North and South

Korea North and South Korea occupy the Korean Peninsula North Korea is very mountainous South Korea has much more farmland than the North

North and South Korea at night

Korea Came under dominance of China around 100 BCE Copied much of Chinese culture including Confucianism, Buddhism, and writing The Kingdom of the Silla controlled the peninsula for hundreds of years The Yi dynasty lasted from

Korea Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and remained under Japanese control until the end of WWII The Japanese in the North were disarmed by the Soviets and in the South by the US Japanese soldiers being disarmed by Americans in South Korea after WWII

Korea In North Korea, the Soviets established a communist government and army The US did very little to build up the South In 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea starting the Korean War

Korea The Korean War pitted North Korean and Communist Chinese troops against UN troops led by US The war ended in stalemate and a cease-fire that exists to this day US and North Korean officers face-to-face at Panmunjeom

South Korea South Korea has developed a democratic government It is one of the “Asian Tigers” – strong, high tech economy The capital and biggest city is Seoul Allied with the US – US soldiers maintain a presence in South Korea Seoul at Night

North Korea North Korea is considered communist but is really a dictatorship (dynastic) North Korea is poor and backward The army is the 4 th largest in the world The North operates many labor camps for political enemies Possesses nuclear weapons Kim Il Sung – “Eternal Leader” Kim Jong-il – “Eternal Chairman” Kim Jong-un