Korea

The two Korean states are heirs to a great artistic and cultural tradition. Moreover, they share a long, sometimes bitter historical experience, culminating in forty years of Japanese colonial rule. Although liberated in 1945, Korea was divided. Two states emerged, a communist North and an autocratic South. In 1950, the North failed in an attempt at reunification by force and the resultant Korean War intensified the hostility which continues to this day. Since the end of the war, South Korea has become one of the world's economic success stories. North Korea has been less successful, but attracts interest for its unique development as a Marxist state.