Republic of Korea

Japanese: 大韓民国 - だいかんみんこく

◎Official name: Republic of Korea (Taehan-minguk). ◎Area: 99,461 ^km2 . ◎Population: 48.58 million (2010). ◎Capital: Seoul (9.79 million, 2010). ◎Residents: Korean. ◎Religion: Buddhism 25%, Protestantism 20%, Catholicism 7%, Shamanism, Cheondoism, etc. ◎Language: Korean (official). ◎Currency: Won. ◎Head of state: President, Park Geun-hye (elected December 2012, inaugurated February 2013, five-year term). ◎Prime Minister: Hwang Kyo-ahn. ◎Constitution: promulgated October 1987, implemented February 1988. ◎National Assembly: unicameral (299 seats, four-year term). April 2012 election results: Saenuri Party 152, Democratic United Party 127, Unified Progressive Party 13, etc. ◎GDP - $1.622 trillion (2012). ◎Per capita GDP - $32,431 (2012). ◎Ratio of workers employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing - 8.2% (2003). ◎Life expectancy - 75.8 years for men, 82.4 years for women (2007). ◎Infant mortality rate - 4‰ (2010). ◎Literacy rate - 99%. ＊＊Abbreviated as Korea. A republic established on August 15, 1948, in the former US military occupied areas of Korea. Administrative divisions include 9 provinces and 7 cities (Seoul Special City and 6 metropolitan cities: Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Ulsan. The latter are former direct-controlled cities that have been renamed). [Establishment of the Republic of Korea and dictatorship] At the end of World War II, the area north of 38° north latitude was occupied by the Soviet army, and the area south of that was occupied by the US army. The Cairo Declaration confirmed Korea's independence, and a US-Soviet Joint Committee was established in 1945. In 1946, the Soviet Union established the North Korean People's Committee, while the US reorganized the military government into a transitional government the same year, and held a general election under UN supervision in May 1948. In June of the same year, the South Korean National Assembly enacted the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, and independence was achieved in August, with Syngman Rhee becoming president. The country suffered heavy losses in the Korean War of 1950-1953. Syngman Rhee continued his dictatorial rule with the backing of US aid, but was overthrown in the April Revolution of 1960. In 1961, Major General Park Chung-hee and others staged a coup, and in 1963, Park Chung-hee was elected president in the elections to transfer power to civilian rule. In 1965, the long-awaited Japan-Korea Treaty was concluded, opening diplomatic relations with Japan and waiving Korea's claims against Japan in exchange for Japan providing a total of more than $800 million in "claims funds." In 1972, President Park imposed emergency martial law and forcibly created the "Yushin Regime," attempting to establish a permanent dictatorship. Under the Yushin Regime, the Park administration successfully aimed for high economic growth by pushing heavy chemical industrialization to the forefront. However, in October 1979, President Park was assassinated, and the Yushin Regime collapsed. Choi Kyu-ha was elected president instead, but in May 1980, Chun Doo-hwan seized full power in a coup (the suppression of student demonstrations in protest led to the Gwangju Uprising), and became president in September of the same year. [Foreign Affairs and Military] From the beginning of its establishment, South Korea has been highly dependent on the United States, and since independence, the United States has provided a large amount of aid. In terms of foreign