Korea's history is quite vast and traces of this history have been dated as far back as 8,000 BC. Pottery has been found to show that there was life in Korea during prehistory. However, records of organized societies and kingdoms are dated further ahead in history.
It has been said that the first civilization was founded in 2333 BC and it was called the Old Joseon ("Gojoseon") kingdom. Dangun, supposed to be a descendant of the Lord of Heaven, was the man who established this initial Korean kingdom. During his reign, the Bronze Age was also occuring. Many artifacts such as daggers made of bronze have been discovered to support this supposition. This primary kingdom dissolved around 300 BC.Next in the Korean history timeline is the Proto-Three Kingdoms period. The later established three kingdoms would be Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje. During this period, the afore mentioned three kingdoms would be on the rise toward power within the Korean peninsula and in parts of Manchuria by conquering other rival territories.
Once the three kingdoms were established, the Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje kingdoms prospered and fended off many other invaders. Many of these invasions were initiated by Chinese forces, which eventually had a a cultural impact on Korea as Buddhism and Chinese characters were introduced to Korea. Eventually, the invasions took a toll on the three kingdoms and all three disintegrated between 660 and 670 AD.Soon after, there were North and South States : Unified Silla and Balhae. During this time, culture and technology flourished. This served as somewhat of a transitional phase for Korea as it did not last nearly as long as its predecssors.
The Goryeo dynasty was as equally long lived as the other regimes and it is from this dynasty that we get the modern day name of this peninsula : Korea. Many advancements in technology were made while the Goryeo dynasty was in power. For example, it was at this time that the world's first movable-metal-type printing press was invented. The Goryeo dynasty ended ultimately because of a coup fronted by Joseon, who would later know success.
The Joseon Dynasty is perhaps one of the most well-known from Korea's expansive history. It enjoyed a long life from 1392 - 1910. Under this rule, Seoul became the capital of Korea. Additionally, it was in this time period that King Sejong the Great created and promoted the Korean language : hangul. Many drastic changes were made, including the implementation of a herditary social hierarchy. As in the earlier kingdoms, the Joseon Dynasty experienced a great many invasions, particularly by Japan, which finally ended in its demise.
In the 19th century, many countries played a role in Korea's progression to the state it is today. France invaded and established itself for a short period, but eventually abandoned the mission. The US initiated an attack on a Korean cargo carrying primitive firearms in 1871. This even ultimately ended Korea's long term isolationism. Japan, who was experiencing rapid cultural and economic growth, also sought to force entry into Korea.
A significant mark in Korean history is the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910. It is very controversial because Koreans do not see the treaty of annexation as valid while the Japanese esteem the very opposite. The Japanese took advantage of its newly annexed neighbor, but the Korean people received very little of these benefits. In fact, they were forced into slavery and sometimes sent to other Japanese colonies. As WWII arrived, Koreans were forced to fight on the Japanese front and women and children alike were treated as sex slaves.
Towards the end of the second world war, Korea had divided into North and South (1945). It was with the turn of events that Korea became free of Japan. The former Soviet Union had ties with the North and the USA with the South. During the Cold War especially, this caused tension between the two once unified nations and chances for reunification were diminished.
** Stay tuned for another blog entry with more information about the Korean War!
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Korea
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