North Korea

Coordinates: 40°00′N 127°00′E / 40.000°N 127.000°E / 40.000; 127.000

North Korea ( listen), officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK; Chosŏn'gŭl: 조선민주주의인민공화국; hancha: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國; MR: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk), is a country in East Asia, in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The name Korea is derived from the Kingdom of Goguryeo, also spelled as Koryŏ. The capital and largest city is Pyongyang. North Korea shares a land border with China to the north and northwest, along the Amnok (Yalu) and Tumen rivers, and a small section of the Tumen River also forms a border with Russia to the northeast. The Korean Demilitarized Zone marks the boundary between North Korea and South Korea.

Korea was annexed by the Empire of Japan in 1910. After the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was divided into two zones by the United States and the Soviet Union, with the north occupied by the Soviets and the south by the Americans. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in 1948 two separate governments were formed: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north, and the Republic of Korea in the south. An invasion initiated by North Korea led to the Korean War (1950–53). Although the Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire, no official peace treaty was ever signed. Both states were accepted into the United Nations in 1991.

A Thousand Miles

"A Thousand Miles" (originally titled "Interlude") is the debut single written and recorded by American pop singer Vanessa Carlton. Produced by Curtis Schweitzer and Ron Fair, the song was released as the lead single for Carlton's album Be Not Nobody (2002). Her signature song, it became Carlton's breakthrough hit and one of the most popular songs of the year. To date, it remains Carlton's biggest hit in the United States, and her only single to reach the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. Due to its success, it was featured on the 2002 US compilation album Now That's What I Call Music! 10.

The song had widespread success worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, where it was most successful, the top five in the United States and Ireland, and the top ten in the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

It has been covered by numerous artists including Victoria Justice, David Archuleta and the Glee Cast, and has been sampled by T.I. and Cheryl Cole.

Song

"A Thousand Miles" is a piano-driven pop song supported by a string orchestral arrangement, in which its protagonist (Carlton) pines for her lover, from whom she has been separated. Carlton said that she wrote the song about her grandfather, who had died earlier. She has also called the song "a combination of reality and fantasy. It's about a love that so consumes you that you do anything for it. That's how I felt at that time".

A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea

A Thousand Miles to Freedom: My Escape from North Korea (French: Corée du Nord: 9 ans pour fuir l'enfer, Hangul: 열한 살의 유서) is a 2012 memoir by Eunsun Kim, with Sébastien Falletti. It was translated into English by David Tian in 2015.

The English-language version was first released on July 21st, 2015 and was available on Amazon, at Barnes and Nobles, and many other bookstores. Immediately upon release, it was ranked #1 in several categories on Amazon, including New Releases, South Korean History, and others.

The book was originally written in French, and subsequently translated to Norwegian and Korean. David Tian translated the book from French to English, not from Korean to English as many media outlets have assumed.

Eunsun Kim, whose story this memoir is about, has also given birth to a baby girl. Kim says that there were parts of her life that remain a little difficult to talk about, and hence she left them out of her memoir.

References

Korea

Korea, called Chosŏn (Korean: 조선; Hanja: 朝鮮) in North Korea and Hanguk (Korean: 한국; Hanja: 韓國) or Daehanminkuk (Korean: 대한민국; Hanja: 大韓民國) in South Korea, is an East Asian territory that is divided into two distinct sovereign states: North Korea, formally the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and South Korea, formally the Republic of Korea (ROK). Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast. It is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait and the Sea of Japan .

Korea emerged as a singular political entity after centuries of conflict among the Three Kingdoms of Korea, which were unified as Silla (57 BC – AD 935) and Balhae (AD 698 – 926). The united Silla was eventually succeeded by Goryeo in 935 at the end of the Later Three Kingdoms period. Goryeo, which gave name to the modern exonym "Korea", was a highly cultured state and created the Jikji in the 14th century. The invasions by the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, however, greatly weakened the nation, which forced it into vassalage. After the Yuan dynasty's collapse, severe political strife followed. Goryeo eventually fell to an uprising led by General Yi Seong-gye, who established Joseon in 1388.

Korea (disambiguation)

Korea may refer to:

Korea, Otwock County

Korea [kɔˈrɛa] is part of Sobienie Szlacheckie village, Gmina Sobienie-Jeziory. From 1975 to 1998 this place was in Siedlce Voivodeship.

Coordinates: 51°56′00″N 21°19′24″E / 51.93333°N 21.32333°E / 51.93333; 21.32333