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Globe trotting: South Korea 世界走透透

South Korean dancers perform during a wedding ceremony on Insadong in Seoul, South Korea, Apr. 12, 2007. The Korean fan dance is a traditional form of Korean dance, usually performed by groups of female dancers. 今年4月12日，南韓舞者在首爾人寺洞區的婚禮上表演。韓國扇子舞是韓國傳統舞蹈，表演者通常是女舞者。 (照片：歐新社) PHOTO: EPA

With a history stretching back to the bronze age and well-preserved sites of historical interest, South Korea is much more than a technological wonderland. Read on to find out more about the fourth Asian Tiger.

南韓的歷史可追溯至青銅器時代，各項歷史遺跡保存良好，她不只是科技奇境，往下讀，深入了解這個亞洲第四小龍。

A closer look 說古論今

There are several similarities between South Korea and Taiwan. Seventy percent of South Korea is mountainous, both countries were occupied by Japan and the period following the occupation saw authoritarian rule followed by gradual movement towards fully democratic societies — South Korea's first fully fledged multi-party elections were held in 1987. Both are renowned today as being at the forefront of technological development.

South Korea today is an exciting blend of the ancient and the ultra-modern. In the capital Soeul, skyscrapers running huge video ads co-exist alongside ancient temples. Soeul is the second most populous metropolitan area in the world with an astounding 22.7 million people (nearly half of the total population) over a mere 11,730 km2.

South Korea has seven UNESCO world heritage sites, including Bulguksa Temple and Haeinsa Temple (see Who Knew?). Korean Buddhists place particular faith in stone, and small stacks of stones may be found near mountain trails near temples. A prayer is said as each stone is stacked and the contact between the stones is believed to increase the power of the prayer.

Although Buddhism was the dominant religion for several centuries, in 2005 the national statistics office polled South Koreans and found that 46.5 percent (22 million) expressed no religious preference. 12.7 million are Christian and 10.7 million Buddhist.

A typical meal is South Korea consists of rice (the major crop), vegetables, pork, fruit and of course, spicy kimichi.

(Catherine Thomas, staff writer)

南韓和台灣有許多相同之處，南韓70%的土地是山脈，台灣和南韓都曾遭日本佔領，接著進入獨裁統治時期，再漸漸步向完全民主社會。一九八七年，南韓首次舉行成熟的多黨選舉。台灣和南韓如今都有科技發展最前線的美名。

今日的南韓是融合古蹟和超現代的驚艷組合，在首都首爾可以看到播放巨型廣告影片的高樓大廈和古老寺廟相鄰並存。首爾是世界上人口第二密集的都會區，僅僅一萬一千七百三十平方公里的面積上，居住著兩千兩百七十萬人（近總人口數的一半）。

南韓有七處被聯合國教科文組織列入世界遺產地，包括佛國寺和海印寺（見「你知道嗎？」）。韓國佛教徒對石頭有特別的情感

，寺廟附近的山間小徑周圍可以看到小堆小堆的石頭，每次祈禱就堆一顆石頭，石頭相碰據說能增加禱告的力量。

雖然佛教在南韓曾經盛行過幾世紀，二○○五年國家統計室對南韓民眾進行一項調查發現，46.5%（兩千兩百萬人）的韓國人沒有特別的宗教信仰，有一千兩百七十萬人是基督徒，一千零七十萬人是佛教徒。

南韓典型的料理包括米飯（主要的農作物）、蔬菜、豬肉、水果，當然還有辛辣的泡菜。（翻譯：鄭湘儀）

About South Korea 國家概況 Size: 98,480 km2, or 2.8 times the size of Taiwan Location: East Asia, on the Korean Peninsula Border countries: North Korea Capital: Soeul Population: About 48.8 million Languages: Korean Government: Republic Currency: NT$ 1 is equal to 28 South Korean Won (KRW) 面積：九萬八千四百八十平方公里，台灣的二點八倍大 位置：東亞，位於韓國半島 鄰國：北韓 首都：首爾 人口：約四千八百八十萬 語言：韓語 政府：共和 貨幣：新台幣一元等於二十八南韓幣

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