1. About North Korea and South Korea
North Korea is a 966km peninsula jutting out from Manchuria and China (and a small portion of the USSR). North Korea is almost completely covered by a series of north-south mountain ranges separated by narrow valleys. The Yalu River forms part of the northern border with Manchuria. It is Authoritarian socialist; one-man dictatorship. The situation is not much better in North Korea. North Korea is a poor country for its political system controlled by one man, the president, without democratic, not open to the world.
South Korea, slightly larger than Indiana, is mountainous in the east; in the west and south are many harbors on the mainland and offshore islands. The government is Republic. South Korea came into being after World War II, it is a rich country so far in the Asian region.
For the first time in 56 years, trains passed between North and South Korea in May 2007. While the event was mostly symbolic, it was considered an important step toward reconciliation. South Korea hopes that eventually a trans-Korean railroad will provide easier access to other parts of Asia. Given North Korea's failing infrastructure, such a railroad, however, is years away from becoming a reality. Yet for most people in the south, North Korea is not just another country but another planet.
The economy of South Korea is a highly developed that is the fourth largest in Asia and 13th largest in the world. It is considered to be one of the world's most successful economies, growing faster than any other major economy. Today, South Korea is one of Asia's strongest economies. South Koreans enjoy one of the highest living standards in the world and have a higher life expectancy and a greater economic freedom
2 Why Study Korean
Korean is regarded as one of the popular languages in Asia, as South Korea is a comparatively rich country.
Spoken by more than 70 million people, Korean is the eleventh most popular language in the world in terms of the number of native speakers. Although Korean language education for non-Koreans has not had a long history, the number of new learners has grown very rapidly as Korea has grown as an area of academic, economic, cultural, and political interest.
The Korean language also has various interesting linguistic and cultural features such as multiple speech levels.
I think that learning Korean is an enjoyable and fascinating experience. In the process of learning the Korean language, I will gain insight into many cultural, historical, anthropological aspects of Korean civilization.
