Asia and Oceania

Korea, Republic of (South Korea)
Last reviewed: 1 June 2009

Country information

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HISTORY

Korea is an ancient civilisation. It developed from walled-town states and larger kingdoms and became united in the 7th century. After being 'opened' by Japan in 1876, China, Japan and Russia competed for influence until Japan annexed the country in 1910. The end of the Second World War freed Korea from 35 years of Japanese rule but the country divided into US and Soviet occupation zones along the 38th Parallel. This then acquired semi-permanent status with the onset of the Cold War. The Republic of Korea was founded in the south on 15 August 1948 and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north on 9 September the same year.

On 25 June 1950 the DPRK invaded the ROK and overran most of the country. A United Nations Command (UNC) was established with 16 members under UN Security Council resolutions to assist the ROK. After the successful defence of a 'perimeter' near the south-east city of Pusan and US landings at Inchon, near Seoul in September, UN and ROK forces beat DPRK forces back north, almost to the Chinese border. Chinese forces entered the war in November 1950 and the battle line was again pushed south of Seoul before UN and ROK forces held, then pushed Chinese and DPRK forces back to near the 38th Parallel. The war devastated the peninsula. Seoul changed hands four times and was reduced to rubble. Because of its air supremacy, the UNC was able to destroy almost every building of importance in the north. Over 1 million died on each side. DPRK losses were the greater. An armistice was signed between the DPRK/China and UNC on 27 July 1953. The ROK refused to sign but agreed to abide by its terms.

For over three decades, the ROK was led by conservative dictators who were vehemently anti-Communist and, because of this, restricted political rights. The first President, Syngman Rhee made full use of his authority, even revising the Constitution so that he could stay in power until forced to step down after a student uprising in 1960. General Park Chung-hee staged a military coup in 1961 and remained in office until assassinated in October 1979. Chun Doo-hwan, another general, assumed power the following year after martial law was declared.

Park's policies did little for political development but they encouraged economic development through promoting business conglomerates. Rapid economic growth raised peoples’ expectations and led to the development of a democratisation movement that could no longer be ignored by the Government by the mid-1980s. Faced with this and increased international attention in the run up to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Chun’s chosen successor, former general Roh Tae-woo, had to stand for election. Because of splits within the Opposition, he was elected and took office in 1988. This started the development of a strong democracy with his successors being:
-   Kim Young-sam, a conservative civilian;
-   Kim Dae-jung, a former dissident who had become part of the establishment;
-   Roh Moo-hyun, a former civil rights lawyer who had not even been to university; and
-   Lee Myung-bak, who had to work his way through university and went on to become a successful business leader.

The economy has continued to grow under these Presidents who have increasingly had to face the problems of a maturing, rather than a developing, economy.

BBC News Country Timeline: South Korea