Chasun

Republic of Chasun 차순공화국 (Chasunese) Jaseŏun Gonghwagug
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "사람들의행진" "Salamdeul-ui Haengjin" "The People's March"
National seal "인감" "Seal of the Republic of Chasun"
Capital and largest city	Geoju
Official languages	Chasunese
Recognised national languages	X Chasunese Sign Language (CSL)
Official script	Chasunese
Ethnic groups (2020)	92.6% Chasunese 5.5% non-Chasunese Pamirans 1.9% other
Demonym(s)	Chasunese
Government	Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic
• President	Seo Ji-won
• Vice President	Lyang Ho-seok
• Premier	Park Bong-hee
• President of the National Diet	Yun Shyi-ho
• Chief Justice	Moon Nam-kyum
Legislature	National Diet
Establishment
• Byaheo Kingdom	c. 11th century AD
• Charasŏn Empire	1385
• Munchkin Declaration	14 March 1907
• Kingdom of Chasun	6 November 1910
• Summer Coup and ROC established	29 July 1920
• Treaty of Samhan	7 September 1959
• Admitted to the Assembly of Nations	10 June 1961
• April Struggle	15 April 1989–3 July 1989
• Current constitution adopted	23 December 1999
Area
• Total	244,141.4 km2 (94,263.5 sq mi)
• Water (%)	0.7%
Population
• 2019 estimate	27,173,990
• Density	111.3/km2 (288.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2019 estimate
• Total	$725.7 billion
• Per capita	$26,706
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$776.2 billion
• Per capita	$28,563
Gini (2017)	30.2 medium
HDI (2018)	0.892 very high
Currency	Chasunese juda (Ỻ)
Date format	YYYY/MM/DD
Driving side	right
Calling code	+60
Internet TLD	.ch

Chasun (Chasunese: 화국, Jaseŏn), officially the Republic of Chasun (ROC or RoC; Chasunese: 차순공화국, Jaseŏun Gonghwagug) is a country in Eastern Pamira, comprised of the Chasunese Peninsula and the central and western region of Seulhae. It is bordered to the north by X, to the east by the Iremic Ocean, to the south by X straddling the Chasun Sea, and to the west by Yudong. Chasun is inhabited by approximately 27.2 million people in 2019, making it the tenth-most populous country in the world as well as one its most densely populated and urbanized countries. Its capital and largest city is Geoju on the Nai River, where a third of the country's population lives; other major cities of Chasun include Donghae, Jecheon, Yodang, Hyangchu, Ganchon and Daekwon.

The area of modern-day Chasun has been inhabited since the Lower Paleolithic period some 450,000 years ago, with the first known princerly states appearing in a Yudongese archived record in the late 6th century BCE. The princerly states of Seulhae eventually ceded their autonomy to the Byaheo dynasty originating from the Chasunese Peninsula in the late 11th century, becoming Chasun's first kingdom. Rule over modern-day Chasun alternated between the Byaheo (1055–1226), Haseong (1228–1382) and ultimately the Charasŏn dynasty (1383–1910), coinciding with or resulting from brief periods of foreign conquest and declining regional power known as the Horyueo period. The Charasŏn dynasty ultimately proved to be the most successful Chasunese empire under Emperor Wanjong, directly competing with the Fen Dynasty of Yudong, establishing contact with Berean traders and successfully resisting colonization in the early 19th century.

The economic decline of the Chasunese Empire in the late 1880s however led to the forced concession of much of the empire's territorial bulk to the Valimian Empire and Fen Dynasty through the Treaty of Langiong and neighbouring states to the north and south, as well as the opening of multiple port cities to Berean trade with the Porcelain War (1888–1894) and Gul-yog Crisis (1896). In response, Chasun enacted a strict foreign policy of neutrality with the Gyeogli period. The collapse of the dynasty under Empress Sumyinjeong culminated in the Yeosin Rebellion of 1907, a short-lived scramble of Berean powers for influence and the establishment of the Kingdom of Chasun in 1910. It was subsequently overthrown by the military in the Summer Coup in 1920, and transformed into a de jure democratic, but authoritarian republic under nationalist Jeon Sang-cho.

