# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Physical Africa

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pdf [1.23 MB]

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jpg [133 kB]

Political Antarctic Region

Download the Political Antarctic Region PDF file.
pdf [480 kB]

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jpg [344 kB]

Political Arctic Region

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pdf [3.38 MB]

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Physical Arctic Region

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pdf [1.72 MB]

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Political Asia

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Physical Asia

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Political Central America and the Caribbean

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Physical Central America and the Caribbean

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Political Europe

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Page 01 of 03

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Seoul, South Korea

Namdaemun (“Great South Gate”), Seoul; it was restored after its 2008 destruction...

© Digital Vision/Getty Images

Han River, South Korea

Rock cliffs along the Han River in North Ch'ungch'ŏng province, South Korea.

Korea Britannica Corp.

Korean fir

Korean fir (Abies koreana).

Jan Maksymilian Mehlich

Hangul

Hangul, the Korean alphabet, depicted with pronunciation guide.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

shamans in South Korea

Korean shamans petitioning the spirits to protect the community's fishermen.

© Karen Sparks

Cheju Island

Coastal village on Cheju Island, South Korea.

Knodel/Shostal Associates

Seoul, South Korea

Traffic in the Chong-no (Jongno) area of Seoul, South Korea.

© Lorraine Murray

Samsung, South Korea

In the 21st century, South Korea was one of the world's top producers of liquid crystal...

© pcruciatti/Shutterstock.com

ginseng roots

The roots of Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) in a Korean market.

© Leung Cho Pan/Dreamstime.com

Han River, South Korea

Uiam Hydroelectric Station on the North Han River, south of Ch'unch'ŏn, South Korea.

Korea Britannica Corp.

P'ohang, South Korea

POSCO iron-and-steel manufacturing company, P'ohang, South Korea.

© Lorraine Murray

South Korean won

A 50,000-won banknote from South Korea.

Courtesy of Lorraine Murray

Han River

The Dangsan Railway Bridge over the Han River at Seoul.

Neothinker

military police

Republic of Korea Military Police officer in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ),...

Johne A. Lee, U.S. Marine Corps/Department of Defense

kimchi

Paech'u (Chinese cabbage) kimchi and rice.

©GiselaSKim/Shutterstock.com

Korean music

Musician playing a kayagŭm, a 12-stringed zither that is considered the...

The National Centre for Korean Traditional Performing Arts

Korean music

Musician (left) playing a changgo, an hourglass-shaped drum, in a traditional...

Korea Britannica Corp.

Rain

Rain (right), 2011.

© Chung Jin Mac/Dreamstime.com

PSY

South Korean musician PSY performing in New York City, 2012.

Jason DeCrow—Invision/AP

pagoda, South Korea

Five-story stone pagoda of Chŏngrim Temple, first half of 7th century, Paekche period;...

Grafica Co., Inc.

Parasite

(From left) Choi Woo-Shik, Song Kang-Ho, Jang Hye-Jin, and Park So-Dam in Parasite...

© 2019 Neon

Park Chung-Hee

Park Chung-Hee, 1970.

Universal History Archive/REX/Shutterstock.com

Chun Doo-Hwan

Chun Doo-Hwan, 1985.

Al Chang/Department of Defense (Digital Photo ID: DA-SC-86-08943)

demilitarized zone

Sign indicating the military demarcation line in the woods near P'anmunjŏm, in the...

Tech. Sgt. Scott Stewart/U.S. Department of Defense

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Videos, Images and Audio for South Korea

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South Korea is approximately 99,720 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making United States 9,761% larger than South Korea. Meanwhile, the population of South Korea is ~51.8 million people (280.8 million more people live in United States).

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Size of United States compared to South Korea

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South Korea is approximately 99,720 sq km, while United States is approximately 9,833,517 sq km, making United States 9,761% larger than South Korea. Meanwhile, the population of South Korea is ~51.8 million people (280.8 million more people live in United States).

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About Asia

As the world's largest continent, it is difficult to know where to start when describing Asia. The continent has a population of over 4,450,000,000, which equates to 59.69% of the world's total population. It is a relatively 'young' continent, with a median age of 30.7 years old, and this is expected to get even lower as the population rapidly expands. The continent isn't showing any signs of slowing down, and it's estimated that that the population will reach a whopping 5,266,848,432 by 2050.

Comprising six sub-regions; South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, and North Asia, this diverse continent is vast as you would expect. It is a 'bucket list' destination for many travelers. Each sub-region consists of many different countries, each hosting a variety of geographical features, foods, customs, cultures, clothing, weather, and more. However, the simplest way to breakdown this ginormous continent is by identifying the different the sub-regions. So, grab your map of Asia and let's get going.

South Asia

With a population of 1,870,640,803, South Asia is Asia's largest sub-region. It comprises the sub-Himalayan SAARC countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It is home to some of the most populated cities in the world, including Delhi and Mumbai in India, Karachi in Pakistan, and Dhaka in Bangladesh. The area is often referred to geologically, as the Indian Subcontinent. Although the South Asia region covers more than just the 'subcontinent.'

In early colonial times, strategists considered South Asia as a part of East Asia, but the two are now referred to as two separate sub-regions. The boundaries of South Asia vary based on how the region is defined...Some geographers consider certain parts of Iran and Afghanistan to fall within the Greater Southwest Asia region.

South Asia not only has the largest population, it also has the tallest point, in Mount Everest, which is located in Nepal.

East Asia

Coming in second with a population of 1,624,853,705 is East Asia. Countries include; China, Mongolia, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, and Japan, all are in this region. Some of the largest cities in the world are located within East Asia, including Tokyo in Japan, and Seoul in South Korea.

With one of the most successful and developed economies in the world, East Asia's financial situation is thriving. And is home to some of the most technologically advanced countries, such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. The Japanese, with a median age of 44.6, are the second 'oldest' people in the world.

Reaching Asia is an exceptionally long-haul flight for the US, but if you decide to visit China, you'll glad to know, that over the initial jet lag, you will be in a single time zone. China, despite being the third largest country in the world by area, has only one time-zone.

South-East Asia

Brunei, Cambodia, Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are all located in Southeast Asia, comprising a population of 647,589,953. This sub-region of Asia is geographically divided again, into Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as 'Indochina,' and Maritime Southeast Asia. Mainland Southeast Asia consists of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Peninsular Malaysia, whereas 'Maritime Southeast Asia,' is Indonesia, the Philippines, East Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, and East Timor. Although Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands are governed by Australia, they are still considered to be a part of South East Asia.

Islam is the most widely practiced religion in Southeast Asia, although Buddhism and Christianity are also popular. With many different religions, many different languages are spoken; with Indonesia topping them all, with over 700 languages spoken.

West Asia

The countries that fall in this region include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Belonging to the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt is considered to be a transcontinental country. Regardless of the definitions, this sub-region is estimated to have a population of 266,169,673.

Located directly south of Eastern Europe, West Asia is surrounded by seven major seas; the Aegean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The Caucasus Mountains can be found to the north of the region, and on the east, the region adjoins South and Central Asia. While South Asia holds the records for the highest point, West Asia has the lowest; the Dead Sea, located between Jordan and Israel.

Central Asia

Asia's smallest sub-region is Central Asia, which was considered to be a distinct region of the world in 1843, by the geographer Alexander von Humboldt. This region contains exceptionally varied geography, including high passes and mountains, as well as an ever-expanding range of deserts.

With a population of 69,241,030, Central Asia includes five republics of the former Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan is so large in size that people living on the western border are actually closer to Vienna than they are to Almaty; their own country's previous capital which has now been replaced by Astana.

North Asia

North Asia comprises Siberia and Russian Far East, which is located in the Asian part of Russia. North Asia is also home to the Ural Mountains. Some of the major cities that are located in North Asia are Irkutsk, Omsk, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Barnaul, to name a few. Some of the languages that are spoken in North Asia are Russian, Mongolic, Turkic, Ainu, and Eskima-Aleut. Though climate in North Asia varies according to the region, it experiences very cold in winters.

Depending on what sort of experience you are looking for, whether it is trekking through the mountains of Central Asia, relaxing on a beach in the Southeast, or trying out the latest technologies in the East, there are plenty of choices.

Last Updated on: June 23,2020

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As the world's largest continent, it is difficult to know where to start when describing Asia. The continent has a population of over 4,450,000,000, which equates to 59.69% of the world's total population. It is a relatively 'young' continent, with a median age of 30.7 years old, and this is expected to get even lower as the population rapidly expands.

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Share: " Air Pollution in South Korea: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map "

https://aqicn.org/map/southkorea/

Share: "How polluted is the air today? Check out the real-time air pollution map, for more than 100 countries."

The GAIA air quality monitoring stations are using high-tech laser particle sensors to measure in real-time PM2.5 pollution, which is one of the most harmful air pollutants.

Very easy to set up, they only require a WIFI access point and a USB power supply. Once connected, air pollution levels are reported instantaneously and in real-time on our maps

