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Korean society at a glance

South Korea is located in the northeastern region of the Asian continent and occupies the southern region of the Korean Peninsula. It was established in 1948 after the splitting of Korea between the United States and the former USSR (U. S. Department of State, 2008). After the formal split of Korea, 4 million people from North Korea transferred to South Korea. This sudden increase in population was partly compensated within the next 40 years by migration from South Korea to Japan and the United States.

Discrimination in South Korea

In August 2008, Buddhists from South Korea held a protest against Pro-Christian bias in the government of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. Followers of Buddhism showed their discontent against Lee Myung-bak’s favoring Christians. The Chief Executive likewise received criticism for placing Christians in his Cabinet and choice spots (Kwang, 2008). The Buddhist protest began in June when the Ministry of Transportation scrapped Buddhist temples from electronic maps of South Korea’s public transport system. Compounding this hatred is the inspection of the car of Venerable Jikwan, who is chief of South Korea’s top Buddhist sects.