In 1958, a Democratic People's Republic of Yudong-led invasion and Cuthish intervention in Chasun led to the Chasunese War and ended with the negotiated ceasefire of the Treaty of Samhan, dividing the country into the ROC and the Chasunese People's Republic as client states of the DPRY and Cuthland respectively. The collapse of the latter in 1989 due to economic stagnation and the explosive economic growth of the ROC in the 1980s known as the "Nai River Miracle" reunited a slowly reforming Chasun with the CPR, though with negotiated territorial concessions by X that approved of its reunification with the Acceptance Treaty. Societal and political pressure culminated into the 1989 April Struggle shortly after reunification, largely ending authoritarian rule and paving the way for a new constitution in 1999. Despite this, political freedoms and freedom of speech have repeatedly been violated by government action and Chasun persisted to remain an ally of Cuthland-Waldrich.

Today, Chasun is a developed country and with a gross domestic product of roughly US$725.7 billion, it is one of the largest economies in Pamira and the world by both nominal and PPP metrices. It consistently ranks well in other metrices such as education, public health and life expectancy, and the Human Development Index. 21st century Chasun witnessed a dramatic rise in the global popularity of its culture, particularly that of its cuisine, arts and pop culture, which has been referred to as the "C-Wave". Furthermore, it is generally considered to be a middle power and is a member of a variety of international organizations such as the Assembly of Nations, X, and maintains a partnership status with the Mageiros League.

History

Antiquity and classical history

One of the earliest examples of proto-Chasunese gold-crafting and symbols of royal power in the form of the Geunjeonwong Crown of Horyeo, c. 6th century BCE

The Chasunese Peninsula is believed to have first been inhabited during the Lower Paleolithic by early hominids 2.1 million years ago. Archeological evidence consists of various stone, ivory and bone items, whereas sanded stone tools make up the majority. Other findings include wooden animal sculptures and depictions of wildlife carved in stone, as well as two complete fossil sets of Homo erectus called the "Sekung Women". Homo sapiens migrated to modern-day Chasun approximately 20,000 years ago. The arrival and intermingling of the Jamun people with the local population in 1,200 BC created the first civilization of Chasunese history, introducing wet-rice farming, metallurgy and pottery, as well as Chasunese proto-writing.

According to the classical Chasunese foundation legend, demigod King Ajehsane Dangguome founded the first kingdom, Horyeo, in 700 BC, of which the dynasties of all succeeding empires claim to be descendant of. However, the historical authenticity of said records remains disputed. The Noso period, believed to be Horyeo's golden age under semi-mythical Emperor Tiansong the Great in 660 BC, led to the formation of a uniform imperial court centered around Noso and the rise of a sophisticated culture of literacy and distinct identity. The mythical kingdom lasted for three century, before collapsing in 600 BC into smaller princerly states, namely Oseon, Chaijiho, Dangwon and Xihei, as recorded by Yudongese historians.

Chasunese Empire (1383–1910)

Main article: Chasunese Empire

See also: Chasunese monarchy, Yudongese Empire, Porcelain War, and Chasunese-Valimian War

The foundation of Charasŏn Chasun and its territorial development (c. 1400–1900)

State flag of the Chasunese Empire, adopted in 1879

After the Haseong dynasty had been overthrown by the Chanon armies under general Wu Haoh-beok in 1383, the Chanon occupied the imperial city of Tianseongong (present-day Geoju) and proclaimed the Chasunese Empire under the Charasŏn dynasty. By the 1390s, the dynasty had consolidated its power across the entire preceding empire and expanded into X Yudong through costly military campaigns. Under the Charasŏn, Chasunese culture flourished, with Emperors Guanyi and Janheol among other benevolent emperors of the late 1400s promoting the development of cultural artworks, scientific discoveries, a general dictionary and a standardized official script; however, nearly constant warfare made the Chasunese state nearly bankrupt and the highly developed state autocracy was reformed to crack down on political sentiment and restraining commerce, worsening the financial situation of the empire. Ultimately, this led to long-term economic and social stagnation throughout the 16th century.

