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South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea, is a country located in East Asia, bordered by North Korea to the north and Japan to the east. With a population of over 51 million people, South Korea is a country rich in culture and history, as well as advanced technology and economy. Famous for its traditional culture, South Korea has a strong tradition of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Shamanism. The country is also known for its delicious cuisine, including popular dishes such as kimchi, bibimbap, and bulgogi.
South Korea is also a leader in the entertainment industry, with K-pop and Korean dramas gaining worldwide popularity. The country is also home to leading technology companies such as Samsung and LG. Additionally, South Korea has a strong automobile and shipbuilding industry. As a tourist destination, South Korea offers attractions such as the ancient city of Gyeongju, the beaches of Jeju Island, and the bustling city of Seoul.
With so much to explore, South Korea trivia questions are sure to be a fun and educational experience.
1. In what Korean capital city could you enjoy bindaetteok and mayak gimbap at the Gwangjang Market?
Answer: Seoul
2. Oppa Gangnam Style! In a viral 2012 hit, Korean rapper Psy extolled the luxurious lifestyles of the Gangnam district of what South Korean capital city?
Answer: Seoul
3. According to the Hyundai Research Institute, the K-pop boy band BTS contributed about $3.5 billion to the 2020 economy of what Asian nation?
Answer: South Korea
4. Not counting continent-straddling Russia, Asian countries that had hosted the Olympics through 2022 include China, Japan, and what country that gave us the Bong Joon-Ho movie, "The Host"?
Answer: South Korea
5. Cheong Wa Dae, also known as the Blue House, formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the President of South Korea. The complex was transitioned into a public park in what city?
Answer: Seoul
6. The most commonly known stock index in its country, the KOPSI, is a stock index of the exchange in which Asian country?
Answer: South Korea
7. The South Korean town of Daesong-dong is one of a small number of municipalities that lie inside a 2.5-mile-wide strip typically known by what three-letter initialism?
Answer: DMZ
8. Officially known as The Reconciliation and Cooperation Policy Towards the North, the Sunshine Policy is a foreign policy of which East Asian country towards its neighbor?
Answer: South Korea
9. The Elantra is one of Hyundai’s top-selling sedans. In the automaker’s home country, the Elantra is known as Avante. Which country is Hyundai based in?
Answer: South Korea
10. The 2024 Nobel Prize winner in literature was "The Vegetarian" author Han Kang, who hails from Gwangju in what Asian nation?
Answer: South Korea
11. On the Netflix drama series “Squid Game," 456 heavily indebted civilians play six sadistically simple games for a top prize of 45.6 billion of what South Korean currency?
Answer: Won
12. The College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), also known as the Suneung, is an important day-long test taken by students in what country to determine where they will go to university?
Answer: South Korea
13. What well-known tech company, when measured by market cap, is the largest company in South Korea?
Answer: Samsung
14. Since about the early 1990s, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan have been lumped together in an informal economic group known as the Four Asian Tigers or the Four Asian what kind of mythical creatures?
Answer: Dragon
15. Standing more than 500 meters high and including more than 120 floors, the Lotte World Tower is a mega-skyscraper located in the Sincheon-dong district of what world capital city?
Answer: Seoul
16. In December 2022, South Korea fired warning shots in response to drones from which adversary entering their airspace and escalating tensions?
Answer: North Korea
17. The Changdeokgung Palace Complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in what Asian capital city?
Answer: Seoul
18. In the summer of 2000, North and South Korea signed what agreement, in which both sides promised to work on peaceful reunification? Hint: It starts with the date!
Answer: June 15th North-South Joint Declaration
19. Four hundred and fifty-six players compete to win a $4.56 million prize in the Netflix reality show spun off from what South Korean drama series?
Answer: Squid Game
20. Although the brand has a four-letter name coming from its founders' Italian surname, what apparel brand is now technically the largest South Korean sportswear manufacturer? The brand saw aresurgence in the late 2010s as its sweatpants, platform sneakers, and color blocking became popular with Instagram influencers.
Answer: Fila
21. When it was launched in 2019, the MSC Gülsün was the world’s biggest container ship at 23,756 TEU. It was built by which shipbuilder in South Korea that is one of the country’s “big three," and a subsidiary of one of the largest companies in the world that you’d probably associate with tech before boats?
Answer: Samsung
22. Who was the first woman to be elected President of South Korea, a position she held from 2013 until her impeachment in 2017?
Answer: Park Geun-hye
23. The Korean DMZ, sometimes described as the most heavily militarized strip of land in the world, bisects what numbered parallel that previously formed the border between North and South Korea?
Answer: 38th
24. A "gireogi appa," or "Goose Dad," is a father who works in what East Asian nation while his wife and children stay in an English-speaking country for the sake of their education?
Answer: South Korea
25. In 2006, what South Korean electronics company released its VX8500 model, nicknamed the "Chocolate," in partnership with Verizon?
Answer: LG
26. According to Fast Metrics, the fastest internet in the world was considered to be in what country, where the highest % of Wi-Fi connections had a speed of at least 4 Mbps? The leading country met this qualification with more than 95% of its internet connections back in 2015.
Answer: South Korea
27. Busan, formerly called Pusan, is the second most populous city in which Asian country? War resulted in Busan temporarily becoming this country’s capital city in the 1950s.
Answer: South Korea
28. Name-checked in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," what politician served as South Korea's first president from 1948 until his resignation in 1960?
Answer: Syngman Rhee
29. Also known as SNSD, what South Korean female group formed in 2007 had international success with songs such as “Gee?” They have a message of positivity and female empowerment.
Answer: Girls' Generation
30. The "jeonse" method of rent payment, where a tenant pays a lump sum deposit prior to moving in rather than monthly rent and receives this amount back in full once the rental contract is up, thus allowing the landlord to reap investment gains, is unique to what East Asian country?
Answer: South Korea
31. In March 2022, who won a narrow victory (in fact, it may have been the closest margin in the country’s history) over Lee Jae-myung and became the 13th President of South Korea?
Answer: Yoon Suk-yeol
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