Korea, The Amazing Country
Korea is the most Confucian country in Asia with a philosophy of harmony and right conduct based on relationships that create a “vertical” society. Korea like other Asian countries is a collectivist society, a “we” society, which is very different from the American, individualistic way of thinking. By traveling to Korea you will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the people of Asia and their culture.
Korea is less than half the size of California but has a population of 48 million. You will be amazed at the capital, Seoul, founded in 1392, which still has several of its ancient gates and sections of the city walls. With a population of 14 million, it is the world’s tenth largest city. It is also one of the world’s most densely populated cities surpassed only by Mexico City and Sao Paulo. It is a modern city, rebuilt from the devastation of the Korean War fifty years ago. Wide avenues and skyscrapers abound, and there is a superb subway system. Since it is a city that never sleeps, you will not run out of places to go. The new TGV high-speed train connects the capital with Korea's second largest city, Pusan, with four million people, in less than 2 hours.
Korea is the only divided country in the world. South Korea may be the most democratic of Asian countries, while North Korea is a completely isolated communist state. Since the Korean War ended in 1953, the world’s third and fifth largest armies have faced each other across the border, the Demilitarized Zone (the DMZ), North Korea with 1,000,000 regulars and 5,000,000 reserves, the South with 500,000 regulars and 3,000,000 reserves. Currently there are 35,000 U.S. forces serving in Korea. You will visit Panmunjom, the Truce Village in the DMZ.
The Korean Language belongs to the Ural-Altaic language group that includes Japanese, Turkish, Hungarian, Finnish, Mongolian, and Tibetan. Korean bears considerable resemblance to Japanese in grammatical structure and both languages have many Chinese leased words. The Korean alphabet, which is considered one of the most scientific writing systems in use in the world, was invented in 1446 by a group of scholars under King Sejong. Korea leads the world in broadband penetration, and it has a well developed I.T. industry. Its leading exports are semi-conductors, flat screen TV’s, mobile phones, automobiles, and ships. It is one of the world’s leading internet games and mobile entertainment developers. Entertainment is very important with Korean soap operas sweeping Asia and a high quality movie industry.