Achieving better jobs, health and opportunities for all Alongside significant improvements in employment, health, and opportunities for all, Korea has made progress on gender equality, empowered older workers, and integration of migrants. A global powerhouse in science and technology Korea is at the leading edge of the global digital economy across several industries, including electronics, mobility, steel and shipbuilding.
A year partnership for sustainable agriculture and fisheries Agriculture and fisheries in Korea have played an essential role in contributing to food security, the generation of viable livelihoods and the sustainable use of natural resources. Gender equality: Korea has come a long way, but there is more work to do OECD recommendations have supported Korea in promoting a more gender-equal society. Perspectives from thought leaders.
Korea performs well in some measures of well-being in the Better Life Index. Learn more. Korea in data Access to a wide range of indicators on agriculture, development, economy, education, energy, environment, finance, government, health, innovation and technology, jobs and society.
Full data profile. Latest insights. Discover more. Yes, Japan and a few other countries can stake reasonable claims to this title, but South Korea has stats to back up the barroom brag. Jinro soju was the world's best-selling liquor last year , for the eleventh year in a row, with its home country accounting for most of the sales.
The South Korean distilled rice liquor manufacturer outsold Smirnoff vodka, which came in second by MORE: 3 rising Seoul neighborhoods.
Innovative cosmetics. When it comes to makeup and cosmetics, South Koreans can't stop experimenting with ingredients or methods of application. Snail creams moisturizers made from snail guts are so Now it's all about Korean ingredients such as Innisfree 's Jeju Island volcanic clay mask and fermented soybean moisturizer.
At VDL , Korea's latest trendy cosmetics line, products change monthly. Right now, they're pushing "hair shockers" -- neon tints for hair -- and nail polish with real flowers in it. Just as Korean men are less wary of going under the plastic surgery knife see point 10 than their foreign counterparts, they also snap up skincare products and, yes, even makeup, namely foundation in the form of BB cream.
Female golfers. The Economist posed a million-dollar question in The rankings were staggering. Of the top female golfers in the world, 38 were Korean. Inbee Park, 25, is the second-ranked player in women's golf and was the youngest player to win the U. A lack of connections and cultural familiarity may contribute to this disparity. For example, there were only around 1, Malaysians residing in South Korea in As the number of Southeast Asians living in South Korea continues to grow, ensuring fair treatment and quality of life for immigrants in the country should be a top priority for Seoul.
In fields like agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare, which suffer from a shortage of domestic workers, immigrants from countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are extremely important. Vietnamese women also have made up the largest share of marriage migrants in South Korea in recent years, with more than 42, marriage migrants from Vietnam residing in South Korea in According to a report by the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, more than 40 percent of marriage migrants encountered domestic violence.
Correcting these issues is important on a humanitarian level. These issues also could pose a problem for relations between South Korea and ASEAN partners, particularly Vietnam, given the high levels of migration from the country. While Vietnamese students are increasingly interested in studying in South Korea, many have reported difficulties with discrimination and the high cost of living in the country.
While economic and people-to-people ties between South Korea and Vietnam have flourished in recent years, security cooperation has been slow to gain momentum. South Korea and Vietnam have a painful shared history—South Korea sent the largest number of foreign soldiers to augment U. As such, the limited defense cooperation between the two countries has not been institutionalized very well.
However, there have been some developments in the bilateral security relationship under the Moon administration. The new areas of emphasis in the NSP Plus complement areas of existing cooperation between Vietnam and South Korea quite well, particularly on climate change and disaster management.
With its outsized share of Vietnamese exports, Samsung has committed to use percent renewable energy in China, Europe, and the United States, but the company has not made a similar commitment in Vietnam, despite the sizable share of its mobile phone manufacturing operations in the country. The heightened emphasis on climate change, public health, and other nontraditional security issues under the NSP Plus might present opportunities for Vietnam and South Korea to cooperate more.
The two countries already cooperate in these areas through ASEAN, but they could also consider doing so in other multilateral formats, including in conjunction with the Quad, depending on how the multilateral grouping develops. Historically reliant on Russia for arms imports, Vietnam has recently become more open to arms negotiations with new partners like India, Japan, and the United States. Across the three pillars, South Korea and Vietnam have undoubtedly had the most success in the economic realm.
While security cooperation has lagged, South Korea has ample opportunity to expand cooperation on nontraditional security issues. While there remains great potential in a stronger partnership, there have been limited gains under the NSP so far.
Looking at India—South Korea ties in terms of economic engagement, security cooperation, and people-to-people ties can help discern where the NSP has added value, where the partnership has faced obstacles, and what potential areas for collaboration remain unexplored. Moon set the tone during his first state visit to India in July , as the trip was packed with business-related activities.
Concluding the CEPA in was a major milestone in India—South Korea relations, but trade and investment have not grown as much as many had hoped. In , the two countries agreed to revisit the agreement, but negotiations have been protracted and difficult.
In one of the most notable achievements of the NSP in India—South Korea trade relations, Moon and Modi signed agreements on trade and commerce including an early harvest deal for the CEPA to reduce some tariffs before concluding full negotiations. These consist mainly of raw materials and intermediate goods, and just five products constitute approximately 40 percent of its export volume.
Most South Korean conglomerates entered the Indian market in the mid- to lates. South Korean manufacturers in India take advantage of the low-cost production inputs available in the country and access to domestic consumers.
