Report on South Korea

Name

Professor

IB315 - International Business Perspectives

December 7, 2014

Republic of Korea

Introduction to Korea

South Korea is an extraordinary country filled with beautiful beaches, thriving cities, ancient temples, remarkable natural scenery and most importantly, friendly people with ancient history. South Korea has come a long way since The Korean War which ended in 1953. Almost all of South Korea was completely levelled during the war which is hard to imagine if you have seen Korea recently (Gone 2 Korea, 2014).

The Korean peninsula is located in Eastern Asia between China, Japan, and Russia occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula (Global Edge, 2014) (Countries and Their Cultures, 2014). It borders the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and North Korea. South Korea's terrain is mostly mountainous. It has been subject to foreign invasions throughout recorded history. Korea was ruled by the Chinese for several hundred years in the early centuries AD. During this time, China established a lasting influence on Korean culture, especially through its language (Countries and Their Cultures, 2014).

In 1876 the Kanghwa Treaty opened Korea to Japan and to the West. After many wars, Korea was taken over by Japan, which brutally ruled it from 1910 to 1945. During this period, Koreans were treated terribly by the Japanese. Women were kidnapped and used as sex slaves, and many innocent people were horribly murdered. Many Koreans still mistrust the Japanese because of this (Countries and Their Cultures, 2014).

After World War II (1939–45), the peninsula was divided by the Soviets and the Americans. The thirty-eighth parallel became the line separating the zones. Eventually, the line separated two distinct countries: North Korea and South Korea. They have fought one war (1950–53) and have been preparing for another ever since. The border is one of the most heavily armed borders in the world. The United States has maintained troops in South Korea for about...