Yeukiwan

Yeukiwan, officially the Yeuki Republic, is a country situated at the eastern portion of the geographical center of mainland Serica. It bordered by Hikyoto to the north, Wedse to the northwest, Katsyria to the west, Takimorujin to the south, Yster to the southeastern-most edge, and is bounded to the Tritonian Ocean to the east, in which it also shares a maritime border with Juliana. With a population of over 62 million who inhabit an area of 464,521 square kilometers, it is both the 4th most-populous and most-densely-populated nation in Serica, and the 5th largest by area, while ranking 15th, 11th, and 25th respectively in the measures globally. A reflection of its complex history of autochthonous cultures, neighboring migration, and foreign colonization, Yeukiwan is a plurinational state home to various diverse ethnic groups speaking a myriad of languages. This has been the defining principle of the state, embodied in its constitution which enshrines multilingualism, imposing no official language for the state, instead granting equal status to all languages. The Koran language is the vernacular of a plurality of the population, and is further used as a lingua franca. Additionally, the Amelian language and it’s many accompanying varieties and dialects are spoken by a sizable amount of the populace, while several indigenous languages are used by a salient minority. The country runs a nominally unitary presidential republic, with the president and central government exerting power over the country’s 16 provinces and 7 metropolitan cities; however, in practice, each administrative division wields a considerable amount of self-autonomy. The largest metropolitan city, Seocho, is concomitantly the most-populous city within the nation, being home to around 9.2 million inhabitants in its provincial borders and 23 million in the expansive surrounding metropolitan area; If the Great Seocho Metropolitan Area were a sovereign state, it would be more populated than 113 other nations. The centrally-located city of Gumi is the constitutionally-vested political capital in which all branches of government are located. Other large metropolises include Xindian, Hyochon, Dehua, Ch'emoe, and Haibincun.

The earliest inhabitants of what is now considered Yeukiwan were the Yuanzhumin (Austronesian) people, having migrated from present-day Katsyria and settling the region some 5000 years ago. These people, who are believed to be the ancestors of the aborginal Yeukiwanese people, spoke a language which bore striking resemblance to the modern languages spoken in today’s South Serica, such as Malyiese and Indonesti, leading some to theorize the region is the Urheimat of that language family. The descendants of the Yuanzhumin people would go on to develop largely nomadic societies, having lived off the land for thousands of centuries with its people banded together in loosely organized small entities, before a unified kingdom was formed in the 5th century. Soon after, the kingdom, which began as a small entity in central Yeukiwan, expanded, growing to incorporate much of Yeukiwan’s current borders and beyond by the 8th century. This cemented its position as an empire, during which its power flourished. Notwithstanding, it soon entered a period of decline, and its power was eclipsed by the growing Měilì (Amelian) Empire in the 11th century. It became engulfed in war with the Amelians in 1025, in which they would emerge on the losing side, subsequently becoming a subject of the Měilì Empire. Large-scale migration to the area by several distinct Amelian ethnic groups followed, with their culture quickly coming to dominate the region, along the way assimilating the region's indigenous peoples. It would be a province of the Měilì Empire for the next four centuries, before it was ceded to the Jaranese Empire in 1684, following the Amelian loss in the War of the Orient. The region was rebranded as the Colony of Yeoudiman, in reference to the red foxes which inhabited the northeastern bay area upon Jaranese arrival; this is where the modern name of Yeukiwan derives from. The port city of Seocho, founded in the same year of Jaranese takeover, provided a strategic location from where the extensive natural resources of the colony were exported. During this time, many external settlers quickly flocked to the city, particularly Koran-speaking Jaranese people, and transformed it into one of the largest cities on the continent. These new adventitious cultures soon synthesized with the native Amelian and indigenous ones producing a unique hybrid culture from which a shared national identity was cultivated. This would in-turn create a rift with overseas Jaranese rule, sparking an independence movement, before, following quelling of mass demonstrations, it would evolve into an armed conflict. This armed conflict, known as the Yeukiwanese War of Independence, began in 1955 and would last until 1960, following Jaranese withdrawal and subsequent recognition of Yeukiwan as a nation state. In the aftermath of war, the country was left in tatters, promoting a military takeover of the country. Beginning in 1961, martial law was enacted, remaining this way until 1984, when international condemnation coerced the military government to yield power to a civilian government who would adopt the country’s current constitution.

