Discover

'Korea' (Korean: 한국 in South Korea or 조선 in North Korea, see below) is a peninsula, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Korea is currently divided into North Korea and South Korea.
Although the borders of historical Korean dynasties fluctuated, the peninsula today is defined as with the political borders of the two Koreas combined. Thus, the peninsula borders China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast, with Japan situated to the southeast across the Korea Strait.
The history of Korea began with the legendary founding of Gojoseon in 2333 BC by Dangun. Limited linguistic evidence suggests probable Altaic origins of these people, whose northern Mongolian Steppe culture absorbed immigrants and invaders from northern Manchuria, Mongolia and China. The adoption of the Chinese writing system ("hanja" in Korean) in the 2nd century BC, and Buddhism in the 4th century AD, had profound effects on the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Koreans later passed on these, as well as their own advances, to Japan.^[1][2][3][4]
After the unification of the Three Kingdoms by Silla in 676, Korea was ruled by a single government and maintained political and cultural independence until the nineteenth century, despite the Mongol invasions of the Goryeo Dynasty in the 13th century and Japanese invasions of the Joseon Dynasty in the 16th century. In 1377, Korea produced the Jikji, the world's oldest movable metal print document.^[5] In the 15th century, the turtle ships, possibly the world's first ironclad warships, were deployed, and during the reign of King Sejong the Great, the Korean alphabet han-geul was created.
During the latter part of the Joseon Dynasty, Korea's isolationist policy earned it the Western nickname the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the object of the colonial designs of Japan and Europe. In 1910, Korea was forcibly annexed by Japan and remained occupied until the end of World War II in August 1945.
In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender and disarming of Japanese troops in Korea; the Soviet Union accepting the surrender north of the 38th parallel and the United States taking the surrender south of it. This led to division of Korea by the two great powers, exacerbated by their inability to agree on the terms of Korean independence. The two Cold War rivals then established governments sympathetic to their own ideologies, leading to Korea's current division into two political entities: North Korea and South Korea.

Contents

Names of Korea

History

Prehistory and Gojoseon

Three Kingdoms

Unified Silla and Balhae

Goryeo

Joseon dynasty

Japanese occupation

Korean War

Geography

Demographics

Language

Culture and Arts

Literature

Religion and education

Cuisine

Science and technology

See also

Notes

References

Further reading

External links

Names of Korea

Main articles: Names of Korea

The name "Korea" derives from the Goryeo(고려) period of Korean history, which in turn referred to the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo. Merchants of the Middle East called it Goryeo, Koryo, which then came to be spelled Corea and Korea. Korea is now commonly used in English contexts by both North and South Korea.
In the Korean language, Korea as a whole is referred to as ''Chosŏn'' () by North Korea and ''Han-guk'' () by South Korea. "The Land of the Morning Calm" is a Western nickname loosely derived from the hanja characters for Joseon. (Chosŏn and Joseon are two Romanized spellings of the same name.)

History

Main articles: History of Korea

Prehistory and Gojoseon

Main articles: Prehistoric Korea, Gojoseon

The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 10000 BC, and the Neolithic period begins around 6000 BC. Gojoseon's founding legend describes Dangun, a descendent of heaven, as establishing the kingdom in 2333 BC. ^[6] Archaeological and contemporary written records indicate it developed from a federation of walled cities into a centralized kingdom sometime between the 7th and 4th centuries BC.The original capital may have been at the Manchuria-Korea border, but was later moved to what is today Pyongyang, North Korea. In 108 BC, the Chinese Han Dynasty defeated Wiman Joseon and installed four commanderies in the area of Liaoning and the northern Korean peninsula. Subsequent Chinese immigrations from Yan and Qi brought elements of Chinese culture to the peninsula. By 75 BC, three of those commanderies had fallen, but the Lelang Commandery remained under successive Chinese control until 313 AD.