The Gyonglubokyong Palace in Geoju, main royal palace of the Charasŏn dynasty, was built on the orders of Emperor Gyeonggang the Strong in 1611 for the victory over X in the invasion of Chasun 1599–1608; it today houses the National Museum of Chasun.

During the latter 16th century, Chasun came into contact with Lavish traders and Semitar missionaries, initiating direct economic, political and cultural exchanges between Chasun and the western world, known as the Naraho period (1538–1597). Internal political strife at the imperial court of Emperor Gyeonggang was significantly worsened by the X invasion of Chasun between 1599 and 1608. The marshalled military under general Yi Kim-kol was able to repel the forces, and continue the now battle-hardened empire's peace which saw a significant, albeit short growth in wealth, thanks to a reformed tax system that filled the treasury. However, rising corruption in government and social unrest spawning righteous army militias shook Chasun with the onset of the Haebangsong Rebellion of the 1620s and the assassination of Emperor Hasogang in 1625.

The empire experienced continuous major societal tension after the 1620s, a result of multiple natural disasters such as the Great Flood of 1640 and Sihu Famine of 1669, as well as the increasing pressure from Berean powers, most notably Cuthland, to integrate Chasun's economy with the outside world. The ensuing Taihei Rebellion of 1604 in response to the erosion of imperial power in Fen Yudong and X cost the lives of some 5 million peasants and was ultimately ill-fated; Emperor Gihen adopted a number of court and administrative reforms, as well as early capitalist practices such as the introduction of futures contracts, insurance and Daekwon rice brokers banking, leading to economic rise in the 1700s.

The reign of Emperor Wanjong the Great (1791–1848) is considered to be the Charasŏn dynasty's golden age, successfully resisting more demanding Berean commercial interests and lifting restrictions on domestic trade and tariffs. After his death, the dynasty experienced Western imperialism in the form of the Porcelain War (1888–1894) against Mascylla, Falland and Cuthland, forced to pay substantial amounts of compensation, abandon its economic policy of protectionism, open port cities to Berean trade and grant Berean citizens extraterritoriality status. Furthermore, the Chasunese-Valimian War (1891–1894) exhausted its military and Chasun was forced to cede the territoral bulk of its north to the Valimian Empire and the Fen Dynasty with the Treaty of Liangong (1894).

Gyeogli period (1894–1920) and Kingdom

Main articles: Yeosin Rebellion and Kingdom of Chasun

See also: Great War (Aurorum) and Summer Coup

The army of the Coalition of Six on the imperial palace grounds in Tianseongong, 1907. The army invaded Chasun to defeat the initially victorious Yeosin Rebellion and reinstitute the humiliated Chasunese monarchy under Sumyinjeong.

Following several military defeats and the pleas for foreign assistance in Chasun's frequent 19th century civil wars deeply humiliated the empire. Despite initial success in partly modernizing its industry and implementing a Western-styled constitution reorganizing the empire into a constitutional monarchy, Emperor Sonjong dramatically lost political power which lay in the public perception of its religiously enshrined position of superiority. The increasing inability by the government to exert control with its corruption-stricken modernized army led to civil unrest and a number of ethnic and religious insurgencies on the fringes of the empire such as the Bamoon Uprising of 1895, killing approximately 800 thousand civilians. The breakdown of political control over most of western Chasun led to the Gul-yog Crisis of 1896, which was further exacerbated by the coinciding breakdown of control in the Fen Dynasty.

