The Korean peninsula is located in Northeast Asia, where it is bordered on the north by China and Russia and faces Japan to the southeast across the Sea of Japan. Since 1948 the country has been divided along the 38th parallel, with the Republic of Korea to the south and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the north. The Republic of Korea, the subject of this country page, is made up of nine provinces with Seoul, in the northern part of the country, as the capital city. Other major cities include Pusan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju and Daejeon.

Dragon on drum. Photo courtesy of Brian Flynn.

Much of the country is extremely mountainous with a temperate climate. The alpine environment in the north includes many fir and beech trees. There are cultivated plains along the coast and several major rivers. The vegetation is especially lush along the south coast, where Korea grows its ginseng supplies. There are twenty national parks in Korea, including the popular Seoraksan, Hallasan and Jirisan parks.
It is believed that Korea was first inhabited during the Neolithic Age (c. 5,000-1,000 B.C.), when tribes from central and northern Asia came to the peninsula. From 18 B.C. to A.D. 668, three highly centralized kingdoms thrived. The Koryo Dynasty that followed saw a flourishing of Buddhism. The Choson Dynasty (1392-1910) later took power and adopted Confucianism as the state ideology, which resulted in a very structured, hierarchical social system. Choson instituted political and economic reforms and pursued a rigorous isolationist policy until the late 19th century, which earned the country the nickname of "the Hermit Kingdom."

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Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910 and liberated at the end of World War II, only to become involved in the Cold War struggle that resulted in the formation of the two separate states and the Korean War, lasting from 1950-53.

Pilbong dancers. Photo courtesy of Brian Flynn.

Korea's two principal religions today are Christianity and Buddhism. Only three percent of the population identifies itself as Confucian, though Confucian beliefs and values, such as respect for family and elders, as well as for authority in general, remain a strong influence in Korean society.
Korea's population is one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogenous in the world. Except for a small Chinese community, most Koreans share a common cultural and linguistic heritage. Korea also has one of the world's highest population densities. Major population centers are located in the northwest and southeast and in the plains south of Seoul-Incheon.

Bulguksa. Photo courtesy of Brian Flynn.

The Fulbright Program in Korea includes awards for distinguished lecturing, lecturing, lecturing/research and research in a wide variety of fields in the humanities, fine arts and the social sciences. Lecturers who can offer courses on the study of the United States are especially in demand. Fulbright grantees to Korea report very positive experiences there and praise the seriousness, politeness and dedication of their Korean students.
CIES encourages interested applicants to make use of the following links to complement their research into potential opportunities in Korea.