Portal:South Korea

Kwon Bo-ah (Korean: 권보아; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and actress often referred to as the "Queen of K-pop".

Born and raised in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, BoA was discovered by SM Entertainment talent agents when she accompanied her older brother, a music video director, to a talent search in 1998. She was trained for two years and made her debut with ID; Peace B (2000). BoA has since released twenty studio albums, including ten in Korean, nine in Japanese, and one in English. On television, she appeared as a judge on the reality competition show K-pop Star (2011–2013), as an actress on the television drama Listen to Love (2016), as a host for the second season of Produce 101 (2017), and as a coach for the third season of The Voice of Korea (2020).

With the release of her debut Japanese studio album, Listen to My Heart (2002), BoA became the first South Korean pop star to break through in Japan. Her Japanese albums Valenti (2003) and Best of Soul (2005) went on to sell over one million copies each according to Oricon; the latter of which remained the last album to do so by a non-Japanese artist for 16 years. Her self-titled English album (2009) became the first record by a K-pop artist to appear on the Billboard 200, debuting at number 127. (Full article...)

South Korea is located in East Asia, on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula jutting out from the far east of the Asian land mass. The only country with a land border to South Korea is North Korea, lying to the north with 238 kilometres (148 mi) of border running along the Korean Demilitarized Zone. South Korea is mostly surrounded by water and has 2,413 kilometres (1,499 mi) of coast line along three seas; to the west is the Yellow Sea, to the south is the East China Sea, and to the east is the East Sea. Geographically, South Korea's land mass is approximately 100,032 square kilometres (38,623 mi²). 290 square kilometres (110 mi²) of South Korea are occupied by water. The approximate coordinates are 37° North, 127° 30 East. Notable islands include Jeju Island (Jejudo), Ulleung Island (Ulleungdo), and Liancourt Rocks (Dokdo).

• ...that Shin Sang-ok, a South Korean film director was kidnapped in 1978 under orders from future North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il and forced to direct a giant-monster film, Pulgasari?
• ...that South Korean United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Tanzanian Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro previously worked together as foreign ministers?
• ...that Song Du-yul, a professor of philosophy and sociology at the University of Münster in Germany, was the only South Korean to attend the 1994 funeral of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung?

5 March 2026 – Economic impact of the 2026 Iran war

South Korean president Lee Jae Myung orders the activation of a ₩100 trillion (about US$68 billion) stabilization fund to address volatility in the country's financial markets linked to the Iran war. (AFP via The Economic Times)

25 February 2026 – Economy of South Korea

South Korea's benchmark KOSPI index surpasses 6,000 points for the first time, crossing the threshold shortly after the opening of trading. (AFP via BSS)

19 February 2026 – Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol is sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of leading an insurrection when he declared martial law on December 3, 2024. (The Korea Herald) (Reuters)

6 February 2026 – Capital punishment in North Korea, Mass media in North Korea

Amnesty International reports that North Koreans are being executed for watching the South Korean series Squid Game and listening to K-pop. (Sky News)

Pig Bride (Korean: 정체불명 새색시) is a manhwa written and illustrated by Huh Kook-hwa (허국화) and Kim Su-jin (김수진). The story follows Si-Joon Lee, who was tricked as an eight-year-old boy, into fulfilling a prophecy and marrying the mysterious "Pig Bride"—a young blonde girl who hides her supposedly disfigured face under a pig-faced mask. When Si-Joon turns sixteen, the Bride reappears and causes havoc, interrupting the blossoming romance between Si-Joon and classmate Doe-Doe.

The series was released in five volumes between 2007 and 2008 in South Korea by Haksan Publishing and later localized by Yen Press for North American distribution. Yen Press also serialized Pig Bride in Yen Plus, a manga anthology. Yen Press's localization kept the Korean onomatopoeia and sound effects and used Anglicization followed by the English translation. Reception of the initial volumes was mixed and the entire series was reviewed negatively by Manga Critic's Katherine Dacey as one of the worst manga of 2009. The artwork and styling received mixed praise, but the manhwa-style artwork was noted to be a divisive aspect for readers. (Full article...)

• ... that Amrom Harry Katz, using aerial photographs of tides, helped to capture Seoul during the Korean War?
• ... that Jeong Haneul went from being a North Korean soldier to a South Korean YouTuber?
• ... that Imsil Cheese Theme Park cost over ₩39 billion to build?
• ... that a memorial park was planned in South Korea for composer Zheng Lücheng, despite controversy over his collaboration with North Korea and China?
• ... that the DJ NewJeansNim has been credited with reviving interest in Buddhism among South Korean youths?
• ... that Stellar Blade's Eve was described as "a woman born from South Korea's culture and philosophy" by The Washington Post?

See WikiProject Korea for collaborating on South Korea topics, and more broadly, on all things Korea-related.