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More about Korea... |
Since long before my arrival
here in Korea, this proud nation has been working hard to prepare for
every soccer mom's most important sporting event for the next four years:
the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Everywhere one looks, there are signs and logos
hyping this landmark occasion, which is the first FIFA World Cup
ever to be held in Asia.  The
finals kick off in the South Korean capital Seoul on May 31 and finish
with the final in Yokohama, Japan on June 30. The picture on the right is
of Eul-yong Lee during a "friendly" game that South Korea played
against the United States on December 9, 2001. Kyung Hye and I watched it
on television and we were most impressed by Korea's gutsy performance as
they held on to defeat the Americans by a score of 1 to 0. If the game was
any indication of how South Korea will do during the actual tournament, I
think a lot of folks will be chanting Go
KOREA!!!!! during the finals!
Korean Currency
The soccer moms and dads who come
in May will need to know a little about the money here.
Monetarily, it's relatively small while, physically, it's very
big. The largest denomination of cash is the 10,000 won bill,
which is roughly equivalent to only $10 Canadian! That, plus the
fact that it's significantly longer and wider than Canadian bills
means that carrying enough cash for anything more than just
"spending money" requires one to invest in a new,
"oversize" (by Canadian standards) wallet.
10,000 won bill - front
side
(will buy 2 nice
Korean-style lunches) |
5,000 won bill -
slightly smaller
- there's also a 1,000
won bill (not shown) |
Some Korean coins:
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More about the People and Population...
While Koreans belong to the Mongolian race, they have maintained distinctive language, culture, and customs. Korean society has always been family-oriented. Although Korean people have modernized to some extent, the basic patterns and manners of family life remains the same. The most endearing national characteristic is the sincere warm-heartedness of the Korean people. Total
Population of South Korea = 47.3 million
(2000 est. - source from National Statistical Office)
City Populations
(2000 est.)
| Seoul |
9,981,649 |
| Busan |
3,804,522 |
| Daegu |
2,548,568 |
| Incheon |
2,559,424 |
| Gwangju |
1,368,341 |
| Daejeon |
1,425,835 |
| Ulsan |
1,084,891 |
Economy
Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, the Republic of Korea has achieved astounding economic growth, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as the "Miracle on the Hangang River." The areas of strongest development are still shipbuilding, semiconductors and consumer electronics, although the Korean automobile industry is rapidly gaining a foothold in overseas markets.
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