South Korea

South Korea is a country in East Asia on the Korean Peninsula. It has become famous around the world for K-pop music, Korean food, and high-tech gadgets. South Korea went from a poor country to a rich one in just a few decades.

Land and People

About 52 million people live in South Korea. The capital is Seoul, a huge modern city. The country is mostly mountainous with green forests. It has coastlines on three sides and many small islands.

Culture and Fun Facts

K-pop bands like BTS have fans all over the world. Kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage, is eaten with almost every meal. South Korea has some of the fastest internet in the world. Taekwondo, a martial art, was invented there.

Fun Facts

• South Korea has some of the fastest internet speeds in the world.
• Taekwondo was invented in South Korea.
• South Koreans celebrate a baby's first birthday with a big party where the baby picks objects that predict its future.

Did You Know?

In South Korea, your age works differently. When a baby is born, it is already considered one year old. Everyone also gets a year older on New Year's Day, not on their birthday. So a Korean person might say they are two years older than someone the same age in America.