Three Kingdoms

Main articles: Three Kingdoms of Korea


The Three Kingdoms of Korea Goguryeo (고구려), Silla (신라), and Baekje (백제) dominated the peninsula and parts of Manchuria during the early Common Era. They competed with each other both economically and militarily. Goguryeo united Buyeo, Okjeo, Dongye and other states in the former Gojoseon territory, in addition to destroying the last Chinese commandery.^[7] Goguryeo was the most dominant power, but was at constant war with the Sui and Tang dynasties of China.
Founded around today's Seoul, the southwestern kingdom Baekje expanded far beyond Pyongyang during the peak of its powers in the 4th century. Although later records claim that Silla, in the southeast, was the oldest of the three kingdoms, it is now believed to have been the last kingdom to develop.

Unified Silla and Balhae

Main articles: Unified Silla, Balhae


In the 5th, 6th, and 7th centuries, Silla's power gradually extended across the Korean Peninsula. Silla first annexed the adjacent Gaya confederacy. By the 660s, Silla formed an alliance with the Tang Dynasty of China to conquer Baekje and later Goguryeo. After repelling Chinese forces, Silla unified most of the Peninsula, beginning a period often called Unified Silla.
In the north, former Goguryeo General Dae Joyeong led a group of Goguryeo refugees to the Jilin area in Manchuria and founded Balhae (698 AD - 926 AD) as the successor to Goguryeo. At its height, Balhae's territory extended from northern Manchuria down to the northern provinces of modern-day Korea. Balhae was destroyed by the Khitans in 926.
Unified Silla fell apart in the late 9th century, giving way to the tumultuous Later Three Kingdoms period (892-935). Goryeo unified the Later Three Kingdoms and absorbed Balhae refugees.

Goryeo

Main articles: Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty was established in 918, and united the Later Three Kingdoms in 935. Two of this period's most notable products are Goryeo pottery — the famous Korean celadon pottery — and the ''Tripitaka Koreana'' — the Buddhist scriptures (''Tripitaka'') carved onto roughly 80,000 wooden blocks which have been perfectly preserved. Goryeo also created the world's first metal-based movable type printing press in 1234. Their dynasty was threatened by Mongol invasion from the 1230s into the 1270s, but the dynastic line continued to survive until 1392 since they were kept on Ganghwa Island during the Mongol onslaught.

Joseon dynasty

Main articles: Joseon dynasty


In 1392, the general Yi Seong-gye established the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) with a largely bloodless coup. The Joseon Dynasty is believed to have been the longest-lived actively ruling dynasty in East Asia. King Sejong the Great (1418-1450) promulgated Hangul, the Korean written alphabet, and this period saw various other cultural and technological advances, as well as the dominance of neo-Confucianism over the entire peninsula. Between 1592 and 1598, Japan invaded Korea, but was eventually repelled. This war also saw the rise of the career of Admiral Yi Sun-shin and his "turtle ship" or gobukseon. In the 1620s and 1630s Joseon suffered invasions by the Manchu who eventually also conquered the Chinese Ming Dynasty. After that, the Joseon dynasty swore allegiance to Qing Dynasty. During the Joseon dynasty, Koreans brought Roman Catholicism (and other forms of Christianity in Korea followed shortly thereafter) into Korea, at first in secret.

Japanese occupation

Main articles: Korea under Japanese rule

Beginning in the 1870s, Japan began to force Korea to move out of China's sphere of influence into its own. Japan forced Korea to engage in foreign trade through the Treaty of Ganghwa in 1876. In 1895, Empress Myeongseong of Korea was assassinated by the Japanese under Miura Gorō's directive (Kim et al. 1976).^[8] In return, An Jung-geun assassinated the former Resident-General of Korea, Itō Hirobumi on 26 October 1909, which determined the fate of Korea. In 1910, Japan forced Korea to sign the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, although it was executed by Korean ministers and advisors as full-powered attorney assigned by Sunjong of Korean Empire.^[9] The treaty was never ratified by the Korean Emperor and was missing the Korean Imperial seal, thus making it invalid.
Korean resistance to the brutal ^[10][11][12] Japanese occupation was manifested in the nonviolent March 1st Movement of 1919, where 7,000 demonstrators were killed by Japanese police and military.^[13] Thereafter the Korean liberation movement was largely active in neighboring Manchuria and Siberia.
Over five million Koreans were conscripted for labor beginning in 1939^[14] and tens of thousands of men^[15] were conscripted into Japan's military. Approximately 200,000 girls and women,^[16] mostly from Korea and China, were pressed into work as sex slaves,^[17] euphemistically called "comfort women".^[18]
The Korean language was banned from official documents and Koreans were obligated to adopt Japanese names.^[19] Traditional Korean culture suffered heavy losses, as numerous Korean cultural artifacts were destroyed^[20] or taken to Japan.^[21] To this day, valuable Korean artifacts can often be found in Japanese museums or among private collectors.^[21] One investigation by the South Korea government identified 75,311 cultural assets that were taken from Korea, 34,369 of which are in Japan, and 17,803 of which are in the United States.^[23]

