History of Korea
The Lower Paleolithic era on the Korean Peninsula and in Manchuria began roughly half a million years ago.
The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began after 6000 BC,
followed by the Bronze Age by 2000 BC, and the Iron Age around 700 BC. Similarly, according to The History of
Korea, supervised by Kim Yang-ki and edited by Kang Deoksang, Jung Sanae, and Nakayama Kiyotaka, the
Paleolithic people are not the direct ancestors of the present Korean (Chosun) people, but their direct
ancestors are estimated to be the Neolithic People of about 2000 BC. According to the mythic account recounted
in the Samguk Yusa (1280s), the Gojoseon (Old Joseon) kingdom was founded in northern Korea and southern
Manchuria in 2333 BC. In the 12th century BC Gija, a prince from the Shang dynasty of China, purportedly
founded Gija Joseon. The first written historical record on Gojoseon can be found from the text Guanzi. Giza's
founding of Gojoseon was believed to be true until the 19th century, but it is considered unfounded in modern
times. Archaeologically, there are only various hypotheses about the founding process and exact period of
Gojoseon, and the origin of the name Joseon is also unclear. However, it is clear that Gojoseon existed on the
Korean Peninsula and Manchuria at the latest before the 4th century B.C., which can be seen frequently in the
records of China's Spring and Autumn period. The Jin state was formed in southern Korea by the 3rd century BC.
In the 2nd century BC, Gija Joseon was replaced by Wiman Joseon, which fell to the Han dynasty of China near
the end of the century. This resulted in the fall of Gojoseon and led to succeeding warring states, the
Proto–Three Kingdoms period that spanned the later Iron Age. From the 1st century BC, Goguryeo, Baekje, and
Silla grew to control the peninsula and Manchuria as the Three Kingdoms of Korea (57 BC–668 AD), until
unification by Silla in 676. In 698, King Go established the Balhae in old territories of Goguryeo, which led
to the Northern and Southern States period (698–926) of Balhae and Silla coexisting. In the late 9th century,
Silla was divided into the Later Three Kingdoms (892–936), which ended with the unification by Wang Geon's
Goryeo dynasty. Meanwhile, Balhae fell after invasions by the Khitan-led Liao dynasty and the refugees
including the last crown prince emigrated to Goryeo, where the crown prince was warmly welcomed and included
into the ruling family by Wang Geon, thus unifying the two successor states of Goguryeo. During the Goryeo
period, laws were codified, a civil service system was introduced, and culture influenced by Buddhism
flourished. However, Mongol invasions in the 13th century brought Goryeo under the influence of the Mongol
Empire in Mongolia and the Yuan dynasty of China until the mid-14th century.
In 1392, General Yi Seong-gye
established the Joseon dynasty (1392–1897) after a coup d'état that overthrew the Goryeo dynasty in 1388. King
Sejong the Great (1418–1450) implemented numerous administrative, social, scientific, and economic reforms,
established royal authority in the early years of the dynasty, and personally created Hangul, the Korean
alphabet. After enjoying a period of peace for nearly two centuries, the Joseon dynasty faced foreign
invasions and internal factional strife from 1592 to 1637. Most notable of these invasions is the Japanese
invasions of Korea, which marked the end of the Joseon dynasty's early period. The combined force of Ming
dynasty of China and the Joseon dynasty repelled these Japanese invasions, but at a cost to the countries.
Henceforth, Joseon gradually became more and more isolationist and stagnant. By the mid 19th century, with the
country unwilling to modernize, and under encroachment of European powers, Joseon Korea was forced to sign
unequal treaties with foreign powers. 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. However, in 1905, the Korean Empire
signed a protectorate treaty and in 1910, Japan annexed the Korean Empire. Korea then became a Japanese colony
from 1910 to 1945. Korean resistance manifested in the widespread March 1st Movement of 1919. Thereafter the
resistance movements, coordinated by the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in exile, became
largely active in neighboring Manchuria, China proper, and Siberia, influenced by Korea's peaceful
demonstrations. Figures from these exile organizations would become important in post-WWII Korea. After the
end of World War II in 1945, the Allies divided the country into a northern area (protected by the Soviets)
and a southern area (protected primarily by the United States). In 1948, when the powers failed to agree on
the formation of a single government, this partition became the modern states of North and South Korea. The
peninsula was divided at the 38th Parallel: the "Republic of Korea" was created in the south, with the backing
of the US and Western Europe, and the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" in the north, with the backing
of the Soviets and the communist People's Republic of China. The new premier of North Korea, Kim Il Sung,
launched the Korean War in 1950 in an attempt to reunify the country under Communist rule. After immense
material and human destruction, the conflict ended with a cease-fire in 1953. In 1991, both states were
accepted into the United Nations. In 2018, the two nations agreed to work toward a final settlement to
formally end the Korean conflict and find the unity after ending it. While both countries were essentially
under military rule after the war, South Korea eventually liberalized. Since 1987 it has had a competitive
electoral system. The South Korean economy has prospered, and the country is now considered to be fully
developed, with a similar capital economic standing to Western Europe, Japan, and the United States. North
Korea has maintained totalitarian militarized rule, with a personality cult constructed around the Kim family.
Economically, North Korea has remained heavily dependent on foreign aid. Following the end of the Soviet
Union, that aid collapsed precipitously. The country's economic situation has been quite marginal since.