Korean age traditionally counted a person as 1 at birth and added a year every New Year's Day, making people seem older; however, South Korea officially adopted the international age system (man-nai) in June 2023, where age increases on your birthday, but the old system still appears for some contexts like school year eligibility or military service.
On August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea (ROK) was formally established as a liberal democracy, which inherited the legitimacy of the PGK. The UN recognized the government of the ROK as the only legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula.
Additionally, more than 50% of Korean words are taken from Chinese, though this language is also unrelated from a historical standpoint. Despite its unclear origins, it is known that the Korean language has been spoken since 57 BC.
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Goguryeo (also spelled as Koguryŏ) was also known as Goryeo (also spelled as Koryŏ), and it eventually became the source of the modern name of Korea.
South Korea's 52-hour work rule caps most employees' weekly working hours at 52, consisting of 40 standard hours plus 12 allowed overtime hours, aiming to reduce overwork, improve work-life balance, and boost productivity by ending excessively long workweeks previously common in the country. Implemented in phases for different company sizes, this law applies to a seven-day week, including weekends, and was a major revision to the Labor Standards Act, phasing in from 2018 to 2021 for most businesses.
Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-1945. For the first ten years Japan ruled directly through the military, and any Korean dissent was ruthlessly crushed.
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The "Japan 5-minute rule" refers to extreme punctuality, meaning you should arrive 5-10 minutes before a scheduled time, as being exactly on time is considered late, demonstrating respect and reliability, a concept sometimes called "5-minute prior action" (５分前行動). It highlights Japanese culture's emphasis on preparedness, where trains are so precise that delays over 5 minutes get official notes, making being early a crucial part of business and social etiquette.
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A more detailed analysis using 65 alleles at 19 polymorphic loci was performed on six populations. Both analyses demonstrated genetic evidence of the origin of Koreans from the central Asian Mongolians. Further, the Koreans are more closely related to the Japanese and quite distant from the Chinese.
Korean uses two number systems, Sino-Korean (il, i, sam...) for dates, money, minutes, and Native Korean (hana, dul, set...) for general counting, age, and hours; 1-10 in Sino-Korean are 일 (il), 이 (i), 삼 (sam), 사 (sa), 오 (o), 육 (yuk), 칠 (chil), 팔 (pal), 구 (gu), 십 (sip), while in Native Korean they are 하나 (hana), 둘 (dul), 셋 (set), 넷 (net), 다섯 (daseot), 여섯 (yeoseot), 일곱 (ilgop), 여덟 (yeodeol), 아홉 (ahop), 열 (yeol).
Because Japanese and Korean have Chinese roots, there's a lot of similar vocabulary between these three languages. Linguists believe that around 60% of Korean words and 50% of Japanese words come from Chinese. So if you know one of these languages, it gives you a massive head-start when learning the others.
Koreans were suggested to have originated from a similar source as Central Asian Mongolians from a genetic perspective.Archaeological evidence suggests that Proto-Koreans were migrants from Manchuria during the Bronze Age. The origins of the Korean language and people are subjects of ongoing debate.
8 September 1945 US troops arrive in Japanese-held Korea Korea had been a Japanese possession since the early 20th century. During World War II, the allies–the United States, Soviet Union, China and Great Britain–made a somewhat hazy agreement that Korea should become an independent country following the war.
Korean age was a unique way of counting age that makes people in South Korea 1–2 years older than their international age. It was based on the idea that you're already one year old at birth and gain another year every January 1st, regardless of your actual birthday.
Thanks to a historically weak yen, the U.S. dollar goes quite far in Japan, making food, local transport, and cultural sites surprisingly affordable, though high-end hotels and bullet trains still cost significantly in dollar terms; expect about 155-156 yen per dollar, allowing for cheap convenience store snacks, budget ramen for around $10, and museum entries under $5, making it a great value trip for U.S. travelers.
The Japanese 80% rule, known as "Hara Hachi Bu", is a Confucian principle advising people to stop eating when they feel about 80% full, not completely stuffed, to support health and longevity. This practice encourages mindful eating, helps prevent overeating, and is linked to lower rates of illness and longer lifespans, particularly observed in Okinawan centenarians. It involves slowing down during meals, listening to your body's fullness cues, and appreciating food as fuel rather than indulging to the point of discomfort.
Persia (roughly modern-day Iran) is among the oldest inhabited regions in the world. Archaeological sites in the country have established human habitation dating back 100,000 years to the Paleolithic Age with semi- permanent settlements (most likely for hunting parties) established before 10,000 BCE.
On July 9, 2011, South Sudan officially became an independent country. You can explain it like this: “South Sudan is the youngest country in the world because the people there voted to form a new country in 2011, and other countries recognized it.”
August 10, 2010: Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressed "deep regret over the suffering inflicted" during the Empire of Japan's colonial rule over Korea. Japan's Kyodo News also reported that Cabinet members endorsed the statement.
Thus ended the third largest war in American history, with no clear-cut victory on either side and with neither side completely satisfied with the situation, but willing to accept it as the end of a conflict unprofitable to the policies of both the Communist and non- Communist worlds.
Unlike many Asian nations, Japan was never colonized by European empires—even though Portugal and Spain made early contact in the 1500s. Japan had a strong, centralized government and an elite class that understood the risks posed by European powers.