ENGLISH ARTICLES

South Korea 

_ Area: 38,023 sq mi (98,480 sq km) / World Rank: 109 _ Location: Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.
_ Coordinates: 37ｰ00′N, 127ｰ30′E
_ Borders: North Korea, 148 mi (238 km)
_ Coastline: 1,508 mi (2,413 km)
_ Territorial Seas: 12 NM
_ Highest Point: Halla San, 6,398 ft (1,950 m)
_ Lowest Point: Sea level
_ Longest Distances: 399 mi (642 km) NNE-SSW; 271 mi (436 km) ESE-WNW
_ Longest River: Naktong, 324 mi (521 km)
_ Natural Hazards: Subject to typhoons, resulting in wind and flood damage; occasional mild earthquakes in southwest
_ Population: 47,904,370 (July 2001 est.) / World Rank: 25
_ Capital City: Seoul, located in the northwest
_ Largest City: Seoul, 12,200,000 (2000 metropolitan est.)

OVERVIEW
The Republic of Korea (South Korea) occupies the southern part of the Korean Peninsula that projects to within 120 mi (193 km) of the principal Japanese islands of Honshs and Kysshs on the southeast. Elongated and irregular in shape, the peninsula separates the Sea of Japan from the Yellow Sea; the seas are known in Korea as the Eastern Sea and the Western Sea, respectively. The country was divided into North and South Korea along a line that follows just north of the 38th parallel, the peninsula’s narrowest point (about 135 mi/217 km). South Korea is situated on the Eurasian Tectonic Plate. As a result of the 1953 armistice agreement concluding the Korean War, about 45 percent of the Korean peninsula, or 37,910 sq mi (98,190 sq km), falls below the demarcation line. The demarcation line divides the 2.5 mi- (4 km-) wide Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is largely uninhabited.

MOUNTAINS AND HILLS
Mountains
While the Korean peninsula is very rugged and mountainous, the elevations in South Korea are generally less than those in the north. The T’aebaek Mountain Range in South Korea runs northeast to southwest along the Sea of Japan. Dividing the country into east and west is the Sobaek Mountain Range, running in a generally northeast-to-southwest direction; these mountains have prevented easy travel and interaction between the regions throughout history. The highest peak on the South Korean mainland is Chiri-san, at 6,283 ft (1,915 m), located in the south-central part of the country at the southern end of the Sobaek mountain range. The country’s h ighest peak , Halla San, which r ises to a height of 6,398 ft (1,950 m), lies on Cheju Do (Cheju Island) off the southern tip of the country and has a small crater lake at its summit.

West of Ch’o˘ngju lies Maisan (Horse Ears Mountain), a two-peak ed mountain t hat resembles the ears of a horse. In the central and south, limestone caves, with dramatic stalagmites and stalactites, may be found. One of the most famous is Kosudonggul, known as the “Underground Palace.” Hills separate the Sobaek mountain range from the coastal plains in the south.

INLAND WATERWAYS
Of a comparatively large number of rivers and streams, four are of major importance: the Han River and the Ku˘m River flow west to the Yellow Sea; the Naktong River and the So˘mjin River flow south to the Korea Strait. In addition, the Yo˘ngsan and Tongjin rivers water South Korea’s main rice growing areas. Because of their very low gradients, the r ivers to the west of the T’aebaek Mountains watershed were used for transportation. These westflowing rivers have built up extensive plains at the points where they flow into the sea. River navigation declined in importance in modern times with the introduction of new means of transport, the diversion of water for irrigation, and the construction of dams. River flow is highly seasonal, with the heaviest flows occurring in the summer months. Floods are common in the basins associated with the major river systems, particularly in estuary areas along the west coast. During much of the year, however, the rivers are shallow, exposing very wide, gravelly riverbeds. Near Ch’unch’o˘n in the north are three artificial lakes, giving the city the nickname, “City of Lakes.” The Nak tong River B asin i n the southeast is a complex of structural basins and river floodplains separated from one another by low h ills. The Nak tong River forms an extensive delta where it reaches the sea a few miles west of Pusan, South Korea’s major port.

THE COAST, ISLANDS, AND THE OCEAN

Oceans and Seas
The Yellow Sea lies to the west of South Korea. It is relatively shallow, and has an extremely large tidal range. At low tide, large mud flats are exposed. The Korea Strait separates South Korea from Japan. The Japanese island, Tsushima, lies in the Korea Strait, with the Western Channel and Eastern Channel separating it from South Korea and Japan’s Kysshs, respectively. The Sea of Japan forms the open body of water to the north east of South Korea; the waters of the Sea of Japan are deep, and the tidal range is small.

Major Islands
Cheju Do, formed from a volcanic eruption, features unusual lava formations on the coast near the city of Cheju. Directly east of South Korea in the Sea of Japan is Ullung-do (Ullung Island).

The Coast and Beaches
The southeast coastline may be divided at the Naktong River mouth near Pusan. To the north of this point the coast is relatively smooth, consisting of alternating headlands and bays; the latter have small lowlands at their heads, but they are not as isolated from the interior as their counterparts farther north. From the watershed divide close to the east coast, the land slopes sharply and abruptly to the narrow and discontinuous lowland of the coast. This coast is fairly regular, with few islands and bays, the major one being Yo˘ngil Bay enclosed in Cape Changgi.

To the west of the Naktong River mouth the coast becomes much more complex. The central and western regions of the southern coastline, where the various arms of the Sobaek Mountains reach the sea, feature a number of basins that create an intricate coastline of extensive, highly irregular peninsulas—including Kohung and Haenam Peninsulas—flanked by abruptly rising islands; offshore, the basins contain deep water. At times the peninsulas almost enclose equally irregular bays deeply penetrating the land. Around the western coast near Seoul, the tiny Asan Bay reaches into the mainland. This part of the coastline is part of the larger Kyo˘nggi Bay shared with North Korea.