KOREA HISTORY
Korea was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period and its civilization began with the founding of Gojoseon. After the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea in 668, Korea enjoyed over a millennium of relative tranquility under dynasties lasting for centuries in which its trade, culture, literature, science and technology flourished. In 1910 it was annexed by the Japanese Empire, after whose surrender in 1945, Korea was divided into Soviet and U.S. zones of occupation, with the latter becoming the Republic of Korea in August 1948. Although the United Nations passed a resolution declaring the Republic to be the only lawful government of Korea, a communist regime was soon set up in the North that invaded the South in 1950, leading to the Korean War that ended in 1953 with an armistice, with peace and prosperity settling-in thereafter.
Want to Live in Korea?
If you’re planning on moving to or visiting South Korea, people will most likely tell you all the amazing things about it. Those things are 100% true and you should absolutely go, but there are some things that often remain unsaid. In my opinion, these are some of those things–the things no one tells you about living in Korea
You will be an oddity. Once you get to know Korean people, they’re almost always amazingly nice. I assume this is true for most people in the world actually. But the initial reception in Korea as a foreigner is a little odd. Unless you’re going to be living in one of the popular neighborhoods in Seoul that get a lot of traffic from people from all over the world, you’re most likely going to be a novelty for the people in your city. You will get stared at. You will get pointed at. You will hear people whisper (or in some cases, loudly shout) in Korean “Foreigner!” when they see you. Salespeople will argue over who has to help you, because they’re worried you’ll make them speak English. Sometimes, people won’t want to sit by you on the train or bus, because you are different. In restaurants, they may automatically bring you a fork instead of chopsticks. When you go shopping, you might not be allowed to try clothes on because the salespeople are worried your big foreigner body might stretch out the clothes.
Situated on the Han River, Seoul's history stretches back more than two thousand years when it was founded in 18 BCE by Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It continued as the capital of Korea under the Joseon Dynasty. The Seoul Capital Area contains five UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Changdeok Palace, Hwaseong Fortress, Jongmyo Shrine, Namhansanseongand the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty. Seoul is surrounded by mountains, the tallest being Mt. Bukhan, the world's most visited national park per square foot. Modern landmarks include the iconic N Seoul Tower, the gold-clad 63 Building, theneofuturistic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Lotte World, the world's second largest indoor theme park, Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, the world's longest bridge fountain and the Sevit Floating Islands. The birthplace of K-pop and the Korean Wave, Seoul received over 12 million international visitors in 2013, making it the world's 10th most visited city and 6th largest earner in tourism. |
K-POP
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