Korean history can be traced back to 2333 BC. It is said that Tangun, a legendary figure in Korean history, was the son of a god and a woman from a tribe whose totem was a bear. Tangun established the first kingdom in Korean history. Historians refer to this early period in Korea's history as the "Old Joseon" era.
Ancient Korea was initially characterized by a clan society composed of small city-states. The small city-states gradually merged into tribal alliances with complex political structures, and eventually formed kingdoms.
Among these tribal alliances, Goguryeo (37 BC-668 AD), located in the middle reaches of the Yalu River, was the first to establish a nation. Goguryeo's aggressive army conquered surrounding tribes one by one, and even captured the Lelang region of China in 313 AD. Baekje (18 BC - AD 660) was a tribal alliance kingdom similar to Goguryeo that developed from a small city-state located south of the Han River near today's Seoul. Baekje developed into a centralized state ruled by aristocrats during the reign of King Geunshogo (reigned 346-375).
The Silla Kingdom (57 BC-935 AD) is located at the southernmost tip of the Korean Peninsula. It was initially the weakest and most backward country among the Three Kingdoms. However, being geographically distant from Chinese influence, it easily accepted non-Chinese foreign customs and ideas. Its social class characteristics are obvious, and later the unique "Hwarang Tuan" was born and Buddhism was developed.
Unify Silla and Balhae
In the mid-6th century, the Silla Kingdom conquered the neighboring Gaya Kingdom (developed in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula from the mid-1st century to the mid-6th century) A group of city-states) and formed a military alliance with the Tang Dynasty of China, conquering the kingdoms of Goguryeo and Baekje. When the Tang Dynasty of China later revealed its intention to incorporate Goguryeo and Baekje into its imperial territory, Silla resisted with force.
In 676 AD, Silla expelled the Chinese from the Korean Peninsula. Later, the former Goguryeo people living in central and southern Manchuria established the Balhae Kingdom in 698.
There are not only Goguryeo people in the Balhae Kingdom, but also many Mohe people. The Balhae Kingdom followed the administrative structure of the Goguryeo Kingdom and established the Wujing political system on this basis. The Balhae Kingdom had an advanced culture derived from Goguryeo culture.
The prosperity and power of the Bohai Kingdom reached its peak in the first half of the 9th century AD. It occupied a vast area from the Amur River in the north to Kaiyuan in central and southern Manchuria in the west, and established diplomatic relations with the Turks and Japan. The Balhae Kingdom was destroyed by the Khitans in 926 AD, and many members of its ruling class (mostly Goguryeo) moved south to join the newly established Koryo Kingdom.
Silla unified the Korean Peninsula in 668 AD and entered its heyday of prosperity and power in the mid-8th century. Silla has always wanted to establish an ideal Buddhist country, and Bulguksa Temple was built during the unified Silla period. However, as the princes and nobles indulged in a comfortable and luxurious life, the kingdom's admiration for Buddhism began to decline. In addition, conflicts arose with regional leaders who claimed control of the occupied Goguryeo and Baekje. In 935 AD, the King of Silla formally surrendered to the newly established Goryeo Dynasty.
Goryeo
Despite frequent foreign invasions, the Korean Peninsula has been governed by a single government since its unification by Silla in 668 AD and has maintained political independence, as well as cultural and national tradition. Whether it was the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) or the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), they consolidated their power, developed their culture, and expelled invaders such as the Khitan, Mongolia, and Japan. Wang Jian, the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, was a general under Gong Yi, a rebellious prince of Silla. He chose his hometown Songak (now Kaesong in North Korea) as his capital and declared that he would recover Goguryeo's lost territory in Northeast China. He named his kingdom Goryeo, from which the current name of Korea "Korea" comes. Although the Goryeo Dynasty failed to regain its lost territory, it achieved brilliant cultural achievements represented by the prosperity of celadon and Buddhism. Of equal importance is the world's earliest movable metal type printing invented by Koreans as early as 1234, two centuries before Gutenberg in Germany. Around this time, Korean craftsmen also completed the arduous task of carving all Buddhist scriptures on large wooden boards.
There are more than 80,000 wooden blocks carved with Buddhist scriptures. The purpose is to pray for the Buddha's blessing and repel the Mongolian invasion.
