Korea Adoption Program: Culture/Country

South Korea, known officially as the Republic of Korea, is located on the Korean peninsula in Northeast Asia. To the north of the Korean peninsula lie China and Russia and to the southeast lies Japan. The entire Korean peninsula is about the size of the United Kingdom and is renowned for its striking natural beauty. Much of the country is mountainous with a coastline dotted with more than 3,000 islands. The climate is temperate with four distinct seasons.

South Korea is a democracy and is comprised of nine provinces with Seoul as its capital city. The population of over 45 million people is quite homogeneous and speak the same language, with some variation in dialects.

The country has rich cultural and artistic traditions of which the Korean people are rightfully proud. The country has seen remarkable economic growth since the years of the Korean War, transforming itself into an advanced industrial nation and a strong player in the international economic community.