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South Korea

South Korea
South Korea or Republic of Korea (R.O.K) is a country located in Eastern Asia on the Southern half of the Korean Peninsula, bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea. South Korea's capital is Seoul with a population of over 9.5 million as of 2022. R.O.K's independence from North Korea was recognized in 1948 after the end of the Second World War. Today South Korea is made up of peaceful mountains, small valleys, and coastal plains, and an energetic big city life. The most common language spoken is Korean but, Japanese, English, and Mandarin are also widely spoken.

Capital
Seoul is the countries capital and has been since 1394. Seoul is located in the North-West region of South Korea with a populaiton of close to 10 million. There are approximately 42,000 people living in Seoul per square mile, making it the world's 16th largest city. This capital city was also rated Asia's most livable city with the 2nd highest quality of life according to Arcadis in 2015.

Geography
"Korea is a 750-mile-long (1,200-kilometer-long) peninsula located in the easternmost part of the Asian continent." Today Korea is split into two seperate countries called North and South Korea. South Korea is a very mountainous place except, the mountains are much smaller than those in other regions of the world, because over thousands of years rain and wind have beat down on them makin them smaller. Currently, most of their mountain tops are below 3,300 feet. For reference, Mount Everest, a Himalayan mountain range between Nepal and Tibet stands at 20,032 making it the tallest point on earth. The South Korean peninsula is also surrounded by over 3,000 volcanic islands.

History
During the colonial period Japan was in control of South Korea. During this time, Japan had banned the use of the Korean language even requiring Koreans to Change their last names (surnames) to Japanese sounding names and their first names (given names) to fit under the Name Order. The Japanese also enlisted the Koreans into the Japanese workforce or as soldiers fighting in the Pacific War. "In 1940, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea (PGK) organized the Korean Liberation Army in Chungqing.'The PGK declared war against Japan and dispatched troops to the front lines in India and Myanmar to fight on the side of the Allied Forces. Some young Koreans received special training from a special military unit of the United States to better equip themselves to attack Japanese forces in Korea." On August 15, 1945 the South Koreans were finally given back the independence they had been fighting for when Japan surrendered in the Pacific War. After that U.S. and Soviet troops were sent to Korea to help remove any remaining Japanese soldiers from the Korean Peninsula.

People
Almost the entire country is of Korean ethnicity but there is a small percentage of permanent residents who are of Chinese descent. The number of foreign residents is quickly growing, predominantly in the more urban areas. People from the United States, Japan, and China make up the growing foreign population.

Fun Facts

 * 1) South Koreans are considered one years old at birth.
 * 2) Jay Walking does not exist in South Korea.
 * 3) Valentines Day is a holiday intended for the men in their culture.
 * 4) The famous K-Pop boy band BTS originated from Seoul, South Korea.