English). Taxis cost more than the subway, but if you fancy treating yourself, deluxe taxis are comfortable, and the driver usually speaks English.

South Korea: History
Pre-20th-Century History
According to the Koreans, the first of their kin was born in 2333 BC. Scientists with slightly less respect for Korean mythology believe Korea was first inhabited around 30,000 BC, when tribes from central and northern Asia stumbled on the peninsula. Under constant pressure from China, these tribes banded together to found Korea’s first kingdom – Goguryeo – in the 1st century AD.

The next four centuries were known as the Three Kingdoms Period; Goguryeo (north), Baekje (southwest) and Silla (southeast). The period was marked by a remarkable flowering of the arts, architecture, literature and statecraft. It was also during this period that the formative influence of Buddhism took hold, established in Goguryeo and Baekje in the late 4th century and in Silla in the early 6th century. By 700 AD the Silla Kingdom of Korea was hitting its cultural stride, littering the country with palaces, pagodas and pleasure gardens and influencing the development of Japan’s culture. But in the early 13th century the Mongols reached Korea and gave it their customary scorched-earth treatment. When the Mongol Empire collapsed, the Choson Dynasty took over and a Korean script was developed.

In 1592 Japan invaded, followed by China – the Koreans were routed and the Chinese Manchu Dynasty moved in. Turning its back on the mean and nasty world, Korea closed its doors to outside influence until the early 20th century.

Modern History
Japan invaded the peninsula in 1904, and officially annexed it in 1910. The Japanese, who hung on until the end of WWII, were harsh masters, and anti-Japanese sentiment was strong. After the war, the USA occupied the south of the peninsula, while the USSR took over the north. Elections to decide the fate of the country were held only in the south, and when the south declared its independence, the north invaded. The ensuing war lasted until 1953 (or is still continuing, if you count MASH re-runs).

By the time the war ended, two million people had died and the country had been officially divided. After a few years of semi-democracy in the South, martial law was declared in 1972. The next 15 years rollercoastered between democracy and repressive martial law, hitting a stomach-heaving low in 1980 when 200 student protesters were killed in the Gwangju massacre. By the late 1980s the country was at flashpoint – student protests were convulsing the country and workers all over Korea were walking off the job to join them. Among the demands were democratic elections, freedom of the press and the release of political prisoners. The government wasn’t budging and civil war looked imminent until, to everyone’s jaw-dropping surprise, President Chun suddenly decided that everything the protesters were asking for was alright by him.

In 1988 – the year Seoul hosted the Olympic Games – elections were held and Roh Tae-woo, another military figure, was elected president. Student protests continued apace, but, contrary to expectations, Roh significantly freed up the political system. Relations were re-established with China and the Soviet Union. In a 1992 election, Roh was replaced by Kim Young-sam and his Democratic Liberal Party. Kim’s hobby horse was corruption, and during his term of office several politicians were prosecuted for abusing the system. Most notably, ex-presidents Chun and Roh were brought to book for their role in the Gwangju massacre.