n.
Pronunciation: k ə - ' r ē - ə , esp South ( ˌ )k ō -
Function: geographical name
1 peninsula 600 mi (966 km ) long & 135 mi (217 km ) wide E Asia bet. Yellow Sea & Sea of Japan
2 or Japanese Cho · sen \ ' ch ō - ' sen \ country coextensive with the peninsula; once a kingdom & (1910-45) a Japanese dependency capital Seoul; divided 1948 at 38th parallel into republics of North Korea (capital Pyongyang area 46,609 sq mi or 120,717 sq km, pop 22,646,000) & South Korea (capital Seoul area 38,022 sq mi or 98,477 sq km, pop 45,985,289)