Korea

American  

[kuh-ree-uh, kaw-, koh-] / kəˈri ə, kɔ-, koʊ- /

noun

1. a former country in East Asia, on a peninsula southeast of Manchuria and between the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea: a kingdom prior to 1910; under Japanese rule 1910–45; now divided at the 38th parallel into North Korea and South Korea.

2. Democratic People's Republic of Korea, official name of North Korea.

3. Republic of Korea, official name of South Korea.

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Korea British  

/ kəˈriːə /

noun

1. Japanese name (1910–45): Chosen.  a former country in E Asia, now divided into two separate countries, North Korea and South Korea. Korea occupied the peninsula between the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and the Yellow Sea: an isolated vassal of Manchu China for three centuries until the opening of ports to Japanese trade in 1876; gained independence in 1895; annexed to Japan in 1910 and divided in 1945 into two occupation zones (Russian in the north, American in the south), which became North Korea and South Korea in 1948 See North Korea South Korea

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Korea Cultural  

1. Historic region consisting of North Korea and South Korea; peninsula off northeastern China separating the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan, two arms of the Pacific Ocean.

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Discover More

Korea was under Japanese rule in the early twentieth century. At the end of World War II, Korea was divided at the thirty-eighth parallel of north latitude into two zones, with troops of the Soviet Union in the north and troops of the United States in the south. By 1948, two separate governments had emerged, the communist Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north and the noncommunist Republic of Korea in the south. American and Soviet troops were withdrawn by 1949. The Korean War (1950–1953) began when North Korean forces invaded South Korea. Forces of the United Nations under General Douglas MacArthur aided South Korea, whereas Chinese forces aided North Korea.

Etymology

Origin of Korea

First recorded in 1610–20; from Korean Goryeo, Koryŏ

Example Sentences

Khan visited Pyongyang to help with uranium enrichment, an alternative path to a bomb that North Korea pursued covertly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Over his 36 years of service, LaNeve has led several teams, including the Eighth Army in South Korea and the 82nd Airborne Division.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Mr. Clinton canceled talks and deployed Patriot missile-defense systems to South Korea.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The exception is a 15% tax rate on drugs coming from the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

When Dae Hyun was thirteen and still living in South Korea, his father began grooming him to take over the family’s meager crab fishing business.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon