National Day: August 15 (1945)

National flag: Tai Chi flag, first painted on the ship by the envoy Park Ho-jin sent to Japan in August 1882, and officially adopted by the emperor as the national flag of Lee's Korean dynasty in August 1883. 1On March 25th, 949, the provincial examination committee of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, and Science of Korea made a clear statement when it was determined to be the national flag of the Republic of Korea: the horizontal and vertical ratio of Taiji flag was 3: 2, the white background represented the land, the middle was Taiji II instrument, and there were four black hexagrams in the four corners. Tai Chi's circle represents the people, and fish-shaped instruments bend up and down in the circle, with red on the top and blue on the bottom, representing Yang and Yin respectively, symbolizing the universe. Among the four hexagrams, the stem in the upper left corner represents the Sanyang hexagram representing heaven, spring, east and benevolence; Kun in the lower right corner indicates that the six Yin hexagrams represent earth, summer, west and righteousness; The ridge in the upper right corner has four yin and one yang representing water, autumn, south and ceremony; There are two yang and two yin in the lower left corner, representing fire, winter, north and wisdom respectively. The overall pattern means that everything moves, balances and coordinates forever in an infinite range, symbolizing oriental thought, philosophy and mystery.

National emblem: round. A hibiscus flower with five petals on the round surface and a pattern of yin and yang in the middle. The ribbon says "Republic of Korea".

State dignitaries: President Roh Moo-hyun, elected in February 2002 and sworn in in February 2003; Former Prime Minister Lee Hae Chan took office in June 2004 and resigned in March 2006; Prime Minister Han Mingshu took office in April 2006; Jin Yiji, Speaker of the National Assembly, was elected in June 2004.

Population: 48.387 million (according to 5438+1 October1of the Ministry of Administration and Autonomy of Korea in June 2004). The whole country is a single nation, and Korean is widely used. Religion is dominated by Buddhism and Christianity.

Capital: Seoul, population 10277000(2003). From June 5438 to February 2003, the South Korean National Assembly passed the Special Law on the New Administrative Capital, and decided to move the administrative capital from Seoul to the central region. In August 2004, the South Korean government finalized and officially announced the address of the new administrative capital, and Yanqi-Zhougong, located in central South Korea, will become the new administrative capital. The South Korean government is scheduled to start building a new administrative capital in Yanqi-Zhougong in July 2007, and it will become a city with a population of 300,000 in 2020 and a city with a population of 500,000 in 2030. From 20 12 to 20 14, the main state administrative organs in Korea will be moved to the new administrative capital. In June 5438 +2004 10, the Korean Constitutional Court ruled that the Special Law on the New Administrative Capital passed by the South Korean National Assembly in February 2003 was unconstitutional. The South Korean government's plan to move the administrative capital from Seoul to the central region will be forced to stop. June, 5438 +2005 10, Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak held a press conference in Seoul City Government, announcing that the Chinese name of Seoul was changed to "Seoul". Seoul has a long history. In ancient times, it was named "Hanyang" because it was located in the north of Hanshui River. /kloc-At the end of 0/4, after the Korean dynasty made Hanyang its capital, it was renamed "Seoul". During the colonial rule of the Korean peninsula in modern times, Seoul was renamed as the "capital". 1945 after the recovery of the Korean peninsula, it was renamed as an inherent Korean word, and the Roman alphabet was marked as "Seoul", meaning "capital".

Administrative division: there are 1 special city: Seoul (old translation "Seoul") special city; Road 9: Gyeonggi Province, gangwon, Chungcheongbuk-do, Chungcheongnam-do, Jeollabuk-do, Jeollanam-do, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeju-do; 6 wide-area cities: Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju and Ulsan, Otawa.

Physical geography: located in the south half of the Korean peninsula in the northeast of the Asian continent. The north is adjacent to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea through the military demarcation line. The other three sides are surrounded by the Yellow Sea, the Korean Strait and the Sea of Japan. It covers an area of 99,600 square kilometers, and the total length of the peninsula coastline is about 1.7 thousand kilometers (including the island coastline). There are many hills and plains in Korea, about 70% of which are mountainous areas, and the terrain is lower than that in the northern part of the peninsula. Hills are mostly located in the south and west. The western and southern continental slopes are gentle, the eastern continental slopes are steep, and there are large plains on the west coast. South Korea belongs to the temperate East Asian monsoon climate. The rainfall from June to September accounts for 70% of the whole year. The annual average precipitation is about 1500mm, which gradually decreases from south to north. The average temperature in winter is below zero. It is the hottest in summer and August, with the temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. It is vulnerable to typhoons in March, April and early summer.