In 1905, Sumyinjeong was crowned Empress after Sojong passed away without any male heir; this further weakened the monarchy as staunchly conservative elements of the government openly opposed a female emperor. Political tension between the "Moderates" seeking to strengthen the constitutional monarchy, and the "Absolutists" seeking to overthrow the monarchy in favor of a republic, as well as the conservative factions of the military opposing Sumyinjeong and foreign intervention, culminated into the Yeosin Rebellion of 1907. Ultimately, the rebellion was crushed when a coalition army of Mascylla, Lavaria, Falland, Sarrac, Cuthland and Dulebia successfully intervened and occupied the capital of Tianseongong, now Geoju, aiding the initially defeated Chasunese monarchy. A captured Sumyingjeong was freed in March 1910 and relinquished her imperial title for Queen of the Kingdom of Chasun, a de jure independent successor to the empire but in reality a puppet state of the coalition's imperialist interests. With the outbreak of the Great War (1910–1916), Chasun became the battleground of opposed coalition troops, namely the Cuthish and Mascyllary in Donghae (1910) and Ganto (1911), putting the kingdom into disarray and undermining its legitimacy.

The power vacuum left behind by the removal of Armala Coalition troops from Chasun in 1916 was immediately filled by the Summer Coup of 1920, bringing an end to the Charasŏn dynasty. The First Republic of Chasun was established by general Jeon Sang-cho on 29 July 1920, and Empress Sumyinjeong presented the decree of abdication to the public on 1 August.

First Republic (1920–1958)

Main article: First Republic of Chasun

See also: Minjogjui and Chasunese Communist Party

Jeon Sang-cho, military general and first President of Chasun

Flag of the 1920 Jeon Geoju government and later the First Republic of Chasun (known as the "Three Bands Flag")

After the dissolution of the Kingdom of Chasun and the Chasunese imperial monarchy in 1920, the Republic of Chasun under president Jeon Sang-cho assumed governance. However, this rapid change politically fragmented the former empire. While the republican government centered around Geoju was internationally recognized and controlled the majority of the empire's military and treasury, it was de facto powerless in the face of warlords and family clans (former nobility) ruling most territories, and X declaring independence in 1921. Furthermore, the Republic was plagued by civil unrest and political instability surrounding its sphere of influence, most notably the collapse of the former imperial Wahon Armies in control of Yunai in 1926 amid internal fighting. These developments spilled over into Yudong and led to the culmination into the establishment of the First Yudongese Republic under Cheng Chak.

Intricate political and socio-economic manoeuvrings on the part of Jeon and his allies the Minjogjui (Nationalist Unity Party, NUP) and imperial field marshal Won Hae-ju with his faction allowed the republic to aggressively seize control over most of southern and eastern Chasun by the 1930s, using the Yudongese Civil War as a destraction; nontheless, around two thirds of Chasun's then-territory remained lost. While Jeon Sang-cho and his close party affiliates implemented the Min-sa Reform to outline Chasun's future as a democratic republic in 1937, the military under Won Hae-ju backing Chasun's civil government pressured Jeon to hand over sweeping political influence and repress opponents, especially the Chasunese Communist Party (CCP) the Minjogjui hoped to cooperate with after the establishment of the neighbouring People's Republic of Yudong (PRY) in 1930. With Jeon's death in 1939, the armed forces easily assumed power and Kim Nyeok-bin became president. Kim immediately purged the Minjogjui and his military from dissidents and possible rivals on 1 January 1940, consolidating his power overnight.

Civil strife occured in the form of the 1940 Protest Movement and the Bamaklan insurgency in southern Huewang (1941–53), however the Won military government responded with further suppressing political dissent. Cuthland emerged as a significant foreign ally of the new regime, providing Chasun with weaponry, difficult-to-access goods and international support, while Chasun in return offered strategic partnership and uranium ore for the Cuthish nuclear programme. Despite mutual economic aid, Chasun grew impoverished as its economy declined and government grew increasingly indebted to outside countries; this environment nurtured rising discontent and escalated into an outright uprising of the communist National People's Army (NPA), part of the outlawed CCP, against the republic beginning in 1953. During the insurgency, Kim proclaimed himself Emperor of Chasun with the support of pre-republic military officials on 15 September 1957, but he was met with harsh opposition from his own military, deposed and later killed in the 17 September coup d'état; this period significantly weakened the integrity of the republic and added to the NPA's initial success in swaying the Chasunese public against the military, leading to the Geoju Workers' Uprising of 1958. The new government under Chi Saem-il proclaimed the Second Republic of Chasun on 23 September.

