Q 01/05

What is the country's official name?

A) Democratic People's Republic of Korea

B) Korean Federation

C) United Korean Republic

D) Republic of Korea

Answer · why

D) Republic of Korea

The North is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; the Korean name Daehan Minguk recalls the short-lived Korean Empire.

Q 02/05

Roughly what share of South Korea's 52 million people live in the Seoul metropolitan area?

A) A quarter

B) A third

C) A half

D) Two-thirds

Answer · why

C) A half

That makes greater Seoul one of the most populous metropolitan areas on Earth; Busan, Daegu and Incheon are the next biggest cities.

Q 03/05

The name "Korea" derives from which historical kingdom?

A) Joseon

B) Silla

C) Goryeo

D) Baekje

Answer · why

C) Goryeo

The Goryeo dynasty (918-1392) unified the peninsula and laid the basis for modern Korean identity.

Q 04/05

Which three kingdoms made up Korea's Three Kingdoms period?

A) Joseon, Goryeo and Balhae

B) Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla

C) Gaya, Tamna and Usan

D) Silla, Goryeo and Joseon

Answer · why

B) Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla

Silla, the smallest, allied with Tang China and unified the peninsula in 676.

Q 05/05

The dynasty that created Hangul and later closed the country off ruled from 1392 until which year?

A) 1868

B) 1897

C) 1910

D) 1945

Answer · why

B) 1897

In 1897 King Gojong renamed the state the Korean Empire, which Japan annexed in 1910.