affairs, after 14 years of Japan-Korea talks ended in 1965, diplomatic relations between the two countries were normalized and good diplomatic relations have continued, and cultural exchanges between the two countries have become particularly active during the presidency of Kim Dae-jung. However, in recent years, relations with Japan have cooled over the issue of historical recognition, and South Korea has shifted to a foreign policy that prioritizes relations with China over Japan. The 1988 Seoul Olympics led to improved relations with the former Soviet Union, Eastern European countries, and socialist countries, and diplomatic relations were established with the Soviet Union in 1990 and with China in 1992. The issue of unification between North and South Korea remains difficult, and the country faces constant military threats, but in 1991 it joined the United Nations at the same time as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Since the Korean War, the country's military has grown to a total of 672,000 troops, including 560,000 ground troops (as of 2005), and the United States Forces Korea is stationed there under the US-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty (1953). The number of US troops in Korea has been gradually reduced in line with the US military's global strategic realignment, and in 2008 it was decided to maintain an appropriate level of 28,500. [After democratization] Chun Doo-hwan amended the constitution in a national referendum in 1987, and in 1988 achieved a peaceful transfer of power with Roh Tae-woo, the first person to be elected by the people since independence. In the 1992 presidential election, Kim Young-sam was elected, becoming the first non-military president. Kim Young-sam led the opposition party, but later joined the ruling Democratic Liberal Party (founded in 1990, later renamed the New Korea Party, and in 1997 merged with the Democratic Party to form the Grand National Party) led by Roh Tae-woo and others. At the end of 1995, former presidents Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo-hwan were arrested for their involvement in the seizure of power around the time of the 1980 coup, their responsibility for the Gwangju incident, and their illegal accumulation of wealth. In the 1997 presidential election, Kim Dae-jung of the opposition National Conference (renamed the New Millennium Democratic Party in 2000) was elected, marking the first time that the ruling and opposition parties have taken control of the government. The Kim Dae-jung administration advocated a "sunshine policy" in North-South relations and promoted the gradual opening up of Japanese culture. The Roh Moo-hyun administration, which came into power in 2003, has continued the former line as a "policy of peace and prosperity toward North Korea" and also advocates the creation of a "Northeast Asian community." In September of the same year, the "Open Uri Party" split off from the Democratic Party and continued to support the president, but in the unusual situation of the opposition parties' impeachment of the president being passed in the National Assembly, the Uri Party won a majority of seats in the 2004 general election, and the Democratic Labor Party (established in 2000), which is affiliated with the Democratic Labor Union, emerged as the third largest party. The Roh administration has put forward policies that are at odds with the conservative opposition parties, such as reviewing history, including the "pro-Japanese" faction of the colonial era, and relocating the capital