Chasunese War and aftermath

See also: Chasunese War, Chasunese People's Republic, April Struggle, and Acceptance Treaty

Delegates of the ROC, CPR, FCPR, DPRY and Cuthland sign the Chasunese Treaty of Armistice and Coexistence at Samhan on 12 November 1959.

The crisis in Chasun garnered the interest of the Great Game era international community, with the FCPR and Cuthland proclaiming the now Chasunese People's Republic and Republic of Chasun to be sovereign respectively. Seizing the opportunity to expand its control over eastern Pamira, the Democratic People's Republic of Yudong, backed by the Pamiran Federation, launched an invasion of Chasun in support of the CPR on 11 October 1958, while Cuthland scrambled to assist the Republic and more importantly safeguard its supply of Chasunese raw materials. The ensuing Chasunese War is considered to be the Great Game's first proxy war, and while swift on the side of the CPR at first, it quickly descended into stalemate. Ultimately, on 9 November 1959 both parties agreed to a temporary ceasefire and shortly after an armistice, known as the Chasunese Treaty of Armistice and Coexistence or Treaty of Samhan, was signed three days later; Chasun was split along a demilitarized zone between the CPR and ROC, though no real peace treaty was ever signed and both countries virtually remained at war.

Park Geon-sung, fourth President of Chasun and military junta leader, was central to the later economic development of the ROC and the Chasunese reunification process.

In the aftermath of the war, neither government recognized the sovereignty of the other as part of the "One-Nation Doctrine", and both suffered from extensive destruction of their industrial bases. In the south, Chi Saem-il continued his presidency with the autocracy of his predecessors; aiming to cement his control after the war, Chi forced constitutional amendments in 1961 which exempted him from term limits and extended the country's state of martial law indefinitely. While that stabilized the country, the increasingly repressive economic policy hindered Chasun of developing economically throughout the 1960s. In the north, the CCP consolidated absolute political power over the CPR government, appointing Park Moon-lee as leader who pursued an idealistic economic reform policy ("Leap Into Modernity"), which however led to the starvation of more than 900,000 people between 1960 and 1970. The downturn of the CPR's economy forced the country to depend entirely on the DPRY.

Protesters gather on Taekgoryusang Square in central Geoju during the April Struggle of 1989

Territorial evolution of the Chasunese reunification; the fate of the CPR territories ceded by the Acceptance Treaty remains a controversial dispute in Chasunese politics and between Chasun and X to this day.

The employment of the military after accusations of the 1968 general elections being rigged by the ruling Minjogjui caused outrage among the public, and with itensifying political pressure Chi was ousted by his military during the 1 June 1968 coup d'état in order to regain control over Chasun. Once again, the presidency was assumed by a military general, Park Geon-sung, and the Third Republic of Chasun was proclaimed on 5 June 1968. To bolster public support for his new government, Park introduced sweeping new reforms that enabled large economic growth by exports known as the "Nai River Miracle", whereas the CPR witnessed a steep economic decline due to fatal mismanagement in the 1970s; additionally, the Chasunese population grew significantly from 14 million in 1970 to 23 million by 1985. The ROC and CPR formally recognized each other mutually and were admitted to the Assembly of Nations on 10 June 1971.