Korean War

Main articles: Korean War


With the defeat of Japan in 1945, the United Nations developed plans for a trusteeship administration, the Soviet Union administering the peninsula north of the 38th parallel and the United States administering the south. The politics of the Cold War resulted in the 1948 establishment of two separate governments, North Korea and South Korea.
During the Korean War (1950-1953), millions of civilians died and the United States waged a bombing campaign over North Korea that effectively destroyed most cities.^[24] The war ended in a ceasefire agreement at approximately the same boundary.
Both Korean states proclaim eventual reunification as a goal.

Geography

Main articles: Korean Peninsula



Korea is located on the Korean Peninsula in North-East Asia. To the northwest, the Amnok River (Yalu River) separates Korea from China and to the northeast, the Duman River (Tumen River) separates Korea from China and Russia. The Yellow Sea is to the west, the East China Sea is to the south, and the Sea of Japan (East Sea) is to the east of Korea.^[25] Notable islands include Jeju-do, Ulleung-do, and Liancourt Rocks (''Dokdo'' in Korean).
The southern and western parts of the peninsula have well-developed plains, while the eastern and northern parts are mountainous. The highest mountain in Korea is Mt. Baekdusan (2744 m), through which runs the border with China. The southern extension of Mt. Baekdusan is a highland called Gaema Gowon. This highland was mainly raised during the Cenozoic orogeny and partly covered by volcanic matter. To the south of Gaema Gowon, successive high mountains are located along the eastern coast of the peninsula. This mountain range is named Baekdudaegan. Some significant mountains include Sobaeksan (2,184 m), Baeksan (1,724 m), Geumgangsan (1,638 m), Seoraksan (1,708 m), Taebaeksan (1,567 m), and Jirisan (1,915 m). There are several lower, secondary mountain series whose direction is almost perpendicular to that of Baekdudaegan. They are developed along the tectonic line of Mesozoic orogeny and their directions are basically northwest.
Unlike most older mountains on the mainland, many important islands in Korea were formed by volcanic activity in the Cenozoic orogeny. Jeju-do, situated off the southern coast, is a large volcanic island whose main mountain Mt. Halla (1950 m) is the highest in South Korea. Ulleung-do is a volcanic island in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), whose composition is more felsic than Jeju-do. The volcanic islands tend to be younger, the more westward.
Because the mountainous region is mostly on the eastern part of the peninsula, the main rivers tend to flow westwards. Two exceptions are the southward-flowing Nakdong River and Seomjin River. Important rivers running westward include the Amnok River (Yalu), the Cheongcheon River, the Daedong River, the Han River, the Geum River, and the Yeongsan River. These rivers have vast flood plains and provide an ideal environment for wet-rice cultivation.
The southern and southwestern coastlines of Korea form a well-developed ria coastline, known as ''Dadohae-jin'' in Korean. Its convoluted coastline provides mild seas, and the resulting calm environment allows for safe navigation, fishing, and seaweed farming. In addition to the complex coastline, the western coast of the Korean Peninsula has an extremely high tidal amplitude (at Incheon, around the middle of the western coast. It can get as high as 9 m). Vast tidal flats have been developing on the south and west coastlines.

