Arirang

The State of Arirang ありこくの様子
Flag Imperial Coat of Arms
Motto: "永遠に咲きなさい、私の帝国" "Bloom Forever, My Empire"
Anthem: "Arirang"
Location	Map of Ariseo
Capital and largest city	Hyeangseul
Official languages	Teihyogengo
Recognised national languages	Arirangese, Xinminese, Shanirin
Recognised regional languages	)
Ethnic groups (2023)	65.4% Arirangese 27.7% Xinminese 3.54% Shanirin 3.36% Other
Demonym(s)	Arirangese
Government	Unitary Parliamentary Semi-Constitutional Monarchy
• Empress	Reiko
• Prime Minister	Kanemaru Seiji
Legislature	Imperial Parliament
• Upper house	Imperial House of Peers
• Lower house	Imperial National Assembly
Establishment
• Imperial Unification	122~ BC
• Keiji Constitution	August 8th, 1888
Area
•	1,076,397 km2 (415,599 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 estimate	145,681,902~
GDP (PPP)	estimate
• Total	$5,109,447,916,656
• Per capita	$47,506
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$4,257,873,263,880
• Per capita	$29,227
Gini (2023)	41.2 medium
HDI (2023)	0.911 very high
Currency	Arirangese Yen
Date format	dd/mm/yy
Driving side	left
Calling code	+85

Arirang (Teihyogengo: ありこく, Arikoku) and officially called the Empire of Arirang is a country located in the continent of Southern Olivacia in the island internationally known as New Thrismaria, or rather to Arirang; Sokoku Island. It borders Hylia to the east and Romanus Americanus to its north. With an estimated population of 178.68 Million people, it has a estimated land size of 1.076 Million kilometres² with over 2,000 islands littered around its coast. Major geographic features include the aptly named bay of Hyeangseul, a natural harbour where the capital of Arirang and its largets metropolitan region resides, and where the Golden river empties out to the sea.

Densely populated on its coast, the geography of Arirang stretches from boreal coasts in the southern peaks to the warmer coasts in the north. About three-fifths of the country's terrain is mountainous, concentrating its highly urbanized population on narrow coastal plains and valleys inland. The population has therefor been concentrated into urban centers that snake along the coasts and amidst the mountains of Arirang, though a good portion remains spread out across the countryside amidst its ongoing population boom.

The western edge of New Thrismaria was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period. Its first kingdom was noted in historical records in the early 7th century BC with three kingdoms, the Xin, the Ariseo and Guaichu dynasties dominating during this period. It was not long that by around 180 BC that the infamous warring states period broke out between the three Kingdoms, leading to the unification of the country under the Mugunghwa Throne by 122 BC under Emperor Hakusho. The unification of Ariseo as one Imperial Dynasty under the Mugunghwa Throne would see its control solidifed over Arirang proper by the beginning of the 1st Century, then later saw the expansion and later unifications of the borders of Ariseo by the 10th century after a series of conquests, and expeditions from the Golden River area where the Imperial Dynasty was first located.

Despite this, the Mugunghwa Throne suffered from a steep decline of influence during the latter centuries onto the 11th to 16th Centuries, where the Sengoku Jidai of Arirang saw the Thrones power be usurped by the "Control" Clique, a cabal of military officers that turned the nation to a hereditary military dictatorship and divided amongst Bakufu's. This state of affairs continued with the Shogunate increasing its control over the country until the 19th Century, where control rapidly slipped upon the installation of a child Shogun and the forced opening of the country to foreigners, spearheaded by the nation of Vileria, which saw various houses clash and later divide the nation into areas of control. The 2nd Sengoku Jidai however changed this, as the 2nd Sengoku Jidai saw the nation plunged into a civil war, which only ended in 1868 after it began in 1862.