The autocratic military junta under Park persisted to rule the ROC until late 1989 wit the coinciding collapse of the CPR under Chak Tae-hil, which by that point was bankrupt and increasingly unable to control its protesting public during the Spring Students Revolution earlier in 1988; support by the DPRY had faded away entirely with Yudongese reunification in 1983. The resignation of Chak under mounting pressure on 31 December 1988 and the success of the revolution spilled over into the ROC, and students attempted to replicate the revolution in Geoju on 15 April 1989 against Park's regime who repeatedly promised democratic reforms. Negotiations of Chasunese reunification between both governments were exceptionally fast as the CPR government desintigrated, and Chasun was officially reunited on 24 April 1989 through the launching of ROC military commencement into the CPR. However, X demanded the territorial partition of the former CPR on the grounds of historic repatriation and denying the reigme the chance to expand its influence in central eastern Pamira. Though hostile at first, Park recognized X's military and political superiority and reluctantly gave in to sign the Acceptance Treaty on 5 June 1989. Meanwhile, country-wide protests and demonstrations shook the government and with the civil government denying Park his political powers, he fled into exile on 3 July. Acting Minister of State Raek Tan-woo announced the 4 July Declaration, calling for immediate general elections and the restoration of civil rights. A civil government under president Lee Dae-sam was elected by a landslide victory and, in 1999 a new constitution under President Yoon Min-hwan passed unanimously.

Contemporary history

After the establishment of the Fourth Republic in 1999, Chasun made efforts to approach a style of governance to that of a liberal democracy. The democratization of the general elections and the reduction in the sweeping powers of the office of President have been major milestines achieved in the early 2000s, however the Chasunese government was alleged to have repeatedly violated constitutional law under Presidents Moon Il-yu and Sim Cheol-jin; the latter of which was accused of corruption and electoral fraud in the 2009 general elections, and amid the largest public demonstrations since 1989 he was impeached by the National Diet and removed from office on 30 August 2013. The fallout of Sim's impeachment and removal greatly affected Chasunese politics, and Kim Nyong-san succeeded Sim as a nonpartisan independent politician. The enactment of restrictions on political mobilization and political freedoms by succeeding administrations led to further public outcry in the 2010s and perceptively undermined the democracy of Chasun.

The 2017 East Pamiran Summit in Geoju allowed Chasun to normalize diplomatic relations with Yudong, which were significantly strained since the Chasunese War. Kim's foreign policy of active engagement also resumed relations with the FCPR, and deepened relations to Yudong on the basis of peaceful coexistance and reconciliation. However, fruitless approaches to reconciling with X led to a surfacing of public debate about the former CPR territories ceded by the Acceptance Treaty to X which was widely seen as "lost" and "to be retrieved". Further X provocations such as military movements of the X-Chasun border in 2018 and the souring of relations due to formally recognized conflicting claims over non-Chasunese former CPR territories infuriated the public and led to the election of a conservative government under Seo Ji-won in 2018. In 2019, Geoju hosted the 2019 Summer Auroran Games for the first time in the country's history.

Government and politics

Main article: Government of Chasun

See also: President of Chasun, Premier of Chasun, National Diet of Chasun, and List of political parties of Chasun

Seo Ji-won, current and 11th President of Chasun

The current Fourth Republic of Chasun is organized as a unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic since the adoption of the current constitutional instrument in 1999. The Government of the Republic of Chasun is divided into an executive, legislative and judicial branch, led by the President of Chasun as simultaneous head of state and head of government as well as commander-in-chief of the military, and the Premier of Chasun as their deputy head of government. The President derives their legitimacy and sovereignty from direct popular elections in a two-round system every five years, while the Premier is appointed by a majority vote of the National Diet and on the basis of parliamentary confidence.

File:Parliament House of Hanoi.jpg

The building of the unicameral National Diet in central Geoju

The National Diet of Chasun is the unicameral parliament of the country, being elected every five years by every eligible citizen over the age of 18, in the form of constitutionally guaranteed universal suffrage, through proportional representation and by a secret ballot. The national legislature may however establish temporary legislative committees and councils tasked with specialized polities or duties. While the country is officially unitary, local governments retain limited autonomy and operate executive and legislative bodies of their own. The judiciary, historically influenced by Yudongese law and Berean civil law, is comprised of the Supreme Court as the country's final court of appeal, the Constitutional Court purely tasked with constitutional review and recommendations of presidential impeachment, regional appellate, and local courts. Chasun established its civil code in 1898, based on the Sarracese code civil.

