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South Korea

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Submitted By jclay65
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REGIONAL STUDIES PAPER

ON

SOUTH KOREA

1. Have you ever sat back and wondered what it would be like to live in another country. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of South Korea? Most likely it will probably be the Korean War or maybe even the 1988 Olympics. You may even, some day, be stationed there. I personally experienced the country first hand through a tour between 1988 and 1989. Korea is one of our major theaters of operation so it is very important for us to understand a little about their culture and where they came from to prepare for any future missions or tours in their arena. In order to introduce us to this fascinating country we will initially talk about their rich history. We will then cover a little about the people and their culture and finally, we will discuss their economy. Now that we have a vector, let’s start by discussing South Korean history.
2. Many historical events following World War II have culminated to shape the South Korea that you and I know today. The country came into being immediately following World War II, as a result of a 1945 agreement which made the 38th parallel the boundary between them and neighboring North Korea. The new republic was proclaimed on Aug. 15 and was recognized as the legal government of Korea by the United Nations (UN) on Dec. 12, 1948. On June 25, 1950, North Korean Communist forces launched a massive surprise attack on South Korea, quickly overrunning Seoul, the capital city. According to Blair Clay in his book, “ The Forgotten War”, U.S. armed intervention was ordered on June 27 by President Harry S. Truman, and on the same day the UN invoked military sanctions against North Korea1. General Douglas MacArthur was named commander of the UN forces. U.S. and South Korean troops fought a heroic holding action, but by the first week of August they were forced back to

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