1. Presented by: Yewon Bae

2.  Official Name: Republic of Korea  Area: 99,392km squared  (Approximately the size of Illinois)  Population: 50,000,000 (2013)  National Sport: Tae Kwon Do  National Flower: Rose of Sharon (Mugoonghwa)  Language: Korean  Capital: Seoul  GDP: $1.66 Trillion (12 th )  HDI: 0.909 (12 th )

3.  South Korea borders North Korea to its North, Japan to its south, China to its northwest  Because it is a peninsula it borders three bodies of water: Korea Strait, East Sea, and the Yellow Sea  Over 3,000 islands are under the control of the South Korean government: Jeju, Dokdo

4.  Korea founded 2333 B.C  Throughout history, maintained a monarchic society  Dynasty of the country changed many times through history: Joseon, Goguryeo, Koryo, etc.  During the Koryo Dynasty (936~1392) first westerners entered Korea; the word “Korea” is a result of westerners trying to pronounce Koryo  1945 – Split of North and South Korea  1950~1953 – the Korean War

5.  12 th in the world by GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) and 15 th by nominal GDP  Member of the G20, Asian Tiger, Trillions Club, OECD (Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development)Organization for Economic Co- operation and Development  High-Income developed country heavily dependent on international trade  World’s 6 th largest exporter and 10 th largest importer  Compared to 60 years ago (Right after the Korean War) South Korea was one of the poorest countries in the world

6.  South Korea’s economy is based on capitalism, unlike the North which still centers around the ideas of communism  There are many South Korean multi billion dollar corporations that are a big part of the South Korean economy  Samsung  Hyundai/ Kia  LG

7.  Aside from Tae Kwon Do, there are many sports popular in Korea  Soccer is one of the most famous ones  K-League  Baseball has also gained popularity throughout the modern period  KBO (Korean Baseball Organization)  Golf is a luxury sport enjoyed by Koreans by all age groups

8. Ji-Sung Park (Manchester United) Yuna Kim (1 st in Figure Skating) Choo Shin Soo (Cincinnati Reds) Ryu Hyun Jin (L.A.Dodgers) K.J. Choi (Men’s Golf)

9.  Public Transportation in South Korea is ranked one of the best in the world  Subways, inner-city buses, outer city buses, etc. are all controlled by the government to maintain cheap prices or the companies who run public transportation are heavily maintained by the Korean government to always keep the price low while providing highest rate of service  Plus taxis roam around the streets of cities offering low price fares  All source of public transportation provide 4G Wi-Fi and DMB for users

10.  Out of the public transportation methods, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway is the most outstanding  Number of daily commuters: 6.9 million people  Number of Stations: 607 (and increasing)  Number of Lines: 19  World’s most highly used subway & World’s 2 nd Largest Subway by the number of stations

11.  All stations have installed LED screen TVs announcing the arrivals of the next subway (Just like bus stations in Korea) Pangyo Station Sindap Station Entrance to Gangnam Station

12.  A Korean meal consists of a bowl of rice, soup, and several side dishes  In the old times, the number of side dishes had a positive correlation with your personal wealth  The meal is done not when you have finished all the side dishes but when you finish your bowl of rice

13.  Food is only eaten with a pair of chopsticks and a spoon  Within a group, the meal begins only when the eldest member starts eating first  Putting your chopsticks into your rice bowl is very disrespectful  Rice bowl should never be lifted, especially towards your face. The bowl must remain constant on the table

14. Bulgogi Kal-Bi (Korean BBQ) BibimbapGom Tang Dduk Bok-E Dak Dori Tang

15.  South Korea carries a long history  Over time it has become a modernized economic giant  Yet it still holds true to its history, tradition, and culture