The government structure and constitution of Chasun has been revised multiple times since the constitution's first promulgation in 1920; while the office of President retained its position as the highest national figure and chief executive, the organization and election of the National Diet, the national judiciary and particularly the availability of essential civil and political rights of the populace were significantly changed as military dictatorships ruled Chasun for much of the 20th century. Today, the constitution grants every Chasunese citizen human rights, protection from any discrimination, individual rights and political rights such as natural justice, due process and public participation. However, there have been numerous attempts of infringement of these rights by the national government and authorities in the 21st century, and the implementation of separation of powers and protected political plurality has been repeatedly called into question.

Administrative divisions

Chasun is mainly divided into 16 Provinces (도, Do), which in turn are organized as regions (지역, Jiyeong), Metropolitan Municipalities (광역시자치체, Gwangyeok-jachiche), and one Special City Municipality (별시자치체, Teukbyeol-si-jachiche) being the capital city Geoju. Each of the latter three subdivisions elect their own legislative and executive bodies and are semi-autonomous in nature.

Map	Name	Chasunese script	Population (December 2019)
	Special City Municipality (Teukbyeol-si-jachiche)
	Geoju	거주특별시자치체	5,726,004
	Metropolitan Municipality (Gwangyeok-jachiche)
	Donghae	동해광역시자치체	2,153,570
	Jecheon	제천광역시자치체	1,841,108
	Yodang	요당광역시자치체	1,115,624
	Daekwon	대권광역시자치체	840,506
	Hyangchu	향추광역시자치체	661,837
	Ganchon	간촌광역시자치체	546,111
	Region (Jiyeong)
	Baedokgi	배독기지역	4,280,692
	Jindu	진두지역	2,335,282
	Sejodeng	세조뎅지역	2,024,292
	Weimancheong	위만청지역	1,616,623
	Gaeyong	개용지역	1,246,190
	Ganseong	간성지역	911,382
	Huewangcheong	휴왕청지역	731,326
	Gyangsang	양상지역	579,439
	Bonaiwon	보나이원지역	564,004

Foreign relations and military

Main article: Republic of Chasun Armed Forces

Demographics

Ethnicity

An ethnic Chasunese couple wearing traditional Chasunese royal wedding costume

Culture

A Muhee, a historical Chasunese female dancer, performing Jinju Geommu sword dance.

Chasunese people look back on the development of one of the oldest continuous traditional cultures in the world. While it was influenced by the entire Pamiran cultural sphere and particularly by Yudong and its indigenous culture in terms of visual arts and craftsmanship, calligraphy, religion and political administration, it has been able to develop its own distinct cultural identity and narrative during the era of the Chasunese Empire. X and X, the practice of Chasunese folklore and beliefs, and more recently Semitarism, were major contributors to Chasunese culture and it has also profited from its geographic location between Yudong and X. In total, Chasun houses 7 UPESCH World Heritage Sites and maintains 36 National Monuments of Cultural Treasury.

More recently, newer aspects such as film, modern music and fashion shaped the modern development of Chasunese culture since 1920, even though society was and still is determined by traditional values. Furthermore, in the past decade Chasunese cultural products, most prominently domestic pop music, films and television series, have led to an explosive growth in popularity in neighbouring Pamiran countries and worldwide in what is called the "C-Wave" (씨류, Hallyu); this led to a resurgence in public interest for the Chasunese language, its culture and the country in general. This trend has been seen as problematic with some claiming that the Chasunese government encourages and promotes cultural prominence to exert political soft power.

