Republic of Korea (TheodoresTomfooleries)
Republic of Korea 대한민국 | |||||||||
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| 1948–1998 | |||||||||
.svg) Flag
.svg) Emblem
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Anthem: Aegukga | |||||||||
.svg) Territory controlled since 1953 | |||||||||
| Status | Government-in-exile | ||||||||
| Capital | Seoul (1948-1950; 1952-1995) Busan (1950-1952; 1995-1998) | ||||||||
| Capital-in-exile | Jeju City, Jejudo | ||||||||
| Common languages | Korean | ||||||||
| Demonym(s) | Korean, South Korean | ||||||||
| Government |
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| President | |||||||||
• 1948-1960 | Syngman Rhee (first) | ||||||||
• 1988-1998 | Roh Tae-woo (last) | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
• 1948-1960 | Lee Beom-seok (first) | ||||||||
• 1997-1998 | Chun Yong-taek (last) | ||||||||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||||||||
| Historical era | Cold War | ||||||||
• Independence from the United States | 15 August 1948 | ||||||||
| 25 June 1950 - 27 July 1953 | |||||||||
• Second Korean War and exile | 1998 | ||||||||
| Currency | South Korean won | ||||||||
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The Republic of Korea, more commonly known as South Korea, was a country in the Korean peninsula which occupied the southern half of Korea from 1948 to 1998. It was founded on 15 August 1948 after control was handed over to a civilian government by the United States Military Government in Korea. It claimed sovereignty over the entire Korean peninsula, but de-facto only controlled the southern half of it. The Republic was noted for its authoritarianism and military dictators, but also for being one of the four Asian tigers.
The government faced instability and popular discontent after the 1987 protests and subsequent crackdowns. An economic collapse in the 1990s and a breakdown in relations between the Republic and North Korea resulted in the Second Korean War which saw North Korea occupy almost the entire territory of the Republic with the exception of Jeju, which remains the territory of the Republic of Korea in exile.