Post-war reconstruction was aided by the forced modernisation of the nation in the following decades, and it was not long for the Miracle on the Golden River in TBW to begin and and the start of the "Five Modernizations" which aimed to develop the nation's economy, the nation faced an unprecedented technological upbringing in the introduction of foreign technology and ideas in a less restricted manner. These technologies were studied extensively, and either reverse-engineered or improved as time went on.

Though the economy has slowed ever since the era of rapid growth for much of the 20th Century, especially by 1992 with the Arirangese Asset Price Bubble popping, the country remains a major economic powerhouse and has began the steps to recover. Notably by investing within the realms of information technology and investing in new industrial practices to fuel its massive manufacturing sector. Yet, despite this, political instability has been hard to find with the growth of militaristic factions after the collapse of the Arirangese Socialist Party in the 1970's and 1980's, with the country facing a further shift to the right under the gaze of what seems to most to be a powerless Emperor.

History of Ariseo

Feudal Arirang

The unification of Arirang proper under the Mugunghwa Throne in the 4th Century saw not only the expansion of Arirang through a series of conquests and expeditions from the Golden River area and beyond saw the emergence and dominance of a ruling class of warriors, the samurai. The samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of the period between feudal to the early modern periods of Ariseo. They were often the well-paid retainers of the daimyo, the great feudal landholders which divided the lands of Ariseo.

Feudal Arirang can be divided into multiple eras. The starting of which was the "Great Expedition" which saw the Mungughwa throne march east and west across the coastline of Ariseo, securing the vital ports of Ariseo and building the first navy at the time. This also translated to an era of relative economic wealth and prosperity. Imperial Power however was dilluted with the reliance of local Daimyō armies to enforce the Emperors will, resulting in more and more concessions from the Imperial Throne until there was none left at the end. Resulting in the rise of the military leader, or Shogun which often came from the most powerful Daimyō.

Despite this, during the 16th century, traders and missionaries from the outside reached Arirang for the first time, initiating direct commercial and cultural exchange between Ariseo and the rest of the world once again since pre-reset times. It was around this time period as well that warlords such as the great Sada Katsuyoshi used western technology and firearms to conquer many other daimyō during the Sengoku Jidai of 1524 - 1622; his consolidation of power began what was known as the "Great Tranquility" period under the "Control" Clique which held great influence even after the disestablishment of the regency council.

The latter periods of Feudal Ariseo was marked with considerable economic growth, as the introduction of foreign technologies extended towards civilian knowledge as well. Extensive economic growth came due to improvements in agricultural techniques, canal transport, and river management infrastructure but also the introduction of light and heavier industry on the nation, spawning the first Zaibatsu on the latter periods of Feudal Ariseo which were born from the emancipation of slavery in 1686. Despite economic growth, Ariseo became a closed and isolationist country for some time in the later 1670's for over two centuries. Resulting in a relative halting of progress and technological development outside of a select few exclaves in Arirang. Contact with foreign nations also became limited for some time. The Shogunate, whose powers only grew during the period, enacted measures as a code of conduct to control the autonomous daimyō.

2nd Sengoku Jidai and the Keiji Restoration

Imperial Soldiers on the March.

It was not long that through the implied threat of force by foreign powers such as Vileria by 1858, the country was opened once again and thus initiated the rapid development of foreign trade and Westernization. In large part due to the humiliating terms of the unequal treaties with some of these foreign powers, the Katsuyoshi shogunate soon faced internal dissent from a variety of groups. An alliance of westernised Samurai, particularly the western Imperial domains coalescing around the old capital of Kosaka as the Kosaka Clique, and court officials secured control of the Imperial Court and influenced the young Emperor Keiji. Resulting in Emperor Keiji sending out a public demand in 1511 for the Shogun to abdicate and hand over political power to the Emperor.