Arts and architecture

The Geunjeongjeon, the throne hall of Gyonglubokyong Palace built in 1611

Examples of Chasunese artworks (clockwise): A glazed jade-green celadon censer, a 16th-century lacquer drawer with pearl inlay, Haggwa Bogsunga, one of the most famous representative examples of 18th century Chasunese painting

The location and shape of a Chasunese house, called a hanok (한옥), is determined by pre-construction geomancy, based on the belief that every topographical configuration produces forces of good and evil (Gi) that need to be brought into balance for construction to successfully commence. Any house is supposed to be built against a hill or geographic elevation and be positioned as to receive the largest amount of sunlight. Additionally, every traditional Chasunese hanok is made up of an inner (안채, anchae) and an outer (사랑채, sarangchae) wing, its size determined by the societal status and wealth of its inhabitants, and constructed with wood, clay, ceramics and stone. Chasunese architecture also includes the establishment of traditional gardens which, as opposed to Yudongese and X gardens, prefer decorations on the basis of making it appear as natural as possible; main elements of a Chasunese garden include a lotus pond, hibiscus terraces and varied watercourses intended to appeal to a broader visual aesthetic of "balance and peace".

The earliest Chasunese artworks are petroglyphs and depictions of prehistoric life in caves 25,000 years ago. The arrival and incorporation of various cultural goods intermingled with indigenous practices and cultivated Chasunese art. Beginning with early imperial tomb murals, artistic developments mainly veered off to Chasunese painting which favored the depiction of natural landscapes and the communication of an emotion as opposed to Berean classical art of detail. The Chasunese Empire advanced the development of calligraphic writing and traditional sealmaking, and enabled the flourishing of new genres such as chaekgeori book painting and dancheong decoration of wooden buildings.

Since the utilization of bronze and brass during the Byaheo dynasty in the 11th century, early and classical imperial Chasun had produced famed celadon ware, lacquerware, earthenware such as patterned pottery or pots, detailed ornaments, leather, glass and paper items and artifacts. The traditional technique of hanji papermaking (한지) from mulberry trees has been an integral part of Chasunese crafting since the 13th century. During the height of the Charasŏn dynasty, Yudongese porcelain was incorporated into Chasunese craftsmanship and readily produced. This cultural exchange also produced highly sophisticated pieces of wooden furniture, ornaments and jewelry, and clothing of silk; this art period is considered to represent "classical" Chasunese itemmaking and to this day remains a highly sought-after exotic artstyle.

Cuisine

Bibimbap with various banchan side dishes

The national dish of Chasun and one of its most famous foods is considered to be Kimchi, with Bulgogi or Galbi being popular meat side dishes. Meat in particular is an essential ingredient of most Chasunese dishes, being marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil and spices. However, rice and not meat is considered to be the country's staple food, mainly due to its historically agricultural origin, with barley and beans as well as fish and other seafood being additional principal ingredients. A typical Chasunese meal is added by a soup or Guk (국), or otherwise a stew (Jjigae, 찌개), the most popular of which being Doenjangguk, a soup of fermented soy beans and mussels, and Myeolchi as a broth soup of dried anchovies, spinach and algae. Other side dishes include Banchan (반찬) and Chasunese foods are generally eaten with metal chopsticks. Cooled fruits are considered to be the traditional dessert, and Sul beverages (술) are usually consumed as well.

Chasunese cuisine can be divided between the "daily" dishes and meals intended for ceremonial, ritual or otherwise significant events, mainly distinguished by their lack of usual Chasunese spices such as garlic or spring onion and their historic significance as those of the aristocracy; Tteok rice cakes are seen as the most important of these temple dishes. Today, both temple cuisine and surasang, traditional royal court cuisine, are readily available to the whole public. Tea is also a major part of Chasunese cuisine and society, having warranted the establishment of dedicated etiquette in the form of a tea ceremony and playing a pivotal role in Chasunese herbal medicine and today culture.

Popular culture

Village performance of Pungmul folk custom, a mixture of music, coordinated dance and theater

A female musician playing traditional Chasunese music with a gayageum