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After the assassination of Empress Myeongseong in 1895, the Donghak Peasant Revolution, and the Gabo Reforms of 1894 to 1896, the Korean Empire (1897–1910) came into existence, heralding a brief but rapid period of social reform and modernization
- History of Korea
- Colonial Period
- Korea Divided
- Korean War
- Park Chung-Hee
- Military Rule to Democracy
- Seoul Olympics
- Kim Dae-Jung
- Park Geun-hye
- South Korea Today
Around A.D. 668, several competing kingdoms were unified into a single dominion on the Korean Peninsula. Successive regimes maintained Korean political and cultural independence for more than a thousand years; the last of these ruling kingdoms would be the Choson Dynasty (1392-1910). After surviving invasions by Japan at the end of the 16th century...
At the outset of the 20th century, Japan, China and Russia vied for control over the Korean Peninsula. Japan emerged the victor, occupying the peninsula in 1905, at the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese War and formally annexing it five years later. Over 35 years of colonial rule, Korea became an industrialized country, but its people suffered bruta...
After Japan’s defeat in 1945, the United States and the Soviet Uniondivided the peninsula into two zones of influence. By August 1948, the pro-U.S. Republic of Korea (or South Korea) was established in Seoul, led by the strongly anti-communist Syngman Rhee. In the north, the Soviets installed Kim Il Sung as the first premier of the Democratic Peopl...
South Korea’s declaration of independence in 1950 led North Korea, backed by China and the Soviet Union, to invade its neighbor in an effort to regain control of the entire peninsula. U.S. and United Nations troops fought alongside South Korean forces in the Korean War, which would cost some 2 million lives before it ended in 1953. The armistice ag...
Over the decades to come, South Korea maintained a continued close relationship with the United States, which included military, economic and political support. Though ostensibly a republic, its citizens initially enjoyed limited political freedom, and in 1961 a military coup put General Park Chung-hee into power. In the 1960s and ‘70s, under Park’...
Park was assassinated in 1979, and another general, Chun Doo-hwan took power, putting the country under strict military rule. An armed uprising by students and others to restore democratic rule led to many civilian deaths at the army’s hands. Martial law was lifted in 1981, and Chun was (indirectly) elected president under a new constitution, which...
The reforms of the Sixth Republic came just in time for South Korea to host a successful Summer Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, despite continued student protests and a boycott by North Korea. The 1980s also saw South Korea increasingly shift its economy toward high-tech and computer industries, and improve its relations with the Soviet Union and C...
Kim Young-sam’s successor, Kim Dae-jung(who took office in 1998) would win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his contributions to democracy in South Korea, as well as his so-called “sunshine” policy of economic and humanitarian aid to North Korea. That same year, Kim Dae-jung and his northern counterpart, Kim Jong Il, held an historic summit in Pyo...
Meanwhile, South Korea elected its first female leader, Park Geun-hye(the daughter of Park Chung-hee), in 2013. But in late 2016, she was implicated in a scandal involving corruption, bribery and influence peddling, and the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against her that December. After her impeachment was upheld in March 2017, the ...
Today, South Korea is one of East Asia’s most affluent countries, with an economy ranking just behind Japan and China. With most of the country covered by mountains, a majority of its population is clustered around the urban centers. The capital of South Korea, Seoul, is home to more than 25 million people, or about 50 percent of the country’s popu...
Mar 14, 2021 · By Tim Lambert. Ancient Korea. By 4000 BC stone age farmers were living in Korea. By 1000 BC they had learned to use bronze. By about 300 BC they had learned to use iron to make tools and weapons. At first, Korea was divided into tribes but eventually organized kingdoms emerged.
3 days ago · Korea, history of the Korean Peninsula from prehistoric times to the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War (1950–53). For later developments, see North Korea: History; and South Korea: History. Korea to c. 1400 The dawn of history
The Korean peninsula has been inhabited since Lower Paleolithic times. According to legend, Korea's first kingdom, Gojoseon (then called Joseon ), was founded in 2333 B.C.E. by Dangun, who is said to be descended from heaven. However, Korea's history has been one of constant struggle between forces of unification and division.
1 day ago · South Korea, country in East Asia that occupies the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. It faces North Korea across a demilitarized zone 2.5 miles (4 km) wide that was established by the terms of the 1953 armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War. The capital is Seoul.
This is a revised, updated version of my booklet, Brief History of Korea, published in 1994 by the Korean Educational Development Institute in Seoul. It is an outgrowth of my lectures to English-speaking students, teachers and writers who have had little or no prior exposure to Korean history and culture.
