BRIEF HISTORY
Gojoseon (2333 - 108 B.C.)
According to legend, the mythical figure Dan-gun founded Gojoseon, the
first Korean Kingdom, in 2333 B.C. Subsequently, several tribes moved
from the southern part of Manchuria to the Korean Peninsula.
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The Three Kingdoms Period (57 B.C. - A.D. 676)
The Three Kingdoms refers to a period of time (early 4th to mid-7th
centuries A.D.) marked by the struggle of three rival kingdoms:
Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla over the territory spanning the Korean
peninsula and part of Northeastern Asia.
Goguryeo
Goguryeo occupied the
largest territory among the Three Kingdoms. Founded in 37 B.C., Goguryeo
prospered on a vast area encompassing the northern part of the Korean
peninsula and south-central Manchuria. The kingdom expanded its
territory in fierce battles against Chinese kingdoms, but fell to an
alliance of Silla and Tang forces in 668 A.D.
Silla
Silla originated
in the southeastern part of the Korean peninsula. The kingdom lasted for
992 years, from 57 B.C. to 935 A.D. It conquered Baekje and Goguryeo,
one after the other, by joining forces with the Tang Empire of China.
Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms, the Tang Empire was no
longer an ally, but an invader. Hence, Silla joined forces with the
people of Goguryeo and Baekje to drive out Tang forces, and founded the
first unified state in the history of Korea in the territory south of the Daedonggang River and Wonsanman.
Baekje
Baekje (18 B.C.-
660 A.D.) was founded by King Onjo, the son
of the King of Goguryeo, in the southwestern part of the Korean
peninsula. The kingdom witnessed the florescence of the elegant and
delicate Baekje culture, which in particular greatly affected Japanese
culture. In 660 A.D., Baekje was defeated by the coalition troops of
Silla and Tang of China. |
The Unified Silla Kingdom and Balhae
| The Unified Silla
(676-935) |
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| The Unified Silla Kingdom promoted the
development of culture and arts, and the popularity of Buddhism reached
its peak during this period. The unified Silla Kingdom declined
because of contention for supremacy among the noble classes, and was
annexed by Goryeo in 935. |
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| Balhae(698-926) |
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| The Balhae Kingdom began to emerge
just as the Goguryeo kingdom was on the verge of collapsing. Goguryeo
General, Dae Joyeong founded Balhae along with his army of displaced
peoples. At one point, Balhae became so powerful that it was able to
acquire territories in northern and eastern parts of China. At those
times, the Tang Dynasty of China referred to Balhae as 'the strong
country by the sea in the east.' The significance of the Balhae Kingdom
is greatly inherited from Goguryeo, including the land that it was able
to retrieve. |
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| The Goryeo Dynasty (918 - 1392) |
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The Goryeo Dynasty was established in
918. Buddhism became the state religion during this time and greatly
influenced politics and culture. Famous items produced during this time
include Goryeo celadon and the Tripitaka Koreana. Jikjisimgyeong,
Buddhist scripture printed with the world's first movable metal type
developed in Korea during Goryeo Dynasty, is at least 78 years older
than the first Gutenberg Bible.
The Goryeo Dynasty's strength decreased gradually in the latter half of the 14th century. |
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| The Joseon Dynasty (1392 - 1910) |
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| The Joseon Dynasty was formed at the
end of the 14th century. Confucianism became the state ideology and
exerted a massive influence over the whole of society. The Joseon
Dynasty produced Hangeul, the Korean alphabet, which was invented in
1443, during the reign of King Sejong. The dynasty's power declined
later because of foreign invasions, beginning with the Japanese invasion
of 1592. |
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| The Japanese Colonial Period (1910 - 1945) |
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| In 1876, the Joseon Dynasty was forced
to adopt an open-door policy regarding Japan. The Japanese annexation
of Korea concluded in 1910, and Korean people had to suffer under the
Japanese colonial rule until the surrender of Japan in 1945, which ended
World War II. |
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| Establishment of the Korean Government (1945-1948) |
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Korea was liberated from Japanese
oppression on August 15, 1945, but it soon faced the tragic division of
North and South along the 38th parallel. Both regions were placed under
temporary military rule by the U.S. and Soviet armies.
In 1948 with the
help of the United Nations, South Korea held an election on May 10th and
elected Dr. Rhee Syngman president. On August 15th of that same year,
an official declaration was made about the birth of the South Korean
government.
On the other hand, North Korea formed the Provisional
Peoples Committee for North Korea, led by Kim Il-sung, in February 1946.
On September 9, 1948, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was
officially founded. |
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| The Korean War (1950-1953) |
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In the early hours of June 25th, 1950,
North Korea attempted a forcible unification of North and South Korea
by invading South Korea over the 38th parallel. In response, military
help from over 16 nations helped defend South Korea against the threat
of North Korea under the leadership of UN General Douglas MacArthur.
China
and the Soviet Union lent their military might to North Korea. The war
continued over the next 3 years until coming to an end on July 27th
1953, with a peace agreement signed at Panmunjeom, located in the DMZ.
Not only did the war ravage the peninsula, it also heightened hostile
sentiments between the North and South, making reunification a difficult
task. |
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| The Aftermath of War (1954-Current) |
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| North and South Korea jointly signed an agreement on July 4th, 1972
concerning the reunification of the two Koreas, and in 2000 Kim Dae-jung
and Kim Jeong-il took early steps to explore reunification, improve the
economy, and solve the problem of separated families. The family
reunification program, started in 1985, continues until this day. In
1998, South Korean citizens began to be admitted into North Korea to
tour the Geumgangsan Diamond Mountains.
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SYMBOLS OF KOREA
The National Flag of Korea
The Korean flag (태극기) is called "Taegeukgi". Its design symbolizes
the principles of the yin and yang in Oriental philosophy.
The red and blue forces
together embody the concepts of continual movement, balance and harmony that
characterize the sphere of infinity.
The circle is surrounded by four trigrams. Trigrams symbolize for:
heaven (  ), earth (  ), fire (  ), and water (  ).
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Hanbok
Means "Korean clothing", often refers specifically to hanbok of Joseon Dynasty.
Traditional women's hanbok consists of jeogori (a blouse shirt or a jacket) and chima (a wrap-around skirt) which is usually worn full. The ensemble is often called chima jeogori.
Men's hanbok consists of jeogori and baji (pants). The baji were baggy pants in traditional men's hanbok. |
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Traditional dishes
Ssambap, bulgogi, sinseollo, kimchi, bibimbap, and gujeolpan.
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Mugunghwa (무궁화), rose of sharonlowers
Every year from
July to October, a profusion of mugunghwa blossoms graces the entire country.
Unlike most flowers, the mugunghwa is remarkably tenacious and able to withstand
both blight and insects. The flower’s symbolic significance stems from the
Korean word mugung, meaning immortality. This word accurately reflects
the enduring nature of Korean culture, and the determination and perseverance of
the Korean people.
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Folk music
Pansori is a long vocal and percussive music played by one singer and one drummer.
Sanjo is played without a pause in faster tempos.
Chŏngak
means literally "right (or correct) music", and its tradition includes
both instrumental and vocal music, which were cultivated mainly by the
upper-class literati of the Joseon society.
Nongak,
means "farmers' music" and represents an important musical genre which
has been developed mainly by peasants in the agricultural society of
Korea.
Salpuri is a dance for soul cleansing and literally means : "to wash away bad ghosts".
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