Demographics

Main articles: Koreans, Demographics of South Korea, Demographics of North Korea

Korea is populated by a highly ethnic group, the Koreans, who speak the Korean language. The combined population of the Koreas is about 73 million.
A minority of ethnic Chinese (about 20,000)^[26] live in South Korea and small communities of ethnic Chinese and Japanese live in North Korea.^[27]

Language

Main articles: Korean language, Hangul

Korean is the official language of both North and South Korea, and of Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture in China. It is also spoken widely in various Korean communities throughout. Worldwide, there are around 80 million Korean speakers, including large groups in the former Soviet Union, China, Australia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and more recently, the Philippines.
The genealogical classification of Korean is debated. Some linguists place it in the Altaic language family; others consider it to be a language isolate. Korean is agglutinative in its morphology and SOV in its syntax. Like Japanese and Vietnamese, Korean has borrowed much vocabulary from the genetically unrelated Chinese or created vocabulary on Chinese models.
Modern Korean is written almost exclusively in the Hangul script, which was invented in the 15th century. While Hangul may appear logographic, it is actually a phonemic alphabet organized into syllabic blocks. Each block consists of at least two of the 24 Hangul letters ''(jamo):'' at least one each of the 14 consonants and 10 vowels. Historically, the alphabet had several additional letters (see obsolete jamo). For a phonological description of the letters, see Korean phonology. Hanja (Chinese characters) and Roman characters are sometimes included within hangul texts, particularly in South Korea.

Culture and Arts

Main articles: Culture of Korea


In ancient Chinese texts, Korea is referred to as "Rivers and Mountains Embroidered on Silk" (금수강산, 錦繡江山) and "Eastern Nation of Decorum (동방예의지국, 東方禮儀之國)"^[28]. During the 7th and 8th centuries, the silk road connected Korea to Arabia. In 845, Arab traders wrote, "Beyond China is a land where gold abounds and which is named Silla. The Muslims who have gone there have been charmed by the country and tend to settle there and abandon all idea of leaving.^[29]"
Korean festivities often showcase vibrant colors, which have been attributed to Mongolian influences: bright red, yellow, and green often mark traditional Korean motifs.^[30] These bright colors are sometimes seen in the traditional dress known as hanbok.
One peculiarity of Korean culture is its age reckoning system. Individuals are regarded as one year old when they are born, and their age increments on New Year's Day rather than on the anniversary of their birthday. Accordingly, a Korean person's stated age will be one or two years more than their age expressed in the Western tradition.

Literature

Main articles: Korean literature

Korean literature written before the end of the Joseon Dynasty is called "Classical" or "Traditional." Literature, written in Chinese characters (hanja), was established at the same time as the Chinese script arrived on the peninsula. Korean scholars were writing poetry in the classical Chinese style as early as the 2nd century BCE, reflecting Korean thoughts and experiences of that time. Classical Korean literature has its roots in traditional folk beliefs and folk tales of the peninsula, strongly influenced by Confucianism, Buddhism and to some extent Taoism.
Modern literature is often linked with the development of hangul, which helped spread literacy from the aristocracy to the common people and women. Hangul, however, only reached a dominant position in Korean literature in the second half of the 19th century, resulting in a major growth in Korean literature. ''Sinsoseol'', for instance, are novels written in hangul.
The Korean War led to the development of literature centered around the wounds and chaos of war. Much of the post-war literature in South Korea deals with the daily lives of ordinary people, and their struggles with national pain. The collapse of the traditional Korean value system is another common theme of the time.

Religion and education

Main articles: Korean Confucianism, Korean Buddhism, Christianity in Korea

Confucian tradition has dominated Korean thought, along with contributions by Buddhism, Taoism, and Korean Shamanism. Since the middle of the 20th century, however, Christianity has competed with Buddhism in South Korea, while religious practice has been suppressed in North Korea.
According to 2003 statistics compiled by the South Korean government, about 46% of citizens profess to follow no particular religion. Christians account for 27.3% of the population and Buddhists 25.3%.
Koreans valued scholarship and rewarded education and study of Chinese classic texts; Yangban boys were highly educated in Hanja. In Silla, the bone rank system defined a person's social status, and a similar system persisted through the end of the Joseon Dynasty. In addition, the gwageo civil service examination provided paths of upward mobility.
The modern Korean education system, however, has been heavily criticized for its emphasis on mechanical and passive learning and memorizing, resulting in a lack of creativity and strong personality. The critiques state that while many Korean students have above-average math abilities, they seriously lack creative and progressive thinking.