These woodblocks, called the Tripitaka of Goryeo, are now housed in the historic Haeinsa Temple.
At the end of the Goryeo Dynasty, conflicts between scholar-bureaucrats and samurai and battles between Confucian believers and Buddhist believers led to the decline of the Goryeo Dynasty. The Mongolian invasion of Goryeo began in 1231. Although the Goryeo people fought bravely against the Mongols, Goryeo remained a vassal state of Mongolia for nearly a century.
The establishment of the Republic of Korea
The Korean people rejoiced at Japan's defeat in World War II, but they did not rejoice for long. The liberation did not immediately bring them the benefits they had fought for heroically. National independence.
Instead, ideological differences caused by the Cold War divided the country. South Korea's efforts to establish an independent government failed when U.S. troops occupied the southern part of the peninsula and Soviet troops controlled the northern part of the peninsula.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution in November 1947 requiring South Korea to hold general elections under the supervision of a United Nations committee.
However, the Soviet Union refused to implement UN resolutions and refused to allow the UN committee to enter northern Korea. So the United Nations General Assembly passed a new resolution calling for elections to be held wherever the committee can reach. South Korea's first presidential election was held on May 10, 1948, south of the 38th parallel. This line finally divided the Korean Peninsula into the south and the north.
In 1948, Syngman Rhee was elected as the first president of the Republic of Korea. At the same time, the communist regime under the leadership of Kim Il Sung was established north of the 38th parallel.
North Korea launched an unprovoked large-scale invasion of the South on June 25, 1950, triggering a three-year war involving the United States, China and other foreign forces. The entire peninsula was devastated. A ceasefire agreement was signed in July 1953.
The number of casualties suffered by the Korean people in this war reached almost 3 million, and millions of people were displaced and separated from their families. Serious social unrest continued during the Syngman Rhee administration.
At that time, South Korea's democracy was not yet mature, and the country experienced tremendous political and economic difficulties. President Syngman Rhee eventually resigned in April 1960 due to a student-led uprising. Zhang Mian of the Democratic Party formed the government in August 1960 and established the Second Republic of China.
However, the new government was overthrown by a coup launched by Major General Park Chung-hee on May 16, 1961. The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, headed by Park Chung-hee, took over the legislative, executive and judicial powers of the government.
Park Chung-hee was elected president in an election in 1963. The Park Chung-hee administration was committed to rapid industrialization and achieved rapid economic growth known as the "Han River Miracle" in the 1960s and 1970s. However, Park Chung-hee's rule was accompanied by severe restrictions on people's political rights and civil liberties.
After President Park Chung-hee was assassinated in October 1979, there was a transition period during which martial law was implemented. Acting President Choi Kyu-ha resigned in August 1980, and Chun Doo-hwan, the leader of the powerful military officer group, was elected president by the National Assembly (electoral college) of the Unified Juche.
The democratic movement surged in the 1980s. In 1987, the constitution was revised and the system of direct election of the president was restored.
Under the new constitution, Roh Tae-woo, another general, was elected president. During Roh Tae-woo's administration, democracy has made great progress, laying the foundation for the election of the first civilian president in 32 years.
Kim Young-sam, a long-time pro-democracy activist, was elected president in 1992 as a candidate of the ruling party.
In 1997, Kim Dae-jung, leader of the National Assembly for New Politics, the main opposition party, was elected president. The Kim Dae-jung government is known as the "National Government" and is the first government in the history of South Korea's constitution to peacefully transfer power from the ruling party to the opposition party.
The Roh Moo-hyun government, the "national participation government", was established on February 25, 2003. It is the sixteenth government in Korean history. The Roh Moo-hyun government has proposed three goals: "building democracy for the people," "building a society with balanced development for the people," and "ushering in an era of peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia."
The Roh Moo-hyun government is a product of national power. Citizens who cherish principles and common sense voluntarily raised funds to carry out electoral activities, which enabled Roh Moo-hyun to win the presidential election.
The most important thing is that the Roh Moo-hyun government was established on the basis of universal participation of the people. Therefore, as in its birth, the participation of citizens will play a key role in the future operation of the government.