Brief History: After 1 century, three ancient countries, Koguryo, Baekje and Silla, were formed on the Korean Peninsula. In the middle of the seventh century, Silla occupied a dominant position on the peninsula. /kloc-At the beginning of the 0 th century, North Korea replaced Silla. /kloc-At the end of 0/4, the Lee Dynasty replaced Korea and named it Korea. 19 10 became a Japanese colony in August. 1945 August 15 liberated. At the same time, Soviet and American troops were stationed in the northern half and the southern half, respectively, with the 38th parallel of north latitude as the boundary. 1948 On August 5th, the Republic of Korea was proclaimed and Li Chengwan was elected as the first president. Li Chengwan stepped down in the national student movement. 196 1 year, park chung-hee launched a military coup and began to rule 18 year, during which the Korean economy achieved sustained and rapid growth. 1979 park chung-hee was assassinated and Quan Douhuan staged a coup. 1980 became president. 1987, South Korea implemented direct presidential election, and in the same year, Lu Taiyu was elected as the 13 president. Presidents from 14 to 16 were Jin Yongsan, Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun. South Korea and North Korea joined the United Nations on September 199 1.

Politics: The current constitution of South Korea is a new constitution adopted by referendum in June of 1987+00, which came into effect on February 25th, 2008. According to the new constitution, South Korea implements the system of separation of powers and governing the country according to law. According to this new constitution, the president is the head of state and the commander of the national armed forces, representing the whole country in the government system and foreign relations. The president's term of office is five years, and he cannot be re-elected. The president is the policy-maker at home and abroad, and can introduce legislative bills to Congress. At the same time, the president is also the country's chief executive, responsible for the implementation of various laws and regulations. The President exercises administrative functions through the State Council composed of 15-30 people and chaired by it. As the president's main administrative assistant, the prime minister is appointed by the president, but must be approved by the National Assembly. The Prime Minister has the right to participate in the formulation of important national policies. The president has no right to dissolve the National Assembly, but the National Assembly can restrict the president by initiating impeachment procedures, so that he will be ultimately responsible for the national constitution. South Korea has a unicameral system. Congress is the national legislature with a four-year term and a speaker with a two-year term. In addition to making laws, the functions entrusted to Congress by the Constitution include approving state affairs such as national budget, foreign policy, declaring war on foreign countries, and the power to impeach the president. Korean courts are divided into three levels: Grand Court, High Court and Local Court. The Grand Court is the highest court and is responsible for hearing appeals against the decisions of lower courts and military courts. The Chief Justice is appointed by the President and approved by the National Assembly. A judge's term of office is six years, and he cannot be re-elected. He must abdicate at the age of 70.

Economy: In 1950s, the Korean economy moved from the brink of collapse to recovery. In 1960s, South Korea successfully implemented the export-oriented economic development strategy and began to implement the first five-year economic development plan. In 1970s, South Korea became one of the newly industrialized countries (regions). In 1980s, it developed into a competitive country in the international market. In the 1990s, South Korea began to strive to enter the ranks of developed countries. South Korea has a strong economic strength, and steel, automobiles, shipbuilding, electronics and textiles are the pillar industries of South Korea. Korea used to be a traditional agricultural country. With the process of industrialization, the proportion of agriculture in the Korean economy is getting smaller and smaller, and its status is getting lower and lower. South Korea is a big importer of agricultural products, and its import volume tends to increase. However, its agricultural market is extremely sensitive to foreign investment, and it is an economic sector with a small degree of opening to the outside world. South Korea's cultivated land area is 6.5438+0.95 million hectares, mainly distributed in the western and southern plains and hilly areas, accounting for about 22% of the total land area. South Korea has less mineral resources, with more than 280 kinds of minerals discovered and more than 50 kinds of minerals with economic value. The minerals with development and utilization value include iron, anthracite, lead, zinc and tungsten, but the reserves are not large. Due to the lack of natural resources, the main industrial raw materials depend on imports. The main industrial sectors are steel, automobile, shipbuilding, electronics, chemistry, textiles and so on. Pohang Iron and Steel Plant is the second largest steel complex in the world. In 2002, the automobile output was 3.2 million, ranking sixth in the world. The tonnage of standard cargo ships for shipbuilding orders is 7.59 million tons, ranking first in the world again. The electronic industry is dominated by high-tech intensive products, and it is one of the top ten electronic industry countries in the world. Semiconductor integrated circuits have developed rapidly. In recent years, South Korea has attached importance to IT industry and continuously increased investment. Korea has beautiful scenery and many cultural and historical heritages. Tourism is more developed. The main scenic spots are Gyeongbokgung Palace, Tokugawa Palace, Chang Gung Palace, Chingde Palace, National Museum, National Conservatory of Music, Sejong Cultural Center, Huyan Art Museum, Nanshan Tower, National Museum of Modern Art, Jianghua Island, Folk Village, Panmunjom, Gyeongju, Jeju Island and Xueyue Mountain.