functions. The year 2005, which marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Japan-Korea Treaty, was designated the "Year of Japan-Korea Friendship," but while there was a "Korean Wave" in Japan, triggered by the broadcasting of a TV drama in late 2003, relations with Japan continued to be difficult due to the Takeshima issue, the history textbook issue, and Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Yasukuni Shrine. In February 2008, President Lee Myung-bak of the Grand National Party took office, and at the Japan-Korea summit meeting, they mutually confirmed the realization of a "new era for Japan and Korea." From the start, the Yukio Hatoyama Cabinet emphasized East Asian diplomacy, and the Naoto Kan Cabinet also inherited the same emphasis on Korea, leading to an improvement in Japan-Korea relations. In April 2011, the results of the examination of many middle school geography and civics textbooks that stated Takeshima was Japanese territory were published, raising concerns about tensions in diplomatic relations, but the Lee Myung-bak administration refrained from overreacting. However, in August 2013, the president suddenly landed on Takeshima, and in a press conference, he mentioned the issue of the Emperor's "visit to Korea" and "apology." Japan strongly opposed and protested. This was the first time that a sitting Korean president had decided to land on the island. As tensions between Japan and China grew over the Senkaku Islands issue, South Korea appeared to be moving in unison with China, which claimed that "Japan has not shown sincere remorse for its history of colonial rule and aggression in Asia," and Japan-South Korea relations cooled off. In the presidential election in December 2012, Park Geun-hye of the Saenuri Party (formerly the Grand National Party) and Moon Jae-in of the opposition Democratic United Party were in a close race, but Park Geun-hye won, making it the second consecutive conservative ruling party to have a president. After taking office in February 2013, President Park Geun-hye announced her main diplomacy-related national agenda as "sustainable development of the ROK-US alliance and strengthening international cooperation with related countries," "the Northeast Asia Peace Cooperation Initiative and expansion of Eurasian cooperation," and "harmonious development of the ROK-US alliance and ROK-China partnership and stabilization of Japan-South Korea relations." She visited the United States in May 2013 as her first overseas trip, and also made an effort to strengthen relations with China. For her second visit after taking office, she paid a state visit to China in June 2013 instead of Japan, and agreed to strengthen the strategic cooperative partnership. In terms of relations with Japan, she severely criticized the Abe administration on historical issues, focusing on the comfort women issue, and further promoted the hardline policy toward Japan that had been in place since the Lee Myung-bak administration ended, causing relations between South Korea and Japan to completely cool. Regarding the North-South issue, she adopted a hardline stance that rejected easy compromises based on a solid deterrent force, while announcing the "Korean Peninsula Trust Process," which aims to build trust between the North and South. This series of diplomatic stances was highly praised by South Korean public opinion, and the Park Geun-hye administration maintained a high approval rating. However, in April 2014, the passenger ferry Sewol capsized and sank off the coast of Jindo (the Sewol ferry sinking incident), resulting in a major disaster with more than 300 people dead and missing, including many high school students. Criticism of the government's response erupted immediately after the accident, and although Prime Minister Chung Won announced his resignation, the situation was not resolved and developed into a major issue that shook the Park Geun-hye administration. President Park Geun-hye's approval rating plummeted. [Economy] From the 1970s to the 1980s, South Korea achieved rapid high growth, and its industrial structure shifted from agriculture to manufacturing. After the end of 1997, the won collapsed during the Asian currency crisis, and South Korea received support from the IMF, but after reforms of the conglomerates, it began to grow again after 1999. In the 2000s, trade with China grew dramatically, and in 2003 it overtook the United States to become South Korea's largest export destination. In 2011, then-President Lee Myung-bak, backed by the booming export industries such as electronics and automobiles, overcame domestic opposition and decided to conclude an FTA with the United States. The Park Geun-hye administration has also announced that it will continue the policy. South Korea's GDP ranks 13th in the world (2014). [North-South relations] In June 2000, the first North-South summit was held in Pyongyang, and the Joint Declaration included confirmation of the commonality of the process of unification that both sides were aiming for, reunions of separated families, economic exchange and cooperation between North and South Korea, the resumption of dialogue between North and South Korean officials, and a promise for Kim Jong-il to visit Seoul, raising hopes that North-South relations would enter a new stage. In 2003, South Korean capital moved into Kaesong, North Korea, and an industrial district was established, and a ceremony was held to connect the North-South railways on the Gyeongui Line and the Donghae Line. However, North Korea often took a hardline stance, such as by carrying out nuclear tests and repeatedly launching missiles, and tensions continued. In November 2010, the North Korean People's Army suddenly began shelling the South Korean territory of Dae Yeonpyeong Island in Gyeonggi Bay (Dae Yeonpyeong Island Incident). Two South Korean marines and two civilians were killed, a total of 19 marines and civilians were injured, and houses and forests were set on fire. This was seen as a sign of resentment and deterrence from the North Korean military against South Korean military training and the planned joint South Korea-US military training, and new military tensions rose with the establishment of the Kim Jong Un regime in 2012. → Korea / Democratic People's Republic of Korea → Related topics Kimjang culture | Saenuri Party | Seoul Olympics (1988) | Korean Air bombing incident | Taekwondo | Sun Myung Moon | Democratic United Party

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

◎正式名称−大韓民国Taehan-minguk／Republic of Korea。◎面積−９万9461km²。◎人口−4858万人（2010）。◎首都−ソウル（979万人，2010）。◎住民−朝鮮人。◎宗教−仏教25％，プロテスタント20％，カトリック７％，シャマニズム，天道教など。◎言語−韓国語（公用語）。◎通貨−ウォン。◎元首−大統領，朴槿恵（パク・クネ）（2012年12月選出，2013年２月就任，任期５年）。◎首相−黄教安。◎憲法−1987年10月公布，1988年２月施行。◎国会−一院制（定員299，任期４年）。2012年４月選挙結果，セヌリ党152，民主統合党127，統合進歩党13など。◎GDP−１兆6220億ドル（2012）。◎１人当りGDP−３万2431ドル（2012）。◎農林・漁業就業者比率−8.2％（2003）。◎平均寿命−男75.8歳，女82.4歳（2007）。◎乳児死亡率−４‰（2010）。◎識字率−99％。　　　　＊　　　　＊韓国と略称される。朝鮮のうち旧米軍占領地をもって，1948年８月15日に成立した共和国。行政区画は９道７市（ソウル特別市と釜山，大邱，仁川，光州，大田，蔚山の６広域市。後者は従来の直轄市を改称したもの）からなる。〔大韓民国の成立と独裁政権〕　第２次大戦の終了時に北緯38°以北はソ連軍に，以南は米軍に占領された。