Korean Blog

For today’s post I thought I’d do a geography lesson about Korea (한국) . I think most people know that South Korea and North Korea are two different countries (at least I hope so), but this wasn’t the case before 1945. After WWII ended Korea was divided at the 38^th parallel. The southern part formed into South Korea called namhan (남한), or what is officially called dehanminguk (대한민국). The northern part of Korea formed into North Korea which is called bukhan (북한). If you look further south of South Korea, you’ll see a small island called Jeju (제주). This island is also considered a part of South Korea.

In relation to other countries, Japan (일본) is east of the two Koreas, while China (중국) is to the north of North Korea. As you can see, this makes Korea a very important geopolitical location. When Korea was divided at the 38^th parallel after WWII, the US forces occupied South Korea while the Soviet forces occupied North Korea. When North Korean and Soviet forces tried to take over South Korea, this started the Korean War. The US feared that if South Korea fell to Communism, other East Asian and Pacific nations would follow. Therefore the US forces have remained in South Korea to this day.

If you look at a map of Korea in 1 A.D., Korea was not called ‘Korea’ at the time. The map on the left represents the Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (삼국시대) where Korea was divided into three nations. The three major nations were Silla (신라), Baekje (백제), and Goguryeo (고구려). Before the Goryeo Period, Korea was made up of different kingdoms. Historians generally agree that the Goryeo Period (고려시대) is when Korea was officially united as a nation.

South Korea is divided into provinces (도). There are nine provinces in South Korea. Within those provinces you can find cities (시). There are also a few metropolitan cities called gwangyeokshi (광역시), which operate independently from the provinces. Usually provinces are in charge of the cities, but the gwangyeokshi are an exception. Then there are counties (군), followed by districts (구), which can then be divided into towns (읍), or townships (면) and finally by neighborhoods (동) and even villages (리).

The North Koreans use a similar system of administrative division, but with one exception. The North Koreans have assigned certain regions as ‘special administrative regions’ (지구). For example one of the special administrative regions is the Kumgang Tourist Region (금강산관광지구). Generally speaking the special administrative regions are less impoverished than other areas of North Korea. This is because these special regions are the financial/job/economic centers of North Korea.

North Korea is a country shrouded in mystery because very few outsiders have had access into the country. We have some idea of what some places look like from the hidden footage that has managed to leave the country. There is the notion that North Korea is a barren and impoverished country, which is probably correct. However, there are some parts of North Korea that are exceptional and these places are what the North Koreans want outsiders to see.

Pyongyang (평양) is the largest city in North Korea. It is also the capital city of North Korea. There are large monuments dedicated to Kim Jong Il, his father and to Communism in general. Some of the more famous monuments are the Arch of Triumph, the Juche Tower and the Rungrado May Stadium. You can read more about these monuments in this post: http://www.transparent.com/korean/north-korean-architecture/

Hamhung (함흥) is the second largest city in North Korea. It is also the second most populated city in North Korea. Hamhung is a large industrial center with factories producing metal ware, machinery, processed food and textiles. There have been reports that famine has struck this city several times. It is also a place reported to have had some labor and military revolts that were squashed by the North Korean government.

Chongjin (청진) is the third largest city in North Korea. It is a major seaport and fishing center in North Korea, with a large emphasis on international shipping and trade. Chinese and Russian products are sold both legally and illegally in this part of the region. After Pyongyang this city has the largest market for goods in the country. The Chinese and Russian Embassy is also located in this city, which is quite a rare thing to see because the North Koreans are distrustful of many nations.

Gaeseong (개성) is known for its archeological artifacts that date back to the Neolithic Period. Gaeseong is also known for its scenic beauty. A limited number of tourists are allowed every year to Gaeseong to view old artifacts and to enjoy the natural outdoors. Gaeseong has a lot of natural resources and is one of the regions responsible for yielding the highest rice output in North Korea. Gaesong is also one of the regions producing a high turnout of consumer goods and foods.

Wonsan (원산) is a port city that is famous for being a bathing destination because the waters are considered exceptionally clean and unpolluted. Wonsan is also home to the North Korean premier soccer league. The Korean Central Broadcasting Station is also located in Wonsan. This is the place where news is filtered out and distributed to North Korean citizens. There is also a passenger ferry to and from Japan, but this ferry service is off and on because of North Korea’s troubled relations with Japan.