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Occupying the southern half of the Korean peninsula in east Asia, nearly 70% of South Korea is mountainous and two-thirds is forested. The whole peninsula was annexed by Japan from 1910 to 1945, and the split between South Korea and the communist North originated with the arrival of rival US and Soviet armies in 1945. Though the two states have discussed reunification, the legacy of hostility arising from the 1950–1953 Korean War remains a major obstacle. South Korea is the world's leading shipbuilder and a major force in high-tech industries.