However, the Shogunate did not fall easily however, as the reigning Shogun soon set up a rebellion in the east of the country; resulting in the Emperor fleeing Hyeangseul to Kosaka, and beginning the 2nd Sengoku Jidai for the period between 1862 - 1868. Despite the fall of Hyeangseul, the military tide rapidly turned in favour of the smaller but relatively modernized Imperial faction, and, after a lengthy campaign saw the collapse of the Shogunate in 1868. Despite this, a variety of other factions, notably communist insurgents coalescing around the north-eastern seaboard and insurrectionists in the fringe territories prolonged the war till 1870 with the fall of the Republic of Seizō

At the end, the establishment of a centralized state nominally unified under the emperor was done following the end of the war. The Imperialists abandoned their objective of expelling foreigners from Arirang and instead adopted a policy of continued modernization with an eye to the eventual renegotiation of the unequal treaties with the foreign powers. It was around this time that the "Five Modernizations" began under Emperor Keiji, which aimed for the modernization of education, technology, industrialization, militarization, and national identity in 1882, which saw the solidification of conscription as a concept in Arirang and increased economic investment and activity in the nation. Adopting Western political, judicial, and military institutions, the Cabinet organized the Privy Council, introduced the Keiji Constitution (August 8th, 1888), and assembled the Imperial Diet.

It was not long for the Miracle on the Golden River to begin in 1890 as foreign investment began to flood into the country following extensive overtures by the Arirangese government and the "Five Modernizations" which aimed to develop the nation's economy through expansion of agriculture and energy industries such as coal and power generation; development of basic industries such as chemical fertilizer, cement, oil refinery, iron, and steel; expansion of social overhead capital including roads, railways, and ports; full utilisation of idle resources including increased employment; conservation and utilisation of land; export promotion to improve the balance of payments; and promotion of science and technology. Later, the nation emerged as one of the most developed nations in New Thrismaria and as an industrialized world power.

Later on, a two-party political system was formed in Arirang by 1912 following the death of Emperor Keiji and the initiation of democratic reforms under Emperor Koiji which created a semi-constitutional monarchy. This period in time is known as the Koiji Democracy period from between 1912 - 1950. The government at the time nevertheless had major problems confronted to it such as: inflation, the influx of foreign ideas, and an emerging labor movement which later became the Arirangese Socialist Party. Prewar solutions were applied by the cabinet to these postwar problems, and little was done to reform the government. The government instead worked to ensure a Conservative-Democratic Party majority through time-tested methods, such as new election laws and electoral redistricting, and embarked on major government-funded public works programs which lead to a world-class level of infrastructure for the nation. It was also under the Koiji Era that Arirang became a nuclear power, with the "Kami-1" test in 1948.

The death of Emperor Koiji would begin the Kiyowa period, which was marked by extensive technological growth, notably as investment in the fields of sciences boomed; the genius of Arirang's youth and scientific base was pushed to its maximum capacity with the implementation of foreign technologies. It was here that the 2nd Miracle in the Golden River began as the economy began to soar, recording the fastest rise in average GDP per capita in the world for a period in time. Alongside major advances being made in the field of robotics, computers and within various scientific fields. Around this time, de-industrialization within Arirang began but was halted by the government, which began to heavily subsidise and invest within its secondary and primary sectors in order to maintain a strong domestic agricultural and manufacturing base.

Contemporary Era

Picture of the Kosaka Skyline. One of the nations major financial centres.

Emperor Keiji was soon succeeded by Empress Reiko in 1999, under her rule, Arirang was suffering under the Asset Price Bubble which saw prices of goods, properties and stocks and more collapse from overvaluation in past decades. Placed in a weak position, Empress Reiko conceded for more democratic reforms which placed her onto a near-figure head power, whilst retaining a good portion of her powers such as the ability to dismiss parliament but not the government. In the Contemporary Era, Empress Reiko forsee's the collapse of the traditional "Red Menace" of socialism with that of democracy. As the Arirangese Democratization Movement has gained steam as the economy slows down.

On the opposite end, a new wave of militarism presists in Arirang once again, as militarists honk their horns and call for a Reiko Restoration in response to her conceding of powers. Though many are not sure of the friendliness of the "Imperial Way" clique towards Her Majesty and let alone wether they would leave anything for the people. Political stability as a result has been hard to find under Empress Reiko, which has began her reign under disasterous circumstances but remains a modicum of popularity due to her political neutrality unlike past Emperors. Reserving her powers and often not exercising it against the will of the government.

