The Republic of Korea (South Korea) shares borders to the north with the demilitarised zone (separating it from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), to the east with the East Sea, to the south with the Korea Strait (separating it from Japan) and to the west with the Yellow Sea. There are many islands, bays … Read more Korea Country Info
Korea is an old country, with the earliest states beginning about the time of the Late Chou Dynasty in China. Despite the predominant Chinese influence on Korea and the vast borrowing of Chinese vocabulary, the Korean language is unrelated to Chinese. There is no agreement about just what it is related to, though kinship with … Read more Kings of Korea
Korean society is based on the tenets of Confucianism, a system of ethics developed in China around 500 BC. Confucianism is big on devotion and respect – for parents, family, friends and those in positions of authority. Confucius also emphasised justice, peace, education, reform and humanitarianism. Many Koreans attribute their country’s remarkable success in recent … Read more Korean Culture
Chogori and Ch’imaChogori for females have changed over time more than those for males. The earliest versions went all the way to the hips and were tied at the waist. By the late Chosun Dynasty (1392-1910), they only went as far as the arm pits, with a longer front panel to cover the breasts. Dongchong … Read more Korean Womens Clothing
Cheogori and Paji Men’s cheogori were generally longer than their women’s counterparts, reaching down to the waist or even lower. Like the women’s version, they are tied across the chest in front. The earliest versions of the paji had narrow legs to facilitate horseback riding and hunting. However, a more agrarian society dictated wider legs … Read more Korean Mens Clothing
Pre-20th Century ??- 57 B.C.: Evidence of inhabitants in Korea from as early as 4000 BC exists in Korea. Legend has that the man-god Tan Gun founded the Joseon (meaning Land of the Morning Calm) Kingdom in 2333 BC. Almost no centralized communities existed from then until three kingdoms emerged in the 1st century BC. 57 B.C. – 668 A.D.: … Read more Korean History
Korea, Republic of Country Reports on Human Rights Practices –2005 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor March 8, 2006 The Republic of Korea (Korea) is a constitutional democracy governed by a president and a unicameral legislature. The country has a population of approximately 48 million. In December 2002 President Roh Moo-hyun … Read more Korea Human Rights 2007
Charles Muller First Published: July, 1996; Updated: August 14, 2003 1. Introduction 2. Three Kingdoms (三國) Buddhism 3. Unified Silla Period (統一新羅; 668-918) 4. Goryeo Period (高麗; 918-1392) 5. Joseon Period (朝鮮; 1392-1909) 1. Introduction Since Korean Buddhism has come to the attention of Western scholarship rather late compared with Chinese and Japanese Buddhism, it … Read more Korean Buddhism
Historical Tea History and Customs In ancient times humans considered tea to be an edible plant or medicine, but it gradually evolved into a beverage thanks to its merits-good taste, stimulating effect and easy preparation. Eventually, tea drinking developed into a cultural form. “Tea culture” encompasses all the material paraphernalia involved in the process of … Read more Korean Tea Culture
In many aspects Korean cuisine is a combination of Japanese and Chinese techniques in preparing food. If compared to Japanese cuisine, it relies less on fish and seafood; if compared to Chinese, it relies less on oil. The staple food of course is rice (in Korean: bap). Rice noodles (in Korean: chapche) and bean curd … Read more Korean Cuisine Dining Guide