South Korea

South Korea (韓国) is a republic located on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. It effectively controls only the southern part of the peninsula.

Overview

South Korea (韓国/かんこく Kankoku) is a country located on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Its official name in Japan is the Republic of Korea. Although constitutionally the entire peninsula is part of its territory, it is divided from North Korea by the Korean Demilitarized Zone, and its effective territory is limited to the southern part of the peninsula. The population was 51,439,038 as of December 2022. This site is often tagged with illustrations related to Hetalia and illustrations of the hanbok and chima jeogori, traditional Korean outfits.

International Relations

The United States of America

The United States established diplomatic relations with Korea in May 1882, at which time the two countries signed the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation (or just Shufeldt Treaty). Korea became an ally of the United States.

Japan

Diplomatic relations were established in December 1965, at which time the Treaty on Basic Relations Between Japan and the Republic of Korea, concluded in June of the same year, came into effect, leading to closer political, economic, cultural, and other exchanges. In the past, it was almost a one-way trip from Japan to Korea, and today Korean culture is strongly influenced by Japan in many aspects.

On the other hand, since the so-called "Korean boom," the influx of Korean culture, including fashion and makeup, has been increasing in Japan, especially among young people. Currently, Japanese interest in Korea is centered on politics and entertainment, while interest in online games and food culture is particularly high.

Some are interested in Korean history and society, but topics on social issues in Korea should be handled with caution, as they may contain falsehoods and exaggerations distorted by so-called "Korea watchers" and summary websites.