There are 197 stations on the map: Baekryeongdo, Incheon (157) - Jungbong, Incheon (142) - Seondan-dong, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi (132) - Sihwa, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi (124) - Hapdeok-eup, Chungnam (122) - Jillyang-eup, Gyeongbuk (117) - Pyeongtaekdangjinhang, Chungnam (114) - Oksan-myeon, Jeonbuk (114) - Daemyeong-dong, Nam-gu, Daegu (114) - Hyeoksin-dong, Jeonbuk (114) - Hwawon-eup, Daegu (107) - Bubal-eup, Gyeonggi (107) - Ungchon-myeon, Ulsan (104) - Bieungdo-dong, Jeonbuk (99) - Cheongnim-dong, Gyeongbuk (99) - Busansinhang, Busan (99) - Seongdong-myeon, Chungnam (99) - Jeongchon-myeon, Gyeongnam (99) - Jeongok, Gyeonggi (95) - Wonsi-dong, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi (95) - Baekseong-dong, Cheonan-si, Chungnam (95) - Yongam-dong, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk (93) - Nabul-ri, Yeongam-gun, Jeonnam (91) - Yeosuhang, Jeonnam (91) - Jugyo-myeon, Chungnam (91) - Gilsang, Incheon (89) - Gyehwa-myeon, Jeonbuk (89) - Dunpo-myeon, Chungnam (89) - Gimhae-daero, Gyeongnam (89) - Wollae-dong, Yeosu-si, Jeonnam (89) - Siji-dong, Daegu (89) - Unseo, Jung-gu, Incheon (87) - Juksan-myeon, Gyeonggi (87) - Songsan-myeon, Chungnam (87) - Yeonpyeongdo, Incheon (85) - Seongnam-dong, Jung-gu, Ulsan (85) - Cheorwon(DMZ), Seoul (85) - Gimje-si, Jeonbuk (85) - Geumwang, Chungbuk (85) - Hongseonggun-eup, Chungnam (85) - Hyucheon, Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk (85) - Mohyeon-eup, Gyeonggi (82) - Imsil-eup, Jeonbuk (82) - Bonghwaguncheong, Gyeongbuk (82) - Chilgokgun, Gyeongbuk (82) - Chilgeum-dong, Chungju-si, Chungbuk (82) - Tongjin-eup, Gimpo-si, Gyeonggi (82) - Sapgyo-eup, Chungnam (82) - Yeongheung, Incheon (80) - Seonggeoeup, Chungnam (80) - Osong-eup, Chungbuk (80) - Oeyeondo, Chungnam (80) - Gaegeum-dong, Busan (80) - Jinyeong-eup, Gyeongnam (80) - Gongdan-dong, Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk (78) - Cheorwongun, Gangwon (78) - Boeun-eup, Chungbuk (78) - Gongdo-eup, Gyeonggi (78) - Oedong-eup, Gyeongbuk (78) - Eumnae-dong, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon (78) - Gwanchon-myeon, Jeonbuk (78) - Okcheon-dong, Gangneung-si, Gangwon (78) - Doan-myeon, Chungbuk (76) - Jinan-eup, Jeonbuk (76) - Myeongnyun-dong, Wonju-si, Gangwon (76) - Paju, Gyeonggi (76) - Hwacheon(DMZ), Seoul (76) - Yangpyeong-eup, Gyeonggi (76) - Hansol-dong, Sejong (76) - Gammul-myeon, Chungbuk (74) - Hwabuk-myeon, Gyeongbuk (74) - Goseong(DMZ), Seoul (74) - , Paju-si, Gyeonggi (74) - Dongmun-dong, Seosan-si, Chungnam (74) - Gonjiam, Gyeonggi (74) - Gosaek-dong, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi (72) - Masanhang, Gyeongnam (72) - Hwado-eup, Gyeonggi (72) - Tancheon-myeon, Chungnam (72) - Dangjinsicheongsa, Chungnam (72) - Namhae-eup, Gyeongnam (72) - Yeonggwang-eup, Jeonnam (72) - Songpa-gu, Seoul (70) - Hongcheon-eup, Gangwon (70) - Yulgok-dong, Gyeongbuk (70) - Hoewon-dong, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam (70) - Jeongsan-myeon, Chungnam (70) - Bongdong-eup, Jeonbuk (70) - Daesan-ri, Chungnam (70) - Maldo, Jeonbuk (70) - Jukdo-dong, Pohang-si, Gyeongbuk (68) - Seoksa-dong, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon (68) - Unbong-eup, Jeonbuk (68) - Gokseong-eup, Jeonnam (68) - Yeongdeungpo-ro, Seoul (68) - Yanggu-eup, Gangwon (68) - Hongdo, Jeonnam (68) - Myeongjang-dong, Dongnae-gu, Busan (68) - Inje(DMZ), Seoul (68) - Konkuk-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju (65) - Pado-ri, Chungnam (65) - Yeongcheonsi, Gyeongbuk (65) - Seokmo-ri, Incheon (65) - Samcheon-dong, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk (65) - Namsang-myeon, Gyeongnam (65) - Damyang-eup, Jeonnam (65) - Hyangchon-dong, Gyeongnam (65) - , Cheongwon-gun, Chungbuk (65) - Mujeon-dong, Gyeongnam (65) - Uijeongbu, Uijeongbu-si, Gyeonggi (65) - Jungang-dong, Wonju-si, Gangwon (63) - Cheongcheon-myeon, Chungbuk (63) - Hampyeong-eup, Jeonnam (63) - Seonggeon-dong, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk (63) - Sangjusi, Gyeongbuk (63) - Yongho-dong, Busan (63) - Hadongeup, Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam (61) - Yeongpa-dong, Jeonbuk (61) - Hwasun-eup, Jeonnam (61) - Industrial, Gumi-si, Gyeongbuk (61) - Seorak-myeon, Gyeonggi (61) - Yeongcheon-dong, Chungbuk (61) - Yeoju-eup, Yeoju-gun, Gyeonggi (61) - Soonchunman, Suncheon-si, Jeonnam (61) - Hwacheongun, Gangwon (61) - Cheongok-dong, Donghae-si, Gangwon (61) - Sagok-myeon, Chungnam (59) - Jumunjin-eup, Gangwon (59) - Jukhang-dong, Namwon-si, Jeonbuk (59) - Ildongmyeonsamuso, Gyeonggi (59) - Bodeok-dong, Gyeongbuk (59) - Hamyang-eup, Gyeongnam (59) - Mungyeongsi, Gyeongbuk (59) - Changnyeong-eup, Gyeongnam (57) - Ganggu-myeon, Gyeongbuk (57) - Yeongyanggun, Gyeongbuk (57) - Maepo-eup, Dannyang-gun, Chungbuk (57) - Yeongwol-eup, Gangwon (57) - Sokchosi( Geumhodong), Gangwon (57) - Geumsan-eup, Chungnam (57) - Chiaksan, Gangwon (55) - Pyeongchang-eup, Gangwon (55) - Ulleung-eup, Gyeongbuk (55) - Songdan-ri, Jeonnam (55) - Goheung-eup, Jeonnam (55) - Bonggang-myeon, Jeonnam (55) - Uiseong-eup, Gyeongbuk (55) - Gyeongnyeolbiyeoldo, Chungnam (55) - Uljingun, Gyeongbuk (53) - Gaya-eup, Gyeongnam (53) - Muan-eup, Jeonnam (53) - Seocheon-eup, Chungnam (53) - Nammun-dong, Andong-si, Gyeongbuk (53) - Jocheon-eup, Jeju (53) - Hallim-eup, Jeju (53) - Gageodo, Jeonnam (50) - Injegun, Gangwon (50) - Daegaya-eup, Gyeongbuk (50) - Hapcheon-eup, Gyeongnam (50) - Muju-eup, Jeonbuk (50) - Naeil-dong, Gyeongnam (50) - Yecheongun, Gyeongbuk (50) - Angye-myeon, Gyeongbuk (50) - Deokjeokdo, Incheon (50) - Anmado, Jeonnam (50) - Jangheung-eup, Jeonnam (50) - Uldo, Incheon (50) - Daejeong-eup, Jeju (50) - Seongsan-eup, Jeju (46) - Yangpyeong-gunchung, Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi (46) - Nohyeong-ro, Jeju (46) - Gohyeon-dong, Gyeongnam (46) - Yangyanggun, Gangwon (46) - Sinji-myeon, Jeonnam (46) - Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi (46) - Boseong-eup, Jeonnam (46) - Jeogu-ri, Gyeongnam (42) - Yeongam-eup, Jeonnam (42) - Bukpyeong-myeon, Gangwon (42) - Beolgyo-eup, Jeonnam (42) - Seokpo-myeon, Gyeongbuk (38) - Cheongpung-myeon, Chungbuk (38) - Paju-eup, Gyeonggi (38) - Taebaeksi, Gangwon (38) - Bangsan-myeon, Gangwon (34) - Simwon-myeon, Jeonbuk (34) - Sancheong-eup, Gyeongnam (34) - Cheongsong-eup, Gyeongbuk (34) - Haenam-eup, Jeonnam (34) - Yeonghae-myeon, Gyeongbuk (34) - Namwon-eup, Jeju (30) - Gangjeong-dong, Jeju (27) - Aju-dong, Geoje-si, Gyeongnam (24) - Donghong-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju (23) - Sinangun, Jeonnam (23) - Jindo-eup, Jeonnam (21) - Yeongdong-eup, Chungbuk (17)

About the Air Quality Levels

To know more about Air Quality and Pollution, check the wikipedia Air Quality topic or the airnow guide to Air Quality and Your Health.

For very useful health advices of Beijing Doctor Richard Saint Cyr MD, check www.myhealthbeijing.com blog.

Usage Notice: All the Air Quality data are unvalidated at the time of publication, and due to quality assurance these data may be amended, without notice, at any time. The World Air Quality Index project has exercised all reasonable skill and care in compiling the contents of this information and under no circumstances will the World Air Quality Index project team or its agents be liable in contract, tort or otherwise for any loss, injury or damage arising directly or indirectly from the supply of this data.

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Air Pollution in South Korea: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Share: " Air Pollution in South Korea: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map " https://aqicn.org/map/southkorea/ Share: "How polluted is the air today? Check out the real-time air pollution map, for more than 100 countries." The GAIA air quality monitoring stations are using high-tech laser particle sensors to measure in real-time PM2.5 pollution, which is one of the most harmful air pollutants.

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This list includes both countries and dependent territories. Data based on the latest United Nations Population Division estimates.
Click on the name of the country or dependency for current estimates (live population clock), historical data, and projected figures.
See also: World Population

Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest
July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the 2022 U.N. Revision

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Population by Country (2023) - Worldometer

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List of countries and dependencies in the world ranked by population, from the most populated. Growth rate, median age, fertility rate, area, density, population density, urbanization, urban population, share of world population.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ECONOMICS
Comparison of Energy Production/Consumption in East Asia and the US, Kymn Bennett, Oxford 09
How Well Do You Know Your Cell?, Pamela Thompson, Oberlin 10
Korean Chaebols, Christine Cavalier, Marietta 08 Korean Economic Development, Chad Flaig , Cincinnati 06
The Material World: Comparing/Contrasting Standard of Living in Korea and the U.S, Kim Depue, Marietta 08

EDUCATION
Korea: Education on Both Sides of the DMZ, Sharon Drummond, Columbus 11

GENERAL
Amazing Race, Susan Stroh & Linda Glave, Toledo 05
Asian Studies Unit: Korea, Ellen Miller and Natalie Mroz, Columbus 04
Asian World Powers Unit: Korea a, Ellen Miller, Granville 09
Bullet Trains in Japan and Korea, Jan Wagoner, Oxford 09
Introduction to Korea, Susan Mendenhall, Wooster 07
Introduction to Korea, Barbara Huntwork, Delaware 13
Introduction to Korea, Rita Limbert, Columbus 16
Korean Culture, Grovine Buffington, Cleveland 12
Korean Language, Culture, & History, Hui-Ling Haldeman, Cleveland 05
Lost Inside My Own Skin: A Korean Women's American Adoption, Kerry Dugan, Oxford 09
Perspectives on Korea, Theodore Wilson III, Oberlin 10
"Selling Seoul", Bobbie Mucha, Columbus 06
South Korea, Lori Nickel, Columbus 04
Travel to South Korea, Carla Fletcher, Akron 08
Unique Aspects of Korea, James Swift, Cincinnati 06
What is the "Lineage" of South Korea after all?: Most Wired "Ancient" in Asia, Lesa Bame, Oxford 09
When My Name Was Keoko, Rebecca Volkmann, Columbus 04

GEOGRAPHY
Cities of South Korea, Candee Hurt, Oberlin 10
Comparing and Contrasting North and South Korea, Molly Krist, Akron 08 Data Comparison & Interpretation: North Korea, South Korea, and the United States, Mona Al-Hayani, Toledo 07
Geography of Korea, Maryann Harris, Cleveland 05
How did Japanese Occupation impact Korea in comparison to Taiwan?, Regina Feldman, Cleveland 12
How did the geographic location and landform of Korea affect the development of the country?, Lynn Swaney, Columbus 17
How Do You Get to Korea?, Amy Netter, Toledo 05
I Can't Keep Up With Choo: Korean Baseball and Geography, Ryan Ryzner, Cleveland 12
Korea-Split in 2, but portrayed through UNESCO/Geography, Eric C. VonBerg, Columbus 17
Korean Geography Project, Gary Fitchpatrick, Cleveland 12
Korean Geography Web Research, Brent Martin, Granville 09
Map Work About the Korean War, Kathy Swanger, Columbus 04
North and South Korea Geography Travel Hunt, Telisha LeFloria, Akron 08
The Role of Korea's Geography in Asian Cultural Diffusion, Kathleen Allan, Oxford 09

HISTORY
The American/Korean Conflict: Korean or Chinese Draw...Victory?, Joe Serio, Akron 08
The Causes of the Korean War, Jessica Parker, Columbus 11 Chinese and Korean Rebellions against Imperial Japan, Karissa Piper, Akron 08
Declarations of Independence, Kevin Barnhard, Columbus 17
Early Development of Korea, Anne O'Leary, Toledo 05
Effects of the Korean War, Tamar Warkentien, Oberlin 10
Global Impact of World War I: Korea, Charles Bell, Wooster 07
Google Earth & "The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War", Marc Montella, Granville 09
History of Korea, Jennifer McClure, Toledo 05
How Koreans Rebuild following World War II, Tammie Ray, Akron 08
Imperialism: General Sherman Incident, Don Haven, Granville 09
Invention Timeline, Beth MacLehose, Columbus 06
Japan Colonizes Korea, Melissa Ryan, Wooster 07
Japanese Colonization of Korea, Jeff Kho, Cleveland 12
Japanese Invasion of Korea, 1592, Brendan Malone, Toledo 07
Korea: An Example of History Repeating Itself, Lori Dhiraprasiddhi, Granville 09
Korea Post-WWII and the Cold War,, Bryan Evans, Oberlin 10
Korea: United/Divided/United, Nick Geruntino, Columbus 11
Korean Comfort Women, Jennifer Swinehart, Columbus 04
Korean Conflict: What if it had been us?, Erin Brickwood, Akron 08
The Korean War, Andrew Salzer, Columbus 04
The Korean War, Marie Ternes, Oberlin 10
The Korean War, E. Mark Kreps, Delaware 13
The Kwanju uprising in comparison to the protests on the campus of Kent State University, Russell Lammermeier, Cleveland 12
Life in Korea during the Korean War, Michelle Miller, Toledo 05
Life in Korea During World War II: When My Name Was Keoko, Virginia Ressa, Columbus 06
Lost Names and Identity, Cassandra McGuyrt, Akron 08
Lost Names of Korea, Mary L. Kelley, Cincinnati 06
Mongul Empire and Korea, Suzanne Ford, Columbus 17
The Mongol invasion of Korea, Matt Daugherty, Columbus 16
No Gun Ri, Korea, Rob Fetters, Columbus 04
North Korea: The Dynasty of Communism, Kathryn Benken, Oxford 09
North and South Korea - Conflicted Relationship, Dale Foster, Columbus 17
"One Korea?", Steve Murray, Columbus 06
Pak Wansŏ's (1921-2011) Mother's Hitching Post and the Korean War, Whitney Burris, Columbus 11
Personal Accounts of the Korean Civil War, 1950-1953, Mary Hetrick, Wooster 07
Post-WWII Division of Korea Compared to Germany, Jenny Sage, Granville 09
Resistance to Western Ideas, Thomas Ulrich, Toledo 05
State Turmoil: Reinventing Identity, Rose Remmel, Akron 08
Student Protest in Korea and the United States, Frank Casey, Oberlin 10
Timeline of the Korean War, Pete Ewing, Columbus 04
Trade "Openings", Edward Swope, Granville 09
Using Oral History to Study the Effects of 20th Century Japanese Colonialism on Korea, Lynn Pangrace, Cleveland 12
US Involvement in International Conflicts, Rachel Marten, Athens 10
What a Difference a Border Makes, KaSandra Emler, Columbus 11
When Conflicting Cultures Collide, John Dean, Cincinnati 06
World Leaders Research Project, Lindsey Ritscher, Marietta 08

Gonggi - Korean Jacks, Bethany Boyd, Columbus 11 Introduction to Korean Language and Writing, Dorene Miller, Wooster 07
The Korean Writing System: Comparisons with English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese & Attachment, Jeffrey Stafford, Columbus 17
Try Your Hand at Han'geul, Deborah Robinson , Columbus 06

RELIGION
Buddhism and Christianity Comparison, Chris Baughman, Athens 10
Buddhist Proverbs, Christine Little, Marietta 08
Confucianism vs. Love, Laurel Fitch, Columbus 16
Comparing and Contrasting Buddhism and Christianity, Heidi Blue, Akron 08
Comparing Religions, Mat Dunham, Columbus 11 Korean Tea Ceremony, Jona Hall, Marietta 08 Modern Korea, Mitchell Clark, Toledo 05
The Spread of Buddhism from India to Korea, Greg Devoe, Granville 09
A Study of the Seokguram Grotto and the Buddha Project, Jamie Foley, Columbus 06
The Teachings of Confucius, Ruth Beschta, Columbus 04

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ECONOMICS Comparison of Energy Production/Consumption in East Asia and the US, Kymn Bennett, Oxford 09 How Well Do You Know Your Cell?, Pamela Thompson, Oberlin 10 Korean Chaebols, Christine Cavalier, Marietta 08 Korean Economic Development, Chad Flaig , Cincinnati 06 The Material World: Comparing/Contrasting Standard of Living in Korea and

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by Charles K. Armstrong, Professor of Korean Studies (retired), Columbia University

Originally designed in the 1980s to support the New York State 9th-10th grade Global History requirement, the themes are designed to provide an infrastructure for the myriad facts and dates encountered in studying the long histories of the East Asian countries. The themes are reprinted here for educators seeking new perspectives to bring to bear on the individual histories of each of the East Asian countries - China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam - and of South and Southeast Asia also.

I. Korea in its Physical and Cultural Environment

Physical Setting

Korea's position as a peninsula on the eastern edge of Northeast Asia has determined much of its social, political, and cultural history.

Cultural Influences

From the political unification of the Korean peninsula in the seventh century C.E. until the twentieth century, Korea was a centralized monarchy, ruled by a king, and until at least the fourteenth century Korea also had a powerful hereditary aristocracy. Unlike the warrior class in Japan, the military in Korea lost its elevated social status after the fourteenth century.

There are few ethnic minorities in Korea.

The Korean language is part of the Uralic family of languages, along with Japanese and Mongolian. It is quite different from the Chinese language, which is a member of the Sinitic family of languages. There are relatively minor differences in dialect found in Korea, and the language today is quite uniform. (See further discussion of the Korean spoken and written language below.)

The political, linguistic, and ethnic unity of the Korean peninsula over a long period of time has created a strong sense of national identity and distinctiveness among the Korean people.

Korea shares a long land border with China to the north, a much shorter border with Russia to the northeast, and across a narrow strait to the southeast are the islands of Japan.

Through much of its history Korea has been greatly influenced by Chinese civilization, borrowing the written language, arts, religions, and models of government administration from China, and, in the process, transforming these borrowed traditions into distinctly Korean forms.

Korea has in turn exerted a strong cultural influence on Japan.

Although Koreans have adopted Buddhism, T Daoism, and Confucianism from China, native folk religion or shamanism, which involves communicating with the spirits of nature and the dead, has been and remains popular among many ordinary people in Korea. Since the early twentieth century Christianity has also been widely practiced.

Korea had very little influence from the West until the latter half of the nineteenth century. Unlike many other countries in Asia, Korea was colonized not by Western imperialist powers in the late 1800s and early 1900s but by Japan, an Asian imperialist power, in the first half of the twentieth century. Japan fought China for dominance in Korea in 1894-95 and annexed Korea in 1910.

Since World War II the United States has been a major political and cultural influence in South Korea.

Strategic Position and National Division

In modern times Korea has been the object of strategic rivalry among competing regional powers, including China, Russia, and Japan.

After a thirty-five year period of Japanese colonial rule between 1910 and 1945, Korea was separated into American and Soviet zones of occupation at the end of World War II. Attempts to create a unified government over the whole Korean peninsula failed, and in 1948 these occupation zones became, respectively, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

The two Korean states fought a brutal war with each other between 1950 and 1953, with the People's Republic of China supporting the North and the US and its allies supporting the South. The war ended without a decisive victory for either side and with the country still divided. Despite the end of the cold war and tentative moves toward North-South reconciliation, Korea remains divided into two mutually hostile states, existing in a tense condition of armed truce.

II. Traditional Korea

Independence and Identity

Prior to Japanese annexation in 1910, Korea experienced over 1,000 years of almost uninterrupted political independence and unity, with the exception of indirect rule by the Mongols in the thirteenth century and a period of civil war in the early tenth century.

Like Japan, Vietnam, and a number of other states in Asia, successive Korean dynasties acknowledged China as the center of civilization and paid symbolic tribute to the Chinese emperor on a regular basis. But in practice Korea was independent of China and developed its own distinct culture and political systems, based in part on Chinese models.

A number of important characteristics of traditional Korea remained well into the twentieth century, and to some extent can still be seen today. These include:

a sense of cultural closeness to China;

the transformation of borrowed traditions;

limiting of outside influences and tendency toward seclusion;

social stability and hierarchy

Origins of the Korean People

In prehistoric times the Korean peninsula was populated by nomadic peoples migrating from the Northeast Asian mainland, who developed settled agricultural communities around 4,000-5,0000 years ago.

Chinese historical records show the existence of tribal states in northern Korea and Manchuria (northeast China) before 1,000 BCE and parts of the Korean peninsula were occupied by Chinese military forces during the Han dynasty around the time of Christ.

According to Korean legend, a semi-divine figure named Tangun established the first Korean kingdom in 2,333 BCE and named his kingdom Choson, which was also the name of the last Korean dynasty (1392-1910) and the name for Korea currently used in North Korea (in South Korea, the name for Korea is Hanguk).

Three Kingdoms (c. 50 BCE-668 CE)

In the first century BCE numerous tribal states on the Korean peninsula consolidated into three kingdoms: Koguryo (37 BCE-668 CE) in the north (extending into Manchuria), Paekche (18 BCE-663 CE) in the southwest, and Silla (57 BCE-668 CE) in the southeast. All were strongly influenced by Chinese culture and government administration, including the use of the Confucian examination system to train government officials. Buddhism, originally from India, was also adopted from China and became an important part of Korea's religious culture and remains so to the present day.

Development of a writing system: Like the Japanese and Vietnamese, Koreans adopted the Chinese writing system. However, like Japanese, the Korean language is structurally very different from Chinese, and Chinese characters were modified and new characters invented to correspond to Korean grammatical patterns. A modified Chinese writing system called idu was used along with "pure" classical Chinese to write the Korean language, until an indigenous Korean writing system was developed. This system was called hungmin chongum (meaning "correct sounds for instructing the people") when it was invented in the mid-fifteenth century but became known as Hangul after 1913. Hangul is a phonetic system, one of the simplest and most efficient writing systems in the world, and was promulgated by King Sejong in 1446 during the Choson dynasty.

Unified Silla (668-935 CE)

The Tang dynasty of China (7th-10th centuries) was a "golden age" of Chinese civilization, and Chinese culture strongly influenced China's neighbors at this time, especially Korea, Vietnam, and Japan. Of the three, Korea was probably the most faithful to the Chinese "model," although it maintained its cultural distinctiveness and, unlike Vietnam, was never incorporated into the Chinese empire itself.

In the seventh century, the Korean kingdom of Silla allied with Tang China to defeat its rivals Paekche and Koguryo, and by 668 Silla had conquered most of the Korean peninsula. Historians often refer to the period from the Silla conquest until the end of the Silla dynasty as "Unified Silla," although the extreme north of the peninsula and a large part of Manchuria were under the control of the Parhae kingdom, which had incorporated part of the Koguryo aristocracy into its ruling elite.