South Korean SMEs and startups, on the other hand, have had a difficult time establishing themselves in India, and changing that is a priority under the NSP.
This is also a priority for India, which has increased resources and capital to improve the business environment for both foreign and domestic startups in recent years. South Korean companies, especially with support from the government, will be keen to cooperate in infrastructure projects such as improvements to waterways, shipbuilding, and transportation, where India has strong interests and need.
In particular, several difficulties have arisen in terms of navigating interactions with local bureaucracies and communities in India. In , facing strong opposition from locals over land rights, housing reallocations, and natural resources, POSCO finally pulled out of the project and surrendered 1, acres of land.
South Korean companies typically enter the Indian market as wholly owned subsidiaries rather than joint ventures. In , nearly 90 percent of South Korean companies operating in India were wholly owned. Some research indicates that partnerships and joint ventures with local companies in India have benefited Japanese companies since they can rely on their domestic partners to navigate Indian bureaucracies, particularly for land acquisition.
ODA, another major part of the prosperity pillar, has not been much of a priority in the India-South Korea relationship. In , 76 percent of its ODA was disbursed bilaterally, with 80 percent of it being disbursed through government agencies. The government allegedly has sought to open an office there, but the Indian government has not given clearance yet.
Though India has somewhat relaxed its policy to allow more bilateral aid in recent years, there are still major obstacles to aid and development programs in the country, and South Korea and India have made little progress in establishing robust development cooperation. There are, however, plans to allocate funds from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund for digital economy projects in India, including the Nagpur-Mumbai intelligent transport system, and for KEXIM funding for urban infrastructure development in India.
Japan has a long history of ODA in the country, beginning with technical cooperation programs in , and today India is its top ODA destination.
Though there have been limited attempts to improve development cooperation, it does not appear that development cooperation with India has been a high priority under the NSP. To deepen bilateral relations, the two countries need greater familiarity with one another culturally, linguistically, and professionally. South Korea has arranged some public and cultural diplomacy initiatives under the NSP, but ultimately people-to-people ties have remained somewhat limited with India, especially as the pandemic has impeded in-person contacts for over a year and a half.
However, as the people pillar of the NSP pivots more toward post-pandemic public health cooperation, the two countries may find more opportunities for collaboration. As in most Asian countries, South Korean pop culture, cosmetic products, and cuisine has enjoyed increasing popularity in India in recent years. Over the past ten years, South Korea and India have deepened their political and security cooperation.
The two countries are both concerned about increasing Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and throughout Asia, though they avoid explicitly anti-China rhetoric. About 10 percent came from the north, having fled south during the Korean War or are descended from the original refugees. South Korean society is based on the teachings of Confucius B.
Korean is one of the Altaic languages, which also include Turkish and Mongolian. Korean was originally written in Chinese characters, but in the 's a Korean alphabet, called hangul, was invented. Today a script that combines hangul and Chinese characters is used. The main organized religions of Korea are Christianity mainly Protestant , Buddhism, and a native religion called Chondokyo, or "religion of the heavenly way.
Some maintain the ancient folk religious beliefs known as shamanism. Most students in South Korea stay in school through the ninth grade, and increasing numbers are continuing on to high school. More than 1 million students are enrolled in colleges and universities, such as Seoul National, Yonsei, and Korea universities. South Korea's literacy rate is among the world's highest.
Nearly percent of the population can read and write. Rice is a staple of the diet. Typical dishes include kimchi spiced pickled cabbage , mandu meat-filled dumplings , kuksu noodles , and dried fish and other seafood.
Bean curd, made from soybeans, is a basic source of protein. Western-style restaurants and foods, including American fast foods, have become increasingly popular. But rice and kimchi remain the principal elements of a meal. Traditional Korean houses included an enclosed courtyard. The homes of the well-to-do had tile roofs and walls of stone or colored brick. The dwellings of poorer Koreans usually had thatched roofs and mud or stone walls. The floors were covered with a kind of oiled paper.
People ate, sat, and slept on the floors of the main rooms. Heat was provided by the ondol system, in which flues conducted heat from the fireplace to stones beneath the floor.
Today most city dwellers live in brick homes or modern apartment houses that are heated with gas or electricity. Nevertheless, some or all of the rooms are still kept warm in winter using the traditional floor-heating system. South Koreans enjoy a great many sports, including soccer, speed skating, baseball, basketball, volleyball, Ping-Pong, gymnastics, boxing, and wrestling. The martial arts, especially tae kwon do, are popular.
Many Koreans have excelled in marathon long-distance running and have won prizes in this track event in international competitions, including the Olympic Games. The rugged Central Mountains cover much of central and eastern South Korea. They include the Sobaek Mountains and the southern half of the T'aebaek Mountains. Most cities and farms are situated on two fertile plains: the Southwestern Plain, which covers the western half of the peninsula, and the Southern Plain, along the south coast.
The western and southern coasts of South Korea are dotted with some 3, islands, most of them unpopulated. Cheju, the largest island, contains Halla San, South Korea's highest peak, which rises 6, feet 1, meters. Cheju, with its thriving tourist industry, is known as the Asian Hawaii. South Korea's three principal rivers are the Han, Kum, and Naktong. The Han flows through Seoul and, with the Kum, waters the fertile plains in the southwest.
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