Culture: Korea is a country with a long history and splendid culture, which has its own characteristics in literature and art. Korean art mainly includes painting, calligraphy, printmaking, crafts and decoration. , not only inherited the national tradition, but also absorbed the expertise of foreign art. Korean painting can be divided into oriental painting and western painting. Oriental painting is similar to China's traditional Chinese painting, which uses pen, ink, paper and inkstone to express various themes. There are also all kinds of gorgeous genre paintings. Like China and Japan, calligraphy is an elegant art form in Korea. Koreans are famous for their love of music and dance. Korean modern music can be roughly divided into "national music" and "western music". National music can be divided into "elegant music" and "folk music". Yayue is music played by a professional band when the feudal dynasty of Korea held sacrificial ceremonies and banquets in the court, commonly known as "Zheng Yue" or "court music". Folk music includes miscellaneous songs, folk songs and farmhouse music. The commonly used musical instruments are Xuanqin, Gayaqin, five-line drum, flute and so on. One of the characteristics of Korean folk music is that it is accompanied by dance. Korean dance attaches great importance to the rhythm of dancers' shoulders and arms. Tao has a fan, a corolla and a drum. Korean dance is rich and colorful, centering on folk dance and court dance. Korean dramas originated from religious ceremonies in prehistoric times, mainly including masks, puppet shows, folk art, singing operas and dramas. Among them, the mask, also known as "mask dance", is a symbol of Korean culture and occupies an extremely important position in Korean traditional drama.

Koreans like sports very much, especially taking part in folk games. The main folk games are swinging, stepping on the seesaw, flying kites and stepping on the earth. There are many kinds of folk sports activities in Korea, such as Go, Chess, Chess Throwing, Wrestling, Taekwondo and Skiing.

Korean food is characterized by kimchi culture, and three meals a day are inseparable from kimchi. Traditional Korean dishes such as barbecue, kimchi and cold noodles have become world famous dishes.

Seoul National University, Yonsei University, Korea University, Ewha Women's University.

Korea is a country that attaches great importance to education. There are thousands of colleges and universities in China. National Seoul (press and publication: journalism is developed. By 2002, * * * had 260 news organizations. There are 60 newspapers, including national comprehensive newspaper 10, local comprehensive newspaper 38, economic newspaper 7, foreign language newspaper 2 and sports newspaper 3. Chosun Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, East Asia Daily, Chosun Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo and Jingxiang News are six national Chosun Ilbo. Except Chosun Ilbo, all other newspapers are privately owned. Chosun Ilbo was founded on March 5th, 1920. East Asia Daily was founded in April 1920. The Central Daily was founded on September 22nd, 1965.

