Part 1 – Basic Information
Locations
-South Korea is located in East Asia, neighboring Japan and China, bordering North Korea. The absolute location is 35 degrees to the North 127 degrees to the East.
Geographical features
-The size of South Korea is one hundred thousand two hundred ten square kilomitres. Seoul is the capital city of Korea. The geographical features of South Korea is eastern part of South Korea is high because it’s mountainous, but the western part of South Korea is low and mainly flat.
History
The four main history of Korea is Ancient Korea. By 4000 BC, the settlers of Korea were farmers.
Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910, the most important dynasty of Korea which left a substantial legacy for modern Korea
Japan colonized Korea from 1910-1945, and Japanese genocide Koreans culturally and physically.
Because of the Korean War in 1950-1953, Korea was divided into North and South
Culture and Tradition
-On the Lunars’ New Year’s Day, all the relatives come together, and the children bow to their elders so that elders give money to children as a meaning of blessing
Instead of having meals individually, Koreans used to share food all together on one big table.
Kimchi is a classic Korean food, it increases the immune system and helps digestion.
Hanbok is a traditional cloth in Korea. People’s status can be distinguished by various types of hanbok.
Language
The official language of South Korea is Korean. The character of Korean, Hangul, was created in the 15th Century by King Sejong for people who were having difficulties because they didn’t know the language.
It is the only language in the world with a clear origin and period
Seoul is considered a standard Korean, and other parts of South Korea has a dialect. Southeastern Korea speaks in a fast-paced manner, but southwestern Korea speaks very slowly and calmly. Jeju dialect is the most different from standard Korean.
Religion
More than half of Koreans don’t have religions, but the three main religion is Protestant, Buddhist, and Catholic.
Confucianism and Shamanism
Confucianism and Shamanism are the two influenced religions of Korean society.
Confucianism influences Korean culture, traditions, ethics, and customs, but Shamanism primarily affects the current religion of Korea.
Contemporary Issues
-Freedom of Expression, violation of teacher’s authority, efforts to deepen digitalization, and women’s rights are the contemporary issues in South Korea
Part 2 – Family Connection
I asked my dad, who has lived in South Korea.
Differences between the past and present of Korea
-I asked the differences between past and present Korea, and he typically pointed out Korea’s economic growth.
Reference of economic growth
-This graph shows the economic growth in South Korea through GDP(Gross Domestic Product)
City to grow up and typical geographical features
-Seoul is my dad’s hometown, It’s the biggest city in South Korea, with 20% of the South Korean population
Busan is my mom’s hometown, It’s the second big city in South Korea, beside the ocean.
Reason for the dense population in Seoul
-I asked my dad about the reason for the high population in Seoul, and he told me that the convenience through good social infrastructure, like transportation
It is the Seoul subway map.
Reason to live in Busan, not capital city
However, my dad left his hometown and capital city, Seoul, and decided to live in Busan because he could enjoy both the mountains and the ocean at the same time.
Geographical changes of the past and present in South Korea
-My dad answered the Saemangeum Seawall project for almost 30 years. It creates extra territories that Koreans couldn’t use before.
Insight and Reflection
-As a South Korean, I thought I knew much about South Korea and Korean geography. However, through the research, I realized I didn’t know much about my country. I learned how South Korea has developed and how religions affected Korean society, so It was a significant project for me.
“Our history begins before we are born. We represent the hereditary influences of our races, and our ancestors virtually live in us” by James Nasmyth, Scottish engineer, philosopher, artist and inventor