Cuisine

Main articles: Korean cuisine

Korean cuisine is probably best known for kimchi, which uses a distinctive fermentation process of preserving vegetables. Chili peppers are also commonly used, often as chile powder, earning the cuisine a reputation for being spicy.
Bulgogi (roasted marinated beef, chicken, or pork), galbi (ribs), and samgyeopsal (pork fatback) are popular meat entrees. Korean meals are usually accompanied by a soup or stew, often made with doenjang (fermented bean paste). Popular dishes are bibimbap (mixed rice), naengmyeon (cold noodles), galbitang (stewed ribs), and doenjang jjigae (fermentated bean paste stew).

Science and technology

Main articles: Science and technology in Korea


One of the best known artifacts of Korea's history of science and technology is Cheomseongdae, a 9.4-meter high observatory built in 634. It is considered to be one of the world's oldest surviving astronomical observatories.
The world's first metal movable type printing was developed in Korea in 1232 by Chae Yun-ui during the Goryeo Dynasty, modeled after widespread Chinese clay (Bi Sheng in 1041) , before Johann Gutenberg developed his metal letterset type (Cumings 1997: 65). Though the block printing was used much earlier, metal movable type printing press marked a significant development in printing allowing the same tools to be used for more diverse printings. The Jikji is the world's earliest remaining movable metal printed book, printed in Korea in 1377. The world's earliest known surviving example of woodblock printing is the Mugujeonggwang Great Dharani Sutra.^[31] It is believed to have been printed in Korea in 750-751 CE which, if correct, would make it older than the Diamond Sutra. Goryeo silk was highly regarded by China, and Korean pottery made with blue-green celadon was of the highest quality in the world and sought after by even Arabian merchants. Goryeo had a bustling economy with a capital that was frequented by merchants from all over the known world.
During the Joseon period the earliest ironclad warships, the Geobukseon (Turtle Ship) were invented,^[32] as well as other weapons such as the Bikeokjinchonlae and the hwacha. The Korean alphabet Hangeul was also invented during this time, and today is regarded as possibly the most scientific writing in use. Other notable advancements in the medical sciences and astrology were also made.

See also

★ List of Rulers of Korea

★ Famous Korean people

★ Korean name

★ National treasures of North Korea

★ National treasures of South Korea

★ List of divided nations

Notes

1. "Yayoi Period History Summary," BookRags.com; Jared Diamond, "Japanese Roots," ''Discover'' 19:6 (June 1998); Thayer Watkins, "The Genetic Origins of the Japanese"; "Shinto - History to 1900," ''Encyclopædia Britannica''; "The Yayoi period (c. 250 BC–c. AD 250)," ''Encyclopædia Britannica''.
2. "Korean Buddhism Basis of Japanese Buddhism," ''Seoul Times'', June 18, 2006; "Buddhist Art of Korea & Japan," Asia Society Museum; "Kanji," JapanGuide.com; "Pottery," MSN Encarta; "History of Japan," JapanVisitor.com.
3. The Cambridge History of Japan, , , , Cambridge University Press, 1993, ; George Sansom, ''A History of Japan to 1334'', Stanford University Press, 1958. p. 47. ISBN 0-8047-0523-2
4. From Paekche to Origin of Yamato
5. World's oldest printed Doc
6. Go-Choson
7. Koguryo
8. Murder of Empress Myeongseong
9. "서울대이태진교수의동경대생들에게들려준한국사 : 메이지일본의한국침략사", Yi Tae-jin (2005) ISBN 89-7626-999-3
10. http://www.bartleby.com/67/2488.html
11. http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761557519_2/Korea.html
12. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan/GC10Dh01.html
13. March 1st Movement
14. http://www.hawaii.edu/powerkills/SOD.CHAP3.HTM
15. 山脇 啓造 Yamawaki, Keizo. 近代日本と外国人労働者―1890年代後半と1920年代前半における中国人・朝鮮人労働者問題 ''Modern Japan and Foreign Laborers: Chinese and Korean Laborers in the late 1890s and early 1920s'', 明石書店 Akashi-shoten, 1994, et al. ISBN 9784750305684
16. Yoshimi Yoshiaki, ''Comfort Women. Sexual Slavery in the Japanese Military During World War II''. Translated by Suzanne O'Brien. Columbia University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-231-12032-X, originally published by 岩波書店, 1995. ISBN 978-4004303848
17. http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/03/29/japan.comfort.women.02/
18. Comfort-Women.org
19. 宮田 節子 Miyata, Setsuko. "創氏改名" (''Creating Surnames and Changing Given Names''), 明石書店 Akashi-shoten, 1992, al. ISBN 4-7503-0406-9
20. http://www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/66
21. Newsweek.com. Who rightfully owns Korean artifacts looted by Japan?
22. Newsweek.com. Who rightfully owns Korean artifacts looted by Japan?
23. [1]
24. (Cumings 1997: 298)
25. Korean Map, The People's Korea, 1998.
26. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ks.html
27. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/kn.html
28. 대한민국의 국호
29. http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-EPT/hyghe.htm
30. http://www.pacificasiamuseum.org/calendar/kcostumes.htm
31. http://www.cha.go.kr/english/search_plaza/ECulresult_Db_View.jsp?VdkVgwKey=11,01260000,37
32. First Ironclad Warships