News Agency: United Communications, 1980, 12, was formed by the merger of Contract Communications Agency and Toyo Communications Agency, and the internal and external communications were merged into 1999. It is a cooperative news agency operated by Korean news media. The news agency has branches in Washington, new york, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, London, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Brussels, Cairo, Hongkong, Moscow and Beijing. There are 10 national broadcasters, 59 local broadcasters and 8 1 cable broadcasters in Korea. Korean Broadcasting Corporation (KBS) began its pilot broadcast on 1927 and its external broadcast on 1953. The government controls the broadcasting company and has a national broadcasting network. It is currently broadcast in Korean, English, Chinese, French, Japanese and other languages 1 1. The TV station was established in196165438+February. From 1996, it launched two channels of satellite TV programs, mainly digital signals. Cultural Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)/KOOC-0/96/KOOC-0/0/2 was established, with a national broadcasting network, and a TV station/KOOC-0/969 was established in August, with satellite relay stations in major cities. Seoul (old translation "Seoul") Broadcasting Corporation TV Station 199 1 12 started broadcasting. Christian Broadcasting Company (CBS) was founded in 1954, which is privately owned and mainly broadcasts news, entertainment, education and religious programs. Its TV programs also have a certain influence. Far East Radio Station (FEBC) started broadcasting on February (FEBC) 1956, broadcasting 100 hours of Korean, English, Chinese and Russian programs every week. The Army Radio Station of the Republic of Korea was established in 1954, and it broadcasts exclusively for the Army. The US military station in South Korea 1950 10 started broadcasting. Together with its TV stations, it serves the US troops stationed in South Korea and their families, and broadcasts in English all day. Communications Radio and Television Station 1990 was established in June. Education Radio and Television Station 1990 12 was established. There are 39 TV stations in Korea, 20 of which are commercial TV stations. South Korea began broadcasting cable TV from 1995, which developed rapidly. Internet penetration rate is relatively high. By the end of 2002, there were 26.27 million Internet users, accounting for 55.438+0% of the national population. The publishing industry is developed, with 35 registered publishers19/kloc-0. There are many kinds of magazines, which are often created and stopped.

Attractions: (1) Gyongbokkung is a famous ancient palace, located in Jongno-ku, Seoul, South Korea. It was built by Li Chenggui, the ancestor of the Li Dynasty, in 1394. In the Book of Songs in ancient China, there was a poem "A gentleman must have a thousand years of happiness", hence the name of this temple. The main hall of Gong Yuan is Qin Zheng Hall, which is the central building of Gyeongbokgung Palace. All the kings of the Li Dynasty used to handle state affairs here. In addition, there are Ideological and Political Department, Gan Qing Department, Kangning Department and Jiaotai Department. There is also a 10-storey stone pagoda in Gong Yuan, which is elegant and one of the national treasures of South Korea. There is a wall outside Gyeongbokgung Palace, which is 3626 meters long and 6.7 meters high. There are Guanghua Gate in the south, Jianchun Gate in the east, Qiumen Gate in the west and Shenwu Gate in the north of the palace. There is Li Xing Gate in Gwanghwamun, an east-west canal outside Li Xing Gate, and an exquisite Jinchuan Bridge on the river. In the middle of the lotus pond in the Palace Garden, there is a stone boat-qinghui Tower, which used to be the pavilion for the king's banquet. 1553, a part of the northern corner of the palace was destroyed by fire, and most of the buildings in the palace were destroyed during the Japanese invasion. When it was rebuilt in 1865, only 10 palace was intact.

(2) Changdu Palace, also known as Le Palace, is the "Forbidden City" in South Korea. It is located in the west cave of the capital Seoul (old translation "Seoul") and is the most well-preserved palace in the Li Dynasty. /kloc-in 0/405, the third king of the Li Dynasty built his palace here. Renchen was burned during the rebellion. The existing building was rebuilt in 16 1 1. This building has been used as a palace for 300 years. The whole palace is built in Chinese style. After entering the main entrance is Renzheng Hall, which was rebuilt in A.D. 1804. This palace is tall and solemn, beautifully decorated and equipped with an emperor's throne. The front of the temple is paved with granite and surrounded by corridors on three sides. The southeast part behind the temple is mainly Leshan Zhai and other buildings where the princess lives. The bedroom Leshan Zhai is a typical Korean wooden structure building. Crown, royal clothes, Mo Bao, weapons and other handicrafts are displayed in the hall. The courtyard displays the bridges used by the royal family, the carriages and early cars used by the last king. In addition, there are Dazao Hall, Zheng Xuan Hall and Ren Zheng Hall. The secret garden behind Ren Zhengdian was built in the17th century, covering an area of about 60,000 square meters. It is a royal garden built on the mountain. There are pavilions, natural canyons and streams in the park, and Yinghuatang, which was used as the examination room during the imperial examination. Beside the lotus pond, there are Yushui Pavilion, Diaoyutai Pavilion and Furong Pavilion for kings to fish.

