Land of the Morning Calm

KOREA

Geography• Korea is a rugged peninsula lying between China on the west and north and Japan to the east. • Mountains and hills make up about 70% of the country

How do we know Korea now?

Ancient History of Korea

Evidence of inhabitants in Korea from as early as 4000 BC exists in Korea. Legend has it that the man-god Tan Gun founded the Joseon (meaning Land of the Morning Calm) Kingdom in 2333 BC. Almost no centralized communities existed from then until three kingdoms emerged in the 1st century BC.

The Three Kingdoms (57 B.C. - 668 A.D)

Goguryeo• Established by King Jumong • It was the first nation to develop as an ancient kingdom• It developed in Manchuria and the northern part of the Korean peninsula• Buddhism was introduced in 372 AD

Baekje• Founded by King Onjo• It occupied the southern regionSilla• Established by King Pak Hyokkose• It also occupied the southern region• It formed the Hwarang (Youth Flower Corps) - a voluntary military organization, which contributed to the strength of the Kingdom

Unified Silla(676-935)

• Silla allied itself with the Tang of China to defeat Baekje and Goguryeo• After the downfall of the two kingdoms, the Tang ruled over their former domains and also tried to conquer Silla• Silla finally drove out the Tang armed forces and succeeded in unifying the Three Kingdoms in 676.

• This period marked the start of Korea's cultural development• Buddhism expanded and furled the construction of numerous temples and art works.•Society divided into distinct classes with a large semi-slave population supporting an aristocratic minority.

Goryeo Period(918-1392)

• Warlords began amassing power bases to the north and eventually took over Silla and founded a new kingdom- Goryeo.• This period is the source of the English name “Korea.”• Laws were codified, and a civil service system was introduced

• The art of celadon pottery was perfected during this period• The publication of Tripitaka Koreana (a collection of Buddhist scriptures) and the invention of movable-metal-type printing press also happened during this period• In 1231 AD the Mongols began its campaigns against Korea and after 25 years of struggle, the royal family relented by signing a treaty – Goryeo thus became a vassal of the Yuan Dynasty of China

Joseon Dynasty(1392-1910)

• The capital was moved to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul)• Confucianism became the country’s official religion• It was during this period that the Hangul (Korean alphabet) was invented by King Sejong the Great

Social hierarchy during the Joseon Dynasty

Royalty

Yangban

JunginCommoners

Slaves

• Royalty• Yangban - civil or military officials and land owners• Jungin - technical specialists such as scribes, medical officers, technicians in science-related fields, artists and musicians.

Social hierarchy during the Joseon Dynasty

•Commoners – largest class; had obligations to pay taxes, provide labor, and serve in the military. By paying land taxes to the state, they were allowed to cultivate land and farm.• Slaves

Social hierarchy during the Joseon Dynasty

Foreign invasions and influences during the Joseon Dynasty

• Korea suffered from invasions by the Japanese (1592-1598) and the Manchus (1627-1636). •The Japanese were repelled by the invention of “turtle ships” (massive, yet swift, ramming/cannon ship fitted with iron spikes) by Admiral Yi Sun-Sin and help from Ming China

• During the 19th century, Joseon Korea tried to control foreign influence by closing the borders to all nations but China – earning the nickname “Hermit Kingdom”• Due to the rise of converts, the government massacred the illegal French missionaries and converts alike in 1866

Japanese Occupation(1910-1945)

• Beginning in 1876, the Japanese forced a series of Western-style trade agreements on Korea, leading to Japan's eventual annexation of the country in 1910.•People were forced to adopt Japanese names, convert to the Shinto, and were forbidden to use Korean language in schools and business.• Japan used Korea's resources, including its people, to fuel its part in WWII

The Division of Korea

• The Japanese surrender in 1945 caused the peninsula to came under divided rule: the USSR occupied Korea north of the 38th parallel, while the U.S. occupied the southern section. • This division was meant to be temporary and was first intended to return a unified Korea back to its people until the US, UK, Soviet Union, and China could arrange a trusteeship administration.

• Initial hopes for a unified, independent Korea quickly evaporated as the politics of the Cold War and opposition to the trusteeship plan from Korean anti-communists • In 1948, a democratic government established the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with its capital in Seoul while the Communists established the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) with its capital in Pyongyang.

The Korean War

• On June 25, 1950, the North Korean Army invaded the South• UN forces helped the South while Communist Chinese volunteers sided with the North, resulting in a three year war which left millions dead on both sides.