Government and Politics

Picture of the Imperial Diet.

Arirang is a unitary state which has a semi-constitutional monarchy where the Emperor or Empress plays a key role within the affairs of government. The Emperor or Empress was oonce able to dismiss the government at any time, make their own cabinet or propose changes and resolutions or bills on their own accord alongside enact them by executive decision. Though this power has now just been limited to the ability to dismiss parliament and propose but not enact her own laws. The Prime Minister is given the same powers by the Emperor or Empress and rules by decree of the monarch. Despite this, it is hard to distinguish the government of Ariseo from that of an aristocratic oligarchy with corruption being known amongst members of parliament and government.

Arirang's legislative organ is the Imperial Parliament, a bicameral parliament. It consists of a lower Imperial National Assembly with 480 seats, elected by popular vote every four years or when dissolved, and an upper House of Peers with 240 seats, whose unelected members typically serve for life. There is universal suffrage for adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices.

Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of both houses of government while the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law, are valid in perpetuity. Despite this, recent reforms have resulted in various changes towards its constitution, notably in regards to the power of the monarchy.

Armed Forces

The Imperial Armed Forces also known as "Her Majesties Armed Forces" is the national-level military force of the Arirang and its constituent territories and crown dependencies. Although primarily tasked with the protection of the nations national defense and security, it also works to promote the Empires wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts and provide humanitarian aid during conflicts. It has at times also participated in foreign interventions within broader coalitions, but rarely alone.

As a nation with conscription, the Armed Forces spends an estimated amount around 2.6% of the national GDP on spending, coming up to roughly $180 billion dollars in spending with around 1.45 Million personnel in service. 450,000 of which are active duty personnel and 1,000,000 of which are reserve personnel.

The Imperial Armed Forces consists of three main branches, the Imperial Army, the Imperial Air Force and Imperial Navy. The Imperial Navy is one of the largest navies in the world with well-over 250 ships within its service, 114 of which are combat ships. Whilst the Air Force has a estimated total of 2,100~ aircraft spread across the nation.

Economy

Skyscrapers in Hyeangseul, the capital.

According to international economists, the Arirangese GDP at 2023 is presently sitting at a strong $6.957 trillion with a highly skilled labour force, a medium level of corruption, and a high level of innovation. As one of the worlds largest consumer markets, it is an important player in regional economics and has ties with neighbouring states as an exporter but also an importer. The nations economy at presence can be described with its presence of corporations that hold sway over domestic affairs, state control of finance, direct support for state-owned enterprises in strategic sectors of the economy or the creation of privately owned national champions now known as Zaibatsu's.

Focusing on high rates of investments, high educational standards, assiduity and an export-oriented policy. It is considered as an advanced economy with a post-industrial level of development despite maintaining its position as one of worlds factories for its high-tech and low-tech goods thanks to its modular megafactories capable of producing any manufactured good domestically if needed for customers abroad and at home. Despite this, Arirang also has a growing entertainment industry, with various sites on the internet hosting streaming, cultural and other websites. Online shopping has become a significant aspect of not only the economy but also daily life in Atasato as the country moves further from an industrial nation.

With a majority of the economy centered on the private sector, the largest private employment sector is in Information Technology and the Manufacturing Sector whilst the public sector remains its leading field of employment. The manufacturing sector in Arirang remains one of the most competitive in the world despite its population and presence of larger cheaper labour pools, primarily due to its embracement of automation in jobs that Weisserians do not want to do and focus on innovation.

Therefor, research and development efforts form an integral part of the Arirang Economy and ranked amongst the highest for science and engineering research papers published. It ranks high in the Global Innovation Index and possesses an extensive space program under the Arirang Space Administration with innovations such the Michibiki Global Navigation System.