The state religion of Silla was Buddhism, and some of the most impressive Buddhist monuments in Asia were built during the Silla period near the Silla capital of Kyongju in southeastern Korea. Silla was also very active in maritime trade in East Asia, and the kingdom was even known by Arab traders, who were the first to transmit knowledge of Korea, or "al-Sila" as the Arabs called it, to the West.

Koryo (918-1392)

In the late ninth century the Silla kingdom declined, and the Korean peninsula fragmented again into three rival states, calling themselves the "latter three kingdoms." The northern-based "latter Koguryo" triumphed, and in 918 latter Koguryo established its rule over the whole Korean peninsula, shortening its name to "Koryo." The capital of Koryo was Kaesong, in present-day North Korea. It was the name of this dynasty, adopted by Portuguese explorers from the Japanese pronunciation of Koryo (Korei), that became the Western name for "Korea."

Mongol Domination (1231-1336). In the thirteenth century the Mongols, a nomadic people from northern Asia who conquered China and much of Asia and eastern Europe, invaded Korea. Koryo became a vassal state of Yuan dynasty (Mongol) China. The Mongol ruler Kubilai Khan attempted to use Korea as a bridge to conquer Japan, but the Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 both ended in failure. Finally, the Mongols were driven out of Korea in the middle of the fourteenth century.

Koryo, like its predecessor Silla, upheld Buddhism as the state religion. During the Mongol invasions devout Koryo monks transcribed Buddhist scriptures called the Tripitaka onto more than 80,000 wooden blocks. The Tripitaka Koreana, which is currently housed in South Korea, is the oldest extant wood block text of Buddhist scripture in the world.

Choson (1392-1910)

In 1392 a Koryo general named Yi Song-gye deposed the Koryo king and established a new dynasty, which he called Choson, after the legendary early Korean kingdom.

One of the Choson founders' goals was to eliminate the power of the Buddhist church; consequently, Buddhism was no longer supported by the state, temple lands were confiscated, and Choson established Confucianism as the state "religion."

Korean state rituals, philosophy, ethics, and social norms were strongly influenced by Chinese Confucianism.

As in China, government-sponsored examinations were required for men to enter the state bureaucracy, and a position in the government was considered a mark of high status for an individual and his family. But unlike China, the pool of eligible examination takers in Korea was officially limited to members of the upper social class, called yangban.

Choson dynasty Korea was characterized by strict social divisions according to status and occupation, close observance of Confucian rituals such as ancestor veneration, separation of male and female with pronounced male domination, and, after the end of the sixteenth century, self-imposed isolation from most of the outside world.

Invasion and Seclusion (16th century)

In 1592 and 1597, the Japanese warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi, having recently united the feuding domains of Japan under his leadership, invaded Korea as the first step in his attempt to conquer China. China, then under the Ming dynasty, came to Korea's aid and defeated Hideyoshi's forces, but in the process Korea was devastated by the war. Korea was again invaded in 1627 and 1636 by the Manchus, a nomadic people from continental Asia, who forced Korea to pay tribute to the Manchu king. The Manchus went on to conquer China in 1644, establishing the Qing dynasty in China.

After this, the Choson government followed a policy of seclusion, restricting its interaction with Japan largely to ceremonial contacts through the island of Tsushima, and limiting its contact with China to a few tributary missions a year.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, when European powers were encroaching on East and Southeast Asia in pursuit of trade, diplomatic relations, and colonial conquest, Korea's continued seclusion earned it the nickname "Hermit Kingdom."

Two Centuries of Peace (1600s-1850s)

Koreans today sometimes refer their country as a "shrimp among whales," the recurrent victim of conflict among larger outside powers. In fact, Korea traditionally neither thought of itself as a "small" country nor did it experience many wars or invasions, especially compared to Europe at the same time.

The Choson dynasty, one of the longest-lived actively ruling dynasties in East Asia, experienced more than 250 years of internal peace and stable borders.

Like China and unlike Japan, there was no entrenched military class in Choson. Rather, Koreans put great emphasis on scholarly learning, in the Confucian tradition, and looked down upon military pursuits.

The early Choson period was also a time of artistic and scientific advances in Korea. The Choson king Sejong promulgated a phonetic writing system for Korean in 1446. Now called Hangul, the Korean alphabet is, as noted above, one of the simplest and most efficient writing systems in the world. But the scholarly yangban class made limited use of Hangul and continued to write most of its literature, philosophy, and official documents in classical Chinese until the twentieth century.

Imperialism: Western and Japanese

By the mid-nineteenth century Korea was one of the last Asian holdouts against Western imperialism, which had conquered much of southern Asia and was making inroads on China. Vietnam, which like Korea was a close tributary state to China, had been conquered by the French in the 1860s.

Following the successful opening of Japan to trade and diplomacy with the West in 1854 through the "gunboat diplomacy" of Commodore Perry of the US Navy, the British, the French, and the Americans all attempted to open Korea in a similar fashion. Korea, however, refused to comply to Western demands, and engaged in naval skirmishes with the French and the Americans in the 1860s and early 1870s.

In the end, the country was forced to open up not by the West, but by Japan itself. The 1876 Treaty of Kanghwa between Japan and Korea, named after the island off the west coast of Korea where it was signed, was a classic "unequal treaty" of the kind Western powers were imposing on Asian countries, including China and Japan, in the nineteenth century. The treaty gave Japan special trading rights and other privileges in Korea that were not reciprocated for Koreans in Japan. The United States and major European countries soon followed with their own treaties of trade and diplomacy with Korea.

By the end of the nineteenth century, rivalry over Korea led to war between Japan and China (1894-95) and, ten years later, between Japan and Russia (1904-5). Japan won both wars, and in 1910 Japan annexed Korea as a colony, ending the Choson dynasty after more than 500 years of independent rule.

III. Colonialism, Liberation, and Civil War

Japanese Colonial Rule (1910-1945)

Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1945. For the first ten years Japan ruled directly through the military, and any Korean dissent was ruthlessly crushed. After a nationwide protest against Japanese colonialism that began on March 1, 1919, Japanese rule relaxed somewhat, allowing a limited degree of freedom of expression for Koreans.

Despite the often oppressive and heavy-handed rule of the Japanese authorities, many recognizably modern aspects of Korean society emerged or grew considerably during the 35-year period of colonial rule. These included rapid urban growth, the expansion of commerce, and forms of mass culture such as radio and cinema, which became widespread for the first time. Industrial development also took place, partly encouraged by the Japanese colonial state, although primarily for the purposes of enriching Japan and fighting the wars in China and the Pacific rather than to benefit the Koreans themselves. Such uneven and distorted development left a mixed legacy for the peninsula after the colonial period ended.

By the time of the Japanese surrender in August 1945, Korea was the second-most industrialized nation in Asia after Japan itself.

But the wartime mobilization of 1937-45 had re-introduced harsh measures to Japanese colonial rule, as Koreans were forced to work in Japanese factories and were sent as soldiers to the front. Tens of thousands of young Korean women were drafted as "Comfort Women" - in effect, sexual slaves - for Japanese soldiers.

In 1939, Koreans were even pressured by the colonial authorities to change their names to Japanese names, and more than 80 percent of the Koreans complied with the name-change ordinance.

Liberation, Division, and War (1945-1953)

The Japanese surrender to the Allies on August 15, 1945, which ended World War II, led to a time of great confusion and turmoil in Korea.

The country was divided into zones of occupation by the victorious Americans and Soviets, and various individuals and organizations across the political spectrum from Communists to the far Right claimed to speak for an independent Korean government. The Soviets and Americans failed to reach an agreement on a unified Korean government, and in 1948 two separate governments were established, each claiming to be the legitimate government of all Korea: the Republic of Korea in Seoul, in the American zone, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Pyongyang, in the Soviet zone.

On June 25, 1950, North Korean forces invaded the South. The Korean War drew in the Americans in support of South Korea and the Chinese in support of the North.

In July 1953, after three years of bloody fighting in which some three million Koreans, one million Chinese, and 54,000 Americans were killed, the Korean War ended in a truce with Korea still divided into two mutually antagonistic states, separated by a heavily fortified "De-Militarized Zone" (DMZ). Korea has remained divided ever since.

IV. Contemporary Korea

The Two Koreas

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) today is a prosperous nation with a per capita gross national income of around $US 30,000, putting it in the high-income group of countries - less affluent than the United States, Germany, or Canada but close to the level of Italy, Japan, Britain and France. It is also an established democracy, having thrown off military rule in the early 1990s and maintaining a representative civilian democratic government ever since.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), although ahead of the South economically until the 1960s or even the early 1970s, has suffered great economic hardship in recent decades, and went through a period of severe famine in the late 1990s. North Korea's government is a single-party state established along Leninist principles borrowed from the Soviet Union and was under the leadership of Kim Il Sung from its founding in 1945 until Kim's death in 1994. After Kim Il Sung's death, leadership passed to his son Kim Jong Il, and after the latter's death in 2011 power passed in turn to his son Kim Jong Un.

At the end of the Korean War in 1953, both Koreas lay utterly devastated. In addition to the loss of millions of lives, the two Koreas were beset with a ruined economic infrastructure, millions of displaced persons, and hundreds of thousands of war orphans. South Korea in 1953 was one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite a huge amount of economic assistance from the United States, the United Nations, and other Western countries for post-war reconstruction, the South Korean economy did not really begin to pick up again until the early 1960s. In 1961 the civilian government was removed in a coup led by Major General Park Chung Hee, who ruled South Korea until his assassination in 1979.

Economic and Political Development in the Two Koreas Today

South Korea

The Park Chung Hee era saw both extraordinary economic growth and deepening political dictatorship. In the 1970s and 1980s Korea was known as one of the four "Little Dragons" of newly industrialized East Asian countries, which also included Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

After Park's death and a brief period of civilian rule, South Korea was again brought under the control of the military, this time under General Chun Doo Hwan.

Despite the continued economic growth and rising international stature of South Korea, culminating in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, protests against Chun's dictatorship grew throughout the 1980s. Chun stepped down in 1987 and was replaced by his close comrade-in-arms, Roh Tae Woo, who was elected president in a closely fought race against two long-time political dissidents, Kim Young Sam and Kim Dae Jung.

In 1992, Kim Young Sam, who had by then joined Roh Tae Woo's ruling coalition, was elected South Korea's first civilian president since the 1961 military coup.

Another presidential election was held in December 1997, amidst a devastating financial crisis that deeply shook the economies of South Korea and several other Asian countries. This time Kim Dae Jung was elected president, his fourth attempt at the presidency since 1971, and the first time a representative of an opposition party had won the presidency.

Under Kim Dae Jung's presidency the South Korean economy made a substantial recovery from the 1997-98 financial crisis, democratic institutions were further developed, and South Korea pursued a policy of engagement and dialogue with the North.

South Korean presidents serve single five-year terms. Since the late 1990s administrations have tended to alternate between center-left and center-right presidencies in 10-year cycles, with the unicameral national assembly, elected every four years, in rough correspondence. The current president is Moon Jae-in, a progressive, elected in 2017.

North Korea

North Korea also recovered from the destruction of war with a great deal of outside assistance, in the North's case from the Soviet Union, China, and several Eastern European states. The North's economy recovered more quickly than the South's, and in the late 1950s North Korea may have had the fastest economic growth rate in the world.

In the l960s North Korean leader Kim Il Sung began advocating a policy of juche, or "self-reliance," partly to avoid becoming entangled in the growing conflict between China and the USSR. Although North Korea was not completely isolated and continued to receive some outside aid, it generally pursued a policy of economic self-sufficiency.