(3) Kwanghanrn, located in Yichuan Canal, Nanyuan County, Jeollabuk-do, is a famous historical site in Korea. According to legend, it was built by Huang, the prime minister of the early Li Dynasty, formerly known as Guangtong Building. 1434 (sejong Li Chao 16) was renamed after reconstruction. North Korea was burned in the Great Patriotic War of Renchen. A.D. 1635 (Li Dynasty Renzong 13) was rebuilt as it was. Guanghan Building, carved with beams and painted buildings, is the representative of quadrangles in South Korea, including three small islands, stone statues and magpie bridge. Its overall structure symbolizes the universe. Now, there are large plaques of "Guanghan Building" and "Guiguan" hanging upstairs. According to legend, the famous legend "The Story of Chunxiang" happened here. Chunxiang Pavilion on the north side of the building is the Chunxiang Ancestral Hall established by 193 1, and there is a portrait of Chunxiang in the hall. Every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, people celebrate the Spring Festival here.

(4) Cheongwadae is the official residence of the South Korean President, located atNo. Sejong Road 1, Jongno-gu, Seoul. This used to be the starting palace of the Koryo dynasty. 1426 After the Korean dynasty made Seoul its capital, as the back garden of Gyeongbokgung Palace, some buildings such as Longwutang, Qingnongzhai and Wushu Field were built, which opened up a piece of land cultivated by the king. 1927 After the Japanese invasion, all the buildings except Wuyunge were destroyed and the official residence of the North Korean governor was established. 1945 After Japan surrendered, it became the official residence of the military and political chief. 1948 When the Republic of Korea was founded in August, it became the official residence of the President and changed its name to Jingmutai. 1960 After the overthrow of the Li Chengwan regime in April, Yin Pushan was elected president and entered Jingwutai. Soon, because Pu Yin was good at avoiding the word "martial arts", he named this group of buildings with white walls and blue tiles Cheongwadae, so some people called it "Cheongwadae". At present, the main building in Cheongwadae is the presidential residence, including the presidential office, reception hall, conference room and living room, while the ancillary buildings include the secretary room, police protection room and the welcome building.

(5) Jeju Island is the largest island in South Korea, also known as Rhoda Island, Honeymoon Island and Romantic Island. It is located at the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, facing the peninsula across the Cheju Island Strait, more than 90 kilometers north of the south coast of South Korea. It is the gateway to the Korean Strait and its geographical position is very important. Jeju Island, with a total area of 1.826 square kilometers, includes 34 affiliated islands, including Niudao, Wodao, brother island, Zhegui Island, Mosquito Island and Laohu Island, and its northeast is 1.000 kilometers away from Jeollanam-do. This is an ideal tourist and fishing resort. Here, you can enjoy places of interest and natural scenery. Halla Mountain, the highest mountain in Korea, stands on the island at an altitude of1950m. You can also climb mountains, ride horses, go for a ride, hunt, surf and play golf. The land here is vast, and it is either alpine forest or farmland farmhouse. Farmers mainly grow rice, vegetables and fruits, and the most spectacular is rape. In spring, it is golden everywhere, which is very beautiful. Jeju Island is the main fishing base in South Korea, and there are both temperate marine fish and tropical and subtropical fish in the nearby waters.

(6) The Korean Folk Village is located near Suwon City, the capital of Gyeonggi Province, covering an area of 163 mu. Various buildings such as farmers' houses, monasteries, aristocratic mansions, government agencies and so on are gathered here, which reproduces the cultural landscape and regional customs of the Korean Peninsula during the Li Dynasty more than 500 years ago. There are 240 traditional buildings in the village, including the "yamen" of the Li Dynasty, prisons, mansions of dignitaries, humble houses of the people, shops and workshops, and children's paradise. Most of the goods in shops and open-air markets in folk villages are local traditional handmade products and food with unique flavor, such as wood carving, painted paper fans, national costumes, painted porcelain and so on. Porcelain is a specialty here, with more than 60 kinds, all of which have high preservation value. There are many kinds of food in folk villages, and the most popular ones are vegetable cakes and rice wine. There are wonderful performances on the open-air field every day at regular intervals, including national dances, acrobatics, drum music of township owners and so on, which are very lively. The villagers here are dressed in the clothes of the ancient Li Dynasty, interpreting the customs of the ancient villagers, marrying the bride and dying in the grave, all of which truly imitate the appearance of the Li Dynasty.

