South Korea's History  

Korea was an independent kingdom for much of the past millennium. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally annexed the entire peninsula.
After World War II, a republic was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north. During the Korean War (1950-53), US and other UN forces intervened to defend South Korea from North Korean attacks supported by the Chinese.
An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel.
Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea.
In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule.
South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Tae-chung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il.  

Conventional long form: Republic of Korea
Conventional short form: South Korea
Local long form: Taehan-min'guk
Local short form: None
Note: The South Koreans generally use the term "Han'guk" to refer to their country
abbreviation: ROK 

 NATIONAL HOLIDAY: Liberation Day, 15 August (1945) (Liberation from Japan)

 ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS
9 provinces (do, singular and plural) : provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang)

 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural) : Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan)