Korea is a historical state in Northeast Asia, since 1945 divided into two distinct sovereign

states: North Korea (officially the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea") and South
Korea (officially the "Republic of Korea"). Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered
by China to the northwest and Russia to the northeast. It is separated from Japan to the east by
the Korea Strait and the East Sea.
Korea emerged as a singular political entity after centuries of conflict among the Three Kingdoms of
Korea, which were unified as Later Silla to the south and Balhae to the north. Later Silla divided into
three separate states during the Later Three Kingdoms period. Later Goguryeo (Goryeo), which had
succeeded Goguryeo, defeated the two other states and united the Korean Peninsula. Around the
same time, Balhae collapsed and its last remaining crown prince fled south to Goryeo, where he was
accepted into the imperial family. Goryeo (also spelled as Kory), whose name developed into the
modern exonym "Korea", was a highly cultured state that created the world's first metal movable
type in 1234.[4][5][6][7][8][9] However, multiple invasions by the Mongol Yuan Dynasty during the 13th
century greatly weakened the nation, which eventually agreed to become a vassal stateafter
decades of fighting. Following the Yuan Dynasty's collapse, severe political strife followed, and
Goryeo eventually fell to a coup led by General Yi Seong-gye, who established Joseon in 1388.
The first 200 years of Joseon were marked by relative peace and saw the creation of
the Korean alphabet by Sejong the Greatin the 14th century and the increasing influence
of Confucianism. During the later part of the dynasty, however, Korea's isolationist policy earned it
the Western nickname of the "Hermit Kingdom". By the late 19th century, the country became the
object of imperial design by the Empire of Japan. Despite attempts at modernization by the Korean
Empire, in 1910, Korea was annexed by Japan and remained a part of Imperial Japan until the end
of World War II in August 1945.
In 1945, the Soviet Union and the United States agreed on the surrender of Japanese forces in
Korea in the aftermath of World War II, leaving Korea partitioned along the 38th parallel, with the
North under Soviet occupation and the South under U.S. occupation. These circumstances soon
became the basis for the division of Korea by the two superpowers, exacerbated by their inability to
agree on the terms of Korean independence. The Communist-inspired government in the North
received backing from the Soviet Union in opposition to the pro-Western government in the South,
leading to Korea's division into two political entities: North Korea (formally the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea), and South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea). This eventually led to
the Korean War in 1950, which ended in a stalemate without a formalized peace treaty, a factor that
contributes to the high tensions which continue to divide the peninsula.
Contents
[hide]

1History
o

1.1Prehistory and Gojoseon

1.2ProtoThree Kingdoms

1.3Three Kingdoms

1.4North-South States Period

1.5Goryeo dynasty

1.6Joseon dynasty

1.7Korean Empire

1.8Japanese rule

1.9Korean War

1.10Division

2Geography

3Wildlife

4Demographics
4.1Language

5Etymology

6Culture and arts

o

6.1Literature

6.2Music

6.3Religion

6.4Cuisine

6.5Television

7Education

8Science and technology

9Sport
o

9.1Taekwondo

9.2Hapkido

9.3Ssireum

10National Holidays
o

10.1Samiljeol [] (Independence Movement Day) March 1st

10.2Hyunchoongil [] (Memorial day) June 6th

10.3Gwangbokjeol [] (National Liberation Day) August 15th

10.4Hangul Day [] (Hangeul Proclamation Day) October 9th

11See also

12Notes

13References

14Further reading

15External links

History[edit]
Main article: History of Korea
See also: History of North Korea and History of South Korea
Part of a series on the

History of Korea

Prehistory

Jeulmun

Mumun

Ancient

Gojoseon

Jin state

ProtoThree Kingdoms

Buyeo

Goguryeo

Okjeo

Dongye

Samhan
Ma

Byeon

Jin

Four Commanderies of Han

Three Kingdoms

Goguryeo

37 BC668 AD

Baekje

18 BC660 AD

Silla

57 BC935 AD

Gaya confederacy

42562

NorthSouth States
Silla

668935

Balhae

698926

Later Three Kingdoms

Later Baekje

892936

Later Goguryeo (Taebong)

901918

Later Silla (Unified Silla)

57 BC935 AD

Unitary dynastic period

Goryeo
Joseon

9181392
13921897

Korean Empire

18971910

Colonial period
Japanese rule

191045

Provisional Government

191948

Division of Korea
Military Governments

194548

North Korea

1948present

South Korea

1948present

By topic

Language

Military
Monarchs

Art

Naval
Science and technology
Timeline

Korea portal

Prehistory and Gojoseon[edit]

Main articles: Prehistoric Korea and Gojoseon
The Korean Academy claimed ancient hominid fossils originating from about 100,000BC in the lava
at a stone city site in Korea. Fluorescent and high-magnetic analyses indicate the volcanic fossils
may be from as early as 300,000BC.[10] The best preserved Korean pottery goes back to
the paleolithic times around 10,000BC and the Neolithic period begins around 6000BC.
Early historical records of Han(,), the ancestor of Korea was first mentioned in Shigyeong(,
), which was one of the Seven Chinese Classics: the Four Books and the Three Classics (,

), written in 1000 BC; In the story, Han((), a King of Dongyi people(,

), also Joseon() Dynasty, had meeting with Zhou King (,) and negotiated border
between the two nations. Later, Wangbu's(,) book, Jamburon (,) written in
Han() Dynasty(circa AD 100) described Han King's(,) descendants began using Han(,)
as their surname.
Gojoseon's[11] founding father Dangun, a descendant of Heaven, established the kingdom in 2333
BC The original capital may have been on the present-day Joyang() and Yoseo and across vast
area of Southern Manju. In 108BC, Gojoseon and the Han Chinese war, defeated GoJoseon
retreated. Han, China installed the Four commendries to occupied area. By 75BC, three of those
commanderies had fallen, but the Nakrang commendry(now, Yodong peninsula area) remained as a
center of cultural and economic exchange with successive Chinese dynasties until 313, when it fell
to Goguryeo's repatriation of old