History Of Korea

 Korean history spans from the founding myth of Dangun through the Three Kingdom Period, the unified Silla Kingdom, Goryeo Dynasty, Joseon Dynasty, Japanese occupation, the national division, and the period of the Republic of Korea. The current Korean territory is confined to the Korean Peninsula and its adjacent islands, but Korean history holds that the Korean domain once reached as far as the northeastern part of China.

The founding myth of Dangun and Gojoseon

The history of the Korean people is traced back to the founding myth of Dangun.

• Founding myth of Dangun
In the beginning Hwan-woong, the son of god Hwan-in, came down to earth with four guardian gods and founded the Divine City at the foot of Mt. Taebaek (present day Mt. Myohyang in North Korea). Upon hearing that the son of god was on earth, a bear and a tiger asked him to turn them into humans. Hwan-woong told them to stay inside a dark cave and eat only bitter mugwort and garlic for 100 days. The tiger failed to last 100 days, but the bear endured and was transformed into Woong-nyeo (Bear Woman). She married Hwan-woong and gave birth to a son, Dangun, who grew up to found a nation called "Joseon." Dangun ruled the country for 1,500 years and became a god after living 1,908 years on earth. (Source: Samgukyusa, the History of Three Kingdoms).

• Interpretation of the Dangun myth
The process leading up to Dangun's birth can be interpreted as the development of civilization on the Korean Peninsula. The myth describes how the ancestors of Korean people settled in the region and ruled over the natives. The worship of multiple gods indicates that Koreans had agricultural and other advanced skills. Woong-nyeo represents the native people, and the marriage of Hwang-woong and Woong-nyeo represents the integration of an immigrant tribe into the native community and the resulting new tribe. Dangun was the leader and symbol of this new tribe, which is why the Korean people call themselves the "children of Dangun."


• Gojoseon (2,333 B.C.? ~ 2C B.C.)
It’s estimated that Dangun founded Gojoseon (meaning “old Joseon” as opposed to the Joseon Dynasty of later centuries) in 2,333 BC. during the prehistoric period. Since no written records exist of Gojoseon, its history is reconstructed from ancient Chinese documents or archeological remains. The title of Dangun implies that he served both as the ruler and the priest. The Gojoseon period can be further divided into Dangun Joseon, Gija Joseon, and Wiman Joseon, which implies that the leadership passed on from Dangun to Gija and then to Wiman. This period came to a close when Gojoseon was defeated by the Han Dynasty of China in a war for regional hegemony in the 2nd century B.C.

Three Kingdoms (1C B.C. ~ 668 A.D.)

During the 1st century B.C. several tribal leagues in the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria merged to give rise to three kingdoms - Goguryeo in the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria, Baekje in the western region of the peninsula, and Silla in the southeastern corner. These three kingdoms each grew out of different tribes, but they shared a common heritage as the descendants of Dangun.

• Goguryeo (37 B.C. ~ 668 A.D.)
Founded by Jumong (King Dongmyeongseong) in the southern Manchurian region, Goguryeo ruled entire Manchuria and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Located right in the middle of the path linking China and the Korean Peninsula, Goguryeo was constantly threatened by China looking to expand its territory. By conquering the town-states of Nakrang and Daebang, however, Goguryeo troops succeeded in driving out the Chinese influence. The two town states were Chinese settlements built in the Korean Peninsula, following the fall of Gojoseon. Goguryeo came to be the reigning power of Northeast Asia when it beat back the invading Chinese army in 598. Thanks to its vast territory and powerful army, Goguryeo enjoyed a long period of uncontested domination. However, the prolonged war with the Sui Dynasty depleted Goguryeo's power, leading to its demise at the hands of the allied troops of Silla and China's Tang Dynasty. Goguryeo was absorbed into the Silla Kingdom after its fall, but some Goguryeo refugees moved to the north and incorporated other tribes to found Balhae.


• Baekje (18 B.C. ~ 660 A.D.)
Baekje's founding myth describes how Onjo and Biryu, the two sons of Goguryeo's King Dongmyeongseong, came south to establish a nation, basically a state built by Goguryeo migrants ousted by the ruling class. Baekje clashed with Goguryeo to the north, but traded with Chinese kingdoms across the Yellow Sea. Baekje battled Goguryeo when it conquered the southern part of the Chinese-influenced Daebang town-state and expanded to the north. Later on, it had to fight off ever-growing Silla to the east. Baekje is also noted for its brisk cultural exchanges and trade with Japan. Despite its splendid cultural achievements, however, prolonged conflicts with Goguryeo and Silla drained Baekje's might and the kingdom finally fell to the Silla-Tang alliance in 660. After the kingdom's collapse, a considerable number of Baekje refugees went to Japan to shape ancient Japanese states and culture.


