyeongchon, the wealthier, more upscale area further to the south. Strategically located, Anyang is a convenient transportation hub between Seoul and other major cities across the country.

April Revolution

The April Revolution, sometimes called the April 19 Revolution or April 19 Movement, was a popular uprising in April 1960, led by labor and student groups, which overthrew the autocratic First Republic of South Korea under Syngman Rhee. It led to the peaceful resignation of Rhee and the transition to the Second Republic. The events were touched off by the discovery of a body in Masan Harbor, that of a student killed by a tear-gas shell in demonstrations against the elections of March.

Arable land

In geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to plough) is an agricultural term, meaning land that can be used for growing crops.^[1] It is distinct from cultivated land and includes jungles that are not currently used for human purposes. Arable land covers an area of approximately 12 million square miles (31 million square kilometres).^[2]^{[unreliable source?]}^[where?]^[when?]

Archery

Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity. One who practices archery is typically known as an "archer" or "bowman," and one who is fond of or an expert at archery can be referred to as a "toxophilite."

Architecture of South Korea

South Korean Architecture refers to any architectures in South Korea which includes architectures from Neolithic–7th century, three-kingdoms of Korea, Goryeo, Joseon, Japanese occupation, Korean War, and modern architectures.

Area

Area is a quantity expressing the two-dimensional size of a defined part of a surface, typically a region bounded by a closed curve. The term surface area refers to the total area of the exposed surface of a 3-dimensional solid, such as the sum of the areas of the exposed sides of a polyhedron. Area is an important invariant in the differential geometry of surfaces.^[1]

Argentina

Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic (Spanish: República Argentina, pronounced [reˈpuβlika aɾxenˈtina]), is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous.

Arirang

"Arirang" is arguably the most popular and best-known Korean folk song, both inside and outside Korea. Arirang is an ancient native Korean word with no direct modern meaning. 'Ari' means "beautiful" (For example 아리따운 native Korean word means "beautiful", "lovely", "charming") 'Rang' can mean "dear".

Arirang-1

Arirang-1 or Arirang I is an unmanned artificial satellite created by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute and launched by a US rocket on December 21, 1999. This was the first satellite built primarily by South Korean engineers, although previous foreign-built satellites had been launched by Korean companies. It carries a surveillance camera able to distinguish objects with a diameter of 6.6 meters. It takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang.

Arirang-2

Arirang-2, also known as KOMPSAT-2, is a South Korean multipurpose satellite. It was launched from Plesetsk, Russia at 4:05 PM KST on July 28, 2006. It began to transmit signals at 11 PM the same day. Like the earlier Arirang-1 satellite, it takes its name from the popular Korean folk song Arirang. Its launch was the culmination of a project begun in 1999.

Arirang Festival

The Grand Mass Gymnastics and Artistic Performance Arirang are held in the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea to celebrate the late Communist leader Kim Il-sung's birthdate on April 15.

Armenia

Armenia

/ɑrˈmiːniə/ (help·info) (Armenian: Հայաստան, transliterated: Hayastan, IPA: [hɑjɑsˈtɑn]), officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն, Hayastani Hanrapetut’yun, [hɑjɑstɑˈni hɑnɾɑpɛtuˈtʰjun]), is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe,^[8] it is bordered by Turkey to the west, Georgia to the north, the de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan to the east, and Iran and the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to the south.

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area (or 29.9% of its land area) and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.

Asian Games

The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Medals are awarded in each event, with gold for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition which started in 1951.

Asian Winter Games

The Asian Winter Games is a multi-sport event for members of the Olympic Council of Asia which features winter events. The Japanese Olympic Committee first suggested the idea of holding a winter version of the Asian Games in 1982. Their efforts were rewarded when they were finally given hosting rights for the first edition that was held in Sapporo in 1986, as the city had the infrastructure and expertise gained from hosting of the 1972 Winter Olympics.

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines (Hangul: 아시아나 항공; RR: Asiana Hanggong; KRX: 020560; formerly Seoul Airlines) is an airline based in Seoul, South Korea and is one of South Korea's two major airlines, along with Korean Air. Asiana is one of six airlines to receive a five-star rating from Skytrax.^[1] The airline is headquartered at Asiana Town, Osoe-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul (near Gimpo Airport), overseas hub at Incheon International Airport (70 kilometres from central Seoul) and its domestic hub at Gimpo International Airport.^[2]

Association of Southeast Asian Nations

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations,^[1] commonly abbreviated ASEAN (generally pronounced /ˈɑːsi.ɑːn/ AH-see-ahn,^[2] occasionally /ˈɑːzi.ɑːn/ AH-zee-ahn^[3] in English, the official language of the bloc),^[4] is a geo-political and economic organisation of 10 countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.^[5] Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include the acceleration of economic growth, social progress, cultural development among its members, the protection of the peace and stability of the region, and to provide opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.^[6]

Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft. While generally reserved for professional space travelers, the term is sometimes applied to anyone who travels into space, including scientists, politicians, journalists, and tourists.^[1]^[2]

Australia

Australia (pronounced /əˈstreɪljə/ ə-STRAYL-yə or /ɒˈstreɪljə/ o-STRAYL-yə,^[7] or more formally as /ɔːˈstreɪliə/ aw-STRAY-lee-ə), officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent (the world's smallest),^[8]^[9] the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.^N4 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 southeast.

