South Korea

Discover South Korea

Fun Foods

Korean BBQ (Bulgogi), Bibimbap, Kimbap, Tteokbokki, Kimchi, Hotteok, Bingsu

Most alphabets weren't invented by anyone. They grew slowly over thousands of years, with letters borrowed and changed bit by bit.

Korea's alphabet is different. A king sat down and designed it on purpose.

Almost 600 years ago, King Sejong noticed that ordinary Koreans couldn't read or write. The only writing system used thousands of complicated Chinese characters, which took years to learn, so only the rich had the time. The king thought that was unfair.

So in 1443, he created a brand-new alphabet called Hangul. It was so simple and clever that people could learn it in just a few days.

Koreans could finally read and write their own language, and they still use Hangul today.

Korea has an incredibly long history as a single country, ruled by kings for centuries. But the 1900s brought hard times. Japan took over Korea in 1910 and ruled it for 35 years, even banning the Korean language in schools.

When World War II ended in 1945, two faraway powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, drew a line across the middle of Korea and split it in two. Koreans didn't choose this. The line divided families overnight.

In 1950, war broke out between the two halves. After three years of terrible fighting, the war stopped, but the two Koreas were never reunited.

They're still separated today by one of the most heavily guarded borders in the world.

After the war, South Korea was one of the poorest countries on Earth. In a single lifetime, it transformed into one of the richest and most high-tech, home to giant companies, lightning-fast internet, and the music known as K-pop.

In the capital, Seoul, you can visit Gyeongbokgung, a grand royal palace where guards in colorful robes still march at the gates. Off the southern coast, Jeju Island has volcanoes, waterfalls, and beaches.

For food, Korean barbecue lets you grill meat like bulgogi right at your own table. Try bibimbap, a warm bowl of rice topped with vegetables and a fried egg that you mix together yourself.

And grab some tteokbokki, chewy rice cakes in a sweet and spicy sauce, from a street stall.