Historical evolution
Origin
Korea originated from the division of three families into the Jin Dynasty. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, Jin officials Zhao Xiangzi, Wei Xianzi and Han Xuanzi founded the country in 433 BC. First, he assassinated Zhibo, and then divided Jin's territory into three vassal states. Later historians referred to Han, Wei, and Zhao as the Three Jin Dynasties.
Strong and prosperous
South Korea is bordered by Wei and Zhao in the north, Qi in the east, Chu in the south, and Qin in the west, and is surrounded by enemies on all sides. Fortunately, South Korea is feared by all countries for its famous weapon, the crossbow. It is said that "all the strongest bows and crossbows in the world come from Korea". Korean crossbows can shoot 800 meters away. In addition, Korean swords are also extremely sharp. They can "cut off cattle and horses on land and geese on water" and "cut through the iron curtain when facing the enemy." In 375 BC, Han destroyed Zheng, a traditional ancient country in the Central Plains, with his powerful troops. The strongest country in South Korea was when Han Zhaohou was in power. He used the Legalist theory of Shen Buhu as his prime minister, improved his internal affairs, and established a well-off country.
Decline
Because it is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, the east and north of Korea were surrounded by the Wei State, the Qin State in the west, the Chu State in the south, and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, which was already very weak at that time. (Luoyang), there is no room for development at all, the territory is the smallest among the seven countries, and it has been repeatedly bullied by foreign powers. In the early years, it had become the capital of the struggle for hegemony between Wei and Qi. The Battle of Maling in 341 BC was the result of encircling Wei and saving Han. When Qin and Chu were fighting for hegemony, Qin threatened Han and Wei to attack Chu together. In his later years, Korea became a buffer zone for Qin and Shandong countries, and it barely survived; in 265 BC, Qin launched a massive attack on South Korea's Shangdang. Shangdang did not want to be occupied by Qin and surrendered to Zhao, triggering the Battle of Changping. The two battles that determined the situation of hegemony both started in South Korea, fully experiencing the plight of South Korea being bullied by foreign powers. Finally, in 230 BC, the Korean army became the first of the Shandong Six Kingdoms to be destroyed by Qin after repeated defeats.
Major Events
403 BC: Han Lian and the three families of Zhao and Wei destroyed the intellectuals. At the beginning of Zhou Dynasty, Jin officials Han Qian, Wei Si and Zhao Ji were appointed as princes.
400 BC: Han Lian and Wei Zhao attacked Chu and reached Sanqiu. Zheng Wei, Han Yangzhai.
394 BC: Han rescued Lu Yuqi.
391 BC: Qin attacked Han Yiyang and took six cities.
In 385 BC: Han defeated Zheng and captured Yangcheng; he defeated Song and took charge of Song Gong.
380 BC: Qi defeated Yan and captured Sangqiu. Han Lian, together with Wei and Zhao, defeated Qi and reached Sangqiu.
378 BC: Han Lian, Wei and Zhao defeated Qi and reached Lingqiu.
In 376 BC: Han Lian and the Wei and Zhao families deposed Jin Jinggong and divided their lands.
375 BC: Han destroyed Zheng and made Xinzheng the capital.
366 BC: Qin defeated Han and Wei in Luoyang.
362 BC: Wei defeated Han and Zhao at Hui.
358 BC: Qin defeated the Han army in Xishan.
353 BC: Han conquered the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and captured Lingguan and Linqiu.
351 BC: Han Zhaohou appointed Shen Buhui as his prime minister.
341 BC: Han was conquered by Wei. Qi rescued Han, the Battle of Maling.
337 BC: Han Shen did not harm the soldiers.
335 BC: Qin conquered Han and conquered Yiyang.
333 BC: Concord.
323 BC: Han and Yan both became kings.
318 BC: Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, and Yan all attacked Qin and attacked Hanguguan. The Qin people sent troops to rebel against it, and all the divisions of the five kingdoms were defeated.
317 BC: Qin defeated Han's army in Xiuyu, beheaded 80,000 people, and captured his generals Mao and Shenchai in Guanze.
316 BC: Invasion of Qin, defeated.
314 BC: Defeated by Qin at Anmen, Prince Han was taken hostage by Qin Yihe.
312 BC: Qin, Han, and Wei attacked Chu in the south and reached Deng.
308-307 BC: Qin general Gan Mao defeated Yiyang in South Korea and beheaded 60,000 people.
