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Korea
The
population of the Republic of Korea topped
45.9 million in 1997. Its population
density is among the world's highest, and
Seoul, the capital city, has more than 11
million inhabitants. Other metropolitan
cities include Pusan, Taegu, Inch'on, Kwangju,
Taejon, and Ulsan.
In
recent years, urbanization has been
increasing, although the government is taking
steps to minimize this trend. The
traditional extended family system is giving
way to the nuclear family. Religious
freedom is provided for in the Korean
Constitution, and Koreans have taken to
religion with a fervor. Some 51 percent
of the public holds religious beliefs, and
that figure continues to grow. The major
religions include Buddhism, Protestantism and
Catholicism.
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The
Korean Language
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The
Koreans are one ethnic family speaking
one language. They share certain
distinct physical characteristics which
differentiate them from other Asian
people including the Chinese and the
Japanese, and have a strong cultural
identity as one ethnic family.
The
Korean language is spoken by more than
65 million people living on the
peninsula and its outlying islands as
well as 5.5 million Koreans living in
other parts of the world. The fact
that all Koreans speak and write the
same language has been a crucial factor
in their strong national identity.
Modern Korea has several different
dialects including the standard one used
in Seoul and central areas, but they are
similar enough that speakers/listeners
do not have trouble understanding each
other.
Linguistic
and ethnological studies have
established that the Korean language
belongs to the Ural-Altaic group of
Central Asia, which also includes
Turkish, Hungarian, Finnish, Mongolian
and Japanese.
Korean,
like Japanese, also includes a rich
vocabulary borrowed from Chinese in the
same way many European languages
includes a large number of words of
Latin and Greek derivation. Han-gul,
the Korean alphabet (originally called Hunmin
chong-um) was invented in 1446 by a
group of scholars under the patronage of
King Sejong, and consists of 10 vowels
and 14 consonants which are used to form
numerous syllabic groupings. Han-gul
is easy to learn and write, which has
greatly contributed to the high literary
rate of Koreans.
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Korea's
Geography
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 The
Korean Peninsula, located in Northeast
Asia, is bordered on the north by China
and Russia and juts toward Japan to the
southeast. The northernmost point
is Yup'ojin in Onsong-gun, Hamgyongbuk-do
Province, and the southernmost point is
Marado island, Cheju-do Province.
The
westernmost point of Maando island in
Yongch'on-gun, Pyonganbuk-do Province,
and the easternmost is Tokdo island in
Ullung-gun, Kyongsangbukdo Province.
The
Korean Peninsula is 222,154 square
kilometers, almost the same size as the
UK or Romania. The administrative
area of the Republic of Korea is 99,392
square kilometers, slightly larger than
Hungary or Portugal and a little smaller
than Iceland
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Food
in Korea
Rice,
either plain or cooked with other grains, is
the main dish at Korean meals. Rice is
accompanied by a variety of side dishes that
vary greatly according to the region and the
season. Next to rice comes kimchi,
a spicy vegetable dish generally comprised of
celery, cabbage and turnips or cucumbers
seasoned with salt, garlic, onions, ginger,
red pepper and shellfish. Soup is also a
vital part of almost every meal. Other
dishes include seafood, meat or poultry,
greens, herbs and roots. Each person has
his own rice and soup bowls but all other
dishes are placed in the center of the table
for everyone to partake of. A spoon and
chopsticks are used for eating.
A
favorite dish is bulgogi, strips of
beef roasted over a brazier at the table after
being marinated in a mixture of soy sauce,
sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic, green onions
and other seasonings. Koreans generally
like hot, spicy foods, so red pepper is an
indispensable seasoning.
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