korean

The term Korean refers to anything related to Korea, including its people, language, culture, and nationality. It covers two sovereign states on the Korean Peninsula, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South Korea), as well as the broader Korean diaspora. Ethnically Korean people share a common heritage and culture.

The Korean language is spoken by roughly 70–80 million people. It is often described as a Koreanic language isolate, though some classifications place it in a larger macrofamily. The writing system Hangul was created in the 15th century by King Sejong to promote literacy. Both Koreas use Hangul, with distinct standard forms: South Korean Standard Korean and North Korea's Chosŏn'gŭl. Korean is agglutinative, with a subject–object–verb order and extensive honorifics, and it includes dialects such as Seoul, Jeolla, and Jeju. Mutual intelligibility is highest for speakers of standard forms.

The peninsula was ruled by dynasties for centuries until Japanese colonization from 1910 to 1945. After World War II, Korea was divided into two states, triggering the Korean War (1950–1953). South Korea developed into a highly industrialized economy and cultural exporter; North Korea pursued a centralized, state-controlled system with emphasis on heavy industry and military. The two systems have distinct governments and media but share historical and cultural roots.

Korean culture includes traditional arts, cuisine such as kimchi and bibimbap, and dress like hanbok, as well as contemporary media like K-pop and cinema. Confucian, Buddhist, and Christian influences shape social norms and education. The Korean language and culture have a global presence through diaspora communities and international media.