In the modern day, the sovereign state of Yeukiwan has become a developed country with a high ranking in the Human Development Index, specifically ranking highly in areas such as: education, healthcare, and quality of life. Conversely, it has been considered a flawed democracy, characterized by a de-facto dominant party system under which the government, embedded with semblances of corruption, exercises significant control over politics and society. In the recent decades the country has experienced tremendous economic growth fueled by the exportation of steel, machinery, electronics and chemicals, having since emerged as one of the biggest economies in Serica, being only bested by the economies of the continents much larger countries Flirskmasto and Katsyria. It has a current GDP by purchasing power parity of $3.19 trillion amounting to a GDP per capita $51,248, making it one of the richest countries on the globe. However, wealth inequality remains a serious issue within the nation. It is generally thought to be a middle and regional power, being considered as an emerging power by some due to its giant economy and wealth.

Politics
Yeukiwan is a unitary full-presidential republic. The current President in office is Moon Jae-In. The Yeuki legislature is the National Assembly.

General

 * You become a legal adult at age 19.
 * You can obtain a driver's license at age 16 for motorcycles and 18 for cars.
 * The age of consent is 20.
 * The legal age of marriage is 20.
 * Capital punishment is used but rarely carried out.
 * Only euthanasia is legal.
 * Pornography is legal depending on the jurisdiction.
 * Gambling is legal depending on the jurisdiction.

Suffrage

 * The legal voting age is 19.
 * People of all Genders, Religions, Social Classes, and Education level have the right to vote.
 * Individuals are required to be citizens to vote.
 * Those with criminal records are permitted to vote.
 * One must be 25 years old to run for office in the case of being a lawmaker, while one must be 40 to run for president.

Gun laws

 * In Yeukiwan, only members of the police force can obtain a weapons license and must be 21 years and older.

Drug laws

 * Alcohol (<15% by volume) is legal and restricted for those 20 years and older.
 * Alcohol (>15% by volume) is legal and restricted for those 20 years and older.
 * Nicotine and Tobacco products are legal and restricted for those 20 years and older.
 * Cannabis is legal for medicinal use only and restricted for those 20 years and older.

Abortion laws

 * In Yeukiwan, abortion is legal but is not widely accepted and there is heavy stigma towards women who choose to get it.
 * Costs are covered by the state.
 * Abortion is legal up to 12 weeks from conception.
 * Abortion is legal in the case of fetal defects.
 * Abortion is legal in the case of rape and where the mother's life may be threatened.
 * Abortion is regulated by the state. Only public hospitals are allowed to perform it.

LGBT rights

 * Same sex activity is legal in Yeukiwan. LGBT people face wide prejudice, but some movements still exist.
 * The age of consent for same sex intercourse is the same as heterosexual intercourse.
 * The LGBT community has the freedom of expression.
 * There is no legislation regarding LGBT people in the military.
 * The LGBT community is protected by law from discrimination depending on the jurisdiction.
 * Same-sex relations are recognized depending on the jurisdiction. However, only heterosexual couples can adopt children.
 * Changing one's gender is legal but only if the person goes through HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and sex reassignment surgery. Two genders are recognized by law.

Military

 * Approximately 3-3.9% of Yeukiwan's GDP is spent on the military annually.
 * Women are permitted to serve in the armed forces.
 * Conscription is enforced with alternative service available. Only men are conscripted.

Freedom of Speech

 * Freedom of speech is granted to all citizens constitutionally.
 * It is legal to criticize the government.
 * Online speech falls under Freedom of Speech.
 * Laws concerning hate speech do not exist.
 * Laws concerning the incitement of violence do exist but are not well enforced.
 * The press is considered as almost completely free.
 * There is some censorship online by the government.