• Silla (57 B.C. ~ 935 A.D./ including the Unified Silla period)
Unlike Goguryeo and Baekje, which branched off from the state of Buyeo, Silla claimed to have been founded by Bakhyeokgeose, who was born from an egg. This founding myth denotes that a new group of migrants with advanced civilization came to this region to incorporate the natives. Silla is called the Millennium Kingdom, as it existed for 992 years, almost a millennium if the Unified Silla period is included. Tucked in the southeastern corner of the Korean Peninsula, geographically isolated Silla had a hard time interacting with other states, so it took the longest time to grow into a powerful state. Nonetheless, Silla made steady progress to accomplish many military and cultural feats, which culminated in the conquests of Goguryeo and Baekje and the subsequent unification of three kingdoms with the allied troops of the Tang Dynasty.

Unified Silla (668~935)

Unified Silla refers to the Silla Kingdom after the unification of the three kingdoms. It enjoyed a flourishing Buddhist culture, as well as political independence from the Tang Dynasty of China. Silla was able to rule over the entire Korean Peninsula except for the northern region, which was consolidated into Balhae founded by Goguryeo refugees. Although Unified Silla was the first nation to bring all kingdoms and tribes together as one people, its ruling class became extravagant and complacent as time passed. With the Unified Silla leadership in disarray, local tribe leaders rose up against the ruling class and eventually opened the Later Three Kingdoms period. Unified Silla fell in the late 9th century, giving way to the Goryeo Dynasty.

Goryeo (918~1392)

Goryeo was founded by Wang Geon with Songak (present day Gaeseong in North Korea) as its capital. It incorporated Shilla in 935 and destroyed Later Baekje in 936, reuniting the Korean Peninsula. Goryeo's state religion was Buddhism and its main goal was to enlarge its territory to the north. The later years of the Goryeo Dynasty were marred by the invasion of Mongols, who subjugated the Goryeo royalty. Barely holding onto its sovereignty, Goryeo was able to get it back as China was embroiled in a chaotic struggle between the outgoing Yuan Dynasty and the incoming Ming Dynasty. However, military officials gained power over the monarchy and the Goryeo Dynasty was usurped by Yi Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. The Goryeo Dynasty lasted for 474 years.

Joseon (1392~1910)

General Yi Seong-gye and military officials established the Joseon Dynasty by forcing the last Goryeo king to abdicate his throne, thus completing a bloodless coup. The new Joseon Dynasty aimed to reform the old Goryeo government with Confucianism as the guiding principle. It was a unique dynasty because although the king had absolute power, he was checked and balanced by Confucian noblemen and scholars and had to follow certain life patterns and administrative styles governed by the strict Confucian political philosophy. Joseon made a number of notable scientific and cultural achievements, like the creation of Hangeul and invention of the rain gauge and other machinery. However, it turned into a closed and inert society in later years as its ruling class became obsessed with the rigid observance of the Confucian ideology and refused to open itself to new and practical ideas from foreign countries. Xenophobic policies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries hampered Joseon from catching up with the rapidly changing world and eventually led to the Japanese colonization in 1910.

Japanese occupation (1910~1945)

Korea was under Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945. Korea's liberation forces waged anti-Japanese campaigns in China and Russia and a provisional government was established in China to command the independence movement. The Japanese colonial rule of Korea came to an end when Japan surrendered to the Allied Forces and withdrew from Korea in 1945.

The Republic of Korea (1945~ )

Following Korea's independence in 1945, the U.S. forces occupied the southern half of the Korean Peninsula, while the Soviet troops took control of the northern half. This was the unfortunate beginning of the national division. The Republic of Korea was proclaimed in 1948 by the elected government of South Korea. It was recognized by the international community as the sole legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union helped establish the Communist regime of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the north. On June 25, 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea to start the Korean War. The intervention of the U.N. forces and the Chinese army led to a cease-fire signed in 1953, resulting in the division of the two Koreas to this day. After the war, the Republic of Korea came out of the turbulent 1960s to achieve stellar economic growth through the 1970s.

The prosperous boom was dubbed the "Miracle on the Han River." A series of fierce anti-dictatorship protests in the late-1980s compelled the then-government to amend the Constitution to allow direct election of the president, enabling peaceful transition of power and achieving political democratization. In the new millennium, the two Koreas came to recognize each other's government and work together toward reconciliation and cooperation.

Source : kbs world