Much like traditional Korea, North Korea tightly restricted travel in and out of Korea and North Koreans' contacts with foreigners. Also like traditional Korea, North Korea's closest ally has been, and remains, China.

After the East European communist states collapsed and the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1989-90, many observers predicted that North Korea would follow suit. The absorption of East Germany into the German Federal Republic (West Germany) suggested that a similar kind of unification could occur in Korea, with the collapse of North Korea and it absorption into the far more affluent South.

But such a scenario did not occur, and despite grave economic hardship and the death of North Korea's leader Kim Il Sung, the North Korea regime remained in place well into the twenty-first century. In 1994 Kim Il Sung was replaced as leader by his eldest son Kim Jong Il, a succession that North Korea had been planning for decades, and after Kim Jong Il's death in 2011 power was passed on to his own son Kim Jong Un.

Under Kim Jong Un, North Korea has pursued a degree of market-oriented economic reform, but the power of the Korean Workers' Party and the state remain extremely strong. At the same time North Korea has been developing a nuclear arsenal, despite widespread international criticism. By 2020 North Korea was thought to have 20 to 60 nuclear weapons. North Korea has also been strongly criticized by the United Nations Human Rights Council and many foreign governments for violating the human rights of its citizens.

Kim Jong Un has engaged in summit diplomacy with South Korean president Moon Jae In, whom he met three times in 2018, as well as with US President Donald Trump. Trump became the first sitting US president to meet with a North Korean top leader when he met with Kim in Singapore in June 2018. In June 2019, Trump and Kim Jong Un met in the Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea.

North-South Relations

After the end of the Korean War in 1953, the two Koreas had no official contact with each other for almost twenty years. In 1972, secret negotiations between officials of both governments led to a joint communiqué on peaceful unification.

Since that time the two Koreas have gone through periods of interaction and estrangement. Government officials, business leaders, and separated family members have met on numerous occasions, and notable cooperation agreements were signed between Seoul in Pyongyang in 1991, 1992, 2007 and 2018.

Nevertheless, the two sides remain in a state of unresolved conflict and mistrust between the two sides remains high.

International cooperation around the two Koreas has also ebbed and flowed. China and Russia have official diplomatic relations with both Seoul and Pyongyang, whereas the US and Japan have yet to normalize relations with North Korea. From 2003 - 2008 North and South Korea, China, the US, Russia and Japan held Six-Party Talks to address the North Korean nuclear program and other issues, but the talks ended inconclusively.

Korea and the World Today

Korea, long an important source of cultural and religious creativity and commercial trade in East Asia, has become an important player on the world stage today in areas ranging from business and economics to international security and popular culture.

South Korea is a major trading nation, a member of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) of advanced industrial countries, and a leader in digital technology, cell phones and automobile production.

South Korea has hosted numerous international conferences on security, human rights, and other global issues. From 2007 - 2016 a South Korean, Ban Ki-moon, was Secretary General of the United Nations.

South Korean popular culture - including film, music, and TV dramas - has gained large audiences around the world. In particular, Korean popular music or "K-Pop" became a global phenomenon in the 21st century, attracting a huge fan base in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Nor is Korea a small country: South Korea alone is larger than an average European nation. In land area North and South Korea together are about the size of Britain. The combined population of North and South Korea is nearly 70 million, larger than Britain or France. over 75 million, as of 2020, larger than Britain or France and slightly smaller than Germany. (See CIA World Factbook for current figures). Furthermore, millions people of Korean descent live in other countries. The largest overseas Korean communities are in China, the United States, Japan and the states of the former Soviet Union.

Furthermore, more than five million people of Korean descent live in other countries. The largest overseas Korean communities are in China and United States (roughly two million each), Japan (700,000) and the states of the former Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia (500,000).

In modern times Korea has been at the center of rivalry between regional great powers and between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. Korea's current division is a result of that rivalry, but has outlasted the cold war as a problem unique to Korea.

The hostility and potential for military conflict between the two heavily armed Korean states is a cause of great concern for the rest of East Asia, as well as for the United States and other countries in the world.

Despite their many differences, the two Koreas have both built modern industrial societies on the basis of a common history and cultural heritage.

The high value placed on family, social propriety, and education are part of that heritage, closely associated with Korea's Confucian traditions.

Whether and in what form the two Koreas may one day be unified remains to be seen, but however the current division is resolved, Korea has long been an important and integral part of East Asian affairs, and is becoming increasingly visible in world affairs as well.

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Central Themes | Asia for Educators | Columbia University

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by Charles K. Armstrong, Professor of Korean Studies (retired), Columbia University Originally designed in the 1980s to support the New York State 9th-10th grade Global History requirement, the themes are designed to provide an infrastructure for the myriad facts and dates encountered in studying the long histories of the East Asian countries.

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How's Life?

Japan performs well in some measures of well-being in the Better Life Index. Japan ranks at the top in personal security. It ranks above the OECD average in income and wealth, education and skills, jobs and earnings, housing, personal security, and environmental quality. It is below the average in terms of civic engagement, subjective well-being, social connections, work-life balance and health status. These rankings are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Japan, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29 798 a year, lower than the OECD average of USD 33 604 a year. There is a considerable gap between the richest and poorest - the top 20% of the population earn more than six times as much as the bottom 20%.

In terms of employment, 75% of people aged 15 to 64 in Japan have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 68%. Some 83% of men are in paid work, compared with 67% of women. In Japan, the percentage of employees working very long hours is higher than the OECD average of 11%.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. Japan is a top-performing country in terms of the quality of its educational system. In Japan, the percentage of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, is above the OECD average of 78%. The average student scored 529 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is much higher than the OECD average of 486. Although girls outperformed boys in many OECD countries, in Japan boys scored 2 point higher than girls on average.

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Japan is 84 years, four years higher than the OECD average of 80 years, and one of the highest in the OECD. Life expectancy for women is 87 years, compared with 81 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 - tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs - is 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter, slightly lower than the OECD average of 13.9 micrograms per cubic meter. Japan does better in terms of water quality, as 87% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, compared with an OECD average of 81%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and moderate levels of civic participation in Japan, where 89% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, in line with the OECD average of 89%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 53% during recent elections; lower than the OECD average of 68%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 53% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 49%, a much narrower than the OECD average gap of 13 percentage points.

In general, the Japanese are less satisfied with their lives than the OECD average. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, the Japanese gave it a 5.9 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.5.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Japan

OECD's periodic surveys of the Japanese economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

Read this report

Find Out More

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Japan, households on average spend 22% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Japan, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, slightly higher the OECD average of 1.8 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, 93.6% of dwellings in Japan contain private access to an indoor flushing toilet, less than the OECD average of 95.6%.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.

Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In Japan, the average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 29 798 a year, lower than the OECD average of USD 33 604.

Household net wealth is the total value of a household's financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts, the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets (e.g other consumer durables). In Japan, the average household net wealth is estimated at USD 305 878, lower than the OECD average of USD 408 376.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Tax and benefit measures to reduce poverty
The personal income tax base is relatively narrow and the tax wedge for low-income families with children is significantly higher than OECD average. In addition, the tax wedge across the income distribution is relatively flat. The Tax Committee is investigating these issues as part of measures to improve the tax system.

Japan is taking several measures to improve the redistributive power of the tax and benefit systems. For example, the minimum requirement period to receive public pensions will be shortened and net benefits received by low-income pensioners increased in 2017. As for social assistance, the government has introduced some measures to enhance work incentives, such as making the working-income deduction for recipients of the Basic Livelihood Protection Programme (BLPP) more generous in 2013 and launching an in-work lump-sum benefit in 2014 for people leaving the BLPP.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Japan, 75% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is higher than the OECD employment average of 68%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Japan, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at nearly 1%, lower than the OECD average of 1.8%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Japanese people earn USD 40 863 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 43 241.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Japan, workers face an expected 1.4% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much lower than the OECD average of 7%.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Reaching young jobseekers
High-school graduates in Japan traditionally get on-the-job vocational training . These placements are organised by schools and the public employment service, Hello Work. The programme has been highly successful, with nearly 98% of those who entered the programme placed with an employer by the end of the 2015-16 academic year.
Supporting skills development and employment
Job Cafés provide young people with a one-stop employment service centre. Hello Work branches are available at some of the cafés and offer work placement services. People can also access matching services, collective information seminars, individual counselling, résumé preparation, training in interview techniques, and aptitude tests. This is particularly helpful for young people with higher education who are not eligible for the vocational training programme. Job Cafés are managed by Japanese prefectures with co-operation from local firms and educational institutions so that advice can be adapted to reflect the technical skills needed by local industry. By 2014, 110 centres (cafés) and 39 Hello Work branches were operational in 46 prefectures, reaching nearly 1.68 million young people annually.

The Chiba Vocational Training Support Center - Polytechnic Center Chiba (PPC) is a public vocational training institution that protects elderly employment, promotes vocational independence of persons with disabilities, and promotes assistant services and training courses. The PCC operates in four areas: training courses for jobseekers (available for jobseekers in general); training courses for workers; consultation and assistance for employers; and jobseekers support training (targeted to non-EI recipients). The employment rate of 715 jobseekers following training was 90.3%; 1 003 workers were enrolled in training courses to advance skills; and jobseekers support training provided 343 courses to 7 902 trainees in 2012. On average, 75% of trainees find a permanent job as training is closely designed to local needs.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Job Quality Database

Indicators

Key Findings

Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being.

A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Japan, 89% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, in line with the OECD average.

A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Insights: Human Capital

Indicators

Key Findings

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. The Japanese can expect to go through 16.4 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, less than the OECD average of 17.2 years.

Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In Japan, the number of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, is higher than the OECD average of 78%

The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2015, PISA focused on examining students' reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.

Japan is the top-performing OECD country in reading literacy, maths and sciences with the average student scoring 529, well above the OECD average 486. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Changing educational practices
Following the March 2011 earthquake in the Tohoku region, in northern Japan, the national, regional and local governments, together with the OECD, launched the OECD-Tohoku School project, to help students and teachers in the region strengthen 21st century skills, internationalisation and bottom-up innovation.

The Tohoku School project has resulted in an open "innovation framework" characterised by distributed leadership, encouragement of internal diversity in local initiatives, voluntary experimentation with new pedagogies, and a strengthened sense of ownership among the participants. For example, in northern Fukushima, the project has begun to inspire changes involving external partners, such as business leaders and international partners, and encouraged co-operation between schools and the communities around them. Teachers work with their students and their communities on a problem threatening the livelihood of local farmers, as rumours about pollution have made it have to sell food grown there. Students and farmers worked together towards a solution, finally coming up with a fruit jelly, which has been selling well throughout Japan. For the farmers, this has meant a new future and hope, and for the students it has facilitated a shift from exam-focused academic study towards entrepreneurship, critical thinking, creativity and engaging with the community.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.

PM2.5 10 - tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung - is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In Japan, PM2.5 levels are 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter, slightly lower than the OECD average of 13.9 micrograms per cubic meter and higher than the annual guideline limit of 10 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.

Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Japan, 87% of people say they are satisfied with water quality, higher than the OECD average of 81%.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Smart water management
Fukuoka city created an extensive water infrastructure network to meet growing demand for water. The Water Distribution Control Centre monitors and controls water pressure gauges, flow meters and electric valves in the 21 blocks that make up the water service area. The system has been modified repeatedly over the years to address ageing facilities and adapt to demographic changes. The centre can now adjust water pressure based on the level of demand in the relevant block. This improvement has lowered water pressure in the entire system and saved an estimated 4 000 m ³-5 000 m ³ of water leakage every day. If any part of the system experiences damage, the water supply can be cut off immediately, further minimising water loss.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Guideline on the Promotion of Efficient Water Usage promotes the installation of non-potable water and rainwater systems. The Business Standards Act, which eases floor-area restrictions, and subsidies for buildings that implement these systems support this initiative. Reliance on surface water has since been reduced and the public is more aware of the importance of saving water. By 2012, 408 facilities had installed in-building recycling systems, 360 had industrial water systems and 1 335 had rainwater systems. Half of the Tokyo Dome's (stadium) total demand of water is supplied by stored rainwater and a recycling-type water system.
Boosting the bioeconomy
Following the ratification by the Japanese Government of the Kyoto Protocol in June 2002, the Government announced two measures in December 2002: the Biotechnology Strategic Scheme and the Biomass Nippon Strategy. The main objective of the measures was to promote the utilisation of biomass, reduce the consumption of fossil resources and to mitigate global warming through the use of biotechnology. The policy objective stated in the Biotechnology Strategic Scheme is to replace approximately 20% (2.5 to 3 million tons per year) of conventional plastics with plastics from renewable resources by 2020. This initiative has stimulated some major Japanese corporations into sourcing bioplastics for their products e.g. Toyota.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050

Indicators

Key Findings

Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in Japan was 53% of those registered. This figure is lower than the OECD average of 69%.

Broader public engagement in the decision-making process is also important for holding the government to account and maintaining confidence in public institutions. The formal process for public engagement in developing laws and regulations is one way to measure the extent to which people can become involved in government decisions on key issues that affect their lives. In Japan, the level of stakeholder engagement in developing regulations is 1.4 (on a scale between 0 and 4); lower than the OECD average of 2.4.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being Regulatory Policy Outlook: Japan

Indicators

Key Findings

Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Japan enjoys one of the highest life expectancies among OECD countries at 84 years, four years above the OECD average of 80 years, and one of the highest in the OECD. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors).

When asked "How is your health in general?" only around 36% of people in Japan reported to be in good health, much less than the OECD average of 69%, and one of the lowest scores in the OECD. Caution is required in making cross-country comparisons as the assessment can be affected by factors as cultural background. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, the Japanese on average gave it a 5.9 grade, lower than the OECD average of 6.5.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? In Japan, 73% of people say that they feel safe walking alone at night, higher than the OECD average of 68%.

The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100 000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country's safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, Japan's homicide rate is 0.2, the lowest rate in the OECD, where the average homicide rate is 3.7.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Key Findings

Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.

An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. In Japan, the percentage of employees that work very long hours, is higher than the OECD average of 11%.

The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In Japan, full-time workers devote less of their day on average, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) than the OECD average of 15 hours.

Better Policies for Better Lives
Japan has fewer babies and lower female employment
Parents in Japan find it difficult to combine work and family commitments. Workplace practices, private costs (housing and juku), and social norms put pressure on young people. Hence, young Japanese postpone marriage, delay parenthood and often have fewer children than intended.

Japan is among the "lowest-low" fertility countries with a fertility rate of 1.42 in 2014. There has been a small rebound since 2005, but nevertheless the population has started to decline.

Japanese social policy has introduced several measures to reduce barriers to both parenting and employment. However, despite these efforts, policies such as childcare can be further developed. Increasing childcare provision and reducing private costs of out-of-school services are both crucial for parental employment. Japanese public spending on childcare and preschool services is the fourth lowest among OECD countries. Childcare constraints persist and enrolment rates for children under 3 (at 30.4%), although increasing, are still below the OECD average (33%).

Japanese workplace practices make it difficult for parents to combine work and family life. After the high cost of education, many educated Japanese women first want to establish regular employment before having children. Furthermore, once Japanese women leave the labour force to care for children, they often end up in non-regular employment, which is often low paid, part-time, and temporary. Parents who wish to get back to work need to have better opportunities to re-enter regular employment, otherwise, those who can afford to stay at home do so rather than return to a low-quality job. The result is fewer babies and lower female employment levels than the OECD average, at a time when Japan needs more working women to replace the aging working age population.
Encouraging female labour participation
High quality childcare and childcare leave encourage better work-life balance and labour market participation of women. In 2014, Japan increased childcare leave benefits from 50% to 67% of wages (prior to leave). The number of available and affordable childcare options is also being increased. The number of public childcare places will be increased by 0.5 million by March 2018. After-school childcare centres will provide care for another 0.3 million children by March 2020. The government has also established a new certification system for employers who create an employment environment that is favourable to raising children and encourages better work-life balance.

More Resources

How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

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Japan performs well in some measures of well-being in the Better Life Index. Japan ranks at the top in personal security. It ranks above the OECD average in income and wealth, education and skills, jobs and earnings, housing, personal security, and environmental quality.

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CULTURE

Korean Culture & Tradition, C. Ahrens, Columbus 17

Life In Korea Today: How Different Are North and South Korea?, K. Ballmer, Columbus 17

Musical Bibimbop: From America to Korea, P. Hitchens, Columbus 17

Picasso Mural, Massacre in Korea, K. Romero Mora, Columbus 18

Gender Equality and Women's Movements in the United States and South Korea, B. Stiles, Columbus 18

Korean Culture through Fairy Tales, D. Wright, Columbus 18

ECONOMICS

20th Century Economic Policies and the Role of the State, L. Flaherty, Columbus 17

South Korea: Economic Tiger, Shrimp Between Two Whales, J. Gibbons, Columbus 17

UN Evaluation of Korean Economic Situation, G. DeVoe, Columbus 18

South Korea and the United States- Policy, Trade, and Comparative Advantage, L. Hosgood, Columbus 18

Economic Characteristics of North and South Korea, S1, T. Sautters, Columbus 18

GENERAL

Human Rights in North Korea, T. Ramsey, Columbus 17

Immigration: The Answer to Labor Shortages, A. Gardner, Columbus 17

Korean Comparison WebQuest, V. Harris, Columbus 17

HISTORY

The Consequences of Western Imperial Policy in Asia, D. Harris, Columbus 17

The Debate over Involvement in the Korean Civil War, M. Maher, Columbus 17

Japanese Imperialism in Korea, S. Brennan, Columbus 17

Korea: A Shrimp Between Two Whales?, S. Drummond, Columbus 17

Korean Imperialism: Using the Rule of Law to Subjugate Other Peoples, K. Hilbrands, Columbus 17

The Korean War, S1, S. Thornburg, Columbus 17

US Imperialism: The USS Main and Sewol Comparison, S1, S2, S3, S4, C. Metzger, Columbus 17

The Choson Dynasty: Yangjo & Sado, G. Benjamin, Columbus 18

Differing Perspectives of the Japanese Occupation of Korea, C. Hopple, Columbus 18

Introduction to the Korean War Using Primary Sources, L. Lashells, Columbus 18

Introduction to the Cold War, J. Mayfield, Columbus 18

The Cold War & the United States' Reaction to North Korea's Nuclear Program, S1, R. Mayo-White, Columbus 18

Ode to My Father: Life in Korea during the Korean War, T. Sebetich, Columbus 18

Analyzing Source Bias and Credibility-The Case of Koguryo, T. Smith, Columbus 18

Mongol Invasion of Korea, A. Stimmel, Columbus 18

Communism, Containment & Domino Theory through The Blair House Memo for ELL, S. Tuzzi, Columbus 18

Development of Democracy in South Korea, S1, W. Wyss, Columbus 18

LITERATURE

Introduction to Korean Sijo Poetry, S1, S. Chenault, Columbus 17

The Korean Cinderella, M. Harris, Columbus 17

Korean Poetry: An Introduction to Sijo, T. Fox, Columbus 17

Korean Sijo Poetry, D. Sizemore, Columbus 17

Sijo Poetry: A Hidden Art Form, S. Davis, Columbus 17

Korean Sijo and Slam Poetry, R. Cole, Columbus 18

A Single Shard Close Reading, J. DeVoe, Columbus 18

Sijo Poems and the Study of Clauses and Phrases for ELL, M. Orlowski, Columbus 18

POLITICS

The DPRK and the USA: An Intriguing Relationship, N. Geruntino, Columbus 17

The Korean Constitution vs. the United States Constitution, D. Helsel, Columbus 17

Problems in North Korea, L. Meyer, Columbus 17

The Second Cold War?, E. VonBerg, Columbus 17

The USA and North Korea, K. Barnhard, Columbus 17

Inside North Korea, S1, A. Cashin, Columbus 18

North and South Korea- A Conflicted Relationship, D. Foster, Columbus 18

Containment and International Politics, G. Williams, Columbus 18

RELIGION

Religions in South Korea throughout History, A. Leons, Columbus 17

Buddhism Korean Style, A. Ameter, Columbus 18

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CULTURE Korean Culture & Tradition, C. Ahrens, Columbus 17 Life In Korea Today: How Different Are North and South Korea?, K. Ballmer, Columbus 17 Musical Bibimbop: From America to Korea, P. Hitchens, Columbus 17 Picasso Mural, Massacre in Korea, K. Romero Mora, Columbus 18 Gender Equality and Women's Movements in the United States and South Korea, B.

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4000 - 1000 BCE

Ancestral Rites and Divination

* Oracle Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty [PDF]

Warfare

* Oracle Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty: On Warfare [PDF]

Women: Childbearing

* Oracle Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty: On Childbearing [PDF]

1000 BCE - 300 CE

Confucianism

Confucius/Kong Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
*Selections from the Confucian Analects [PDF]
*Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Humaneness [PDF]
*Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Confucius as Teacher and Person [PDF]

Xunzi/Xun Qing/Xun Kang, ca. 310-ca. 219 BCE
*Selections from the Xunzi: "Human Nature Is Evil" [PDF]
*Selections from the Xunzi: "Encouraging Learning" [PDF]
*Selections from the Xunzi: "A Discussion of Rites" [PDF]

Daoism

Zhou Dynasty Government: Confucius, Mencius, Laozi

Mencius/Mengzi/Meng Ke, 4th Century BCE
*Selections from the Mencius: On the Duty of Ministers to Reprove a Ruler [PDF]

Laozi, ca. 3rd Century BCE
*Selections from the Laozi (Daodejing): On Government [PDF]

Qin Dynasty Government: The Legalist Philosophers Han Fei and Li Si

Han Dynasty Government

Warfare: Zhou Period

Agriculture, Han Period

Women and Family

Confucius/Kong Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
*Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Women and Servants [PDF]
*Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Filial Piety [PDF]

Literature: The Classic of Odes (Book of Songs); Poetry from the State of Chu

Eastern Zhou, ca. 771 to 256 BCE
*Selection from the Classic of Odes: I Beg of You, Chung Tzu (Ode 8) [PDF]
*Selections from the Classic of Odes: "Quince" and "Big Rat" [PDF]

Literature: Sima Qian

300 - 600

Buddhism in China

Lotus Sutra, composed after 483 BCE
*Selection from the Lotus Sutra: "The Daughter of the Dragon King" [PDF]
*Selection from the Lotus Sutra: "The Buddha Preaches the One Great Vehicle" [PDF]

Women

Lotus Sutra, composed after 483 BCE
*Selection from the Lotus Sutra: "The Daughter of the Dragon King" [PDF]

