Editing History of South Korea (section)

==Background==
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After [[Japan]]'s defeat in the [[Pacific War]] in 1945, the Korean region, which was part of Japan's territory, was occupied by American and Soviet forces. In 1948, with the end of the U.S. military government, South Korea declared its independence from [[Japan]] as the Republic of Korea. In 1952, when Japan approved the independence of the Korean region under the [[Treaty of San Francisco|San Francisco Peace Treaty]], it became a completely independent and sovereign nation under international law. The unconditional [[surrender of Japan]] led to the [[division of Korea]] into two occupation zones (similar to the [[History of Germany (1945–1990)|four zones in Germany]]), with the [[United States]] [[United States Army Military Government in Korea|administering the southern half of the peninsula]] and the [[Soviet Union]] [[Soviet Civil Administration|administering the area north]] of the [[38th parallel north|38th parallel]]. This division was meant to be temporary (as was in Germany) and was first intended to return a [[Korean reunification|unified Korea]] back to [[Koreans|its people]] after the United States, [[United Kingdom]], Soviet Union, and [[Republic of China (1912–1949)|China]] could arrange a single government for the peninsula.

The two parties were unable to agree on the implementation of a Joint Trusteeship over Korea because of 2 different opinions.<ref>정해구 (1996). 특별연구③ 분단과 이승만 : 1945~1948. Critical Review of History,, 252-288.</ref> This led in 1948 to the establishment of two separate governments with the two very opposite [[Ideology|ideologies]]; the [[Communist]]-aligned [[North Korea|Democratic People's Republic of Korea]] (DPRK) and the [[Western world#Modern political definition|West]]-aligned [[First Republic of Korea]] – each claiming to be the legitimate government of all of Korea. On 25 June 1950, the [[Korean War]] broke out. After much destruction, the war ended on 27 July 1953, with the 1948 status quo being restored, as neither the DPRK nor the First Republic had succeeded in conquering the other's portion of the divided Korea. The peninsula was divided by the [[Korean Demilitarized Zone]] and the two separate governments [[Division of Korea| stabilized]] into the existing political entities of [[North Korea|North]] and [[South Korea]].

South Korea's subsequent history is marked by alternating periods of [[Democracy|democratic]] and [[Autocracy|autocratic rule]]. Civilian governments are conventionally numbered from the [[First Republic of Korea|First Republic]] of [[Syngman Rhee]] to the contemporary [[South Korea|Sixth Republic]]. The First Republic, arguably democratic at its inception (though preceded by major anti-communist and anti-socialist purges), became increasingly autocratic until its collapse in 1960. The Second Republic was strongly democratic but was overthrown in under a year and replaced by an autocratic [[military dictatorship|military regime]]. The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Republics were nominally democratic, but are widely regarded as the continuation of military rule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.systemicpeace.org/polity/rok2.htm|title=Polity IV Regime Trends: South Korea, 1948–2013|website=www.systemicpeace.org|access-date=6 October 2016}}</ref> With the current Sixth Republic, the country has gradually stabilized into a [[liberal democracy]].

Since its inception, South Korea has seen substantial development in [[Education in South Korea|education]], [[Economy of South Korea|economy]], and [[Culture of South Korea|culture]]. Since the 1960s, the nation has developed from one of Asia's poorest to [[Economy of South Korea|one of the world's wealthiest nations]]. Education, particularly at the [[higher education|tertiary]] level, has expanded dramatically. It is said to be one of the "[[Four Asian Tigers|Four Tigers]]" of rising Asian states along with [[Singapore]], [[Taiwan]] and [[Hong Kong]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Four Asian Tigers: Economic Development and the Global Political Economy|author= Eun Mee Kim |year=1998|location=San Diego|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-407440-8 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100201/business/will-the-four-asian-tigers-lead-the-way-again-in-2010 Will the four Asian tigers lead the way again in 2010], Times of Malta, 1 February 2010</ref>