South Korea (Korean: 한국, 韓國 Hanguk ), officially the Republic of Korea (대한민국, 大韓民國 Daehan Minguk ), is a country in East Asia. Known as the “Land of the Morning Calm”, Korea has served as a cultural bridge between its neighbors, China and Japan, for a long time. South Korea has emerged from the shadows of its turbulent past and cemented its place as one of the world’s major economic powers. Since the turn of the 21st century, South Korean pop culture has become enormously popular all over East Asia, making it a very popular tourist destination.