Literature: "A Song of Seven Sorrows"; "Peach Blossom Spring"

600 - 1000

Buddhism in China: The Chan (Zen) School of Buddhism

Huineng, 638-713, Sixth Patriarch of the Chan (Zen) school Linji Yixuan, d. 867, founder of the Linji (Rinzai) school
* The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch [PDF]

* Seeing into One's Own Nature [PDF]

Buddhism in China: Reactions of Confucianists and Daoists to the influence of Buddhism during this period

Han Yu, 768-824
* Memorial on the Bone of the Buddha [PDF]

Emperor Wuzong, r. 841-846
* Emperor Wuzong's Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism: The Edict of the Eight Month [PDF]

Tang Dynasty Government: Effective Rulership, the Law, and Taxes

Reflections on War

Slavery in Tang China

* Deed of a Sale of a Slave [PDF]

Women & Family

* Record of Family Division [PDF]

Tang Poets: Wang Wei, Li Bo, Du Fu

Du Fu, 712-770
* Selected Poems: "On the River"; "I Stand Alone"; "Views in Springtime" [PDF]

1000 - 1450

Neo-Confucianism

Song Dynasty Government: Reform under the Neo-Confucianists

Ming Dynasty Government: Promotion of Social Order and Morality

* Village Ordinances: "Prohibition Ordinance" [PDF]

Military: The Northern Song Defeated by the Jurchen Jin

Agriculture; Growth of Cities and urban Life during the Song and Yuan Dynasties

Unknown Author, ca. 1235
* The Attractions of the Capital (Hangzhou) [PDF]

Women

Literature of Scholar-Officials and Military Officers

Su Shi (Su Dongpo), 1036-1101
* Rhyming with Tzu-yu's "Treading the Green" [PDF]* The Red Cliff, Part I [PDF]

Women Writers

* Poem to be Sung to the Tune of "Southern Song" (Nan-ge-zi) [PDF]

1450 - 1750

Neo-Confucianism during the Ming

Books of Moral Instruction, Ming and Qing

* Selections from The Twenty-four Exemplars of Filial Piety [PDF]

* Selections from Meritorious Deeds at No Cost [PDF]

Christianity Enters China

Provincial and Imperial Government under the Qing

Chen Hongmou, 1696-1771
* On the Duties of an Official [PDF]
* On Substantive Learning [PDF]

Women

* Selections from The Twenty-four Exemplars of Filial Piety [PDF]

Essays, Poems and Fantasy Tales of the Qing

1750 - 1919

"Self-Strengthening" and "Learning from the West"

Calls for Radical Social Reform

The May Fourth Movement (ca. 1916-1920s)

* Before and After the May Fourth Movement
The so-called "May Fourth" or "new culture" movement began in China around 1916, following the failure of the 1911 Revolution to establish a republican government, and continued through the 1920s. This unit includes a background reading and three primary-source readings [ Chen Duxiu's "Our Final Awakening" (1916) [PDF]; Chiang Kai-shek's "Essentials of a New Life Movement" (1934) [PDF]; Mao Zedong's "Reform Our Study" (1941)], plus discussion questions and suggested activities for students.

The Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864)

* Excerpts from The Land System of the Heavenly Kingdom (Tianzhao tianumu zhidu): "The Taiping Economic Program" [PDF]

* Excerpts from Ode for Youth [PDF]

The Years of Reform: Prologue to Revolution

* From Reform to Revolution, 1842 to 1911
After China's defeat in the Opium War of 1842, thinkers tried to understand what made the West so strong and how China could best respond. This unit traces the debates about reform from the mid-nineteenth into the early twentieth century, as arguments for more radical reform, including revolution, increased. Includes background readings, two primary-source readings ( Feng Guifen's "On the Adoption of Western Learning" [PDF] and Yan Fu's "Learning from the West" [PDF]) and brief discussions of Liang Qichao's ideas on democracy and Sun Yatsen's "Three People's Principles." Also see the Religion, Philosophy, Thought section, above, for more readings by these and other reformist thinkers.

International Relations: China and Europe (Macartney Embassy, Opium War)

* Macartney and the Emperor
The Qing dynasty's restrictions on foreign trade increasingly frustrated Europeans, especially the British. In 1792 Great Britain sent a diplomat, Lord George Macartney (1737-1806), to present its demands to the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736-1796). This unit includes an introductory note to teachers with suggestions for teaching about Macartney's mission; a student reading discussing European contact and trade with China prior to and on the eve of Macartney's mission to China; and the primary-source reading Two Edicts from the Qianlong Emperor, which were the Qianlong emperor's responses to the Macartney mission. With discussion questions and suggested activities for students.

* The Opium War and Foreign Encroachment
In the fifty years after Macartney's visit (see "Macartney and the Emperor," above), Western powers pushed their demands on China further, leading to war and the gradual shift from tribute to treaty relations. This unit examines the events surrounding the Opium War and the Treaty of Nanjing, which concluded that war, and the increasing foreign encroachments upon China during the nineteenth century. Included are two primary-source readings: Commissioner Lin Zexu's "Letter of Advice to Queen Victoria" (1839) and The Treaty of Nanjing (1842) [PDF]. With discussion questions and suggested activities for students.

Women

1900 - 1950

The May Fourth Movement (ca. 1916-1920s)

* Before and After the May Fourth Movement
The so-called "May Fourth" or "new culture" movement began in China around 1916, following the failure of the 1911 Revolution to establish a republican government, and continued through the 1920s. This unit includes a background reading and three primary-source readings [ Chen Duxiu's "Our Final Awakening" (1916) [PDF]; Chiang Kai-shek's "Essentials of a New Life Movement" (Speech, 1934) [PDF]; Mao Zedong's "Reform Our Study" (1941)], plus discussion questions and suggested activities for students.

Rebuilding China

Sun Yat-sen, 1866-1925
*Selections from A Program of National Reconstruction: "The Three Stages of Revolution" (1918) [PDF]
*"The Principle of Democracy" (1924) [PDF]

Mao Zedong (1893-1976) and the Chinese Revolution

* The Long March (1934-1936)

* Commonly Read Speeches and Writings of Mao Zedong (1927-1945)
With excerpts from three speeches and one article, all highlighting two important themes in Mao Zedong's thinking: voluntarism and selflessness. Includes excerpts from"In Memory of Norman Bethune" (1939); "Serve the People" (1944); "The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains" (1945); and Report on the Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan (1927).

* Mao Zedong on War and Revolution

* From "The Dictatorship of the People's Democracy": On Leaning to One Side (Speech, 1949) [PDF]

Communism in China

Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945)

* Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Saito on the Conflict in the Far East [PDF]

Mao Zedong (1893-1976) on War and Revolution

* Mao Zedong on War and Revolution

* Report on the Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan (March 1927) [PDF]

* Selections from On Guerilla Warfare (1927) [PDF]

Society and Family: Raising Children

Farmers and the Chinese Revolution

* Farmers and the Chinese Revolution
This unit looks at the plight of China's farmers in the twentieth century. With a background reading and two primary-source readings ["Spring Silkworms," by Mao Dun [PDF]; Mao Zedong's "Report on the Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan" [PDF]].

20th-century Literature

1950 - 2000

"Hundred Flowers" Period

* Intellectual Opinions from the Hundred Flowers Period (1957) [PDF]

Land Reform, Socialized Agriculture, The Great Leap Forward

* From the People's Daily: "How China Proceeds with the Task of Industrialization" (1953) [PDF]

Cultural Revolution (1966-1976)

* The Sixteen Points: Guidelines for the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966) [PDF]

Socialism and Democracy in China after Mao Zedong

* From the Office of the CCP Dehong Dai Nationality and Qingbo Autonomous Zhou Committee: "Several Questions in Strengthening and Perfecting the Job Responsibility Systems of Agricultural Production" (1980) [PDF]

* How Should the Criteria for Admission to the Communist Youth League Be Administered After Installation of the Production Responsibility System? (1981) [PDF]

* From the People's Daily: "Bourgeois and Socialist Democracies Compared" (March 1990) [PDF]

Tiananmen Square Demonstrations (1989)

* The May 13 Hunger Strike Declaration (1989) [PDF]

* Interview at Tiananmen Square with Chai Ling

China's Political System since 1949

* The Chinese Political System and the Communist Party
This unit provides an overview of the Chinese political system and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) with excerpts from the constitutions of the Communist Party of China and of the People's Republic of China. These primary documents can highlight for students how the Communist Party is the real political power in China. A chart of the political structure of China is also included, to help students better understand the relationship between the party and the state in a communist system. Discussion questions also included.

China's Foreign Policy; U.S.-China Relations

* Taiwan and U.S.-China Relations Since 1949
This unit offers an historical overview of Taiwan and U.S.-China relations. An introductory reading is followed by two important primary-source documents ["Shanghai Communiqué" (1972) and Taiwan Relations Act (1979)] and discussion questions.

Literature

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Primary Sources with DBQs | Asia for Educators | Columbia University

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Asia for Educators (AFE) is designed to serve faculty and students in world history, culture, geography, art, and literature at the undergraduate and pre-college levels.

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The first recorded kingdom (Choson) on the Korean Peninsula dates from approximately 2300 B.C. Over the subsequent centuries, three main kingdoms - Kogoryo, Paekche, and Silla - were established on the Peninsula. By the 5th century A.D., Kogoryo emerged as the most powerful, with control over much…

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Map

Each circle on the map represents one of the 402 regions of the OECD. Click on a circle to see how that region performs in each of the eleven topics. Discover new regions by exploring the map.

See more about OECD regions

Scores

Each topic of well-being is measured by one or two indicators. The values of the indicators are expressed as a score between 0 and 10. A high score indicates better performance in a topic relative to the other regions.

See more about the data transformation

Explore the map to find out how life is across OECD regions and discover regions with similar well-being.

Each region is measured in eleven topics important for well-being. The values of the indicators are expressed as a score between 0 and 10. A high score indicates better performance relative to the other regions.

Regions with similar well-being in other countries

Regions with similar well-being profiles

Below the findings for each region, regions from other countries with a similar pattern of well-being are presented. You can explore each region by clicking on it.

Well-being in detail

Well-being in detail

For each of the eleven topics of well-being, you will find a score for the region, its relative position compared to the other regions in the same country, and its relative position compared to all the OECD regions. The value of each well-being indicator, expressed in its original unit (percentage, dollars, etc.), is beneath the chart. You can also find out whether a country has small or large regional disparities in a topic: the higher the ranking of the country (on the right end of the scale), the lower the disparities between the top and bottom 20% regional values in that topic compared to the OECD countries.

See more about the well-being indicators

Why it matters

There is a growing awareness that we must go beyond GDP and economic statistics to get a fuller understanding of how society is doing. But it is also crucial to zoom in on how life is lived.

Where you live has an impact on your quality of life, and in return, you contribute to making your community a better place. Comparable measures of regional well-being offer a new way to gauge what policies work and can empower a community to act to achieve higher well-being for its citizens.

What's measured

In this initiative, each region is measured in eleven topics - income, jobs, housing, health, access to services, environment, education, safety, civic engagement and governance, community, and life satisfaction. A score has been calculated for each topic so that you can compare places and topics within and across countries.

Download the data Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Site news

October 2018: France has new regional borders, Latvia and Lithuania have been added, as well as most recent values for all indicators.

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OECD Regional Well-Being - How is life in Seoul Region?

