Korea and Taiwan: Tigers Rising - Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia - page 360

Chapter 13

Korea and Taiwan:
Tigers Rising

“ An oppressive government is more to be
feared than a tiger”

C ONFUCIUS ( CA 551-479 BC )

In this chapter we will discuss two tigers of East Asia:

extremes, the south is warmed by the Japan Current.
Southwestern Korea and Cheju Island are, in fact, sub-
tropical and have considerably more rainfall than the rest
of the peninsula. About half the rainfall comes in June,
July , and August, amounting to about 30 to 40 inches (76
to 102 cm) in the south and less in the colder and drier
north.
North-south differences are also apparent in re-
source availability . Although the peninsula is only mod-
erately endowed with mineral resources, the north is
favored with substantial deposits of coal, iron, copper,
zinc, and other ingredients needed for heavy industry .
The north also has extensive hydroelectric power re-
sources, particularly along the Yalu, T Tumen, and Taedong
rivers. In the case of the Yalu and T Tumen, the power is
shared with China. In South Korea, minerals are similar
to those in the North but, with the exception of graphite
and tungsten, exist in smaller quantities and are of lower
quality . Consequently , the South relies on imported raw
materials for its heavy industrial base.
Only about a sixth of mountainous North Korea is
suitable for cropping. Coastal lowlands produce rice,
corn, wheat, millet, and soybeans but food sufficiency is
a problem. The hills have rich timber reserves, extensive
orchards, and livestock grazing.
South Korea, with its population of 48.7 million, is
the peninsula' s traditional rice bowl, with about 20 per-
cent level land. However, greater productivity is offset by
a considerably larger population, more than double that
of North Korea' s 22.7 million in 2009. South Korea' s agri-
culture is intensive, focused on rice, vegetables, fruit,

South Korea and Taiwan. We will also talk about
North Korea, which is definitely not an economic tiger.
As you read on, it will become increasingly evident that
the historical evolution of each of these regions is related
to developments in China.

Korea: T Two Countries, One Nation

PHYSICAL SETTING
Korea is one of the world' is oldest known land areas, dat-
ing back 1,600 to 2,700 million years. Made of granite
and limestone, the peninsula is tilted westward to the
Y ellow Sea where hundreds of islands dot the coast. Only
20 percent of Korea is level land. The rest consists of low-
rising, sharp, and often bare mountain ridges. These
ridges never reach above 9,200 feet (2,800 m). The
mountains are more concentrated in the north and east.
Along the east coast, the Taebaek Range runs like a spine
with southwestern spurs that cut the peninsula into nar-
row valleys and alluvial plains (Figure 13-1).
Korea is bordered by China on the north by the nav-
igable Yalu and T Tumen rivers, both of which flow from
Paektusan, the highest point in Korea at 9,000 feet
(2,744 m). A range of extinct volcanoes leads from Paek-
tusan to the Sea of Japan.
Like the rest of East Asia, Korea has a monsoon cli-
mate with warm, humid summers and cold, dry winters.
While North Korea is influenced by continental

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