South Korea and North Korea used to be a single country?

The establishment of two separate countries happened in 1948 during the Cold War. The southern region of Korea was an ally of the United States (USA) and the northern was supported by the Soviet Union (USSR). The two Korean sides went to war, which ended in 1953 with a ceasefire that has lasted to this day.

… kimchi is the country’s national dish?

Made from fermented vegetables such as chard and radish, as well as spices, it is eaten at every meal, including breakfast. It is so important that Unesco has declared the dish an intangible cultural heritage.

…the official alphabet is called hangul?

It was created in 1443 by King Sejong the Great to substitute hanja (the classic Chinese alphabet). It has 14 consonants and 10 basic vowels, which form syllabic blocks, and is one of the simplest writing systems in the world.

… Korea’s entertainment industry helped the country recover from an economic crisis?

Known as Hallyu, South Korean culture became popular in the 1990s through government incentives. Today, the country’s K-pop, film, gastronomy, and games have won over the world. 

… until 2023, South Korean newborn babies were already considered to be one year old?

The country’s old system considered people were born at age one and that they always turned a year older on January 1st and not on their birthday. In other words, babies born on December 31st would turn two the following day. A federal law did away with this system two years ago.

Sources: UOL, Fluency, G1, Folha de S.Paulo, CNN Brasil, and BBC Brasil

Glossary

Cold War: political and ideological conflict between the USA and the USSR that lasted from the late 1940s to 1991.  

USSR:  existed between 1922 and 1991 and was one of the most powerful nations in the world. It was formed by countries such as Russia and Ukraine.

Ixi! Você bateu no paywall!

Ainda não é assinante? Assine agora e tenha acesso ilimitado ao conteúdo do Joca.

Assinante? Faça Login

Voltar para a home

Ou faça sua assinatura e tenha acesso a todo o conteúdo do Joca

Assine