306 BC: Qin returned to Han with military force. The king of Chu joined forces with Qi and Han.
303 BC: Qin Fu captured Han Wusui. Qi, Han, and Wei betrayed their relatives to Chu, and joined forces to attack Chu. Qin rescued Chu, and the three kingdoms led their troops away.
301 BC: Qin Hui, Han, Wei, and Qi attacked Chu and defeated Chu.
296 BC: Qi, Han, Wei, Zhao, and Song all attacked Qin and returned to Yanshi.
293 BC: Han and Wei conquered Qin. Qin Baiqi defeated Wei and Han, beheaded 240,000 people, and captured five cities.
291 BC: Qin conquered Han and conquered Wan.
290 BC: Han entered the territory of Sui and was 200 miles away from Qin.
286 BC: Qin defeated the Korean army in Xiashan.
284 BC: Le Yi led Yan, Qin, Wei, Han, and Zhao to jointly attack Qi.
275 BC: Qin Prime Minister Ranghou attacked Wei. Han Baoyuan rescued Wei, but Ranghou defeated it and beheaded 40,000 people.
273 BC: Wei and Zhao jointly attacked Han Huayang. Qin rescued Han and killed 140,000 Wei and Zhao soldiers. The King of Qin wanted to order Han, Wei and Qin to attack Chu together, but he failed.
265 BC: Qi and Zhao jointly attacked Korea and captured the people.
264 BC: Qin conquered Han, captured nine cities, and beheaded 50,000 people.
In 263 BC: Qin Wuanjun attacked Han and captured Nanyang; he attacked Taihang Road and destroyed it.
262 BC: Qin conquered Han and uprooted the wild king. The road to the Dang is dead, and Han offers Dang and Zhao.
256 BC: Qin conquered Han, captured Yangcheng and negative millet, and beheaded 40,000 people.
254 BC: King Han entered the Qin Dynasty.
249 BC: Qin conquered Han, took Chenggao and Xingyang, and became Sanchuan County of Qin State.
246 BC: Han sent hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo to Qin.
244 BC: Meng Ao attacked Han and captured twelve cities.
241 BC: Chu, Zhao, Wei, Han, and Wei all joined forces to attack Qin. The king of Chu was the commander-in-chief, and Chun Shenjun took charge of Shouling. When they arrived at Hangu, the Qin army came out, and all the armies of the five countries were defeated.
233 BC: The King of Han accepted the imperial seal from Qin and asked him to be a vassal, so that Han Fei hired Qin.
231 BC: Han presented Nanyang land to Qin.
230 BC: Qin destroyed Han, captured Wang An of Han, and established Yingchuan County on its land. Han died. Add a comment
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Country name: South Korea
English name: korea
Main cities: Seoul, Busan
Korean History - Overview
Prehistoric Era
Anthropological research found that among 700,000 Years ago, humans lived on the Korean Peninsula.
Old Joseon
According to legend, the mythical figure Tangun established Korea’s first kingdom, Gojoseon, in 2333 BC. After that, several tribes moved from southern Manchuria to the Korean Peninsula.
Three Kingdoms Period (B.C. 57~A.D. 676)
Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla were founded in the first century. During this period, the ancient country's political system, religion (Buddhism and Confucianism) and culture developed.
The Unified Silla Era (A.D. 676~A.D. 935)
The unification of Silla promoted the development of culture, and Buddhism also achieved its greatest popularity during this period. Unified Silla declined due to the struggle for hegemony among the nobles, and fell to Goryeo in 935.
Goryeo Dynasty (A.D. 918~1392)
Goryeo was founded in 918.
Buddhism was designated as the state religion during this period, which had a huge impact on politics and culture. Famous cultural relics include Goryeo celadon and the Goryeo Tripitaka. Jhiji was invented during the Goryeo Dynasty. Zhizhi is the earliest metal movable type notebook that appeared in the history of the world, 78 years earlier than the metal movable type notebook invented by Gutenberg. After the mid-14th century, Goryeo declined.
Joseon Dynasty (1392~1910)
The Joseon Dynasty was founded at the end of the 14th century. Confucianism became the state religion and had a great influence on the whole society. The Korean alphabet was invented in 1443. Due to the Japanese invasion (1592, Imjin Japanese Rebellion) and the invasion of foreign forces, Korea began to decline.