Historical celebrity: Li Shunchen (1545- 1598): national hero. Born in a declining scholar-bureaucrat family, his family was poor when he was young. He is knowledgeable and good at riding and shooting. 32-year-old, graduated from martial arts and began his military career. He was upright and upright, worried about the country and the people all his life, pursued justice, and had no regrets in several adversity. At the age of 47, he served as the minister of the left-hand water army of our army in Jeolla, actively practicing the water army, building defensive positions, and creating an armored battleship turtle boat to prevent Japanese invasion. At that time, Japanese Toyotomi Hideyoshi had completed the unification of the four domestic islands and attempted to conquer North Korea and China by force. 1592, led more than 200,000 troops to invade Korea and capture Seoul (old translation "Seoul"), occupying more than half of the Korean peninsula. South Korea called this period of history "the Japanese chaos." At the request of the Korean dynasty, the Ming dynasty sent troops to help, and since then, a seven-year war between the Chinese and Korean soldiers and civilians against the Japanese aggressors has begun, which is known in history as the "Renchen Patriotic War". General Li Shunchen fought side by side with the China Water Army, and defeated the Japanese army many times, with outstanding achievements. 1598 12. He and the water army of the Ming Dynasty dealt a heavy blow to the enemy and were unfortunately shot dead in the fierce battle. Two years later, in recognition of his achievements, the court named him a first-class Xuanwu hero. 1643, 45 years after his death, was named "Zhong Wu". Since then, people on the Korean peninsula have called him a "loyal soldier" in memory of him. Zhong Xian Temple, in memory of the spirit of General Li Shunchen, was built on 1706. It is located at the foot of Fanghua Mountain, surrounded by mountains and shaded by pines and cypresses. Zhong Xian Temple covers an area of more than 500,000 square meters. In addition to the "main hall", there are ancient buildings, such as the No.1, the old house, the family temple and the water well used by the Li family. The historical materials about General Li Shunchen, the weapons he used in the naval battle with the Japanese invaders, and the copies of eight gifts given to him by Ming Chengzu, such as seals, tokens and kopi, are carefully kept in the "Cultural Relics Museum". Every year on April 28th, the day of Li Shunchen's birth, Zhong Xian Temple will hold a sacrificial ceremony. Zhong Xian Temple was destroyed under the brutal suppression of Japanese imperialism. 1945 After Japan surrendered, activities to commemorate the valiant soldiers resumed. 1966, the Korean government turned this place into a "holy land" and rebuilt the Zhong Xian Temple. The comprehensive landscape project of the park continued to 1974.

Diplomacy: After World War II, South Korea focused on developing diplomacy with the United States and Japan. The open door policy began in the early 1970s. From 65438 to February 0998, after taking office, Kim Dae-jung continued to work hard to consolidate the alliance with the United States and Japan, and at the same time to strengthen friendly relations with China and Russia. On the policy toward the DPRK, Kim Dae-jung pursued the "sunshine policy", put forward the "three principles" of not using force against each other, not absorbing reunification, and strengthening exchanges and cooperation between the North and the South, and advocated a "package plan" to end the cold war structure on the Korean Peninsula in order to fundamentally solve the Korean Peninsula issue. South Korea and North Korea joined the United Nations on September 199 1. After President Roh Moo-hyun took office in February 2003, he emphasized the development of mutually beneficial and equal relations between South Korea and the United States, promoted regional cooperation between South Korea, China and Japan in Northeast Asia, strengthened relations with Russia, ASEAN, the European Union and other countries, and actively participated in regional and international affairs.

Relations with China:1992 On August 24th, China and South Korea established diplomatic relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, relations between the two countries in various fields have developed rapidly. In July 2003, President Roh Moo-hyun paid a state visit to China, and the two countries issued a joint statement announcing the establishment of a comprehensive cooperative partnership. From June 5, 2005 to 10, President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to South Korea and attended the 13th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Busan, South Korea.