Page 65 - South Korea & Japan: Temples, Shrines & Seaside Treasures

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forced to take part in the war on the Japanese side even though they were badly treated by the
Japanese themselves. To complicate matters further, Russian troops occupied the north of the
country above the 38th parallel, while American troops held the south, and neither wanted to
give up their position.

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to lead the new Korea (Russia picked Kim Il-sung; the U.S. wanted Rhee Syngman). When each
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Each side claimed they were the legitimate government, and each claimed the right to rule the
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along the border. The United Nations tried to intervene, but to no avail. In 1950 war broke out
between the communist north and the U.S.-backed south. Three years later neither side had
won control of all of Korea, but the destruction and loss of three million lives convinced both
parties to agree to a compromise—the division of the peninsula into two separate countries,
today’s North Korea and South Korea.

After the division, South Korea’s history fell into a pattern of political instability. A series of
republics, military coups, marital law, and corruption charges plagued South Korean politics
through the 1990s. However, recent years have seen more political stability and a focus on
renewing the national economy.

Japan

Facts & Figures

• Area: 145,913 square miles

• Capital: Tokyo

• Languages: 5L[LYP^P T^ _SP ZʯNTLW WLYR`LRP ZQ 5L[LY

• Ethnicity: Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6%

• Location: An archipelago extending in an arc more than 1,744 miles from northeast to
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Sea of Japan.

• Geography: The Sea of Japan separates Japan from the east coast of Asia. Japan consists
of four major islands: Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. The Kurils to the
northeast of the main islands are now occupied by Russia and subject to dispute. About
60% of Japan is mountain terrain, and the country is blessed with beautiful and varied
landscape as well as lush greenery.

• Population: 126,451,398 (July 2017 estimate)

• Religion: Observe both Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

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