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How does your region perform when it comes to education, environment, safety and other topics important to your well-being? This interactive site allows you to measure well-being in your region and compare it with 402 other OECD regions based on eleven topics central to the quality of our lives.

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Key Points | Asia for Educators | Columbia University

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Asia for Educators (AFE) is designed to serve faculty and students in world history, culture, geography, art, and literature at the undergraduate and pre-college levels.

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Xia (Hsia) Dynasty

Shang Dynasty

Capitals: near present-day Zhengzhou and Anyang

Zhou (Chou, pronounced "Joe") Dynasty

Capitals: Hao (near present-day Xi'an) and Luoyang

Western Zhou (ca. 1046-771 BCE)

Eastern Zhou (ca. 771-256 BCE)

Spring and Autumn Period (770-ca 475 BCE)
Confucius (ca. 551-479 BCE)
Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 BCE)

Qin (Ch'in, pronounced "chin") Dynasty/

Capital: Chang'an, present-day Xian
Qin Shihuangdi dies, 210 BCE

Han Dynasty

Western/Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE)

Capital: Chang'an (present-day Xian)
Confucianism officially established as basis for Chinese state by Han Wudi (r. 141-86 BCE)

Eastern/Later Han (25-220 CE)

Six Dynasties Period
Three Kingdoms (220-265 CE)
Jin Dynasty (265-420 CE)
Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386-589 CE)

Period of disunity and instability following the fall of the Han; Buddhism introduced to China
Cao Wei, Shu Han, Dong Wu

Sui ( pronounced "sway") Dynasty

Capital: Chang'an (present-day Xian)

Tang Dynasty

Capitals: Chang'an (present-day Xian) and Luoyang

Five Dynasties Period

Song (Sung) Dynasty

Northern Song (960-1127)

Capital: Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng)

Southern Song (1127-1279)

Capital: (present-day Hangzhou)

Yuan Dynasty

The reign of the Mongol empire; Capital: Dadu (present-day Beijing)

Ming Dynasty

Re-establishment of rule by Han ruling house; Capitals: Nanjing and Beijing

Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty

Reign of the Manchus; Capital: Beijing

Republic Period

Capitals: Beijing, Wuhan, and Nanjing

People's Republic of China

Prepared by Dr. Amy Vladeck Heinrich, Director, C.V. Starr East Asian Library, Columbia University, for the Columbia University Project on Asia in the Core Curriculum.

Neolithic Cultures

Xia (Hsia) Dynasty

Shang Dynasty

One of the Three Dynasties, or San Dai (Xia, Shang, and Zhou), thought to mark the beginning of Chinese civilization: characterized by its writing system, practice of divination, walled cities, bronze technology, and use of horse-drawn chariots.

Zhou (Chou, pronounced "Joe") Dynasty: Western Zhou (ca. 1046-771 BCE), Eastern Zhou (771-256 BCE)

A hierarchical political and social system with the Zhou royal house at its apex: power was bestowed upon aristocratic families as lords of their domains or principalities. Although often compared to European "feudalism," what actually gave the system cohesion was a hierarchical order of ancestral cults. The system eventually broke down into a competition for power between rival semi-autonomous states in what became known as the Spring and Autumn period (ca. 770-475 BCE) and the Warring States (ca. 475-221 BCE) period. It was during these tumultuous times that Confucius (551-479 BCE) lived.

Qin (Ch'in, pronounced "chin") Dynasty

Created a unitary state by imposing a centralized administration and by standardizing the writing script, weights and measures. Known for its harsh methods of rule, including the suppression of dissenting thought.

Han Dynasty: Western/Former Han (206 BCE-9 CE) and Eastern/Later Han (25-220 CE)

Modified and consolidated the foundation of the imperial order. Confucianism was established as orthodoxy and open civil service examinations were introduced. Han power reached Korea and Vietnam. Records of the Historian, which became the model for subsequent official histories, was completed.

"Period of Disunity" or Six Dynasties Period

The empire was fragmented. The North was dominated by invaders from the borderland and the steppes. The South was ruled by successive "Chinese" dynasties. Buddhism spread.

Sui (pronounced "sway") Dynasty

China reunified.

Tang Dynasty

A time of cosmopolitanism and cultural flowering occurred. This period was the height of Buddhist influence in China until its repression around 845. Active territorial expansion until defeated by the Arabs at Talas in 751.

Song (Sung) Dynasty: Northern Song (960-1127) and Southern Song (1127-1279)

An era of significant economic and social changes: the monetization of the economy; growth in commerce and maritime trade; urban expansion and technological innovations. The examination system for bureaucratic recruitment of neo-Confucianism was to provide the intellectual underpinning for the political and social order of the late imperial period.

Yuan Dynasty

Founded by the Mongols as part of their conquest of much of the world. Moved capital, called "Dadu" (present-day Beijing), to the north. Dramas, such as the famous Story of the Western Wing, flourished.

Ming Dynasty

The first Ming emperor, Hongwu, laid the basis of an authoritarian political culture. Despite early expansion, it was an inward-looking state with an emphasis on its agrarian base. Gradual burgeoning of the commercial sector; important changes in the economy and social relations in the latter part of the dynasty; also a vibrant literary scene as represented by publication of the novel Journey to the West.

Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty

A Manchu dynasty. Continued the economic developments of the late Ming, leading to prosperity but also complacency and a dramatic increase in population. The acclaimed novel Dream of the Red Chamber was written in this period. Strains on the polity were intensified by a rapid incorporation of substantial new territories. Its authoritarian structure was subsequently unable to meet the military and cultural challenge of an expansive West.

Republic Period

Weak central government following the collapse of the dynastic system in 1911-12; Western influence was shown by the promotion of "science" and "democracy" during the New Culture Movement. The attempt of the Nationalist government (est. 1928) to bring the entire country under its control was thwarted by both domestic revolts and the Japanese occupation (1937-45). The Nationalists fled to Taiwan after defeat by the Communists.

People's Republic of China

Communist government. The drive for remaking society ended in disasters such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Economic reform and political retrenchment since around 1978.

Prepared by Michael Tsin, previously assistant professor of Chinese history, Columbia University;
currently associate professor of Chinese history, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Text ©1995 Columbia University, Asia in Western and World History: A Guide for Teaching,
(Ainslie Embree and Carol Gluck, eds., Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharp Inc. 1995).

Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han

Sui, Tang, Song
Sui, Tang, Song

Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic
Yuan, Ming, Qing, Republic

Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong

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Timelines: CHINA | Asia for Educators | Columbia University

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Summary[edit]

Licensing[edit]

This is a reproduction of a unit of currency from South Korea. The copyright owner of South Korean currencies, the Bank of Korea, allows anyone to reproduce its currencies without permission as long as it meets the reproduction criteria of Section 3 of the Guidelines for the Reproduction of Bank of Korea Notes and Coins, and reproductions may be used for any purpose except, as stated in Section 3.D, in the following ways:

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current | 03:32, 19 April 2014 | | 1,351 × 1,077 (377 KB) | 아드리앵 (talk | contribs) | +50,000won
| 00:17, 17 August 2007 | | 1,350 × 800 (213 KB) | Luccas (talk | contribs) | higher resolution of 5 and 5000
| 22:11, 16 December 2006 | | 1,352 × 809 (182 KB) | Luccas (talk | contribs) | {{Information |Description='''Some banknotes will be issued on January 22, 2007, do not use before that date'''<br><br>Currently circulating coins and banknotes in South Korea<br>Image to scale at 3.7 px/mm |Source=Composite made of various images from th

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Holidays and observances in South Korea in 2020

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More information about the Republic of Korea is available on the Republic of Korea and from other Department of State publications and other sources listed at the end of this fact sheet. U.S.-SOUTH KOREA RELATIONS The United States and Korea’s Joseon Dynasty established diplomatic relations under th…

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The Hueree Summer Hydrangea Festival on Jeju Island is popular among residents and tourists. See a variety of hydrangeas...

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Korean Animal Entities with Supernatural Attributes: A Study in Expressive Belief

John M. Roberts and Chong Pil Choe

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East Asia China

Chinese Cultural Revolution, The Ohio State University

Modern Chinese History, The Ohio State University

Protests in Chinese Society, The Ohio State University

Empress Wu Zetian and the Tang Dynasty, The Ohio State University

(The) Life and Times of Sun Yat-Sen, The Ohio State University

(The) Long March (1934-1935), The Ohio State University

The Communist Revolution (Teacher Version) (Student Version), The Ohio State University

Tiananmen Square (Teacher Version) (Student Version), The Ohio State University

A Chinese Life (Graphic Novel), , The Ohio State University

China: Timeline of Historical Periods,Asia for Educators

China: Central Themes, Asia for Educators

China: Primary Sources with DBQs, Asia for Educators

China's History and World History: Bridging World History, Education about Asia

China in World History 300 - 1500 CE, Education about Asia

The Late Qing Empire in Global History, Education about Asia

Teaching Early China and Ancient Rome Comparatively, Education about Asia

China's Great Leap Forward, Education about Asia

Rise and Fall of the Canton Trade System, MIT Visualizing Cultures

The First Optium War,MIT Visualizing Cultures

John Thomson's China, MIT Visualizing Cultures

The Garden of Perfect Brightness, MIT Visualizing Cultures

The Cause of the Riots in the Yangtse Valley (1891), MIT Visualizing Cultures

Boxer Uprising, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Tiananmen Square Protests, History

Tiananmen Square Fast Facts, CNN

Tiananmen protests: Timeline, BBC

Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, NEH & University of Washington

The Mongols in World History, Asia for Educators

The Song Dynasty in China, Asia for Educators

The Grandeur of the Qing Dynasty, Asia for Educators

What is Modern: China & Europe (1500 -2000), Asia for Educators

A Dream of Modern China, NPR Podcast

Following the Great Wall of China, NEH EDSitement

Chinese History in Economic Perspective, UC Press E-Book open access

Japan

Journey along the Tōkaidō, The Ohio State University

(The) Historical Development of the Warrior Class in Japan, The Ohio State University

Inoculating Modernity: Disease and Vaccination in Early Modern Japanese History, The Ohio State University

(The) Real Rules for Samurai, The Ohio State University

Riders Across the Sea? The "Horserider Thesis" and the Origins of Japan, The Ohio State University

(The) Genpei War and the Tale of the Heike, Japan's Greatest War Story, The Ohio State University

Isolation Period in Japan & Commodore Perry (Teacher Version) (Student Version), The Ohio State University

Natural Disasters in Japan (Teacher Version) (Student Version), The Ohio State University

Comparing History: Teacher Version and Comparing History: Student Version, The Ohio State University

Sugoroku and Government, , The Ohio State University

Teaching the Tōkaidō Road: The Visual Arts, Geography, and History, Asia for Educators

Japan: Timeline of Historical Periods, Asia for Educators

Japan: Central Themes, Asia for Educators

Japan: Primary Sources with DBQs, Asia for Educators

Black Ships and Samurai, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Yokohama Boomtown, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Throwing Off Asia, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Selling Shinseido, MIT Visualizing Cultures

The Opium War in Japanese Eyes, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Kiyochika's Tokyo, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Felice Beato's Japan, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Globetrotter's Japan, MIT Visualizing Cultures

Postcards from the Russo-Japanese War, Education about Asia/MIT Visualizing Cultures

Kyoto Time Slip: Reliving Japanese History in 3rd Grade, Kyoto Journal

Korea