Koreas

The Koreas are the two sovereign states on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the north and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the south. The DMZ forms the de facto border following the division after World War II and the Korean War. DPRK's capital is Pyongyang; ROK's is Seoul. The Korean Peninsula is bordered by the Yellow Sea to the west, the Sea of Japan (East Sea) to the east, and the Korea Strait to the south.

Korea was a unified kingdom for centuries before Japanese annexation in 1910. After liberation in 1945, the peninsula was divided at roughly the 38th parallel, leading to the separate states. The Korean War (1950–53) ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula technically at war and the DMZ as a tense border.

The DPRK is a one-party state with a centralized planned economy and extensive state control, facing international sanctions over its nuclear program. The ROK is a liberal democracy with a market economy that is highly developed and globally integrated, driven by electronics, automobiles, shipbuilding, and services. Inter-Korean relations fluctuate between periods of outreach and tension, with occasional talks, exchanges, and joint projects.

Korean is the common language, written in Hangul. Shared historical and cultural roots exist, including food, arts, and traditions, though political division has limited exchange. South Korea has become a major global cultural exporter, while North Korea maintains strict information controls. The future of reunification or other forms of coexistence remains a central and contested topic in regional and international politics.