Automobile

An automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.^[1] However, the term automobile is far from precise, because there are many types of vehicles that do similar tasks.

Automotive industry

The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells the world's motor vehicles. In 2008, more than 70 million motor vehicles, including cars and commercial vehicles were produced worldwide.^[1]

Autumn Fairy Tale

Autumn in My Heart (가을동화) is the first installment of the four part Endless Love drama series produced by South Korean TV Network KBS. It was produced in South Korea in 2000.

Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan (pronounced /ˌæzərbaɪˈdʒɑːn/ (

listen); Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan), formally the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası), is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia,^[4] it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south. The exclave of Nakhichevan is bounded by Armenia to the north and east, Iran to the south and west, while having a short borderline with Turkey to the northwest. The Nagorno-Karabakh region in the southwest of Azerbaijan proper declared itself independent from Azerbaijan in 1991, but it is not recognized by any nation and considered a legal part of Azerbaijan.

Ba gua

The ba gua (Chinese: 八卦; pinyin: bā guà; Wade-Giles: pa kua; literally "eight symbols") are eight diagrams used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each either "broken" or "unbroken," representing a yin line or a yang line, respectively. Due to their tripartite structure, they are often referred to as "trigrams" in English.

Badminton

Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players (singles or two opposing pairs (doubles), who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their opponents' half of the court. A rally ends once the shuttlecock has struck the ground, and each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over the net.

Baekdu Mountain

Baekdu Mountain, also known as Changbai Mountain in China, is a volcanic mountain on the border between North Korea and China, located at 42°00′24″N 128°03′18″E / 42.00667°N 128.055°E. At 2,744 m (9,003 ft), it is the highest mountain of the Changbai mountain range to the north and Baekdudaegan mountain range to the south. It is also the highest mountain on the Korean peninsula and Manchuria.

Baekdudaegan

The Baekdudaegan is a mountain range and watershed-crest-line which runs through most of the length of the Korean Peninsula, from Baekdu Mountain in the north to Jirisan in the south. It is important in traditional Korean thought, a key aspect of Pungsujiri philosophy and practices. It is often referred to as the "spine" of the Korean Peninsula, and depicted in various historic artworks. It incorporates the Sobaek mountain range and most of the Taebaek mountain range.

Baekje

Prehistory
Jeulmun period
Mumun period
Gojoseon 2333–108 BC
Jin state
Proto-Three Kingdoms: 108–57 BC
Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye
Samhan: Ma, Byeon, Jin
Three Kingdoms: 57 BC – 668 AD
Goguryeo 37 BC – 668 AD
Baekje 18 BC – 660 AD
Silla 57 BC – 935 AD
Gaya 42–562
North-South States: 698–935
Unified Silla 668–935
Balhae 698–926
Later Three Kingdoms 892–935
Later Goguryeo, Later Baekje, Silla
Goryeo Dynasty 918–1392
Joseon Dynasty 1392–1897
Korean Empire 1897–1910
Japanese rule 1910–1945
Provisional Gov't 1919–1948
Division of Korea 1945–1948
North, South Korea 1948–present
Korean War 1950–1953

Bahrain

Bahrain, officially Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: مملكة البحرين‎, Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn, literally: "Kingdom of the Two Seas"), is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which was officially opened on 25 November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain.

Balhae

Prehistory
Jeulmun period
Mumun period
Gojoseon 2333–108 BC
Jin state
Proto-Three Kingdoms: 108–57 BC
Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye
Samhan: Ma, Byeon, Jin
Three Kingdoms: 57 BC – 668 AD
Goguryeo 37 BC – 668 AD
Baekje 18 BC – 660 AD
Silla 57 BC – 935 AD
Gaya 42–562
North-South States: 698–935
Unified Silla 668–935
Balhae 698–926
Later Three Kingdoms 892–935
Later Goguryeo, Later Baekje, Silla
Goryeo Dynasty 918–1392
Joseon Dynasty 1392–1897
Korean Empire 1897–1910
Japanese rule 1910–1945
Provisional Gov't 1919–1948
Division of Korea 1945–1948
North, South Korea 1948–present
Korean War 1950–1953

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative and set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later North America, Australia and North Africa. Many ballads were written and sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the later 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any love song.

Banchan

Banchan (also spelled panch'an) refers to small dishes of food served along with cooked rice in Korean cuisine. This word is used both in the singular and plural. The most famous banchan is kimchi.

Banpo Bridge

The Banpo Bridge is a major bridge in downtown Seoul over the Han River, South Korea, connecting the Seocho and Yongsan districts. Banpo Bridge is on top of Jamsu Bridge, forming a "double deck" bridge. The latter bridge has the ability to submerge under water if the water level rises. Banpo Bridge is a girder bridge and was completed in 1982. ^[1]^[2]

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting against the pitcher of the other team (the fielding team), which tries to stop them from scoring runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the batting team can stop at any of the bases and later advance via a teammate's hit or other means. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team records three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Basel Convention

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal, usually known simply as the Basel Convention, is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste. The Convention is also intended to minimize the amount and toxicity of wastes generated, to ensure their environmentally sound management as closely as possible to the source of generation, and to assist LDCs in environmentally sound management of the hazardous and other wastes they generate.