カイロ宣言に基づき朝鮮の独立が確認され，1945年米ソ共同委員会が設置された。1946年ソ連は北朝鮮人民委員会を樹立，一方，米国は同年軍政庁を過渡的政府に改組し，1948年５月国連の監視下で総選挙を行った。同年６月南朝鮮の国会は大韓民国憲法を制定し，８月に独立し，李承晩が大統領となった。1950年―1953年の朝鮮戦争では大きな損害をこうむった。李承晩は米国の援助を背景に独裁的政治を続けたが，1960年の四月革命で倒された。1961年朴正煕(ぼくせいき)少将らがクーデタを起こし，1963年の民政移管選挙で朴正煕が大統領に選ばれ，1965年，懸案の日韓条約を結んで対日国交を開き，総額８億ドル以上の〈請求権資金〉の日本による供与と引きかえに，韓国側の対日請求権を放棄した。1972年朴大統領は非常戒厳令を発動して強引に〈維新体制〉をつくり上げ，永久独裁体制の確立を図った。維新体制のもとで朴政権は，重化学工業化を前面に押し出して高度経済成長を目ざし成功した。しかし1979年10月，朴大統領は暗殺され，維新体制は崩壊した。代わって崔圭夏が大統領に選出されたが，1980年５月，全斗煥がクーデタにより全権を掌握し（これに抗議する学生デモの弾圧を契機に光州事件が起こった），同年９月大統領に就任した。〔外交・軍事〕　国家成立の当初から対米依存度が強く，独立以来多額の援助が米国から与えられた。対外的には1965年に14年間に及んだ日韓会談が終結，両国間の国交が正常化し良好な外交関係が続き，とくに金大中大統領時代に二国間の文化交流も活発化した。しかし近年は，歴史認識問題をめぐって日本との関係は冷え込み，日本よりも中国との関係を重視する外交政策にシフトしている。1988年のソウルオリンピックを契機に旧ソ連東欧諸国・社会主義国との関係改善も進み，1990年にソ連と，1992年には中国と国交を樹立した。南北朝鮮の統一問題は依然難航し，たえず軍事的脅威に直面しているが，1991年には朝鮮民主主義人民共和国と同時に国連に加盟した。朝鮮戦争以来，軍事力は増大し，総兵力67万2000人，うち陸軍56万人（2005年）を有するほか，米韓相互防衛条約（1953年）にもとづく在韓米軍が駐留している。在韓米軍の人員は米軍の世界的な戦略再編に伴い，段階的に削減され2008年に２万8500人が適切な規模として維持することを決定した。〔民主化以後〕　全斗煥は1987年の国民投票で憲法を改正し，1988年には独立以後初めて国民の選挙で選ばれた盧泰愚との平和的政権交代を実現した。1992年の大統領選挙では金泳三が当選，初の軍人でない大統領となった。金泳三は野党を率いてきたが，盧泰愚らの与党〈民主自由党〉（1990年結成。韓国民自党，のち新韓国党，1997年民主党と合同してハンナラ党）に合流した。1995年末，盧泰愚前大統領と全斗煥元大統領が，1980年のクーデタ前後の政権奪取過程と光州事件の責任，不正蓄財を追及されて逮捕された。1997年の大統領選挙で野党・国民会議（2000年新千年民主党と改称）の金大中が当選，初めての与野党間での政権交代となった。金大中政権は南北関係では〈太陽政策〉をかかげ，また日本文化の段階的開放をすすめてきた。2003年発足の盧武鉉政権も〈対北平和繁栄政策〉として前者の路線を引き継ぎ，また〈東北アジア共同体〉の創設をかかげている。同年９月，民主党から〈開かれたウリ党〉が分裂し大統領支持を貫いたが，野党の大統領弾劾が国会で可決される異例の事態のもとで，2004年総選挙でウリ党が過半数の議席を獲得し，また民主労総系の民主労働党（2000年結成）が第３党に浮上した。盧政権は植民地時代の〈親日派〉など歴史見直し，首都機能移転など保守派野党と対立する政策を打ち出している。日韓条約締結40年にあたる2005年を〈日韓友情年〉としたが，2003年末からのテレビドラマ放映を契機とする日本の〈韓流ブーム〉の一方，竹島問題，歴史教科書問題，小泉首相の靖国神社参拝問題など，対日関係は困難な局面が続いた。2008年２月，ハンナラ党の李明博大統領が就任，日韓首脳会談で〈日韓新時代〉の具現化を相互に確認，鳩山由紀夫内閣が，発足当初から，東アジア外交重視の姿勢を打ち出し，菅直人内閣も韓国重視の姿勢を継承しており日韓関係は改善に転じた。2011年４月から使われる中学の地理と公民の教科書で竹島日本領とする多くの教科書を合格とする検定結果が公表され，外交関係の緊張が懸念されたが，李明博政権は過剰な反応を控えた。しかし2013年８月，大統領が突如竹島に上陸，さらに会見で天皇の〈訪韓〉と〈謝罪〉問題に言及した。日本側はこれに強く反発し抗議。韓国の現職大統領が同島上陸に踏み切ったのははじめてである。折から日中間で尖閣諸島問題が緊迫化したため，韓国には，〈過去の日本の植民地支配・アジア侵略の歴史について真摯な反省が無い〉と主張する中国と共同歩調を取る姿勢もうかがえ，日韓関係は一気に冷却した。2012年12月の大統領選では，セヌリ党（ハンナラ党から党名変更）の朴槿恵候補と野党民主統合党の文在寅候補と接戦を展開したが朴槿恵が勝利，保守与党から二代続いて大統領が出る結果となった。2013年２月就任後，朴槿恵大統領は外交関連の主な国政課題として，〈韓米同盟の持続的発展及び関係国との国際協力強化〉，〈北東アジア平和協力構想とユーラシア協力拡大〉，〈韓米同盟と韓中パートナーシップの調和発展及び日韓関係の安定化〉を発表。初の外遊先として2013年５月に米国を訪問，対中関係の強化にも努め，就任後２番目の訪問先として日本ではなく2013年６月に中国を国賓訪問し，戦略的協力パートナーシップ関係を強化していくことで合意した。対日関係では，従軍慰安婦問題を焦点に歴史認識問題で安倍政権を厳しく批判し，李明博政権末期の対日強硬政策をさらに進め，韓日関係は完全に冷え込んだ。南北問題については，確実な抑止力を土台に安易な妥協を排した強硬姿勢をとりつつ，南北の間に信頼を積み上げていく〈朝鮮半島信頼プロセス〉を表明した。こうした一連の外交姿勢は韓国世論に高く評価され，朴槿恵政権は高支持率を維持した。しかし2014年４月旅客船フェリー・セウォル号が珍島沖海上で転覆・沈没する事故（セウォル号沈没事件）が発生，多数の高校生を含む300名以上の死者・行方不明者を出す大惨事となった。事故直後から政府の対応に批判が噴出，鄭原首相は辞任を表明したが，事態は収拾されず，朴槿恵政権を揺るがす大問題に発展した。朴槿恵大統領の支持率は一気に降下した。〔経済〕　1970年代から1980年代にかけて急速な高度成長をとげ，産業構造も農業中心から工業中心に転換。1997年末以降アジア通貨危機のなかでウォンが暴落し，IMFの支援を受けるに至ったが，財閥改革などを経て1999年以降再び成長に転じた。2000年代は対中国貿易が飛躍的に伸び，2003年には米国を抜いて韓国の最大の輸出先となった。2011年，李明博大統領（当時）は電機，自動車など好調な輸出産業を背景に，国内の反対世論を押し切って米国とのFTA締結に踏切った。朴槿恵政権も政策の継続を表明している。世界のGDPランクは13位（2014年）。〔南北関係〕　2000年６月に初めて南北首脳会談が平壌で実現し，双方がめざす〈統一〉のプロセスの共通性の確認，離散家族の再会，南北経済交流・協力，南北当局者の対話再開，金正日のソウル訪問の約束などが〈共同宣言〉に盛られ，南北関係は新たな段階を迎える期待感が高まった。2003年には北朝鮮の開城に韓国資本が進出して工業地区ができ，京義線と東海線で南北鉄道の連結式が挙行された。しかし核実験強行や度重なるミサイル発射など，北朝鮮はしばしば強硬姿勢に転じ，緊張が続いた。2010年11月，京畿湾の韓国領大延坪島に北朝鮮人民軍が突如砲撃を開始（大延坪島事件）。韓国海兵隊員２名と民間人２名が死亡，海兵隊・民間人合わせて19名が負傷，家屋と山林が火災にあった。韓国の軍事訓練と，予定されていた韓米合同軍事訓練に対する北朝鮮軍の反発と牽制の現れと見られ，2012年の北朝鮮・金正恩体制の成立とともに新たな軍事的緊張が高まった。→朝鮮／朝鮮民主主義人民共和国
→関連項目キムジャン文化｜セヌリ党｜ソウルオリンピック（1988年）｜大韓航空機爆破事件｜テコンドー｜文鮮明｜民主統合党

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