References

★ Cumings, Bruce. ''Korea's Place in the Sun'', Norton, 1997. ISBN 0-393-31681-5

★ Kim, et al. ''Women of Korea: A History from Ancient Times to 1945'', Ewha Womans University Press, 1976. ISBN 89-7300-116-7.

★ Asian Info website

★ Park's Associates

Further reading

★ Chun, Tuk Chu. "Korea in the Pacific Community." ''Social Education'' 52 (March 1988), 182. EJ 368 177.

★ Cumings, Bruce. ''The Two Koreas''. New York: Foreign Policy Association, 1984.

★ ''Focus On Asian Studies''. Special Issue: "Korea: A Teacher's Guide." No. 1, Fall 1986.

★ Gi-Wook Shin/Michael Robinson (Ed.). ''Colonial modernity in Korea,'' Cambridge, Mass. [u.a.] : Harvard University, Asia Center; Distributed by Harvard Univ. Press 1999, ISBN 0-674-14255-1

★ Joe, W.J. & Choe, H.A. ''Traditional Korea: A Cultural History'', Seoul: Hollym, 1997.

★ Joungwon, A.K. ''Divided Korea: The Politics of Development'', Harvard University Press, 1975.

★ Lee Ki-baik. ''A New History Of Korea''. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1984.

★ Lee Sang-sup. "The Arts and Literature of Korea." ''The Social Studies'' 79 (July-August 1988): 153-60. EJ 376 894.

★ Tae-Jin, Y. "The Illegality of the Forced Treaties Leading to Japan's Annexation of the Great Han Empire," In the ''Korean National Commission for UNESCO'', Vol. 36, No. 4, 1996.

★ Dennis Hart, ''From Tradition to Consumption: Construction of a Capitalist Culture in South Korea''. Seoul:Jimoondang Pub. 2003.

External links

★ The official website of Korea

★ Korean Food Glossary

★ The Architecture and Skyscraper Community of Korea (English Translated)

★ Korea information for backpackers from a Seoulite

★ CIA World Factbook Entry for South Korea

★ CIA World Factbook Entry for North Korea

★ Country study South Korea

★ Country study North Korea

★ Korean language and culture

★ Teaching Kimchi, guide to foreign life in Korea, with focus on foreign teachers

★ Account of a voyage of discovery to the west coast of Corea, and the great Loo-Choo island; with an appendix, containing charts, and various hydrogrammatical and scientific notices. By Captain Basil Hall ... And a vocabulary of the Loo-Choo languages, by H. J. Clifford, 1818. ''(a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)''

★ Corea; or, Cho-sen, the land of the morning calm, with numerous illustrations from drawings made by the author: A. Henry Savage-Landor, 1895. ''(a searchable facsimile at the University of Georgia Libraries; DjVu & layered PDF format)''

★